Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Written By: - Date published: 3:01 pm, January 15th, 2026 - 4 comments
The merger of many functions of the central public sector concerned with cities, the environment, housing and urban development, and transport, was announced in the week before Christmas and is now underway. There’s plenty of good on the face of it.
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, January 9th, 2026 - 10 comments
The real affordability crisis lies in the systematic extraction of income from households.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, January 6th, 2026 - 12 comments
The company has been accused of using outdated encryption protocols, and has been slow to respond to community concerns. And importantly, has National put our other public health data at risk too?
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, December 31st, 2025 - 3 comments
Chris Bishop is thought by some to be the politician of the year, mainly for drafting a couple of bills plaigarised from the work of David Parker and untested promises to build hugely expensive roads of National significance. But they are ignoring the most extraordinary performance by an opposition leader in recent decades.
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, December 24th, 2025 - 22 comments
“National preferred doing a quick, low-quality deal over doing the hard work necessary to get a fair deal that delivers for both New Zealanders and Indians.”
Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, December 23rd, 2025 - 11 comments
Advantage gets out the crystal ball and postilated what may happen next year.
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, December 20th, 2025 - 13 comments
The plan ignores standard traffic planning practice, takes no account of predicted sea level rise and will be obsolete before the last stone is turned.
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, December 19th, 2025 - 18 comments
the US administration stresses that countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan will need to militarise as never before in peacetime to keep China in its place.
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, December 16th, 2025 - 17 comments
PLUS: Brooke Van Velden overturns historic Supreme Court Uber ruling, after Uber lost their appeal unanimously last month
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 pm, December 12th, 2025 - 25 comments
“The days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.” White House National Security Strategy, 2025
Written By: - Date published: 4:36 pm, December 9th, 2025 - 3 comments
Privatisation and Plunder is essential reading for those who want to work for a society where prosperity for all is the aim.
Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, December 8th, 2025 - 13 comments
That’s the headline of the pamphlet in the letterbox. But from their own measures is that true?
Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, December 7th, 2025 - 27 comments
This may be a one term National Government. But electoral law reform, the state of Labour’s coalition partners, a possible economic upturn and a change in National’s leader threaten this.
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, December 7th, 2025 - 2 comments
The world is entering a generation of challenges not seen since the late 1930s. New Zealand is better placed than most states to weather this challenge if it prepares now.
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, December 4th, 2025 - 12 comments
It appears to be more and more inevitable that National will welch on the country’s Paris Accord obligations.
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, November 26th, 2025 - 12 comments
Is it only the uber wealthy and politicians that don’t want a wealth tax? Guyon Espiner talks with ex trader, now people’s economist Gary Stevenson.
Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, November 19th, 2025 - 17 comments
On the 15th anniversary of the Pike River disaster Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse will today be speaking to Brook van Velden about the need to preserve and strengthen safety at work laws.
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, November 17th, 2025 - 5 comments
Government hits a NEW low today after hitting a previous record low in February 2025
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, November 15th, 2025 - 20 comments
This government is deliberately enabling private seabed mining in Taranaki to prevent New Zealand’s largest future renewable electricity supply.
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, November 11th, 2025 - 36 comments
Labour’s capital gains tax isn’t the end of the debate — it’s the beginning of a reckoning. The left’s real problem isn’t its policy. It’s the cult of reasonableness that’s made conviction sound impolite.
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, November 5th, 2025 - 21 comments
The New York City mayoral election results are expected later this afternoon NZT.
Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 2nd, 2025 - 90 comments
Ryan Bridges fawns over Tend’s Telehealth corporate model which is subsidised by taxpayers, rewards private equity investors, and costs about $80 per consult
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 31st, 2025 - 49 comments
The vast majority of Fonterra shareholders have agreed to sell all its consumer brands to Lactalis, and it’s an economic crime against New Zealand.
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, October 30th, 2025 - 140 comments
The usual voices have publicly attacked Labour’s proposed Capital Gains Tax using arguments that do not stack up.
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, October 28th, 2025 - 46 comments
Today’s leak of Labour’s tax policy is unsurprising. The later Robertson and long-term Parker views are lost. And this position is at odds with much of the thinking in the Labour Party.
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, October 28th, 2025 - 151 comments
Labour’s Capital Gains Tax has been released in less than an optimal manner. And the policy is more modest than some would have liked.
Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, October 27th, 2025 - 17 comments
On this Labour Day, a massive shout out to all the workers in Southland, Otago and other areas affected by the storms last week. Paid and volunteer, obvious and those in the background doing support for the frontline workers.
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, October 25th, 2025 - 23 comments
National has announced it will be spending nearly three times as much on Roads of National Significance as it campaigned on and has justified dubious investment decisions by changing how benefits are calculated.
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, October 24th, 2025 - 11 comments
Burr unironically asks: “Politics or pay – what’s really behind the mega strike?” without understanding all action is political, and that unions are made up of individual workers who vote
Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, October 21st, 2025 - 14 comments
National’s road plans are fraught with risks, with one of these projects will suck up $1 in every $10 of capital spending over 20 years. Plus: NZIER analysis has been called into question
Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, October 21st, 2025 - 6 comments
Labour’s first cornerstone policy is a solid start
Recent Comments