Fletcher Chair resigns but directors retain huge fees despite staggering loss
Fletcher announces more huge losses but directors still laughing all the way to the bank
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Where’s my share?
Had anyone with a job (other than the top 2 tiers of management) had a wage increase higher than inflation recently?
Nationwide public meetings: TPPA-11 update, and what we can do
Auckland 12 Feb – Wellington 14 Feb – Nelson 20 Feb – Christchurch 21 Feb – Dunedin 22 Feb
Stop Using the ‘F’ Word.
Because words matter.
Beg packing
Two people playing at being poor as part of a sociopolitical stance on economics has angered many New Zealanders.
Bio-fuels.
Biofuels and fossil. The difference?
The Housing Crisis.
Can politics deliver?
Fonterra a failure in concept and in practice
New Zealanders 17 years ago accepted the idea of a national dairy monopoly on the condition it would deliver outstanding returns. The cost has been high — filthy and unswimmable rivers. Now it turns out the result has been a financial fiasco – the whole thing is literally bullshit, or more correctly, cowshit.
Fonterra and Fletcher Building
New Zealand only has two businesses of world-competitive scale that are also majority owned by New Zealanders: Fonterra, and Fletcher Building. And they appear to have lost their way and put much of their value and our wellbeing at risk.
We are beneficiaries
The sick and twisted thing about right wing politics is that tories like a certain level of unemployment because competition for jobs is […]
Trickledown …
Over in America Republican intellectual genius Paul Ryan tweeted how a School teacher who will receive $1.50 extra per week because of Republican tax cuts was grateful for the increase. But it did not go down well …
NZ Court of Appeal and the Ministry of Health
The government has a responsibility to act fairly, centre its services around the needs of people, and treat NZ citizens as human beings.
Two Labour Governments, two coal mines
The New Zealand Government has rejected the OIO’s proposal to allow Bathurst to purchase DOC land for coal mining purposes. And in Australia the Queensland Labor Government is working out how it can back out of an agreement to permit the Adani coal mine to proceed.
Buttered Bread
What side’s yours buttered on?
Getting it right
Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff writes in the NZ Herald about why paying people peanuts is bad for everyone. Highly recommended reading.
Jacinda Ardern’s child poverty speech
In a major speech yesterday on poverty, Prime Minister Ardern has laid out fully and forthrightly what is the problem and what need to be done.
Climate activists threatened with “draconian” Anadarko Amendment
“We can’t burn existing fossil fuel reserves if we are to avoid climate catastrophe.” – Russell Norman.
Bill your pants may be on fire
Bill English has criticised the Government for only offering an officer briefing on the day that legislation is due to be introduced into Parliament. But appears to have forgotten an offer made by Jacinda Ardern 48 days ago.
Doofus of the week Anniversary Weekend edition – Damien Grant
Damien Grant wins the latest award for penning a column where he claims that University education is a great folly of modern life, contributes surprisingly little to our economic well-being and does not prepare graduates for work.
Ruminations on deprivation
Man gets wet feet. Is reminded of privilege.
Greening the government: economics
In his State of the Planet speech, James Shaw lays out the Green Party’s bold vision and plan for a truly sustainable economy to replace the crumbling architecture of the last 30 years.
(image from Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics)
Rimutaka Prison.
Who are the bigger criminals?
Updated.
Plastic Fantastic
Billions of disease laden pieces of plastic killing reefs. No effective solution offered.
NRT: Not good enough
“The government today announced some employment relations reforms, including the restoration of meal breaks and the right to collective bargaining. But they also plan to retain 90 day trial periods for small businesses“
The Humanity.
Thoughtless thugs. Killers.
Employment Relations changes announced
The Government has announced changes to the Employment Relations law which on the whole are positive and beneficial for workers. But following New Zealand First lobbying the 90 day fire at will provision will be retained for small firms.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership
The positive aspects of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership.
No change to Green position on TPP
“…we still don’t believe there are sufficient safeguards for people and the environment that would enable us to support the deal” – James Shaw
There is a hole left in the world
Ursula K Le Guin has died.
Revised TPPA to be signed?
Radio New Zealand is reporting that Canadian concerns about the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement have been addressed and the agreement is scheduled to be signed in March.
Solidarity
History not forgotten.
High Country selloff scandal laid bare
A feature in yesterday’s Domion Post Weekend lays bare the extent of the scandalous selloff of huge tracts of our high country. The tenure review of the high country has been conducted since 1992 to privatise some of the land and also bringing parts into the conservation estate. The process has been followed by both National and Labour governments.
States United.
On how states in conflict, have seemingly and nevertheless, managed to share in the likely or possible creation of one common goal.
Why President Trump should be opposed by the left
Ten reasons why Donald Trump is anti worker and bad for America’s working class.
It’s time to embrace nanny state
Rather than apologise, it’s time the Left and the new government embraced “nanny state” as a positive, just as the gay community claimed the previously pejorative term “queer”. A nanny state is clearly economically and socially more efficient. We should celebrate our nanny state and not apologise for it.
Can This Government Regain Power on Its Policies?
The sixth Labour led Government has made a good start to its term. But what policy results will New Zealand have to vote for and campaign on in 2020?