The Standard

Economy

Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour

Categories under Economy

Why National had to settle the Pay Equity case

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, April 19th, 2017 - 45 comments

National is trying to give the impression that it settled the pay equity case out of the goodness of its heart.  The reality is that the Unions forced it to settle through gritted teeth.

National’s economic report card fail

Written By: - Date published: 2:52 pm, April 18th, 2017 - 18 comments

Bill English reviews the economy

Though artificially boosted by high immigration and disaster rebuilds, the NZ economy is in the doldrums, and National are a failure even by their own goals and targets. I predict that National will soon abolish all targets, and that this will be “a sign of our success”.

Thank you health care workers

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, April 18th, 2017 - 30 comments

This is a huge victory for health care workers, and for women. It is also a huge victory for “resurgent unions”. Will it alarm the private sector? I certainly hope so!

(Kristine Bartlett, photo Herald Mark Mitchell)

Kia kaha Sonny Bill Williams

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, April 17th, 2017 - 108 comments

Tony Veitch and Mike Hosking are in a lather because Sonny Bill Williams refuses to be a corporate billboard.

Canada

Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, April 14th, 2017 - 20 comments

Every once in a while, an administration that doesn’t check it’s collective brain out at the door assumes office. That may be the case with Canada’s current government.

Monbiot on the embedded economy

Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, April 14th, 2017 - 10 comments

A model for a sustainable economy. Something to ponder on a wet holiday weekend.

Won’t the Government think about the kiwis?

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 13th, 2017 - 55 comments

The Government has granted Alpine Pure the right to construct a pipeline through a breeding area for a critically endangered Kiwi so that it can extract water from a Unesco World Heritage site for free.

The United Airlines fiasco

Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, April 12th, 2017 - 29 comments

United Airlines in America has in the past few days provided a text book example of how a large corporation should not behave.

Motels are full of homeless so now what?

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 11th, 2017 - 83 comments

Ordinary people are priced out of home ownership and increasingly out of renting, the state-housing safety net has been deliberately run down, and now the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff is full. National leaps into action – by asking the Salvation Army for ideas…

Property porn vs. reality

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, April 10th, 2017 - 92 comments

Sick of the property porn on the Stuff and Herald websites? It was refreshing to read the truth for a change.

Syria sarin capitalism and war

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, April 9th, 2017 - 60 comments

The dirty truth behind many of the wars that our political / media world gets itself so excited about is that they wouldn’t be happening without the arms that we (the “western” world) sell so copiously.

Independent media a losing battle

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, April 7th, 2017 - 10 comments

Unfolding in Australia, but obviously relevant here, bad news for Farifax media staff and their editorial independence.

What is neoliberalism?

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, April 7th, 2017 - 45 comments

George Monbiot explains in 2 minutes.

 

 

Banks and the Housing Crisis

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, April 5th, 2017 - 15 comments

Because of our our central government’s refusal to build social housing and both NZTA and AT rigorously avoiding urban development integration, the default control of housing supply lies with Australian regulation of New Zealand’s retail banks and their lending.

Typhoid in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, April 4th, 2017 - 76 comments

The typhoid outbreak in Auckland is very bad news. Now would also be a good time to reflect on NZ’s generally poor record on child poverty and disease.

Conflict of interest what conflict of interest?

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, April 3rd, 2017 - 22 comments

The lobbying body for fishing industry and Nathan Guy who is the responsible minister think there is no conflict of interest in the lobbying body inheriting huge powers previously held by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Welfare is making Kiwis lazy and unemployable

Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, April 2nd, 2017 - 166 comments

This old chestnut is getting another outing on Stuff today.

Greenpeace got themselves a bigger boat…

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 2nd, 2017 - 59 comments

“Yours is an honourable mission with the power to bring alive the conscience of the world”

The neoliberal revolution

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, April 1st, 2017 - 31 comments

Thirty years old today – the longest April Fool’s joke in history?

Trumping Idiocy

Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, March 29th, 2017 - 28 comments

If you are absolutely determined to be one of the idiot legion who’re forever squirreling their heads deeper into sand, then don’t read this post.

Another reason for water pricing

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, March 28th, 2017 - 19 comments

The Government will be embarassed by another example of a corporation planning to extract ten billion litres of fresh water a year essentially at no cost which has arisen.

Down the Gurgler.

Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, March 27th, 2017 - 69 comments

Getting sick, tired and angry of this malarkey.

Spinoff series – rent week

Written By: - Date published: 12:51 pm, March 27th, 2017 - 58 comments

While much of the coverage of the housing crisis focuses on buyers, the situation facing renters is just as bad. Last week The Spinoff ran an excellent series on renting in NZ: “It’s getting desperate out there”.

More thoughts on the Labour-Greens Budget Responsibility Rules

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, March 25th, 2017 - 111 comments

The Labour-Green Budget Responsibility Rules announcement this week ought to dispel the notion that Labour and the Greens cannot work together.

Labour Green fiscal framework

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, March 24th, 2017 - 97 comments

As widely reported this morning, Labour and the Greens have set out an agreed fiscal framework. Smart politics.

A taxing question or two

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, March 24th, 2017 - 46 comments

Apple aren’t paying tax – are we doing all we can so multi-national’s do pay their share? And would the public actually prefer a tax rise (and decent housing/ health / education) rather than a tax cut?

Oil prospecting on the shores of Lake Te Anau?

Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, March 22nd, 2017 - 22 comments

The Nats are buying another fight with NZ’s nature lovers. Last time they tried something like this 50,000 marched in Auckland and they were forced to back down.

Climate Change and Us

Written By: - Date published: 4:02 pm, March 21st, 2017 - 4 comments

3 major environmental reports today – the OECD says our economy is beyond environmental limits; a cross party group of MPs sponsor research into the way to net zero emissions; and the World Meteorological Organisation has a stark look at continued climate change.

OECD: NZ growth model reaching its environmental limits

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, March 21st, 2017 - 41 comments

New Zealand is about to reach the limits of growth.

Living Economies Expo

Written By: - Date published: 11:02 am, March 21st, 2017 - 2 comments

“Imagine a country which respects the living planet; whose people enjoy fair land tenure, good housing, good health, wholesome food, a rewarding livelihood, free education, a compassionate justice system, and an adequate income: a country with an inclusive democracy grounded in vibrant communities.”

National’s water problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, March 21st, 2017 - 48 comments

The Government’s timid backdown on water charging is placing it in a very uncomfortable position.