Zero integrity on zero hours
If you thought the Nats promising to sort out zero hours contracts was too good to be true — you were right.
Economy
class war
Signs of a society under stress
The signs are all around us.
Greek PM calls new election
A bold move by an administration in an impossible position.
Dead Hands
Time worn patterns and predictable decisions.
#Talleyban. Standard Exclusive: MWU Blacklisted by Boss
Talleys has de-recognised the Meat Workers Union and refused to bargain with them. They have told the workers to set up a new, yellow union. Or else. Brighter Future? Not under National. This is what the recent changes in employment law were intended to achieve. It’s union busting in a brutal, thuggish form.
# Talleyban
Talleys have fired the first shots in National’s new class war. You can stand with the AFFCO workers and reject the Tories new anti-union law. Boycott Talleys. Make a stand for your fellow Kiwis.
Let’s Lynch the Landlord
As The Standard said at the time, the Government’s decision to destroy Relationships Aotearoa could be a colossal stuff up. And this morning we learn that a Canterbury landlord has allowed access to the sensitive files left behind when RA closed. Anne Tolley must act or Anne Tolley must go.
Weekend reading for the Nats
There were some good opinion pieces published over the weekend. Not comfortable reading for the Nats.
Absurdistan
An excellent piece by Graham Adams – well worth reading the whole thing in Metro, but here are some extracts “on the slow unravelling of a small democracy”.
Parasite Drive; the NBR Rich List
The NBR’s annual list of the one percent is out. No surprises that the growing inequality in New Zealand is working well for the parasites at the top of the hill.
John Key – Snake Oil Salesman
John Key has tried to suggest that we have nothing to worry about planned changes to Pharmac caused by TPP. But a recent further release by Wikileaks on the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership on State Owned Enterprises makes you wonder if the implications of TPP on Pharmac are as limited as he says.
We’re going to sign a rubbish deal
We’re not making progress on dairy in the TPP negotiations, but the smart money reckons we’re going to sign anyway.
Update: Read what a real journalist has to say on the current state of negotiations.
Giving away the shop for nothing
We are giving away the shop and we don’t know what if anything we will get in terms of dairy access yet. Our negotiators have signaled that they are weak. And even if we get what we want it is probably worth bugger all anyway.
National’s week from hell
This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.
So much for the competitive market
I love how right-wing ideology is just some thing that can be switched on and off at will. Case in point, ownership of state houses…
Saying one thing and doing the other
Both Key and English now on record as being “concerned” about rising inequality. So why are they acting to increase it?
The great state house sell off – small groups need not apply
Treasure has indicated that the sell off of State housing should occur in minimum lots of a hundred houses. Only large wealthy organisations need apply and claims that the sale was about the building of capacity amongst local social service providers cannot be reconciled with this.
Benefit numbers falling – through the cracks
As the Nats celebrate “falling” benefit numbers it turns out that almost half who leave the benefit are not going in to work. So what happens to them?
Gutting Southern health care is wrong
“Southern DHB commissioner called in to cut costs gets pay increase – to $1400 a day” – but that’s not the interesting bit…
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.
An Open Letter to the Real Estate Whistleblower
We don’t know who the real estate whistleblower is, but we do know they have done New Zealand a significant service. Courage takes many forms, but risking your career to alert your country to a hidden crisis should be recognised for the bravery it is. Thank you, you’ve done us proud.
Mhairi Black’s maiden speech
The youngest MP in the United Kingdom, the SNP’s Mhairi Black, recently gave her maiden speech in Parliament. Recommended viewing for some good old fashioned from the heart leftist speech.
Social mobility policies do not address poverty
Excellent work by RNZ, following up on previously redacted documents to expose this sham.
#ThisIsACoup
Twitter has responded to the savage terms of the deal that Greece has signed with other EU countries by the mass use of the hashtag #ThisIsACoup.
China Crisis
Good on Labour for saying what needed to be said. Can they, the Greens and NZ First save the next generation of Kiwis from being tenants in our own land?
Includes Bonus Seinfeld reference!
The state of state houses
The data for the trial Warrant of Fitness scheme for state houses from last year was recently (finally!) released. 80% of them need serious work. 22% didn’t have functioning bathroom and toilet doors. What is going on?
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.
Rashbrooke on poverty in NZ and UK
Max Rashbrooke has a major article in The Guardian today looking at poverty in NZ and the UK, and what each country can learn from the other.
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.
Deconstructing the government’s report card
The government has awarded itself a nice report card. Let’s take a closer look.
Common People; Yanis Varoufakis is all Class.
The Greek Finance minister has unexpectedly quit. He had already said he would resign if the referendum was lost; nobody expected that he would go after such a stunning win. But it was the strategically correct thing to do. Why can’t some of the veterans in the NZ Labour Party take the hint?
An idea that could catch on
School lunches – Key vs data
Key claimed that the number of hungry kids in schools was limited to “the odd one or two”. Everyone knew it was nonsense. Now a survey by the New Zealand Principals’ Federation indicates the true extent of the problem.
Greece defaults
As the last Global Financial Crisis taught us, we’re in for another round of protecting the banks and letting the people suffer.
Another disease of poverty making a comeback
Add another disease of poverty to the list of those that are making a comeback in NZ.
Will New Zealand social housing soon subsidise Australian social housing?
John Key’s interview on Morning Report this morning suggests that National does not know what it is doing with its social housing policy. Are we approaching a situation where profits from New Zealand social housing is going to underwrite the cost of Australian social housing?