Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, September 22nd, 2015 - 15 comments
One News has discovered that over the past five years Housing Corporation has divested itself of 2,472 houses at the same time that the need for social housing has escalated.
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, September 20th, 2015 - 103 comments
Twelve months on from the last election and that brighter future we were promised has not happened.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 18th, 2015 - 50 comments
The Herald editorial this morning suggests that Andrew Little is handling the flag referendum poorly but makes some stunningly simple mistakes that undermines its conclusions.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 17th, 2015 - 33 comments
Not only is Housing Corp planning to pay a $118 million dividend to the Crown this year but hidden away in its accounts is the payment of a further capital contribution of $336 million. Talk about strip mining …
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, September 16th, 2015 - 37 comments
In recent news it has been stated that the Government has let Serco off fines totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars while at the same time it is sneaking through retrospective changes to the law to deny thousands of beneficiaries money they are otherwise entitled to.
Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, September 15th, 2015 - 153 comments
Josie Pagani yesterday chose as a left wing commentator to condemn Jeremy Corbyn’s politics as being based on narcissism where hard decisions never need to be made, and the unpopularity of a policy was evidence not of its failure but of its virtue. She should have analysed his history before making these claims. And in the interests of balance the media really needs to choose left wing commentators who will proudly stand up and support progressive ideals rather than repeat right wing attack lines.
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, September 13th, 2015 - 162 comments
Jeremy Corbyn’s election provides a further opportunity to discuss if elections should be won by tacking to the centre or adopting a principled approach to politics.
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 pm, September 12th, 2015 - 271 comments
Jeremy Corbyn wins the UK Labour leadership contest with nearly 60% of the vote on the first ballot.
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, September 12th, 2015 - 98 comments
Climate change induced sea level increases poses a huge threat to most Pacific Islands. They are seeking support for a goal of limiting temperature increases to no more than 1.5 degrees. Australia and New Zealand are insisting on sticking to a goal of no more than 2 degrees even though this will likely mean that many Islands will disappear.
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, September 10th, 2015 - 75 comments
In the UK, in Australia and in New Zealand conservative governments have initially refused to accept more refugees then in a matter of days they have changed their view. At the same time they have announced increased support for refugees they have announced military action against ISIS. Makes you wonder if this is based on Crosby Textor advice.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, September 9th, 2015 - 63 comments
Figures have been released showing that Warner Bros were paid NZ $191 million in tax rebates to create the Hobbit Trilogy. The films were very profitable. Why is corporate welfare for profitable activity tolerated?
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, September 9th, 2015 - 82 comments
At a time where the need for social housing has possibly never been greater the Housing Corporation is to pay the Government a dividend of $118 million, the third largest in the Corporation’s history.
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, September 7th, 2015 - 73 comments
The backtrack is under way. Last week National was not budging on refugee numbers. Today they will announced an urgent passage allowing for the intake of more Syrian refugees. The focus groups have spoken. Update: and the announcement is for 600 new refugees over 3 years and $4,9 million in increased aid.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 6th, 2015 - 71 comments
Naomi Klein recently visited Australia and amongst other things described climate change as a crime, criticised the Abbott Government attack on renewable energy and described the importance of grassroots action and indigenous rights.
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, September 5th, 2015 - 82 comments
In both England and New Zealand conservative Prime Ministers are looking to urgently backtrack from recent refusals to do anything further for refugees.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 3rd, 2015 - 54 comments
The Government is under increasing pressure to increase the number of refugees that it takes. Amnesty International’s proposal to double the number could be met by less than the cost of a flag referendum.
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, September 2nd, 2015 - 172 comments
A climate change induced drought from 2006 to 2009 appears to have sparked the instability that has caused the Syrian Civil war. The mass exodus of citizens that we are witnessing may be the first of many climate change induced events.
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, September 1st, 2015 - 58 comments
John Key has ruled out an emergency intake of refugees and claims that New Zealand is doing its bit and that bit is enough.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, August 31st, 2015 - 224 comments
All Black fan boy John Key opened up Parliament to allow the New Zealand Rugby Union announce this year’s world cup All Black squad on the weekend.
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 30th, 2015 - 55 comments
The latest financial reports for the privatised companies suggests that the New Zealand Government has lost in the past twelve months $470 million in dividends it would have received had it held onto the shares.
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, August 28th, 2015 - 38 comments
Chris Finlayson has criticised the New Zealand Law Society for not being aware that a change to the Health and Safety Reform Bill affecting human rights introduced after submissions had been heard was itself being changed. But all this does is reinforce the Law Society’s criticisms that such provisions should have been part of the original bill.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, August 26th, 2015 - 23 comments
The Government has snuck into the Health and Safety Reform Bill a provision that allows for withholding from the parties to court proceedings of classified security information and for decisions affecting their rights to be made on the basis of information they have no access to. This was not in the original bill and you have to wonder why such a contentious provision has been introduced so late.
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, August 25th, 2015 - 156 comments
China’s sharemarket plunge has affected the rest of the world as stock exchange after stock exchange has posted losses. It appears clear that predictions of a Chinese sharemarket bubble market are correct and now that the Chinese Government is no longer propping up share prices they are crashing.
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, August 22nd, 2015 - 57 comments
The Department of Conservation let some volunteers from Deerstalkers onto Motutapu with shotguns to shoot Pukeko to make more room for endangered Takehe. But four Takehe were killed by stray shot gun pellets. DOC is now talking about prosecuting the Deerstalkers. Time for them to accept blame for allowing such a stupid thing to occur. And the Government for compromising DOC’s ability to function by starving it of resources.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, August 21st, 2015 - 50 comments
Apparently worm farms and mini golf ranges are dangerous places. And worm farmers playing mini golf are in grave peril.
Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, August 20th, 2015 - 46 comments
While beneficiary numbers decrease the incidence of beneficiaries being trespassed and the numbers of pregnant women living homeless is increasing. Are we really seeing things improve or are more and more people falling through the cracks?
Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, August 19th, 2015 - 59 comments
The Ombudsman is to investigate John Key’s office’s refusal to provide information about what contact occurred between Key and Rachel Glucina during ponytailgate.
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 18th, 2015 - 187 comments
Yesterday a debate that has occurred on the Standard about how main stream media has a right wing bias became mainstream when Winston Peters accused Mike Hosking of being a National Party Stooge. An online poll provided overwhelming support for his statement. And recently Steven Joyce attacked Rod Oram because his analytical thoughtful analysis critical of the Government displayed evidence of left wing bias.
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, August 17th, 2015 - 72 comments
John Key made some outlandish claims about TPPA opponents this morning on the Paul Henry show. And in response, as usual, he was not pulled up on his claims by his interviewer.
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, August 16th, 2015 - 64 comments
… and why is Solid Energy removing links to its Annual reports from its website?
Written By: - Date published: 4:55 pm, August 15th, 2015 - 38 comments
An open post to cover the TPPA protests today. In Auckland it was big and noisy with an estimated 10,000 plus people attending. Congratulations to the organisers including Jane Kelsey and well done to everyone who turned up despite the weather. There is a lot of anger building over this issue and I am sure the […]
Recent Comments