Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, December 23rd, 2012 - 47 comments
Individualism & “celebrity” PM, John Key were still strong in 2012. But, there was opposition from some (often local) groups working collaboratively: Occupy, Glen Innes protesters, MUNZ, Asset Sales referendum, AAAP advocacy activism, manufacturing inquiry, NZLP democratisation, TS nest of vipers. And 2013?
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, December 22nd, 2012 - 131 comments
While John Key spends the summer in Hawaii, he will need to make some decisions about the future of his cabinet. Parata’s future is poised in the balance, and he is looking to move Tim Groser on later next year.
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, December 21st, 2012 - 27 comments
… then maybe more attention would be given to increasing numbers of people struggling to get the necessities of life. Record queues outside Auckland’s City Mission. The Brighter Future never comes. Revisit The Spirit Level.
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, December 21st, 2012 - 56 comments
Humans have a paranoid fascination with our own demise, as seen in doomsday movies. They portray our fears, hopes, politics and delusions. Children of Men: the demise of capitalism; Day after Tomorrow: climate collapse. Is today a Mayan prediction of the end or a new beginning?
Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, December 20th, 2012 - 37 comments
Democracy needs independent news media, acting in the public interest, to speak truth to power. The commercial imperatives and neoliberal capture of corporate news organisations skew their political coverage, and contribute to voter disengagement. A perfect context for Key’s government to dismantle democracy: ECAN, CERA, Auckland Council, asset sales.
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, December 20th, 2012 - 12 comments
Japan just elected a Liberal Democrat government promising more jobs through a huge quantitative easing programme. The US has stated it’ll continue QE until unemployment drops below 6.5%. The effect has been to send our dollar to new highs, killing exporters and import-exposed local businesses. Contrary to media belief, Japan and the US aren’t in worse positions than us.
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, December 20th, 2012 - 221 comments
If you and I were told that (variously) our sons and daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews were going to be killed tomorrow, would I be right to suspect that we might sit up and take notice?
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, December 20th, 2012 - 38 comments
An anonymous editorial in The Herald yesterday suggested that the government raise revenue by cutting the “sacred cow” of interest free student loans. For some strange reason the sacred cow of National’s tax cut bribe for the rich was not similarly offered up for sacrifice. I wonder why that might be.
Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, December 19th, 2012 - 44 comments
Green Party co-leader, Metiria Turei, was confident and clear on TV3, talking about their consistent, disciplined & successful year &: the RONS tax, MP pay rise, government’s poor record, the economy, printing money, jobs, equality issues and child poverty. Little on green issues. Zero on the climate. [Update] Turei RNZ interviews.
Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, December 19th, 2012 - 16 comments
So, National’s still on track to surplus in 2014/15, eh? A $66m surplus. Well, don’t be counting those chickens just yet. That projected surplus is just 0.07% of projected spending and revenue that year. That makes wafer thin look fat. And it’s not exactly like Treasury has a good record predicting 2.5 years ahead. But there’s a bigger question: is any surplus worth any price?
Written By: - Date published: 6:46 am, December 19th, 2012 - 33 comments
In Budget 2011, National made a big song and dance over the projection that ‘they’ would create 170,000 jobs in the next four years. Leaving aside the fact that they were counting jobs from the year before in their four year total, the promise basically rested on creating 57,000 jobs this year. So, what’s the latest update on that figure? … 0.
Written By: - Date published: 5:16 pm, December 18th, 2012 - 83 comments
This is one of a series of posts I hope to write over the summer based to some extent or other on a recent presentation by Kevin Anderson: Professor of Energy and Climate Change, University of Manchester, Tyndall Centre.
Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, December 18th, 2012 - 112 comments
Well it looks like the government has finally listened to all of the arguments about how unaffordable the Roads of National Significance are.
Their response? To tax you more to pay for their white elephant.
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, December 18th, 2012 - 37 comments
On TV3 this morning, John Key was soothing and slick. All is well on Planet Key, and critics are delusional. He reeled of numbers and facts, but material realities of daily lives, and the suffering of people on low incomes aren’t mentioned. And asset sales?
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, December 18th, 2012 - 18 comments
Recent pieces by Bernard Hickey and John Armstrong both highlighted the problem of our aging population and the unsustainability of super – in Hickey’s memorable words we are “consuming our future”. Armstrong tries to balme MMP, but that won’t wash, it’s just the usual short-sighted Nat stupidity…
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, December 18th, 2012 - 43 comments
Market failure is one of the marks of our time. From unaffordable, low-quality housing to child poverty to the over-valued dollar killing jobs to over-priced broadband and failed government IT procurements, the market keeps getting it wrong. The Greens and Labour know the answer is for the Government to step in; National just turns a blind eye. Russel Norman did it again yesterday.
Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, December 17th, 2012 - 124 comments
David Shearer was on TV 3 this morning, reflecting on his last year. He claimed that he and Labour are doing well under new and settled leadership, taking a new direction. How accurate are his claims?
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, December 17th, 2012 - 22 comments
You have to respect how the Ports of Auckland workers stood staunch in the face of the bosses’ attempt to contract out their jobs, without support from the ‘leftwing’ mayor and against an expensive PR effort. They’re still getting their own back. PoAL has just been fined for employing a strikebreaker. And, in Lyttelton, wharfies have started a smart new campaign.
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 pm, December 16th, 2012 - 14 comments
Looking for Christmas gift ideas? There are plenty of ways to give a gift that will really make a difference. Here’s a small selection.
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, December 16th, 2012 - 82 comments
Political parties tend to target the middle-classes, while those struggling on low incomes have become increasingly disenfranchised. The MSM tends to focus on the impact of the recession on the middle-classes, and not those really suffering. Who can provide support over the holiday period?
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, December 15th, 2012 - 14 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, two damning reports on child poverty, and the Nats refuse to act.
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, December 15th, 2012 - 75 comments
Mana has established a clear identity, as shown in Hone’s adjournment speech. Based in practice and activism. For all people, especially those on low incomes. A voice for Maori, Pasifika people and children. The Maori Party’s future is in question. What’s the future for Mana and Hone?
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, December 14th, 2012 - 42 comments
With the GFC, changing climate and resource depletion, the struggles of the powerless get over-looked. Asia-Pacific has been described as the focal point of a new cold war. Storms in Samoa and the Philippines, a rocket launch from North Korea. How should we respond?
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, December 14th, 2012 - 22 comments
If you’ve got any asset sales petitions hanging about, quickly send them in to the address on the bottom. The Keep Our Assets coalition are shortly to send in the petition for the Electoral Commission to start verifying the 350,000-odd names they have.
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, December 14th, 2012 - 34 comments
Tariana Turia’s on-again off-again retirement is on-again. She will not be standing in 2014, and is looking to her “legacy”. Unfortunately, Whanau Ora is profoundly flawed. But if Turia wants a legacy to be proud of she still has time…
Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, December 13th, 2012 - 11 comments
The House went into recess yesterday. Today there is a rush of stories that are bad news for the government. Collins and the Binnie report, unsuccessful boot camps, and counter-productive anti-union and anti-worker policies. What else?
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, December 13th, 2012 - 59 comments
Key’s government and his MSM cheerleaders, lead the country backwards to increasing inequalities. It’s been a year of the battle of the men. Yesterday, Metiria spoke of an inclusive country to collaboratively fight for, and Jacinda Ardern spoke passionately for children in poverty.
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, December 13th, 2012 - 16 comments
A typical Auditor-General report takes 3 months. “Larger and more complex” ones take 6. Metiria Turei’s complaint about the way SkyCity was chosen for an international convention centre in a ‘pokies-for-convention-centre’ deal has been going 8 months. Clearly, what they’ve found has non-trivial implications for the government and they’re making sure all their ‘t’s are crossed and ‘i’s dotted.
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, December 12th, 2012 - 27 comments
The Child Poverty Action Group has organised a rally on Parliament’s grounds today at 1pm, where the public, media and politicians are urged to “bare their soles for child poverty” .
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, December 12th, 2012 - 14 comments
The Maori Party has publicly called on National to act on the child poverty report. Was this a token protest for form’s sake, or will the Maori Party actually make a stand for kids?
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 pm, December 11th, 2012 - 17 comments
A win for the Nats, a loss for the country. The Maori Council’s request for a judicial review of water rights has been rejected.
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