Expand Nick Smith. Photo / APN Former Cabinet minister Nick Smith last month fell on his sword when it was revealed that when he was ACC Minister, he provided his friend Bronwyn Pullar with a letter of support over her ACC grievance. Dr Smith, who is also the MP for [...]
Category Archives: Works
Too much doesn’t add up in this ACC security story
Expand John Key has twice asked his ACC Minister, Judith Collins, if she leaked a private email from Michelle Boag. Photo / Michael Craig Despite the Prime Minister’s plea, everyone has not “moved on” from the ACC security breach debacle. It’s hugely significant that John Key has twice asked his [...]
ACC, media mess puts left on right track at last
Expand David Shearer and his colleagues finally have the Government in their sights. Photo / Mark Mitchell This has been a good week for the left. Labour has been useless for so long we’ve forgotten what it’s like for it to have the National Party on the back foot in [...]
Mayor blasts secret land-deal meeting
Expand Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Photo / Getty Images Auckland Mayor Len Brown has spoken of his fury at being kept in the dark over a deal to give highly-prized coastal land to Maori. Brown says the government briefings on the deal to give $13.8 million of land in Devonport [...]
Crafar group concerned over Easter deal
Expand The Maori trusts are part of the Sir Michael Fay-led consortium whose bid for the New Zealand dairy farms lost out to a high-paying Chinese offer. Photo / Christine Cornege The Sir Michael Fay led group vying with Shanghai Pengxin to buy the Crafar Farms fears a decision this [...]
Police stats show drop in recorded crime
Expand Photo / Thinkstock Recorded crime has dropped to its lowest level in 15 years, police figures show. According to police there were 20,289 fewer offences recorded in 2011 than during the previous calendar year, a decrease of 4.8 percent, with 406,056 offences recorded between January 1 and December 31. [...]
ACC claimants bugged emails
Expand Judith Collins. Photo / APN Online security has been tightened at ACC after some claimants bugged emails to see what case managers were doing. Bronwyn Pullar, the woman at the centre of the ACC security scandal, has revealed she used email tracking software to get updates of activity with [...]
Diplomats head home to discuss MFAT cuts
Expand Former National minister John Carter was among those who signed the letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over proposed cuts. Photo / APN An expensive two-day meeting begins today as diplomats come home from around the world to discuss proposed changes at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and [...]
Tremain, Bridges promoted in Cabinet reshuffle
Expand Nick Smith’s three portfolios are being spread around Cabinet. Photo / Mark Mitchell Dr Nick Smith’s three portfolios have been split among three ministers after his resignation from Cabinet. David Carter will take over Local Government, Amy Adams will take over Environment, and Tim Groser will get Climate Change [...]
Employment confidence falls as public servant anxiety grows
Public sector employees are gloomy about job prospects. Photo / Mark Mitchell New Zealanders are still pessimistic about the state of the employment market amid rising anxiety among public servants over looming job cuts as the government looks to cut costs. The Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index fell 0.7 points [...]