Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, October 30th, 2011 - 127 comments
There’s a lot going on with the Qantas lockout that isn’t being reported in our media.
This guest post from a reader who’s an aviation industry expert gives the dispute some context.
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 30th, 2011 - 15 comments
Dear Mr Key: “We are the generation born between 2002, when you became an MP, and 2011, when you won your second of four terms as Prime Minister. We wonder why you insisted on spending our inheritance to ensure you were voted back in.”… Bernard Hickey presents a chilling vision of the future. The way to avoid it is make sure that Key only gets one term.
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, October 30th, 2011 - 58 comments
Five million kilos of radioactive yellow cake uranium are being shipped through New Zealand ports every year. ERMA was unaware this practice has been going on for the last 15 years and only learned of it in 2009, but not to worry, according to John Key’s spokesperson the yellow cake is “Australian dirt, which is […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, October 28th, 2011 - 52 comments
Net benefit of hosting the Rugby World Cup $280m over 7 weeks ($780m tourist spending minus $500m investment and operating losses). Cost of an 8cm welding crack in the Maui pipeline: $350m after 2 days. Guess it pays to mind the small stuff. Least it didn’t happen during the Cup when Auckland was chocka with tourists.
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, October 28th, 2011 - 89 comments
John Key has announced National’s IR policy and it’s all about cutting back workers negotiating power.
The message from Key is clear – big business might have made this recession but you’re the ones who are gonna pay for it.
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 28th, 2011 - 25 comments
The Nats want to extend the new entrants wage from 200hrs/3 months to 6 months. Won’t create jobs. Most businesses don’t bother with the new entrants wage anyway. word is, though, that the NE wage is a red herring. The guts of the policy will be a broad-spectrum on the rights of workers to organise and bargain designed to drive down wages
Written By: - Date published: 6:37 am, October 28th, 2011 - 100 comments
Well, they said they were going to run this campaign on policy and make the bold moves, and Labour proved that with their savings policy. National is been left floundering. Brand Key is unraveling while Labour starts to dictate the play for the first time since Orewa. But the substance of the savings policy wants a closer look, it has both good and bad aspects.
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 pm, October 27th, 2011 - 76 comments
Labour’s savings policy is taking care of future generations by making KiwiSaver universal and compulsory for all wage and salary earners, by re-starting contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund, and by gradually increasing the age of eligibility for New Zealand Super from 65 to 67 over a 22 year period. Labour is taking the decisions that are right for tomorrow, rather than the easy option today.
Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, October 26th, 2011 - 72 comments
The PREFU paints a pretty dismal picture of the economy. The worst case scenario is catastrophic, and (at one in five) I think that Treasury has significantly underestimated the odds. Do you feel lucky?…
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, October 25th, 2011 - 94 comments
The Pre-Election Fiscal and Economic Update is out. It shows that National has broken its promises on the economy once again. Under National, we are under-performing woefully and their only response is to continue to promise that brighter future is just around the corner. Time for parties with real plans: Labour and the Greens.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, October 25th, 2011 - 37 comments
“The truth is, the world cannot be made perfect” says Deborah Hill Cone, arrogantly dismissing the Occupy movement. And she may be right. But that does not mean we are living in the best of all possible worlds and that the injustices and imperfections of our world are things we just have to accept. Rijab takes her on.
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, October 25th, 2011 - 87 comments
National’s new online ad campaign shows a roadworker with a stop sign, supposedly representing Labour (he has a red hat and red swandry so you get the point) and another roadworker with a go sign meant to represent National (although his sign is green … searching for a support partner?). It’s pretty bare-faced cheek from the party with the worst economic record in this country’s history.
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, October 25th, 2011 - 89 comments
In response to tough economic times, Government austerity programmes do more harm than good. It’s a pretty simple equation based on the debt / GDP ratio. With an election coming up soon, NZ needs to look for economic competence and a willingness to try new ideas, rather than muddling along deeper into the austerity death trap.
Written By: - Date published: 6:48 am, October 25th, 2011 - 13 comments
You won’t find much praise for Talley’s on this site. But, fair dues, they harvest their fish with Kiwi crews and have this to say on slave fishing: “If it is uneconomic to harvest a New Zealand resource under New Zealand labour conditions and costs then it is not a resource. Blood diamonds and Asian textile sweatshops use the same justification”
Written By: - Date published: 7:06 pm, October 24th, 2011 - 16 comments
David Cameron has cancelled his planned trip to Japan and New Zealand. He is facing a backbench revolt over European Union membership at the same time as he is trying to intervene in the crucial financial summit trying to sort out problems in the Euro zone on Wednesday. Oh well, one less photo op for John Key – perhaps its just as well as Britain’s future isn’t getting brighter.
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, October 24th, 2011 - 16 comments
On this Labour Day it is good to see that the Labour Party is staying true to its roots, and is out there working for a labour policy to lift the wages and conditions of the workers of New Zealand.
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, October 23rd, 2011 - 36 comments
A second message is emerging from the Occupation movement: “One citizen. One dollar. One vote.”
Written By: - Date published: 4:54 pm, October 22nd, 2011 - 42 comments
Bill English: “a change in the credit ratings could push interest rates up … about 0.1 percent.”
Nek minnit: Since the double downgrade, interest rates on new government bonds have risen by 0.2 per cent for bonds maturing in 2015 and 0.4 per cent for bonds maturing in 2023 … this will cost $100 to $150 million extra per year.
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, October 22nd, 2011 - 1 comment
Signs of the Occupation 1 – Everything is OK.
Written By: - Date published: 6:40 pm, October 21st, 2011 - 42 comments
A good interview from Andrew Little on the Nat’s failed attempt to smear him over facebook comments. Nice comments about David Farrar and strong support for the occupy movement. Good to see.
By the way, is it just me or is National’s obsession with opposition social media starting to look less like straight research and more like creepy stalking?
Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 21st, 2011 - 48 comments
A very thoughtful piece from Simon Collins in today’s Herald: “Deep divisions over $1000 for a Rugby World Cup game as poverty grows”.
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, October 20th, 2011 - 90 comments
This family budget is in terrible shape. I can’t see any way out, can you?
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, October 20th, 2011 - 31 comments
It’s disappointing to see the Dom joining with the Right’s mouthpieces in attacking Labour’s work and wages policy. The editorial says of course “something” must be done about low and inequitable wages but opposes introducing a system modeled on the one that delivers high wages in Australia. Meanwhile bosses are putting the screws on to cut workers’ pay.
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, October 20th, 2011 - 24 comments
The Occupation movement has bankers worried. So far, however, the protests have been peaceful. In fact, the Occupation is quickly shaping up as the biggest ever, world wide test of the efficacy of non-violent protest.
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, October 19th, 2011 - 46 comments
National are seen by many as the party of business, and thus the party of the economy, who know what’s best for the country’s wallet. But the statistics don’t add up. Their reputation is undeserved.
Written By: - Date published: 1:26 am, October 19th, 2011 - 81 comments
St. Augustine said “Lord, give me chastity, but not yet”. Was reminded of that reading the Tories’ reaction to Labour’s work and wages policy. Tories say they want you to have higher wages. But not yet. It’s always later. Once you’ve earned it. In the ‘brighter future’. And they’ll scream blue murder any time you demand what you deserve today.
Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, October 18th, 2011 - 23 comments
Amidst growing evidence of yet another broken 2008 election promise, John Key has nothing to offer except tired excuses and attacks on the poor.
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, October 18th, 2011 - 26 comments
“We need more cheap foreign fishermen” says the slave fishing lobby group. They say that it’s just like Fisher & Paykel moving their production offshore for cheaper labour. Well, tell you want, slave-fishers, how about you fuck off to China and we’ll stay here and fish our fish ourselves without breaking labour and environment laws? NoRightTurn takes up the story.
Written By: - Date published: 6:16 am, October 18th, 2011 - 117 comments
update: Labour’s policy is here. Looks good. $15 minimum wage. Mondayisation of holidays. Industry standards to stop bad employers undercutting ones that pay fair wages. Good for workers. Good for good bosses. It’s a lot like the system the Aussies have. You know, the people whose wages we’re meant to be catching up with. The Tories are whinging. Like they do whenever anyone fights for higher wages
Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, October 16th, 2011 - 90 comments
Word around the traps is Labour is working on a significant new wage policy. Good – like nearly every other deregulated market the labour market has been failing Kiwis for more than twenty years. It’s time to bring some balance back into the system. Let’s just hope Labour has the guts to make a proper job of it.
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 16th, 2011 - 6 comments
Over at Wheelers corner in the Manwatu there is this rather classic post about a conversation overheard in a cafe. It really does stand on its own as a tombstone to a departing MP.
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