The Standard

Economy

Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour

Categories under Economy

Covid-19 Gov’t Support; Live updates from 2pm

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, March 17th, 2020 - 156 comments

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the coalition Government will announce a multi-billion dollar economic package at 2pm today. Livestream details are in the post and live updates will be made as the announcement rolls out.

Covid-19: Back home again

Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, March 17th, 2020 - 2 comments

As a programmer, I’ve had a lot of experience with working from home for work, last time was about 13 years ago. Yesterday we got shifted to working from home. The toolkit has changed a lot even in the last few years. What is going to be interesting for me is to see how companies disperse their employees out in the same way over this pandemic – that will be a real test of productivity.

The right become socialists as Covid-19 bites

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, March 17th, 2020 - 38 comments

The right, elements of which have thought the best thing to do to the state is weaken it that badly that they could then drown it in a bathtub, are rethinking and now realise that a well resourced, active and engaged State is actually a life saver.

Different responses to the Covid virus pandemic

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, March 16th, 2020 - 105 comments

It has been disclosed that Donald Trump has attempted to buy exclusive rights to a German vaccine in development. But only for the use of the American people. Meanwhile in New Zealand there is agreat anticipation about the Government’s announced package due to be released tomorrow.

How does the government handle a pandemic induced world recession?

Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, March 13th, 2020 - 152 comments

With the world’s economy in turmoil and infection rates continuing to surge the responses of different countries to the crisis shows markedly different results. And the issue could be the determining issue of this year’s election.

It’s time for Auckland to work

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, March 12th, 2020 - 12 comments

2020 will now be the year that New Zealand will now rely on Auckland to get its shit together.

Workers 1, Bridges 0: Minimum Wage Rise to Go Ahead

Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, March 11th, 2020 - 23 comments

Labour have confirmed that they will lift the minimum adult wage on April 1st. This is great news for workers and SME’s!

Coronavirus and the State

Written By: - Date published: 2:52 pm, March 11th, 2020 - 37 comments

A few weeks ago I slagged off the Chinese government for its response to the Corona virus and presumed that authoritarian states could never be as good as democratic states in responding to a pandemic. I want to revisit my opinion.

The politics of gun control

Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, March 9th, 2020 - 180 comments

National and NZ First are frustrating the passage of the Arms Legislation Bill by raising issues that may appeal to extremists but will not make the country a safer place after the Christchurch massacre.

What the Government has done for beneficiaries

Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, March 7th, 2020 - 43 comments

In Parliament this week Carmel Sepuloni outlined action being taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group designed to improve the plight of beneficiaries.

Bridges thinks the solution to Covid 19 is tax cuts

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, March 5th, 2020 - 64 comments

Simon Bridges thinks that tax cuts are the best way to address financial stress caused by businesses by the Covid 19 epidemic.  Even though businesses under financial stress will be paying little if any tax and a tax cut would have little if any effect.

Democratic Party Encounters Cliff. Jumps.

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, March 4th, 2020 - 45 comments

Just like Blairites in the UK and the ABC club here…the Democratic Party elites in the US seem to be the dumber type of  parasite that willfully kills their hosts.

Starmer, Biden and Benji

Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, March 3rd, 2020 - 21 comments

Two leadership races and a General election appear to be going to conservative candidates. What does that mean for parliamentary democracy?

Happy cows and land restoration

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, March 1st, 2020 - 12 comments

The point here isn’t to go ‘boo vegans’, it’s to point starkly to the problems with the current food and environment debate, and show case the pathways beyond the meat/no meat binary.

The Corona Virus and the Car

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, February 28th, 2020 - 27 comments

We just saw the stock markets lose their composure, but the stocks taking really big hits are the carmakers who have baked their profitability future into this largest growing car market.

UBI: what is it good for?

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, February 27th, 2020 - 122 comments

Please don’t let economists, lefties, the right, or TOP design a UBI until we start talking about bolting welfare on. Here’s why.

Shattering

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 pm, February 25th, 2020 - 9 comments

When things fall apart, the disintegration can reach such a speed that it’s hard to keep an eye on everything that’s happening. Is liberalism on the cusp?

The Wave Crashing In…

Written By: - Date published: 6:02 pm, February 23rd, 2020 - 67 comments

The race to win the most support from Democratic and Independent voters in the Democratic Primaries is over bar the shouting, but…

Back in the U.S.S.A.

Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, February 18th, 2020 - 31 comments

The onslaught launched against Trump from sections of corporate media and liberal institutions will look as nothing next to the unified onslaught that will be unleashed against a President Sanders.

The death of Holden

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, February 18th, 2020 - 43 comments

Thousands of households across New Zealand heard the announcement of the complete death of the Holden marque this week, as the death of one of the greatest binaries and one of the most closely teased and contested brands of all: Holden versus Ford.

National’s big economic policy announcement

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, February 17th, 2020 - 83 comments

Simon Bridges has claimed that the average wage earner in the country pays almost 33c in the dollar in taxes. Spoiler alert, they do not.

National is not counting its chickens for granted

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, February 17th, 2020 - 27 comments

National will announce today  that tax cuts will be a major policy plank for the next election.

China: Guns, Germs, and Steel

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, February 14th, 2020 - 34 comments

The coronavirus outbreak that exploded three weeks ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has prompted the most severe Chinese government actions in three decades.

Fact checking National

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, February 13th, 2020 - 14 comments

Simon Bridges has claimed that a GDP growth Jacinda Ardern used was wrong even though it was the figure released by Statistics NZ.  

The end of petrol driven cars

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, February 9th, 2020 - 36 comments

Boris Johnson’s UK Government has announced that by 2035 there will be no more petrol or diesel cars entering the UK fleet.  Is it time for the New Zealand government to announce the same thing?

Oh Look! (What. a. surprise.)

Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, February 8th, 2020 - 20 comments

Mainstream media yet again aiding and abetting the character assassination of whistle blowers.

Mike Moore

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, February 3rd, 2020 - 104 comments

It’s not often you find New Zealanders who give every single breath they have to the left and do it with resounding and even global success. Such a person was Mike Moore.

Steve Mnuchin, not Greta Thunberg, needs to go back to school

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, January 27th, 2020 - 11 comments

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has attacked Greta Thunberg for not understanding the economics of climate change.  But he has then been roundly criticised by a number of people, including his wife.

Chinese New Year

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, January 27th, 2020 - 15 comments

With China’s New Year arriving, and a terrible flu virus struggling to be contained within it at the same time, it’s time to reflect again on China’s future and impact for New Zealand.

Federated Farmers launches petition against its business model

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, January 19th, 2020 - 157 comments

Federated Farmers has started a petition against an educational resource that teaches about climate change and activism because it does not present their industry in a sufficiently positive way.

National created more working groups than Labour

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 18th, 2020 - 31 comments

The Herald has reported that National in its first two years of Government created *more* working groups than Labour.