Labour and Lees-Galloway secure end to zero hours contracts
Labour has forced the Government to back down on plans to entrench zero hour contracts.
Economy
class war
the Global Death Economy
A new edition of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” has been released. It makes it clear that we are in the grip of a global “Death Economy” and a collective embrace of ‘Thanatos’, the death instinct.
Key’s Bitter Legacy; Gareth Hughes Nails the PM’s Vanity.
The Green’s Gareth Hughes delivered a blistering speech in reply to the PM’s statement to the House. It begs the question ‘what will Key’s lasting legacy be?’. A failed flag referendum? Poverty? Inequality? Corruption? Selfies with AB’s?
As Key’s star fades, the less he seems to have left us to remember him by. What was the point of him anyway?
The TPPA could blight public education
The TPPA could bring us charter schools on steroids, and threaten policies like free tertiary education. In general its a way of locking in a permanent, international right-wing governance which can limit and constrain the kind of social policies that any future NZ left-wing government might want to enact.
Racist Talleys to Cancel Waitangi Day Holiday?
The Talley’s owned meatworks in Rangiuru is threatening to discipline workers and sue their union if workers choose to observe the Waitangi Day holiday tomorrow. How’s that Brighter Future working out, people?
NOW UPDATED! Hear what Talleys have to say.
TPPA snippets and media coverage
Snippets from recent pieces on the TPP, including The Spinoff’s José Barbosa an his take on the media coverage of the Auckland protest.
Jobs and wages
Boring stuff about boring old jobs and wages.
20,000 protesters – 0 arrests
Despite the travesty inside SkyCity, what was happening outside was in many respects a democratic nation at its finest.
Waitangi: Chicken John Plucks Off
The coward John Key will not now be going to Waitangi. He’s far too scared to find out directly how his sovereignty sell out has been received by Kiwis.
The TPPA day of shame
Undated: The TPPA has now been signed, but not ratified, and not (hello NZ Herald!) “passed in to law”. There have been widespread protests throughout Auckland.
RNZ had live coverage with John Campbell.
So, how would you spend $1.2B per year?
A Kiwi Kids allowance for all under fives, with totally fee free public primary and secondary schools.
Anyone seen the rockstar economy lately?
Record debt, a higher than expected deficit and a credit rating downgrade on our economic outlook. All thanks to National’s genius economic management!
Key deserved boos for his TPP lies at Ratana
Key’s “strident” defence of the TPP was booed at Ratana yesterday. With good reason, because his glib assurance that “Not a single part of TPP cuts across the Treaty of Waitangi” is yet another Key lie.
TPPA don’t sign speaker tour details
Professor Jane Kelsey and Lori Wallach are speaking in the main cities next week about the repercussions of New Zealand entering into the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement.
Stay Classy: TV3’s Newshrub.
TV3 have announced they are getting out of the news business and getting into cross platform media hotdesking across the continuum of diminishing eyeballs. Welcome to TV3 Newshrub, the place where no news is good news!
Another attempt to minimise the significance of poverty
A piece yesterday foreshadows a report on poverty from right-wing lobby group “The New Zealand Initiative”. It’s (surprise!) another attempt to minimise the significance of poverty in NZ – and it’s another big distraction…
Rightwing populism is the new normal – Gary Younge
Gary Younge is a feature columnist with the Guardian. In this film he explains why the Trump phenomenon is a symptom of current societal change.
62 vs 3.6 Billion
Ever widening inequality generates ever more astonishing statistics – suck up economics in action. The super-rich are laughing all the way to the bank.
What to do about poverty (and a suggestion to the media)
An excellent piece on poverty by Lizzie Marvelly in The Herald this morning poses a question to which we already know the answer. (Plus some bonus rambling on the media.)
TPP circus rolls on
The new year begins much as the old one ended, with secrets, evasions and dissent over the TPP and what it means for NZ.
Boots Theory: Move left to win? Move left to win!
Boots Theory on the American Working Families Charter, how they are trying to move the Democratic Party to the left, and possible lessons for New Zealand.
National’s vision for New Zealand’s future
Stephen Joyce has had published an opinion piece in this morning’s Herald which extolls the virtue of free trade and ignores the pitfalls. Such as those shown this week when TransCanada sued the US Government for rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline contract.
Why are we working so hard?
A recent New Matilda article discusses why at a time of increasing productivity the need to work has increased and not decreased.
The myth of drug dependancy and poverty
New research from Morgan Foundation suggests that poverty can be alleviated by increasing incomes and that the beneficiaries will be children of poor families not vendors of alcohol and cigarettes.
Guest Post: Employment and Unemployment
Incognito on the meaning of work and unemployment at a time of increasing change.
On the twelfth day of Christmas AFFCO gave two of its workers …
AFFCO clearly lacks any sense of a christmas spirit when dealing with its workers.
Summer break
Standardista authors are on summer break! There will be an Open Mike each day, but little or no other posting (unless an author feels particularly inspired). Here’s some summer reading suggestions – by all means add your own…
Child poverty has been monitored – now what?
A guest post from McFlock on what we might do about poverty when the talking’s done.
Key is blaming child poverty on – wait for it – – drugs!
John Key has tried to deflect from his government’s appalling record on child poverty with some throw-away nonsense about drugs. There are just three teeny tiny problems with that line…
Obesity is a structural problem
Structural problems need structural solutions. Progress on this major public health issue has been set back by a decade because we elected a useless National government.
Child poverty – it’s not choice
The mantra of ‘Poor Choices’
It is that time of year when poor people realise just how poor they really are – the season for giving, the season […]
Flagpole Sitta
John Key’s $26 million dollar flag flop bores it’s way to the halfway line tonight. The first referendum closes at 7 PM, first results at around 8.30. $26 million … that’s a lot of cancer drugs, child care centres and elder care we won’t be getting because the PM wants a signature legacy his dreary leadership doesn’t actually deserve.
The great future tide of homelessness
The Salvation Army, and not the Government, has pointed out some very worrying trends relating to home ownership in New Zealand.
Jarrod Gilbert is tilting at windmills
The Official Information Act is now moribund and access to information beyond its scope is granted only to a chosen few and under strict conditions.
Standing in the Shadow of the Red Flag
“Why would Goff stand for the Auckland mayoralty as an independent candidate considering his life-long commitment to the Labour Party?”
Why indeed?
Is it time for Labour to stand candidates in local elections under the party banner? And can the party lift its profile and its general election prospects by being bolder in the provinces?