Bene bashing 6.0
So what does National do when its minor support party tries to steal media attention with dog whistling racism? It reverts to some good old beneficiary bashing.
Economy
workers’ rights
Our Resistance
There are still groups of people in New Zealand who can and do organise to resist the damage of the right.
Why Labour must change course
“A Left government with any claim to progressive credentials will focus on three policy areas – first, high-quality, high value production; second, taxation measures to reduce significantly wealth differences; third, strengthened democracy, including industrial democracy beyond collective bargaining. These three are indispensable. A Left politics, which does not build on these three, will founder.”
90 day trials – Don’t come Monday
This coming week, under urgency and leading into Xmas, the Coalition government will expand 90-day trials to all workers, in yet another payback to National/ACT/NZ First’s (NAF) business backers.
The week of going backward
National has this week chosen to smash through under urgency legislation that will increase unemployment and interest rates, reduce workers wages and increase the country’s emissions of greenhouse gasses.
Who leaked the Fair Pay Cabinet Paper?
My initial impression was that the person who leaked the Fair Pay Cabinet Paper to the media was probably a disgruntled Public Servant but was it?
Cutting fair pay agreements will disproportionately impact women, Māori and Pasifika and young people
The Cabinet Paper dealing with the Government’s proposal to do away with fair pay agreements has hit the media. And the advice suggests that Cabinet is completely disinterested in the on the ground reality of what their shitty policy will do to ordinary Kiwis.
100 days of chaos
National’s 100 days of action is to address the rhetoric of economic difficulties but the announced policies will do nothing to help the pressure that ordinary people are feeling.
Highlights quoted out of the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement
Some of the more unusual policies from the National-New Zealand First coalition agreement.
Green Party confirms plan for five weeks annual leave
“Everyone should be able to spend quality time with their whānau and friends”
National does a big sook
National, which perfected the art of dirty politics, and which has spent the past couple of years being relentlessly negative and which has had its sock puppets attack individual Labour MPs mercilessly is deeply, deeply, deeply upset that the CTU has pointed out to the public what a Christopher Luxon led Government would actually mean.
A letter to Chris Hipkins
My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.
This is what *ending poverty* looks like in New Zealand
Poverty is a political choice, and the Green Party is choosing to end it. – James Shaw
How Labour Does Less And Still Wins
Prime Minister Hipkins has put Labour on course to win a third term. Here’s how.
What does Luxon think about minimum wage increases and holidays?
It is hard to reconcile Christopher Luxon’s deep christian beliefs with his desire to trash Easter Sunday as a holiday or to refuse to support increases in the minimum wage.
We should have a chat about Artificial Intelligence
As we adjust to the advent of civilisation threatening climate change there is a new threat that is emerging, the unregulated development of artificial intelligence.
The Greens backing teachers’ demands
The Government needs to come to the table and ensure teacher pay keeps pace with the rising cost of putting food on the table, paying the rent, and keeping the house warm.
But, it’s important to remember that this is not just about pay. There are serious issues around funding and understaffing, ratios and sick leave.
Teanau Tuiono
Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?
Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?
The great reset
Chris Hipkins has announced the great policy reset and there are no surprises.
National is showing its class prejudice
National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis said yesterday that it was a great shame that the minimum wage had increased by so much because it means the Government can’t do it now to help low-income Kiwis make ends meet without stoking inflation.
CTU – Put the cost of fixing inflation on those who caused it, not on working people
Given the real causes of high inflation, the idea that the answer to inflation is to cut wages, cut employment, and cut public services is ridiculous. It’s more than ridiculous. It’s immoral.
The end of the post war boom
Throughout my time being active in politics, people have discussed the rise of Neo-Liberalism and the free market that occurred throughout much of the world from the late 1970s onwards. Yet few seem to really understand the reasons for this significant shift in economic policy at that time, which continues to shape our society today.
New Zealand is in a terrible state *
* or is it?
Can We Prepare for 2023?
2023 is going to hit New Zealanders hard. Since the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes New Zealand has been beset by a new major crisis about once every two years. 2022 was our year off and get ready we are in for a strange and hard recession.
National’s relentless negativity
National’s recent press releases show that its approach to politics will be relentlessly negative, with no idea of what it will do as an alternative or how it will fund changes.
Is it fair for the PM to get a weekly tax cut of $349 while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15?
Chris Luxon has avoided answering this question so far but he needs to be asked continuously about it. Is it fair that he as Prime Minister would receive under National’s proposed tax cuts a tax cut of $349 per week while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15 per week
Fair Pay Agreements: Thank you Helen and thank you Michael
Yesterday was a big day for the Progressive movement in Aotearoa New Zealand as the Fair Pay Agreements Bill made its way through Parliament. Many should be thanked but especially Michael Wood and Helen Kelly.
Labour day
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
Sometimes in our quest for what is perfect we forget what has been achieved
A list of improvements in workers’ rights that Labour has been able to achieve since gaining power in 2017.
RIP KGD ONZ
Ken Douglas was a big man, in every sense of the word, and a great man, deeply involved in his community right through his life, from the Drivers’ Union to the Porirua City Council.
Who pays the cost of an extra day off?
The Government has announced that we will all have a day off to commemorate the life of Queen Elisabeth. Act has come out against it on the basis that we are in a cost of living crisis, even though the adverse effect on workers and the poor is essentially nil and even though there is analysis that suggests that holidays are good for the economy.
Sharma keeps digging
Last night a 4,761 word rant was published on Gaurav Sharma’s facebook page. In it he details information which on the face of it may have breached confidentiality requirements. And the overwhelming effect of the allegations is Meh.
About Gaurav Sharma
Recent incidents involving Labour MP Gaurav Sharma are evidence of poor relationships with staff and not anything more sinister.
The weird arrangement for MP’s staffers
With recent allegations of bullying of staff hitting the media it is important to understand the relationship between a Member of Parliament and their Parliamentary Services staff.
Socialist economic views on current inflation
Energy costs, supply line issues, worker rights.
Luxon’s latest gaffes
Hot on his confusion of Hawaii with Te Puke Christopher Luxon’s has dropped a couple of new clangers by admitting then denying that National will not increase health funding at least by the rate of inflation and then by displaying his class prejudice by saying people are not going to get rich on welfare.