Working with Helen
I worked with Helen at the CTU for about seven years from 2008.
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
There is no surplus
In Year Eight of this National government, the idea of a budget surplus is a joke. They’ve promised it for nearly a decade. They’ve fiddled the books. The truth is, there is no surplus.
Helen Kelly: Just plain good
I’m going to miss you, mate.
I see a poverty of ideas and a poverty of Government responsibility
Judith Collins yesterday said that child poverty is the fault of parents and not the fault of her Government.
Racist Nats Attack Chinese Grannies Shock!
National have slammed the door shut on the parents of already settled migrants who wish to move to NZ to complete the family unit. Minister Michael Woodhouse accuses elderly Asians of bludging off the NZ taxpayer. You won’t believe the howls of outrage from the right!
Nothing’s Going to Happen.
A wee reflection on our psychological fuck-edness.
Victory! Fast-food workers get fully guaranteed hours
UNITE Union members have won big following the banning of zero-hour contracts.
More people taking strike action over low wages and insecure work
Members of FIRST Union are striking over terrible pay and conditions at Brand Developers TV Shop.
The best you can hope for, after the Local Government elections
Now that the local government elections have been completed what is the best that local communities can expect of their elected representatives?
Solidarity with junior doctors
Junior doctors taking strike action are being bullied and threatened that they’ll harm their careers.
Cross-Party Inquiry into Homelessness releases report – Government must act
Labour, the Green Party and the Māori Party are have released their Ending Homelessness in New Zealand report and are calling on the Government to immediately adopt the 20 recommendations.
Clinton vs Trump; Debate 2
Round 2 of the Presidential debates. Trump is on the ropes, can Clinton land the knockout blow? Certainly, there’s a lot of Republican Party grandees hoping Hillary puts them out of their misery. Seconds out at 2PM, NZ time.
UPDATE: Obama nailed Trump’s real issue a few minutes ago; it’s insecurity. Video in post.
UPDATE 2: LIVE STREAM now in post.
International Days of Prayer and Action with Standing Rock
What we know is coming largely from outside the mainstream. Which is how it should be.
Trump physically slams WWE billionaire McMahon to the ground, mercilessly mutilates him
Definitive documentary evidence of Trump the violent, volatile, unpredictable sociopath revealed.
Trumped
It looks all its over for Donald Trump. On the eve of the second Presidential debate, his polling has tanked, the Russians have come out in support of him and his team have run out of money for TV ads. Plus, truly awful video has emerged overnight of him admitting sexual assaults. Has there ever been a worse candidate? And will he still be the right’s candidate in a month’s time?
UPDATE: Trump says he will be a better man. Pearl Jam sue.
Water and cultural values
Day one of the International Days of Prayer and Action with Standing Rock. Here’s a post on NZ’s relationship with water, and whether water is a resource or a taonga.
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Mount Eden Corrections Facility has now been released and has presented a damning judgment on Serco’s management of the prison.
Why we need to stand with Standing Rock
For seven months the next movement of social and environmental justice and resistance has been growing. We should be paying attention.
The main risk to New Zealand according to John Key
John Key is pretty good at providing media commentary on what problems New Zealand faces. But is he any good at addressing those problems?
Colinoscopy
In which we learn that Colin Craig had already lost another case months before being done over in his defamation trial.
How difficult to measure poverty?
Amazing lead story on RNZ – Easier to count rodents than kids in poverty, suggests Key. There are a number of good measures, […]
Arrest Blair’s Mate
The downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 was a Russian sponsored war crime. When will Vladimir Putin be arrested?
UPDATE: Animation and actual photos and video of the BUK launcher added.
Clinton vs Trump; Debate 1
The first Presidential kicks off this arvo. Who will win? Do we care? Should we care? Stay tuned Standarnistas, it’ll be a doozy!
A tale of Two Universities
A guest post by John P Egan regarding recent industrial action taken by Tertiary Education Union members
HoliPay fiasco – 1 in 3 workers robbed
Do you work irregular shifts (even only occasionally)? Overtime? Sometimes on Public Holidays?
Then you’re probably part of the 1 in 3 workers owed more than $2 billion lost thru incorrect calculations of holiday pay.
Thanks Steven Joyce.
Stand Up for Housing: Protest today in Aotea Square
Young people, union members, and other Aucklanders will meet in Aotea Square today to make some noise about the devastating Auckland housing crisis. Stand Up Youth Union Movement and Unions Auckland are hosting the Monopoly-themed event, which will highlight the damaging effects of the crisis and call on local and central government to do a lot more to fix the housing market.
“We’re no longer citizens, we’re customers”
Ann Pettifor, in New Zealand for lectures on the state of the financial world, talks to Nine-to-Noon about the most pressing problems. Worth a listen.
Warren strips cross-selling bank CEO
Watch Elizabeth Warren strip Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf alive at a Senate hearing on ‘cross-selling’ of bank products customers didn’t need. Wells Fargo, one of the US’ biggest banks, was fined $185million, and 5300 employees at branch and teller level were sacked. The senior executive in charge was allowed to retire with nearly $100million in stock benefits. Warren thinks the top management should be held accountable. See what you think.
National 0, Christchurch 1
Did Lianne Dalziel just prove how economically challenged the National Party are? It appears Christchurch will be able to pay its quake bill without flogging off the family silver. Why are the right so wedded to asset sales when they make no financial sense?
A MPI boondoggle subsidy for Wairarapa land speculators?
You have to wonder about the quality of some of the economic process control that goes on for National’s politically important subsidies to the farming industry. A economic review of a Wairarapa Water application for second stage feasibility funding from the Irrigation Acceleration Fund for the “Black Creek” and “Tividale” irrigation schemes makes it look like government funded boondoggle.
TPP – Let it go John
So Key has been trying to explain the TPP to America. Apart from looking ridiculous, what did he think he was going to accomplish?
Economics is still lost
Paul Romer is an economist highly respected by his peers, and about to become the Chief Economist at the World Bank. He’s also just published a paper rubbishing the last 3 decades of macroeconomics.
Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times is challenging fractional reserve banking. It’s certainly time for some new ideas.
Delivering the Green New Deal
London-based macro-economist Ann Pettifor will speak on this topic at Wesley Church, 75 Taranaki Street, Wellington, on Tuesday 20 September at 5:30pm. Ann is a member of the Green New Deal Group, whose proposition is designed to power a renewables revolution, create thousands of green-collar jobs and rein in the distorting power of the finance sector while making more low-cost capital available for pressing priorities. All welcome; more info inside.
The “Intellectual Yet Idiot” Class – Knowing what’s best for you
When highly educated people end up being idiots, and uneducated people end up being smarter.
Rockstar! Is it?
National is very proud of the latest GDP-growth figures (third highest in OECD!), but are they helping you? And are they what they appear?
Translating the local government election jargon
The PSA has produced a nice guide to cut through all the buzzwords in local body elections.