Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Written By: - Date published: 4:51 pm, July 29th, 2014 - 12 comments
Throughout the last few years Brownlee has consistently denied that there is a housing crisis, despite almost every sign pointing to one. What we need in Christchurch is more houses, now. Affordable, well-designed, well-insulated houses. Lots of them. This is why Labour’s Kiwibuild scheme will roll out 10,000 houses in Christchurch in the first 4 years.
Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 7 comments
The National led Government are desperate to present the good news stories to promote the success of the past six years of their governance. They have increased the budget and the numbers of their spin doctors to ensure that it is mainly positive messages that make into the public domain. The Government cleverly manipulates data to hide the extent of poverty the degradation of the environment and the success of our economy. Of course most of us who live in the real world know that National’s reality is a falsely constructed one.
Written By: - Date published: 10:57 pm, July 27th, 2014 - 4 comments
In the late 1980’s I worked on the establishment of the Meat Industry Tradesmens Agreement, bringing eight awards into one. My lasting memory is how the meat companies hated each other more than they hated the unions, and they were no union-lovers. 25 years later, the companies still can’t get their act together, and it is the country as well as the farmers who are hurting. It may surprise some, but it’s the Labour party who is putting forward policy to bring in the necessary change to the $8billion industry. Good work from Damien O’Connor and the Labour leadership.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, July 27th, 2014 - 124 comments
The SST this morning have broken a story about how an American couple were able to purchase $1.6 million worth of shares in Genesis while “mum and dad kiwi investors” had their share allocation limited to $5,000.
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, July 26th, 2014 - 112 comments
Sue Bradford’s PhD thesis on the Left & Think Tanks, went online this week. It outlines the state of the Left in NZ. Bradford concludes that the Left is strong but fragmented, and identifies some ways forward.
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, July 25th, 2014 - 14 comments
The Green Party’s election focus is on reducing poverty & inequalities (highlighting its impact on children), and developing sustainable communities. 2 recently announced policies are under-pinned by 2 crises: poverty/inequality; and the destruction of our environment (climate change, resource depletion).
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, July 23rd, 2014 - 15 comments
It has become very clear in the run up to this year’s election that we need better broadcasting and news media coverage of politics. The Campaign for Better Broadcasting has organised a series of public debates (with MPs) throughout Aoteatora, beginning this Friday in Dunedin.
Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, July 22nd, 2014 - 30 comments
An interesting idea out of the US for how to fairly tax multinationals around the world. Declare a worldwide profit, find out where they made their sales, an apportion the profit to various jurisdictions.
Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, July 20th, 2014 - 172 comments
David Cunliffe is now being criticised for having a short holiday with his family. It is strange that it should be thought of as a bad thing for the leader of the party interested in improving ordinary people’s quality of life to try and get some work life balance.
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, July 19th, 2014 - 8 comments
A must read Hand Mirror post acknowledges the passing of Pat Rossier. She played a significant role in NZ’s 2nd wave Women’s Movement. Misinformation about feminism fails to represent its diversity & socialist underpinnings. A full chronicle of the NZ 2nd wave is needed.
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 19th, 2014 - 134 comments
The British public estimates the poor pay around 24% of their income in tax, while the rich pay around 35%. The truth is very different. Once you add up all taxes, the poorest actually pay around 43% of their income in tax, compared to only 35% for the rich. We have the same perceptual issues in NZ especially if you listen to the whining of Kiwiblog. Here the poorest pay the same tax rate as the rich, and the middle classes have the lower tax rate.
Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, July 18th, 2014 - 200 comments
This is just too awful to let go without saying something. Update: Protest tomorrow (Sat 19 July) Aotea Square, Auckland, 2pm.
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 pm, July 17th, 2014 - 26 comments
I was uplifted by seeing Team Carmel Sepuloni out campaigning in Henderson today. Marama Davidson has been out on the ground in Otara. The Internet-Mana Party have gone on a Road Trip. There’s been an on-going left campaign in Ohariu…. what are the tales from the left, campaigning on the ground?!
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, July 17th, 2014 - 1 comment
Last year, the Ministry for the Environment reported that 61% of New Zealand’s rivers were unsafe for swimming. National’s response? Shut down the monitoring program.
Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, July 16th, 2014 - 34 comments
Russel Norman has announced a business-friendly policy for a “smart, green” focus on innovation. A move towards a “Green New Deal”, working with the current system, and away from neoliberalism. It won’t dismantle capitalism, but exists within a framework for a fairer NZ.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 16th, 2014 - 48 comments
In the cartoon world of Economics 101, there is perfect supply, perfect competition, perfect demand, perfect information and prices for labour (and everything else) are set at their true market values. The real world is somewhat different.
Written By: - Date published: 1:56 pm, July 12th, 2014 - 107 comments
Today the Green Party launched the first of it’s election priorities in Hamilton at 11. 00 am. The focus is on building a cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand. The Internet Party is onboard with a new environment policy. There are differences between these 2 parties and Labour on oil and gas exploration. Equality continues to be a key priority for the Green Party. [Updated]
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 11th, 2014 - 48 comments
Reposted from Polity. Here is Vernon Small this morning: The Government rejected plans to include beneficiaries in a package to help families with newborn babies, despite official advice they were the most vulnerable. Budget papers show that last November, Treasury, Inland Revenue and Social Development jointly considered ways to give more help to families after […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, July 11th, 2014 - 59 comments
This morning Labour will be announcing it’s Digital Economic Upgrade (ICT policy). “Streamed live to the world” at 8am. As a dedicated member of the programming fraternity and often aghast at the stupidity of the how the government treats the digital community, I want to hear this.
So I will live blog some of this as it goes through.
Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, July 10th, 2014 - 47 comments
Rob Salmond has been looking through the newly released Ministry of Social Development’s Household Incomes Report. It really is invaluable.
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 pm, July 8th, 2014 - 35 comments
Kiwi voters are going to be offered clear election choices across a wide range of policies that matter. This is clear from Labour’s mini-Manifesto, released at the weekend Congress. As promised Labour’s offerings are positive and forward-looking. Besides education, there are policies on work, economy, schools, children, jobs, homes, environment, democracy, health, living costs and budget – put the commitments together and it’s a recipe for positive change.
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, July 8th, 2014 - 40 comments
As was generally expected by anyone who’d been watching the actual economy rather than just the dairy exports, business profits are lower than expected. And there aren’t the jobs and pay increases in our “rockstar” economy. So consumer spending measured by GST is low as well. Meanwhile the price inflation keeps increasing government costs. So we are already on track for a large deficit next year rather than the government’s much-touted imaginary surplus. You have to ask why we deserve a government that appears to live more in a universe of wishful thinking than reality.
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, July 8th, 2014 - 149 comments
If the aims of National/ACT’s education policy were, genuinely, to to improve the learning, education and career choices for our children, including the ones that are failing at present, they would not be following policies which have signally failed to achieve any of these goals, anywhere else they have been tried.
Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, July 8th, 2014 - 6 comments
New Zealand has almost no leverage in 21st century trade talks because we have gave it away in the 80s and 90s. The 12 country TPP is better thought of now as a bilateral US/Japan deal with as many hangers on as would like to hang on. The trapping are still of a 12 country deal, of course. The TPP club is Barack, Shinzo, and nobody else. That’s realpolitik.
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, July 5th, 2014 - 15 comments
I have spent a large chunk of the this week digging my way into Labour’s fiscal plan after the Liu smear collapsed. I think that the fiscal plan is a work of art, and very classy art at that. Of course you have to read it closely and look at what it is intended to do. I was particularly intrigued about why there was ring fencing of future increases to education and health.
Written By: - Date published: 1:39 pm, July 5th, 2014 - 51 comments
David Parker’s speech at Labour’s Congress today was passionate, comprehensive, and fully thought through. Respected for his intellect, Parker also said “My political heart lies in what has become something of a quaint notion these days, the notion of an egalitarian society. Perhaps it’s because of my Southern Presbyterian roots. It’s not just about equality of opportunity. It’s about decent outcomes as well.” Amen to that.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, July 5th, 2014 - 246 comments
Yesterday saw a social media attack on David Cunliffe based on six words taken out of context in a speech given on an important subject. The debate needs to be about the subject and not on right wing framing of the six words. And yes us men need to own the domestic violence problem and work towards solutions.
Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, July 4th, 2014 - 10 comments
Responses to TV3’s miniseries, Hope and Wire, based on the Christchurch quakes & aftermath, are mixed. The opening episodes set up some universal themes: of wealth-seeking individualism versus community solidarity and collaboration. Many in Christchurch are angry that their city, and it’s experiences, have been mis-represented.
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, July 2nd, 2014 - 9 comments
It isn’t that often that we put up speeches by politicians. They’re usually aimed at the general public and don’t really get into the guts of the issues in the way that our activist commenters like to argue at – they tend to be political and in this site preaching to the converted. However this speech by Phil Goff is exceptional. It was made at a centre looking at China, and looks at the benefits and risks of our current and future relationships with that country. Worth reading
Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, July 2nd, 2014 - 90 comments
Dairy prices have resumed their slide, falling 4.9 per cent at the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction overnight. The drop was the ninth fall out of the last 10 auctions. It looks to me like the boom is over. Looking at the rise in production for whole milk powder in China, and increased exports from other countries, I think that it will continue to decline. In the meantime National have been allowing our other export industries to stagnate.
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, July 1st, 2014 - 27 comments
The Government has almost finished a $100,000 project to strengthen a bridge it will now tear down and replace as part of its new roading package. The $3m to $5m cost to replace the bridge, with construction due to start next year, was a “massive investment while there’s other more pressing priorities in the region”. Who would have thought that pork-barrel road projects had such poor cost/benefit reasoning behind them. Heckuva job, Gerry. OIA time
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