Bunnings strike
Bunnings staff are striking today after rejecting unfair contracts.
Economy
Posts on the economy, work, business, income, and labour
Pope Francis speaks
Pope Francis has given two important speeches recently.
NOx-ious shit all around.
Been trying to get my head around the implications of Volkswagen’s rigged diesel performance tests. Predictably, and unlike most stories covering this, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse for the financial woes the company might be facing.
OIA on Zero Hours reveals just what an attack on workers it is.
We have the documents leading up to the what can only be described as a dreadful piece of law legalising employment agreements which tie workers to an employer without any of the reciprocity of guaranteed hours of work. At a time like now – where work in this country is so badly paid, with so little protection – we get this.
Paula Bennett’s loopy rules do not actually exist
The Government has admitted that at least some of the loopy rules mentioned by Paula Bennett in support of the Loopy Rules review do not actually exist.
Folding on the TPP
As last ditch efforts to pass the TPP continue, Key is softening us up to sign a bad deal. Coincidentally, two articles yesterday highlight the risks to NZ.
Is this what Key meant by investing in research?
Yesterday Key listed, among the “achievements” of his government for this term: “investing in … research and development”. Was this an example of what he had in mind?
Economic doldrums
Two pieces this week on how National’s mismanagement of the economy has left us in the doldrums.
More Herald journalists sacked
Very bad news for all those losing their jobs, commiserations to you. It’s a pretty heartless economy out there, and pretty soon there won’t be anyone left to comment on it. Consumers of celebrity gossip will still have it good though, so I guess that’s something.
WMBAD: The TPP
The White Man Behind a Desk takes on the TPP.
Sale of Lochinver Station declined
The government has overruled the Overseas Investment Office and turned down a bid to buy Lochinver Station. It’s the first time a bid for a significant landholding has been rejected since 2012.
The strip mining of Housing Corp is accelerated
Not only is Housing Corp planning to pay a $118 million dividend to the Crown this year but hidden away in its accounts is the payment of a further capital contribution of $336 million. Talk about strip mining …
NRT: The Great WINZ ripoff
I/S at No Right Turn on the WINZ underpayment fiasco.
Good question
This Government’s priorities
In recent news it has been stated that the Government has let Serco off fines totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars while at the same time it is sneaking through retrospective changes to the law to deny thousands of beneficiaries money they are otherwise entitled to.
Paid leave for Victims of Domestic Violence
UPDATE You can read the non gender specific Bill here
Making Like Private Frazer
Political awakenings.
Guest Post – Hawkes Bay is GE free
A guest post by Ad on the Hawkes Bay’s decision to prohibit under its District Plan the release or the conducting of field trials of GM crops and animals.
Does the left win by tacking to the centre or by being principled?
Jeremy Corbyn’s election provides a further opportunity to discuss if elections should be won by tacking to the centre or adopting a principled approach to politics.
Anti TPP ad (Australian)
An Australian TV ad on the downsides of the TPP – “We just received word that Channel 9 banned our new TV ad from airing during the evening news”
Warner Bros – corporate welfare beneficiary
Figures have been released showing that Warner Bros were paid NZ $191 million in tax rebates to create the Hobbit Trilogy. The films were very profitable. Why is corporate welfare for profitable activity tolerated?
NRT: Go on strike, get a police record
Over in the UK, the government is carrying out an unprecedented attack on employment and union rights in an effort to return things to their C19th utopia. Now they want to force striking workers to wear armbands and give their names to police as well. Presumably for blacklisting people exercising their rights.
Naomi Klein correctly calls Tony Abbott a Climate Villain
Naomi Klein recently visited Australia and amongst other things described climate change as a crime, criticised the Abbott Government attack on renewable energy and described the importance of grassroots action and indigenous rights.
Greens’ climate discussion paper
The Greens are attempting something remarkable, a plan that is economically credible, but set in the context of realistic environmental constraints. Did they succeed?
Market forces
Rosemary Macleod on the flag and market forces. Danyl Mclauchlan on the refugee disaster, market forces, and Key. Is this our New Zealand?
2.1 Times More Likely to get a pay rise…
If you still wonder WHY anyone would want to join a union, the fact that union members are 2.1 x more likely to get a pay rise might make you wade through the anti-union propaganda. Some unions escape scorn, like the Police Union which is referred to as an Association. It’s probably an oversight though, not anything deliberate…
Away with the economic fairies
The ANZ survey shows business confidence at the lowest levels since the financial crisis. Yesterday John Key insisted that it was “reasonably positive”. He was either completely wrong or lying through his teeth. Either way it’s unacceptable.
Regional Realities.
FYI. The most populous town in Clutha District is Balclutha, which lies 81km south of Dunedin by road. Balclutha’s population, by the 2006 census, was 4,062 (down from 4,137 in 1996). Other towns are Milton (pop. 1,887), Kaitangata (pop. 810), Tapanui (pop. 744), Lawrence (pop. 432), Owaka (pop. 327), Stirling (pop. 309), Clinton (pop. 291), Kaka Point (pop. 201), and Benhar (pop. 96). For a while in the 1980s Balclutha was New Zealand’s most wealthy town, per capita
Black Monday wasn’t so bad, John Key is worse
Black Monday on the casino Chinese stock markets wasn’t a particular problem for NZ. John Key’s short-term thinking government will be. Both us and our next biggest trading partner Australia are now heavily exposed to falling Chinese imports and falling commodity prices. That is going to hurt over the coming years.
Imagine if National had not sold the shares in our companies 2015 version
The latest financial reports for the privatised companies suggests that the New Zealand Government has lost in the past twelve months $470 million in dividends it would have received had it held onto the shares.
70 refugees dead in small truck on Austrian roadside
When European and NATO countries participate in destabilising and destroying nearby countries, the human tragedy doesn’t stay neatly confined to the other side of the border.
WMBAD: Trade
The White Man Behind a Desk on trade. Reckon we should ask them to do the TPP?
Tom Scott on housing
Another farm death
Last night the Nats passed their widely ridiculed health and safety legislation. This morning a Waikato farm worker died in a workplace accident. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.
No, National shouldn’t have balanced the books.
Simon Louisson recently made a post about National’s profligacy, and all of the debt they have racked up. Guest poster Michael disagrees with Simon and says that “Yes, National was profligate.” and “No, National should not have balanced the books.”
Watkins on health and safety mess
“John Key’s increasingly lacklustre defence of the shambles consists of answers that sound more like satire by the day.”