Marilyn Waring still takes no prisoners
Unpaid labour “is the single largest sector in any nation’s economy and the whole of the market economy only is able to function on top of that.”
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Jane Kelsey: Shane Jones’ AirNZ demands would breach the TPPA
“Article 17.4 says the government must ensure that SOEs like Air New Zealand act solely in accordance with commercial considerations, unless there is an explicit public service mandate for services that operate purely within the country. There is no such mandate for Air New Zealand.”
The Birds.
Yup. It’s okay to be a bit scared.
US Trade Tariffs against China
Make no mistake: this is the single biggest anti-trade act the world has seen since the Iranian revolution’s nationalisation program from 1979.
NRT on transitioning off fossil fuels
Two posts from No Right Turn.
“Fundamentally, climate change means it is us or the oil industry. We know whose side the Greens are on. But people are doubting Labour, and they only have themselves to blame for it.”
Also a post on banning fossil-fueled cars.
Ardern suggests that oil exploration may cease
The Government is reconsidering the future of New Zealand’s block offer process which releases exploration permits to the oil industry for exploratory drilling.
Democracy, Faux Democracy and Terror.
Facebook, Putin, poisoning and Ghouta have all given fairly extensive media coverage of late. Nothing much on Afrin. Afrin has just fallen to terrorists backed by Turkey.
Update: the photo used for this post is of the The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA), who are part of the International Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Forces fighting in Syria.
Sanctions. Weapons of War.
When elite’s tussle, shouldn’t we look after us and ours?
Some neigbourly advice for Kirikiriroa from a concerned JAFA
Hamilton or Kirikiriroa? I don’t even know why this is a question. Well, I do, it’s a question because white people are stupid, […]
Where is our economic leadership?
This government has not yet developed an economic strategy.
Productivity
A more productive economy – and society – has been an elusive goal for many of New Zealand’s previous governments. The last National Government failed. What will Labour do to succeed?
Food security in New Zealand
The Standard regular commenter Macro takes a look at the state of food security in NZ
Housing needs a builder not a crusher
Phil Twyford has the perfect response to National’s claim that Judith Collins’ appointment as Housing Spokesperson would cause him to lose sleep.
Post TPPA signing
It’s Our Future spokesperson Oliver Hailes was on RNZ yesterday succinctly pointing out the problem with Labour and NZF’s u-turn on the TPPA. He also recently co-authored an article in the NZ Medical Journal on the TPPA, climate change and health.
Is youth the new political divide?
There is evidence in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand that youth and not class may be the new political divide.
Was National a good economic manager?
Bill Rosenberg from the CTU has stated convincingly why National is not and was not a sound manager of the economy.
The Overseas Investment Amendment Bill
Ad argues that the merits of banning overseas ownership of local land is not as simple or as virtuous as we may think.
Tripling down on financial illiteracy with Amy Adams (and MMT)
Amy Adams won’t commit to $11.7b, but she too has now become the third person to fall down the imaginary fiscal hole. How can National claim to have any soundness on finance if they won’t admit their criticisms on the economy are unreasonable and unfounded? And besides, aren’t National actually worse fiscal managers if ordinary people tend to get paid less under their regimes? We dive into some theory to thoroughly dispute even Steven Joyce’s/Amy Adam’s secondary criticism of “fiscal tightness,” although concede that two of the Budget Responsibility rules are probably stupid in order to do it.
Justice for the family carer claimants
National’s constitutionally outrageous attempt to stifle the claims of family carers for compensation for discrimination should be repealed and a just settlement reached with the caregivers.
TPP2: Electric Boogaloo
The TPP is due to be signed today. For those who aren’t done to death with hearing about it, why is it still bad, why hasn’t it met Labour’s bottom lines, and why are we even signing it?
March 8 2018: the TPPA and our nuclear free moment
As Labour picks up the pen to sign the TPPA, environmental critics argue that the new agreement has done nothing to allay fears of New Zealand being sued by corporations to prevent the government from taking action on climate change.
TPPA rally at parliament today
Protestors will gather outside Parliament at midday on Thursday 8 March to hear from a range of speakers in opposition to the TPPA signing ceremony in Chile
Cullen says 2020 election effectively a referendum on tax
Don’t hold your breath for recommendations of radical tax reform from the Tax Working Group. Chair Sir Michael Cullen says the 2020 election will be a referendum on tax and he is already kicking for touch
Reports from the TPPA protests this week (and please sign the petition)
The message coming out is hold the line, sign the petition, regroup, and protest on Thurs the 8th, the day Labour puts our name to the agreement.
Putting some steel into trade
Does anyone want to take a punt on where the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum will go?
NRT: Past time to end fossil fuel exploration
“The foreign shareholders in that toxic industry will kick and scream, but its basicly them or the planet – and if we want to save the world and keep our own coastal cities above water, they have to go.”
Some Trash.
Being anti-plastic is all the rage these days. How might business respond?
Golriz Ghahraman in the House on the TPPA
“As Greens, what’s particularly chilling to us is that we know elsewhere in the world where ISDS clauses have been accessed to sue Governments, corporates have used them to stop environmental protection.” … “The Indonesian environmental Minister had to admit, ‘If we shut them down, they will need compensation and Indonesia can’t afford it.’ That is chilling.”
Facebook Bullshit
A very cursory glance at Facebook, Palantir Technologies, Cambridge Analytica, AggregateIQ, click bait, targeted ads…and what the hell is the FBI playing at?
Auckland Rail Industrial Action
RMTU members are working to rule to oppose Auckland Transport and Transdev’s attempts to weaken security arrangements on Auckland’s trains.
Special laws for rich people
Queenstown Lake District Council wants to protect the uber wealthy from Labour’s new overseas house buying ban.
It’s Our Future: Complete U-Turn by Labour and NZ First on TPP
The TPP might have been re-branded as the CPTPP but it’s still the same bad deal says Professor Jane Kelsey, New Zealand’s expert on international economic regulation.
“Calling it “Comprehensive and Progressive” doesn’t make it any better.
Tax Haven Man in Town
The Lord Mayor of the City of London is visiting New Zealand. Its not Sadiq Khan, Charles Bowman is a PwC partner leading London’s financial centre lobby. He’s here to talk to business and regulators. He’ll no doubt be talking up more deregulation.
Us and them – what will Labour do about WINZ?
What we need is a government that shares power with beneficiaries.
TPPA-11 update and actions
The TPPA-11 is set to be signed on March 8. There are still huge problems with the agreement for NZ. Jane Kelsey provides an update.
Global Sharemarkets
Recent volatility in the U.S. stockmarkets has attracted calls that capitalism is facing a crisis. But the reality appears to be different.