Ugly Day

Spring Creek, Tiwai Point and NI Mussel Processors.  I'd ask if the 170,000 new jobs includes the loss of these jobs, or is in addition to them, but I expect a good proportion of the soon-to-be-unemployed will not contribute to the unemployment rate in NZ, by emigrating.
I'd suggest that the managers responsible should hang their heads in shame, and tender their resignations.  But their role is to maximise the return to shareholders, not keep people employed or contribute to the communities they are based in.  Which leads to the question, is the version of capitalism we have the best solution?  Surely we can come up with something better.

The 3D's - Hellzapoppin, 1992

Saint Nick's Last Kick

Where there's smoke, there's fire, right?  It wasn't so long ago that the smoke was streaming out of ACC, and the fire consumed the minister responsible.

Here's some more smoke.  Nick Smith signing off on $180,000 of expenditure to a consultancy run by one of his mates.  Regular John might look into it.

The Hasselhoff Experiment - Christmas on the Rocks, 2001

NOTE - any comments on the theme of "the other lot did it too" will not be published, unless they are accompanied by other exceptionally useful commentary.