Metiria Turei was right but did we learn the lesson?
In 2017 the Greens shifted the Overton Window on a compassionate response to poverty, but where are we now?
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Jones accuses Luxon of hiding
Shane Jones has publicly attacked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon by accusing him of hiding. The chances of a snap election have just shot up.
Adrian Orr Pushed Out By Neil Quigley – Then The Cover Up Started With Nicola Willis
Quigley, the RBNZ Board, and Willis. all appeared to take part in this explosive cover up about why Adrian Orr left the RBNZ in March 2025
It Is Not Enough Only to Change the Government
Everyone on the left can agree that we must change the government. Elliot Crossan argues that if Labour wins in 2026 and refuses […]
Van Velden pressures ERA to reduce worker compensation payments
Brooke Van Velden has announced the appointment of four new members to the Employment Relations Authority and has expressed the wish that compensation payments to workers will be reduced.
No mandate for this
Partial strike law penalties used on nurses trying to keep themselves safe is emblematic of the wider libertarian playbook within the NZ government
Nicola Willis: National gave “tens of dollars” to Kiwis
Willis attacks Carmel Sepulonia as Ingrid Hipkiss assists.
National Government will have increased gross debt by over $100b – Who benefits ?
The debt bogeyman has been unleashed in NZ, which we will examine – but even on face value, National Party debt is 25% more than Labour’s full debt contribution over 6 years – with no global pandemic
The $671 million dollar woman
The Government is trying to spin that cancellation of the ferry contract will cost the country $144 million when the actual figure is at least $671 million.
The Curious Case of Central Otago
How can a region be so pretty, so rich, but so poor?
How was National able to take down construction so quickly?
Industry experts say Chris Bishop and his party are to blame, but Bishop denies it, saying construction industry leaders are just “wrong”
Ani O’Brien’s weird take on homelessness
Ani O’Brien thinks that claims by Chloe Swarbrick that the Government is intentionally increasing homelessness are engaging in hyperbole and are not true. But who is the person engaging in hyperbole?
Good, Democratic, Easy-To-Support Energy Policies
How to make fundamental changes to the country’s energy systems to ensure that future supply is sustainable and democratically controlled/
NZ sleepwalking towards bastardised hybrid health model
Half-baked attempts to fix New Zealand’s failing health system has resulted in Aotearoa drifting into a hybrid public-private model that threatens to combine the worst of both worlds. Isn’t it time to seriously review the working model
Power Companies Collude to Require New Zealand Coal-Fired Electricity
The country’s four main power companies have signed an agreement to stockpile coal and to extend the life of the coal-fired Huntly power station.
Was it Luxon’s idea to cancel pay equity claims under urgency?
A recent dump of papers relating to the cancellation of the Pay Equity scheme suggest that Christopher Luxon was the primary driver behind the decision to do this under urgency.
Old fast track, new fast track
What are Labour’s intentions towards protecting communities and the environment?
Can we trust Shane Jones?
Using a really shoddy parliamentary procedure Shane Jones has introduced an amendment to a bill that will potentially reduce oil industry liability for clean up costs.
Corbyn still draws a crowd – what’s new?
Zarah Sultana for one – she’s a star. Gaza for another – anti-zionism/semitism won’t work this time. 500,000 signed up in a week for a new party is impressive.
Queenstown as an exemplar of the limits to growth
We are Queenstown.
Fisher and Paykel
Chris Hipkins came up with a zinger yesterday calling Christopher Luxon and Nicolas Willis “Fisher and Paykel” because of the incredible amount of spin they produce.
So the Government has increased homelessness
For some time now National has been crowing about how they have solved the emergency housing problem in Aotearoa. But a recent report suggests that their policies have cause a surge in the number of homeless kiwis.
The Time For The Left To Act Is Now
None of National’s policies are working. But the time of Labour’s policy vacuum needs to be over. It’s time to make their mark and take Luxon front on and win.
Do you want to protect NZ’s sensitive land and assets?
You have 2 days more to submit on ACT’s Overseas Investment Act changes
What is the point of taxation?
Chloe Swarbrick and the Greens are changing the narrative on what tax is for.
National raided $6,000,000,000 infrastructure & flood fund
Tasman, Top of the South Island patiently waits after National raided $6 billion infrastructure fund
The left should unite on tax, fast
… before the election starts to get real.
Do humans have to respect the limits to growth?
we don’t have to, but we probably should.
The ultimate Fuck you, to your neighbours, the community and the environment. Private helicopters!
Again, we were woken up by a bunch of hoodrats drifting on the intersection by our house. Great clouds of smoke and lots of noise. As you do at three o clock in the morning, my brain started tying this together with recent articles about private helicopters in urban areas, and other forms of antisocial “Fuck You’s” to the rest of us.
China is not a threat to Regional Peace
The real threat to peace in our region does not stem from China, but from a “China threat” narrative—promoted by the United States to rally other nations behind its China containment agenda.
We Have a Human Right to Water, and to Democracy
National is rolling out comprehensive water corporatisation, across New Zealand. For those who don’t live in Auckland, Wellington, or other centres with commercialised […]
State-run food stores anyone?
What if we broke New Zealand’s grocery misery with our own grocery store?
National Wants to Increase Retirement Age to 67
If Luxon and Willis go ahead with it as a policy platform for the 2026 election, and win, a raise in the age of entitlement for national superation will most likely be implemented.
The mother of the mother of all budgets is unrepentant
Ruth Richardson remains totally convinced that her “mother of all budgets” was appropriate and claims that it was responsible for slaying inflation and promoting a high-growth high-wage high-employment economy.
Cecilia Robinson’s Tend Health Win
For-profit healthcare continues its acceleration under National as second largest private healthcare provider in Australia shuts down
Trump and Musk: One Big Beautiful Break-up
The world’s richest man has fallen out with the President he helped elect. Elliot Crossan asks: does this mark the beginning of the […]