The Standard

Economy

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

Categories under Economy

What – you mean – the lefties were right?

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, July 11th, 2016 - 141 comments

Inequality, poverty, the rise of the working poor – people are pissed. Lefties have been saying it for a long time, but now Serious Market People can see it too.

Be Like Dad, Keep Mum (in fear).

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, July 10th, 2016 - 62 comments

Temuera Morrison has made a powerful video for the Women’s Refuge annual appeal. He’s making a difference. You can do something the Key Government won’t do. You can make a difference. You can stop keeping mum about domestic violence and you can help fund your local refuge.

Helen Kelly; A Work of Art.

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, July 7th, 2016 - 18 comments

The NZ Portrait Gallery’s latest work is of unionist Helen Kelly. It’s great.

Jeremy Corbyn apologises for Blair and Bush’s Iraq War

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, July 7th, 2016 - 42 comments

Jeremy Corbyn’s full response to the Chilcot response. Corbyn says that the Iraq war “was an act of military aggression launched on a false pretext” and that he apologises for it on behalf of Labour, who was in Government at the time.

Social bonds negotiations collapse

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, July 6th, 2016 - 65 comments

The Governments attempt to incentivise the provision of social services by greed has failed with the first proposed social bond failing.

National’s strike-breaking fail

Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, July 5th, 2016 - 23 comments

The Police want no part of the Nats’ plan to use them as airport security. Perhaps instead of bungled attempts at strike-breaking the Nats should consider – dealing fairly with aviation security staff concerns?

The Chrematistic Camel

Written By: - Date published: 7:26 pm, July 4th, 2016 - 110 comments

So this post is about a suite of frameworks not to adopt if the goal is to avoid 2 degrees of global warming.

“Died at some point in the recycling process”

Written By: - Date published: 6:39 pm, July 4th, 2016 - 39 comments

Imagine taking shelter on a cold night and ending up crushed or asphyxiated to death in a compressed cardboard recycling bale.

#Sheepgate – The Compensation payment for the claim that did not exist

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, July 4th, 2016 - 27 comments

The Nation has been doing some digging into #Sheepgate and last weekend broadcast its results.  There were some findings that if confirmed should result in McCully’s cabinet career being ended. Not to mention a potential Privileges Hearing to decide if he has misled Parliament.

National costs you $100,000 from your retirement fund

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, July 2nd, 2016 - 66 comments

If you’re an average worker the actions of the National government have reduced the value of your KiwiSaver fund at retirement by about $100K.

1/3 of Nobel Laureates say Greenpeace is “anti-science”, must now embrace GMOs

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 pm, June 30th, 2016 - 181 comments

Unless you are scaremongering and “anti-science” you should embrace GMO foods. Say 107 Nobel Laureates.

This is why we need a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 3:25 pm, June 30th, 2016 - 60 comments

It is tragic that a family working 80 hours a week cannot make ends meet.

Chilcot, Corbyn and the UK Labour Party caucus.

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, June 29th, 2016 - 62 comments

Three dots.

Updated

Suck-up economics proceeding as planned – rich getting richer

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, June 29th, 2016 - 56 comments

Inequality in NZ is the worst it’s been in a decade. Key’s response is pathetic. We need to vote to end suck-up economics. We need to be a better country than this.

A Socialist perspective on Brexit, the European Union and the coup on Corbyn

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, June 29th, 2016 - 27 comments

Details of a public forum to be run tomorrrow evening by Socialist Aotearoa to discuss Brexit, a Marxist critique of the European Union, and the very British coup against Jeremy Corbyn.

It’s a Side-show, “Bob”.

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, June 28th, 2016 - 279 comments

From the circus that never leaves town.

From barking mad to common sense in one easy U turn

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, June 28th, 2016 - 65 comments

April Key said our foreign trusts had full disclosure and proposals to increase transparency were “barking mad”. June Key is going to implement “sensible and well-reasoned” proposals to increase disclosure and transparency.

The good ones get it

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, June 28th, 2016 - 126 comments

A recent interview with Barack Obama displayed an understanding of the problems offered by globalisation but also understands the complex relationship between trade, elites, workers, and redistribution.

Panama papers – Shewan inquiry – our rules are inadequate

Written By: - Date published: 4:25 pm, June 27th, 2016 - 26 comments

There were many who were concerned that John Shewan was not a good choice for an inquiry into NZ’s tax haven system. Seems we owe Shewan an apology, as initial reaction suggests that he has done a good job.

Lessons from Brexit

Written By: - Date published: 3:08 pm, June 27th, 2016 - 40 comments

Reposted from Boots Theory with some updates requested by the author

Remembering our personal political power

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, June 27th, 2016 - 23 comments

Even in times of upheaval there are things we can do. Here are 11 post-Brexit ways to act right now.

Bill English unaware that GST is a tax shock!

Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, June 26th, 2016 - 69 comments

Is it true that 40 percent of us pay no tax? Why, no, no it isn’t.

Speaking of inequality…

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, June 25th, 2016 - 45 comments

“Poverty NZ’s ‘new normal’ – report”. “Food bank pantries bare, emergency food grant dropping – report”. “NZ egalitarian? That’s a pretty little lie”. Hello – National supporters – where do you think this is going to end?

Snakes and ladders

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, June 25th, 2016 - 155 comments

Yesterday was a big day for both UK and US politics. Brexit revealed the political consequences of social inequality. Meanwhile in America the Trump Train is derailing.

The Herald says you don’t want a pay rise

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 23rd, 2016 - 32 comments

You might be surprised to learn this, but you don’t want a pay rise.

Four personal stories

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 23rd, 2016 - 38 comments

From the “Brighter Future”, four personal stories published recently are all well worth reading.

Stopping the clock

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 pm, June 22nd, 2016 - 21 comments

John Key’s refused to stop the clock on Kiwi workers losing a million dollars a day. That’s a mistake.

A Tale of Two Droughts

Written By: - Date published: 6:38 pm, June 22nd, 2016 - 44 comments

Climate change is now causing extreme dry weather events and is increasingly blamed for water shortages. But what we are doing on the ground has just as much influence on our experience of drought. As New Zealand farmers call for drought relief this winter, it’s time we looked at how we manage land and water, and the critical role this plays in whether humans can live with variable rainfall in the age of climate change. Here’s a stellar example from India.

When is a toll road not a toll road?

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, June 22nd, 2016 - 37 comments

When it is a variable network pricing mechanism …

Our zombie economy

Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, June 22nd, 2016 - 149 comments

It’s basically flat-lining – only partially animated by immigration and a housing bubble.

Pay up Compass

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments

Not only has Compass being serving below quality food to hospital patients but it appears that they may not have paid some long term employees what they are entitled to.