Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, August 22nd, 2014 - 5 comments
“Why would an overseas buyer pay more for an asset than a New Zealander? … But Chalkie reckons one reason stands out – tax. There are huge tax advantages available to overseas investors that simply cannot be accessed by locals.”
Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, August 19th, 2014 - 10 comments
Simon Collins has published a very good article comparing various parties policies on social security. As is the current trend, he doesn’t fully examine the deep and lasting contribution good child care & education make towards society & the economy. It’s about material and social well-being.
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, August 18th, 2014 - 28 comments
While the right tries to distract and deflect from Dirty Politics, it pays to take a look at who got hurt by Cameron Slater and his buddies.
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, August 16th, 2014 - 17 comments
Helen Kelly is interviewed on Vote Chat. Kelly raises questions about the Ports of Auckland & Key’s role in Dirty Politics. She has read some of Dirty Politics, & was axed from today’s the Nation Panel, then replaced by Josie Pagani.[Updated]
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, August 16th, 2014 - 40 comments
Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics tells of the “two track strategy” of John Key’s leadership of the National Party & the country: a smiley nice front, & vicious, covert black ops behind the scenes. Key has overseen one of the darkest, nastiest periods in NZ politics. Vote Left for necessary, democratic change, for people-centred governance.
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, August 15th, 2014 - 7 comments
How private are communications on social media platforms such as Facebook? It is claimed that the GCSB law’s definition of “privacy” leaves a loophole for warrantless surveillance of messaging by Kiwis on platforms like Facebook.
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, August 13th, 2014 - 104 comments
Nicky Hager has certainly got the attention of political circles in NZ, by announcing his (untitled) book launch today at 5.15pm. J[update: 3 news Livestream of book launch] Update: Title “Dirty Politics” – on attack politics – implicates John key & Slater]
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, August 12th, 2014 - 82 comments
Nicky Hager’s latest book will be unveiled tomorrow. I look at his research interests, & his approach to investigative journalism; plus Hager’s speech on the GCSB Bill, & opposition party policies on state surveillance services.
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, August 12th, 2014 - 20 comments
The Kumeu candidates debate last night covered topics ranging from the very local, to the global: local roads and round-a-bouts, through the internet, poverty, health, jobs and education, to climate change, the TPPA, and the GCSB. Roads and rules were a recurring theme. [updated: stuff video; links to Green Party speeches]
Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, August 11th, 2014 - 13 comments
Steven Joyce is asking about how Labour can afford their policies. Half of the money is what National is planning to spend unwisely. The rest is from documented increases in revenue in a fiscal plan. Unlike National’s mythic surplus, these are solid values. They will produce a solid surplus to pay down National’s debt.
Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 9th, 2014 - 101 comments
There’s much to discuss on the two election-focused TV debates conducted over the last 24 hours. Prime TV’s new show: Prime Time with Sean Plunket – Bennett & Turei on poverty/inequality (Prime TV Fridays 9.30pm): TV 3’s The Nation: Saturday 9.30am
Written By: - Date published: 7:51 am, August 9th, 2014 - 132 comments
Just over six weeks to go until the next election and we have our first major campaign issue. Not what some young people said about John Key but foreign ownership of our land.
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 pm, August 8th, 2014 - 24 comments
Poverty deniers are also adamant that the ‘relative’ poverty that may exist has been flatlining for some time and the best way of stopping poverty is just getting people into work. They ignore the fact that 40% of children living in poverty have at least one parent in full-time employment.
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 8th, 2014 - 267 comments
There are sobering & harrowing stories coming out of AAAP’s Action Impact at Mangere this week. It exposes the vast inequalities & poverty existing in NZ. Vote to end this destruction of humanity & democracy! Vote for compassion, caring & sharing! VOTE LEFT!
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 39 comments
This press release from the Greens pretty well sums up the situation that National have left the economy in. Once you remove the rebuild effects from the Christchurch earthquakes, our increasingly undiversified economy is looking in pretty poor shape for the decade ahead.
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, August 6th, 2014 - 54 comments
The latest Household Labour Force Survey was released today, showing a drop in unemployment. But while its an improvement, there is far less employment than when National came into office 5 years ago. That is a monumental fail.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, August 6th, 2014 - 54 comments
How much longer do we have to live with this”neoliberal” nightmare? It should have died with the global financial crisis, caused by the unfettered greed of the banksters & socially callous. “Paying the Price” on Al Jazeera; AAAP Mangere Action Impact this week.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, August 5th, 2014 - 42 comments
Tracey has submitted a series of OIA’s in order to get information about the stats Bill English referred to in relation to the government having reduced the numbers of single mothers. So far…. nothing helpful.
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, August 5th, 2014 - 36 comments
Power has been concentrated into the figure of one man – a man who has in recent weeks shown that he thinks he is above the rule of law. You might think your one vote doesn’t make much of a difference – but it is everything to us here. Another three years of National and Brownlee, and we might not have a vote at a local level at all.
Written By: - Date published: 6:09 pm, August 4th, 2014 - 8 comments
Other than fixing child poverty, there’s probably no more important policy than this. Labour will commit $183 million to a comprehensive Youth Employment Package designed to reach 24,000 young New Zealanders.
Written By: - Date published: 4:38 pm, August 4th, 2014 - 24 comments
To say that ACT’s new company tax policy is complete and utter drivelling crap would be a bit of an understatement.
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, August 4th, 2014 - 15 comments
Live News is reporting that 40,000 people have been removed from the electoral roll because they have moved address. Their enrolment update packs were returned to sender with the message: “gone no address”.
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 pm, August 3rd, 2014 - 144 comments
During every revolution there will be winners and losers, change can mean pain for some, especially for the bloodsucking leaches & parasites, that have entrenched their positions, after years of mediocrity. Yes the death of Hollywood and current Music industry would cause financial pain for some, including some of the arguably overpaid actors and performers […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:18 pm, August 3rd, 2014 - 53 comments
ACT has announced its corporate tax policy and a cut in the rate from 0.28c to 0.125c in the dollar is promised. There is a slight problem. The figures do not add up.
Written By: - Date published: 8:22 pm, August 2nd, 2014 - 77 comments
Steven Joyce says Labour’s opposition to the sale of 13,800ha Lochinver station to Shanghai Pengxin is based on “xenophobia.” It’s not, its basic economic sense. The benefit from our land should stay here. And Joyce’s open door has seen rail wagons bought cheap and fixed dear by Chinese workers at the expense of good local jobs and crucial Kiwi skills. Labour is simply standing up for New Zealand. It’s the right thing to do.
Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, August 2nd, 2014 - 13 comments
The National Government’s $212 million plan has Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee explicitly admitting that it is a massive pork-barreling for government MPs with public funds, and explicitly tells people to piss off if they don’t like it.
Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, August 1st, 2014 - 298 comments
Labour is promising to raise the minimum wage to $16.25. It’s the right thing to do. And it doesn’t cost jobs.
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 31st, 2014 - 26 comments
This National led Government is strong on ideology, weak on process and reluctant to accept responsibility. The Novopay debacle exemplifies all of these well. When questioned about Novopay, National Ministers will never accept full responsibility. Stephen Joyce has just announced that the Government will be taking over the management of Novopay after almost two years of stress and wide-ranging issues. No matter what National and its Ministers claim, Novopay is largely their fault, and taking responsibility and making apologies are not what this Government does readily.
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, July 30th, 2014 - 165 comments
Labour has today released its Work and Wages policy. An immediate lift to $15 in the minimum wage, and a raise to $16.25 in April next year. 90 day free sacking option for employers to go in first 100 days. Core public service to get the Living Wage first, others to follow. That’ll put some money where it’s most needed.
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 30th, 2014 - 35 comments
As expected, Fonterra has dropped the milk solid payout from $7 per kilogram to $6. New Zealand needs a different economic approach for a long term sustainable future that doesn’t rely on strip mining soil and water or other resources. National have been consistently mismanaging the NZ economy in putting far too much emphasis on resource extraction and the systematic degradation of our ability to earn our own way in the world. Time to get rid of National’s lack of imagination and long-term planning from the direction of our economy.
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 pm, July 29th, 2014 - 13 comments
The extent that the National minister have been pork-barreling the roading budget for their electorates is crazy. The OIA’s show that most of the $212 million announced by John Key at the National party conference is pure pork for ministers. They are assessed as costing more money to build than they will ever produce in benefits, even using NZTA’s infamously overoptimistic assessments. National MPs and Ministers want to be seen as delivering something for their electorates before the election. So much for assessing needs based on merits. They must be really worried about this election to misuse so much pork.
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