The Standard

Economy

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

Categories under Economy

Not bad for an “entertainment” show

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, May 1st, 2015 - 11 comments

“When we began covering zero hours, BK, Pizza Hut, KFC, Starbucks, Carls Jr, Hell & McDonald’s all had them. Now none do. Great!”

Gilmore Sutton Key

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, April 29th, 2015 - 8 comments

Don’t be mean to John!

NRT: Climate change: Good news on agriculture

Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, April 28th, 2015 - 18 comments

New Zealand’s policy on climate change has been one of inaction. A key plank in this is our emissions profile. Roughly 50% of our greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. We couldn’t do anything about them. Instead farmers increase emissions and turn our lakes and streams into toxic sewers. But AgResearch scientists now have a solution for the emissions.

A double standard for Saudi Arabia

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, April 28th, 2015 - 119 comments

If Saudi Arabia’s justice system and human rights record is as bad as Amnesty says it is, then this is not a country that we should be seeking closer economic ties with. Why the double standard?

Thanks David!

Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, April 27th, 2015 - 32 comments

I’m planning to enjoy a day off today – the first “mondayised” public holiday – thanks to the work of David Clark, Grant Robertston, and others in Labour and the parties that supported the Bill. National and ACT voted against this holiday.

A Friend first, and a Boss second, probably an Entertainer third.

Written By: - Date published: 1:56 pm, April 26th, 2015 - 44 comments

“I’m a friendly guy that likes to interact with the public. I do like to have a bit of a laugh and I’m probably the most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had.”

John Key’s week has turned from drama to farce. David Brent looks good next to this clown.

Pull the other one… ponytails, minimisation and male privilege

Written By: - Date published: 5:48 pm, April 25th, 2015 - 407 comments

From pulling ponytails to police minimisation, there is a deep problem in our country with attitudes towards women and to sexual violence.

Welcome to Wealth Gap Tower

Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, April 24th, 2015 - 452 comments

A great illustration of the gap between money-rich and money-poor in NZ.

NRT: National’s hand-wringing on housing

Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, April 23rd, 2015 - 20 comments

Auckland house prices have exploded again. Houses get more capital gains than their inhabitants do in salaries. So what is the government doing about it? Nothing. They haven’t tried the economic basics.. Capital gains tax to decrease demand, or a building programme to increase supply. Meanwhile National’s landlord MPs laughing all the way to the bank…

Herald’s interview with the waitress – updated

Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, April 23rd, 2015 - 334 comments

Late night developments, the “hair pull” waitress states that a Herald interview (to be published today) was obtained under false pretences, and she withdrew her consent for it.

Multiple updates on the changing story.

National Council of Women open letter to John Key

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, April 23rd, 2015 - 28 comments

The text of an open letter from the National Council of Women to John Key about his treatment of waitresses.

International laughing stock

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, April 23rd, 2015 - 72 comments

John Key has finally achieved the world fame he has clearly always wanted, but not in a good way. Here’s a roundup of the international coverage of his harassment.

Record-breaking Government

Written By: - Date published: 4:50 pm, April 22nd, 2015 - 4 comments

Not satisfied with setting records for biggest deficit and largest total deficit over term, the Key government is now going for most deficits in a row. They now look to equal the National government’s 7 deficits from 1966-72. And this is the stuff they want to be judged on…

Reaction to harassed waitress story

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 22nd, 2015 - 183 comments

Some of the reaction from Twitter.

My Little Ponytail

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, April 22nd, 2015 - 407 comments

A really strange story has appeared on The Daily Blog. It claims to be a first person account of PM John Key regularly physically harrassing a staff member in his local cafe over the summer. While it may be much ado about nothing, the Prime Minister really should tell NZ his side of the story. Or resign if it’s true.

Update: It’s true. Key’s office has confirmed the harassment.

ANZAC 4 SALE

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, April 21st, 2015 - 37 comments

Has the spirit of ANZAC Day become subsumed by the commercial imperative?

Housing and capital gains tax

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, April 18th, 2015 - 91 comments

This week the Reserve Bank recommended adopting the Labour / Green capital gains tax, the National party denied and dithered, and Don Brash explained the truth about the property bubble.

(Image credit Foxy.)

Deborah Russell: does New Zealand actually have a capital gains tax?

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, April 17th, 2015 - 65 comments

A guest post by Deborah Russell responding to Government claims that we already have a capital gains tax  on the sale of land.

Wikileaks – Sony Archives

Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, April 17th, 2015 - 6 comments

A Wikileaks dump of documents relating to Sony shows a close working relationship with the US government. Implications also for Kim Dotcom.

Attack on Unite

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, April 17th, 2015 - 48 comments

“Unite Union’s office robbed, trashed”. WTF?

The end is near for IE

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, April 16th, 2015 - 25 comments

Internet Explorer is now less than 15% of the sessions on this site. However it accounts fro nearly half of the development and testing time for the legacy variants. Microsoft has a replacement in the works, which should get released soonish. But I’m tired of wasting time on a crap browser. I’m dumping it now.

Michael Woodhouse: a fool or a liar?

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, April 14th, 2015 - 88 comments

When the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety doesn’t know the first thing about his portfolio, there’s only one option left: he’s lying.

The difference between a surplus and landing a 747 on a pinhead

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, April 14th, 2015 - 16 comments

John Key’s latest pronouncement is that achieving a budget surplus is as difficult as landing a 747 on a pinhead.  Michael Cullen must be a super airline pilot if this is the case.

Key’s surplus excuses

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, April 14th, 2015 - 69 comments

Apparently this budget surplus that the Nats have been going on about for the last 6 years is an “artificial” target that is “like trying to land a 747 on a pin head”.

Which Deficit?

Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, April 12th, 2015 - 64 comments

So, the much-touted and long-awaited government surplus looks unlikely to arrive this year. Is that a surprise? No. Does it matter? Not much. The only reason for sparing much time on the failure to eliminate the government deficit is that it relates to a target that the government itself identified as the crucial test of […]

UK Labour to crack down on tax cheats

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, April 12th, 2015 - 21 comments

UK Labour have promised “all-out war on tax avoidance and evasion”. NZ Labour should follow suit.

The magical disappearing surplus

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, April 11th, 2015 - 67 comments

John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year.  Looks like they are going to fail.

Dear Maccas, Burger King and Wendys, about those zero hour contracts

Written By: - Date published: 4:56 pm, April 10th, 2015 - 11 comments

Following its success in persuading Restaurant Brands to do away with zero hour contracts Unite Union has set up a webpage where people can email these organisations.

National’s social housing policy in action

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, April 9th, 2015 - 14 comments

For those who are wondering how National’s “social housing” policy is going to work in practice, The Herald today has a piece that gives a pretty fair idea.

Restaurant Brands to end zero hour contracts

Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, April 9th, 2015 - 15 comments

Unite has achieved a significant victory by persuading Restaurant Brands to do away with zero hour contracts and to guarantee minimum working hours for staff.

Dollar Parity

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 7th, 2015 - 309 comments

As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests.  No such luck in Aotearoa …