The Standard

Economy

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

Categories under Economy

Intergenerational theft

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, March 10th, 2016 - 86 comments

The Guardian has an excellent piece on “the 30-year economic betrayal dragging down Generation Y’s income”.

Health law expert on the TPP

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, March 9th, 2016 - 20 comments

We won’t be able to say that we weren’t warned.

Fonterra faces liquidity issues as rivers of “white oil” dry up

Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 141 comments

Pundits, most residing in the National Party, just three years ago predicted the economy would surf high on “rivers of white oil” flowing from the dairy industry, but they now have cow pats splattered on their faces as Fonterra today announced another payout downgrade and signalled liquidity pressures.

Labour and Lees-Galloway secure end to zero hours contracts

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 126 comments

Labour has forced the Government to back down on plans to entrench zero hour contracts.

Auckland Council IT Blowout; Guest Post

Written By: - Date published: 6:26 pm, March 6th, 2016 - 62 comments

TS regular SaveNZ looks at the background to the massive cost overruns in the Auckland Council’s IT department. It’s not about the democratic processes of council; it’s because the Supercity was set up to fail.

TPP submissions closing soon

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, March 3rd, 2016 - 7 comments

The current closing date for public submissions on the TPP is Friday March 11th. Labour’s David Clark is calling for an extension.

Iain Lees-Galloway: We’re winning on zero hour contracts

Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, March 2nd, 2016 - 78 comments

Iain Lees-Galloway on Labour offering tentative support for the Employment Standards Legislation Bill.

The minimum wage is not a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, March 1st, 2016 - 110 comments

Credit where it’s due for an increase in the minimum wage – but the gap between that and a living wage keeps growing…

Bridges to Nowhere

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 pm, February 29th, 2016 - 37 comments

Lying, incompetent or duped. One of these descriptions applies to Transport Minister Simon Bridges. He’s been sprung allowing Kiwirail to mothball a rail line he has repeatedly said was not under threat. What did he know and when? If he didn’t know, why the hell didn’t he know?

The Butcher’s Apron or the Tea Towel

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, February 28th, 2016 - 159 comments

Next week the voting on part two of the Key Legacy Project © begins. We’re being given a choice between the outdated and the bland. The Butcher’s Apron or the Tea Towel. Do you care?

the Global Death Economy

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, February 25th, 2016 - 141 comments

A new edition of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” has been released. It makes it clear that we are in the grip of a global “Death Economy” and a collective embrace of ‘Thanatos’, the death instinct.

Christchurch, keyisms and this state we’re in.

Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, February 24th, 2016 - 86 comments

There was a gathering in Cathedral Square in Christchurch on Sunday the 21st of February.

A one and a half hour recording of the event was put on youtube. Speaking begins at around 13min.

What poverty?: Emirates declares 1st Class a success

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, February 23rd, 2016 - 55 comments

Looks like the top 1% and the cashed up asset rich are doing just fine. The rest of you, work harder.

Christchurch – 5 years on

Written By: - Date published: 6:03 am, February 22nd, 2016 - 31 comments

The people of Christchurch don’t need any more words about how brave and resilient they are. They need action.

Another poverty report to ignore

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, February 20th, 2016 - 72 comments

Another report on child poverty for the Nats to ignore.

NZMWU scores $144,000 win against Talleys

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 20th, 2016 - 17 comments

For the Talley family, $144,000 is nothing, but the fine will sting because the Authority has ordered that it be paid to the Meat Workers Union.

Auckland bus drivers strike

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 19th, 2016 - 63 comments

The strike is an escalation of on-going industrial action designed to bring bus company bosses back to the negotiating table with more of a humanitarian, rather than fiscal, attitude to the plight of their workers.

This is not the growth you’re looking for

Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, February 16th, 2016 - 70 comments

There are different views on The Standard about growth and whether we really need it. But here’s one bit of growth that really seems pointless to me: that achieved only by increasing the number of people. Because if we’re only increasing GDP by increasing the number of people, as we are currently, we’re loading up the environment and we’re not even individually getting any richer for it.  Thanks National.

More blood on its hands as National Ltd™cuts mental health funding in Christchurch

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 16th, 2016 - 101 comments

‘ In between slurping simpers during his most recent session of MediaWorks virtual fellatio, John ‘The Liar’ Key managed to express concern for the emotional well being of Cantabrians after yet another earthquake rattled their region. Whether John Key is actually concerned is moot,  but he is certainly in a position to know there is real […]

Syria escalating

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, February 14th, 2016 - 37 comments

Turkey has started shelling the US backed Kurdish forces that are fighting against ISIS. What could go wrong?

Police illegally arrest and detain union officials

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 14th, 2016 - 47 comments

Its bad enough that workers’ rights and conditions are being crushed by National Ltd™ but now Police have joined in.  Again.

Corporate Saviours

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, February 12th, 2016 - 66 comments

oh, hallelujah…

Key’s Bitter Legacy; Gareth Hughes Nails the PM’s Vanity.

Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, February 12th, 2016 - 218 comments

The Green’s Gareth Hughes delivered a blistering speech in reply to the PM’s statement to the House. It begs the question ‘what will Key’s lasting legacy be?’. A failed flag referendum? Poverty? Inequality? Corruption? Selfies with AB’s?

As Key’s star fades, the less he seems to have left us to remember him by. What was the point of him anyway?

Bob McCoskrie confuses correlation with causation

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, February 12th, 2016 - 49 comments

Family First’s Bob McCoskrie has released a research paper that essentially concludes that the anti smacking bill and not child poverty is responsible for the plight of children deteriorating over the past decade.

What have the Unions ever done for us?

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, February 11th, 2016 - 48 comments

A video from the TUC in the UK explaining how important Unions are which is just as relevant for Aotearoa as it is for the UK.

National the party of economic lunacy

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, February 10th, 2016 - 166 comments

A “$17 billion hole in the economy”. An estimated $18 billion lost because National stopped investing in the super fund. A record national debt. And we’re still talking about tax cuts? Lunacy!

The TPPA could blight public education

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, February 9th, 2016 - 178 comments

The TPPA could bring us charter schools on steroids, and threaten policies like free tertiary education. In general its a way of locking in a permanent, international right-wing governance which can limit and constrain the kind of social policies that any future NZ left-wing government might want to enact.

Fight to save Christchurch’s trees

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, February 9th, 2016 - 50 comments

Christchurch has already lost so much. Now its “notable trees” are threatened. A small group is fighting to save them. Please help spread the word, or make a donation.

Happy Mondayised holiday!

Written By: - Date published: 6:22 am, February 8th, 2016 - 28 comments

Thanks to David Clark, to Grant Robertson, to Labour, and to those who supported the bill…

Racist Talleys to Cancel Waitangi Day Holiday?

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 pm, February 7th, 2016 - 101 comments

The Talley’s owned meatworks in Rangiuru is threatening to discipline workers and sue their union if workers choose to observe the Waitangi Day holiday tomorrow. How’s that Brighter Future working out, people?

NOW UPDATED! Hear what Talleys have to say.

 

 

TPPA snippets and media coverage

Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, February 7th, 2016 - 24 comments

Snippets from recent pieces on the TPP, including The Spinoff’s José Barbosa an his take on the media coverage of the Auckland protest.