Most allegations against Julian Assange dropped
Most of the allegations against Assange have been dropped but Swedish authorities still refuse to question him in London. And Assange still hasn’t been charged with a single crime.
Colonial Viper
Surprise – ordinary UK voters like Jeremy Corbyn too
According to a new poll, Corbyn appears very electable indeed, despite more squeeling from Tony Blair and the right wing establishment of UK Labour.
The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income
A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.
The Future of…Jobs?
A relevant and real “Future of Work Commission” needs to be centred on building creativity, increasing collectivity, dealing with climate change and achieving fossil fuel transition.
left wing leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn well ahead
Hard lefty Jeremy Corbyn has a 22 pt lead in the UK Labour leadership race. The Labour Party Blairites are definitely not happy.
Voters want foreign buyer ban – but LAB doesn’t benefit
Most Kiwis back a ban on foreign property buyers but this hasn’t translated into a boost for Labour. Critically, Key’s popularity drops under 40%.
It’s not just Serco, it’s state operated prisons
Recent focus has been on the tragedy and incompetence of a Serco run private prison. But problems extend further than that, into the entire way NZ views its prison system. We need fundamental penal reform.
RM: Labour jumps 6% – LAB/GR coalition leads
Roy Morgan poll declares a “centrist” NZ First could act to replace the National Government, on latest poll results.
Auckland house prices – the good ol’ days ’05
Home ownership rates have been crashing since the 1990’s. Auckland house prices have been classed as “seriously unaffordable” since 2006 or earlier. The answer is to make sure that houses are no longer considered a financial asset for capital gains.
Phil Quin resigns from Labour
Phil Quin: “I cannot, however, belong to an organisation that considers racial profiling fair sport. It really is that simple. I will rejoin once this or any future leader publicly repudiates such tactics.”
Treaty of Versailles – Greek edition
Just like there clearly are first class Euros and second class Euros, it is just as clear that there are first class Europeans and second class Europeans. Nothing is settled and the chance of further conflict is high.
GFC 2 in the oven: trillion dollar bailouts
Trillion dollar bank bail outs, interest rate apartheid and GREXIT. The ingredients for GFC 2 and another round of shock capitalism are quietly simmering. Graphic is of what US$1B looks like in printed notes.
Slash Greek debt now!
Europe must agree to slashing Greece’s debt so that economic growth can begin again. Germany should understand this better than most.
Delegates: vote down the NZ Super age increase
Raising the super age is not only unnecessary, it further entrenches intergenerational inequity, reduces community incomes and makes Māori and Pasifika pay too high a price. Conference delegates: make Labour think outside the orthodox economic box and vote it down.
Tat Loo: Viper Pilot
You can get buried in the minutiae of policy detail, House speeches and daily news cycles, thinking that success there will win an election. Outside the Thorndon Bubble however, nothing is further from the truth. A reconnected Labour Party presenting gutsy alternatives using a narrative quite different to the old neoliberal consensus is starting to get serious voter attention. Now is the time to press ‘turbo boost’.