Class sizes: show National you care
Here’s a petition against Hekia Parata’s class size increases. Show the government what a big mistake they’ve made. If Federated Farmers can spread it, so can you…
Ben Clark
Labour Candidate for North Shore 2011
MMP Review: Last Day
Today is the last day for submissions to the MMP Review.
If you haven’t done so yet, make sure your have your say – it only takes 5 minutes for the short submission.
Spin update
Just as a quick update on my pre-budget Spin v reality about a Government that has the worst growth record of any since before Michael Joseph Savage, and has a 52% increase in unemployment despite more than 1,000 NZers leaving for Australia each week.
Asset sales: still bad
Adding to the canon of reasons and commentators on why you don’t sell your assets (particularly to pay for your maintenance) is an […]
Govt banks on winning lottery
National don’t have faith in Kiwis, or our skills and education, our Kiwi ingenuity. Nope, they think the only way to wealth is farming – which can’t be expanded, tourism – which provides low value jobs, and resource exploitation – of oil, gas and minerals unfound. They’re banking on us hitting the jackpot, because they can’t think of any real way of providing a future for our country.
Christchurch – economic hindrance?
The Government have been pushing a line that Christchurch is holding us back as an economy. The poor people of Christchurch are to blame for all our woes apparently, with their earthquake. We shouldn’t blame National, just Cantabrians.
But it’s not true.
A living wage
The Service and Food Workers Union is launching a campaign for a living wage at 12 o’clock today.
[Update: Campaign site]
David Parker’s Greece-proof paper
Don’t blame Greece: if you change nothing, nothing changes. National’s problems are their own to solve, but they don’t have the guts to look at the big problems in New Zealand’s economy. 0.6% growth in total over the last 3 years – less than population. But National only tinkers and distracts, as our brightest and best head to Aussie.
Spin v reality
National have become a very adept PR machine. While not adept at running the country, they’ve become great at running statistics. John Key […]
Austerity will increase inequality
Austerity is reducing the opportunities for social mobility, for reducing income inequality, for a fair society. The increased class sizes, the removal of Adult and Community Education, the removal of Training Allowances, and many more things National are doing in the name of “austerity” are undermining our society.
Countdown: 36 days to go
There are 72 days to the Olympics, which is what many people are counting down to – but the planet will be much more interested in the Rio+20 conference in 36 days. This is the chance for world leaders to put global society on a sustainable path.
Clean, Green & Clever: NZ Institute’s last prescription
Ever since I went to his Fabian lecture in February, I’ve been meaning to write about Rick Boven’s last major work before leaving […]
Aucklanders tell Nats they don’t want their MOM
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee got to hear 30 more submissions – all opposed – on the MOM bill. 1400 submissions, almost all against, but no sign the Nats are listening. Big March in Auckland tomorrow to shout it louder.
A Butcher’s Shop, a Toy Shop, a Candy Store and a Childcare Centre
Steven Joyce’s personal fiefdom of Economic Development, Science and Innovation, Building and Housing, and Labour is confirmed. Now for the redundancies…
Hearing about your MOM
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee hearings into National’s “Mixed-Ownership Model” Bill (aka Asset Sales) have begun in Wellington, with the vast majority of the more than 600 submitters to the select committee process opposed.
Daughter, my generation is squandering your birthright
Will our children think of the welfare state, the tiger and the rhino as part of a mythologised Arcadia?
Vision part 2: a more equal NZ
David Shearer’s delivered his second “Vision” speech. It’s good to hear he wants to lead a government that tackles inequality, wants proper jobs rather than casualised ones and our kids earning or learning.
Show us you cards, John
David Shearer’s created an easy way to send John Key a message about selling the law to SkyCity. Here’s your chance to tell John his plan to inflict harm on the community to increase the profit of SkyCity is stupid.
We pay for pollution
As National tell us they can’t afford the pittance required for parental leave, they also announce that they will continue to wear the multi-billion dollar cost of farmers’ emissions by deferring their entry into the ETS. That’s us, the tax-payers, subsidising Fonterra.
Hidden away
Hidden away at the end of this story, hidden away out of most media view, hidden away from Housing New Zealand, and from society… ordinary people being shafted by National’s cuts.
A three-legged stool
Ruth Richardson has forced every subsequent policy to be sized up for ‘fiscal responsibility’. I’d like them to be sized up for ‘social responsibility’ and ‘environmental responsibility’ as well.
Participate: a better criminal trial?
The Law Commission is reviewing trial process. Can we have a fairer justice system?
Participate: Stop Asset Sales and Welfare Reform
Friday 13th (April) – a scary day as submissions close on 2 major government bills. Make sure you get your submissions in on the Mixed Ownership Model Bill and the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill.
Time for workers in the boardroom
German corporations’ boards are half employee representatives. This has stopped outsourcing, short-term executive thinking, outrageous executive/director pay and can only have improved worker relations. Their economy is sustainable and powering ahead out of the financial crisis through innovation and productivity. Could such an idea catch on here?
Private Welfare to Work – how well does that work?
The government has introduced their welfare changes to parliament. In addition to making mums of 1 year-olds seek paid work in addition to raising children, it introduces private companies profiting from unemployment misery with welfare to work schemes. The UK has been trying this for a couple of years – let’s look at how that’s going…
Labour Organisational Review continues…
Last night was the North Shore meeting of Labour’s Organisational Review, going around the country this month.
Shearer’s Starting Speech
Tomorrow morning, 7.30, livestreaming on labour.org.nz
Participate: Green Paper on Vulnerable Children
Paula Bennett, in her rush to action, has a Green Paper that intends to create a White Paper that may result in some […]
Participate: MMP Review
You may have noticed the ads about The Standard for the MMP Review that the Electoral Commission announced yesterday.
Now’s your chance to have your say on what MMP will look like in the future.
A sustainable future
The UN High Level Panel on Global Sustainability has delivered a report about creating a future that’s sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. Our government and political parties should be looking at it and measuring themselves against it.
Inequality: a big issue for our time
The Herald looks like it has an excellent series this week, on Auckland: A city divided by income. It’s an issue that has […]
Poverty: our shame
We’ve been told about how bad poverty is here, and how bad it is for our future by the excellent Inside New Zealand documentary – but will it take an outside view to wake us from our slumber?
If so then Christians Against Poverty‘s John Kirkby is willing to provide it for us.
Closing the Gap: who’s listening?
Income inequality is one of the major issues of our time, and is being discussed globally. But our government doesn’t appear to be listening. Now a new organisation is aiming to raise awareness of the issue, and pressure our politicians to do something about it.
The Wealth Gap
There’s a documentary on BBC World Service about the Wealth Gap – how the top 0.1% keep earning more and more. Looks worth a listen…
Still no plan
“Once in office, you’ve got to do something. That is why having a plan matters.” – Simon Power, 2011, valedictory speech to parliament
And so it begins
Mighty River Power is first on the block, to be sold in the third quarter of next year (weather conditions permitting).