Citizenship – one law for the rich
As other citizenship cases are compared to Peter Thiel, it starkly highlights our “one law for the rich” approach.
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
About that pay equity deal
More excellent reporting from Newsroom: “Long overdue pay rate increases affecting 55,000 New Zealand care and support workers kick in on July 1. But the Government’s failure to fully fund the changes is threatening to derail service providers”
Spare a thought for the homeless tonight
Not just because it’s winter, and the weather is lousy, but also because of this…
Employers don’t like Labour’s new employment relations package
In shocking news, it turns out that employers don’t like Labour’s new employment relations package. They (and the usual suspects) are running lines about a return to the 1970s. A time when workers’ share of the wealth was higher, poverty was lower, inequality was lower, and workers had more rights. Sounds awful.
Labour’s new employment relations package
Labour: “After nine years of National, working people’s share of the economy is falling. Less than 40 per cent of economic growth under National has gone into working people’s wages. If working people’s slice of the economy hadn’t shrunk under National, workers’ pay packets would have been $23 billion larger.”
Brighter Future Delivering the Cusp of Something Special for New Zealanders
That’s a mish-mash of Nat soundbites past and present. For the reality underlying it all, check out the excellent RNZ series “Is this the Brighter Future?”
Jesse Mulligan owned Bill English on national television
Getting very bloody angry and speaking truth to power.
Something to go to in Wellington
Greater Wellington regional Council has tendered their bus service without protecting drivers’ terms and conditions. That’s going to cost drivers and average of $200 per week. Danny Scotford sent out this email asking people in Wellington to protest at the councils’ next meeting.
Oil and Water Mix.
Our economic paradigm (market capitalism) and oil don’t mix. False hope (BECCS) and survival doesn’t mix. Current political settings (Paris pledges produce 3- 4 degrees C warming with the US on board) and intelligent action don’t mix. Incrementalism (time is not on our side) and AGW doesn’t mix. Whatever can’t be mixed into some AGW solution needs to be flushed.
Scary, huh? Well, yes and no…
Why the America’s Cup is better than Rugby
And now for something completely different. Is the America’s cup a more potent example of New Zealand’s unique place in the world than the Rigby World Cup.
New Pike River footage
Tonight Newshub had new footage from deep inside Pike River mine. It showed no fire damage.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is harming public transport
The Wellington Regional Council has contracted its bus services but not protected its drivers’ incomes. They stand to lose an average of $200 a week.
And Wellington risks losing the great public transport system it is so proud of.
Skepta remix – Tory Magic Money Tree
A little bit of UK political parody grime…
Our brilliant economy
We need new thinking on the economy – zero emissions, sustainable, a big redistribution from rich to poor. But the list of current economic woe shows that even on their own old conventional terms the Nats are useless economic managers.
UNICEF on our appalling child welfare record – but apparently we don’t care
UNICEF has another major report ranking the wellbeing of NZ kids 34th out of 41 developed countries. This is not new news, and apparently a lot of voters just don’t give a damn.
Signals
The politics of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Debt to Income Loan Limits
The possible introduction of debt to income lending ratios will potentially have an enormous effect on New Zealand’s housing market.
When immigration means exploitation
Those arguing for unrestricted immigration are – wittingly or unwittingly – fueling higher levels of exploitation in NZ.
Fabian seminar tonight: What would a people’s Budget look like?
Something to check out if you are in Auckland tonight, the CTU’s Bill Rosenberg discusses the budget. He will “examine the Government’s priorities and look at what needs to be done”.
Immigration and economic growth
English’s scaremongering about Labour’s immigration policy does nothing but highlight the fundamental weakness of our economy. Just how anemic are we after 9 long years?
Panama Papers fallout – trusts leaving NZ
Herald: “More than 1800 foreign trusts have told Inland Revenue they don’t want to register under new rules that require them to reveal financial information and their ultimate owners.”
The Freshwater Rescue Plan
Seven steps to reclaiming our lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers.
Slum rentals in the brighter future
The Sunday Star Times had some gut wrenching coverage of the conditions in some of Auckland’s slum boarding houses. How can anyone vote for three more years of this?
Andrew Little – Last Labour PM of NZ?
A wee bit of speculation for a long week-end.
Medical marijuana on prescription
The Government starts to make cannabidiol more available.
An appropriate apology and an issue that needs fixing
The Ministry of Social Development illegally penalised a woman who refused to name the rapist father of her child. The case shines a spotlight on an issue that needs fixing.
Postcards from the brighter future
Part of an occasional series. It all seems to be going according to plan.
Tax cuts and 1600 deaths per year
One of the nasty little fishhooks in the budget was the cutting of the home insulation scheme (Warm Up New Zealand). The scheme had a benefit-cost ratio of $6 for every $1 invested. Around 1,600 people die in NZ a year of cold-related factors. Hope the tax cuts are worth it eh?
A generous donation to Labour
Thank you Robert Smellie QC, I’m sure your donation will be put to great use. Smellie said: “I am a practising Anglican and as such I see socialism as being far closer to the Gospel than free enterprise.”
Eight years to an electric transport world
The pace of change in transportation may mean that some time soon private ownership of petroleum cars may disappear.
English on our low wage growth
Bill English knows that our low wage economy is a ticking time-bomb for the government. He must be starting to get worried. The repeated promises of jam tomorrow are well worn out now.
Green Party position on National’s 2017 Budget
“The Budget is what allows National to govern. If National failed to pass the Budget, all its legal ability to tax and spend would dry up and the Government would fall apart. There is no way we would vote for the Budget, because that would be supporting the National Government and its agenda.” Metiria Turei and James Shaw, Green Party blog.
Government was advised the Accommodation Supplement increase will not work
Radio New Zealand has reported that the Government ignored two year old treasury advice to implement the increase in the accommodation supplement.
The Greens and voting on the Budget
Wondering about what the Greens are voting for? It might not be what you think.
The Greens on record
Despite rumours to the contrary, the Green Party was highly critical of National’s Budget.
What the feck Greens
The Green Party caucus decision to support the Government’s tax reduction legislation is hard to comprehend and has created a perception of messiness in the way the Labour-Green MOU operates.