Government backs away from public service wage announcement
Some good news from yesterday. The Government has decided to walk back earlier comments suggesting a wage freeze for teachers and nurses.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Caption contest
Keep it seemly.
National’s use of the dog whistle and its hatred of UN conventions
Judith Collins has applied the dog whistle to the He Puapua report and suggested that it is evidence of the Government wanting to radically change New Zealand society. But a check through history shows that the report is based on an International Treaty that National signed up to.
Hang Facebook
The decision by the Oversight Board of Facebook to continue banning Donald Trump is one of the biggest moves against free speech and the modern definition of its limits that the world has seen.
Onya Michael
Yesterday Minister of Labour Michael Wood led the announcement of a policy that conceivably could do more to address the decline in workers wages and conditions over the past 40 years than anything else tried recently.
Branko Marcetic: Labour’s public sector pay freeze isn’t just a betrayal of frontline workers – it’s a rejection of mainstream economic thinking
Consistent with how they’ve governed so far, Ardern and Robertson are happy to demand workers sacrifice for the greater good — but asking the rich to do the same is a red line they simply won’t cross.
About the public service pay freeze
A few of us on the left have issues with the public service wage freeze announced yesterday. By setting the salary level so low, at $60,000 per annum, the threat is that previous gains for teachers and nurses will be undermined.
About Trevor Mallard
- Trevor Mallard has made a concerted effort to change the tone of Parliament. But last night got caught in a bickering match with National.
Uyghur separatists behind call for Parliamentary motion on genocide
On Morning Report today ‘High Court lawyer’ Sam Vincent called for Parliament to resolve to condemn alleged Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang. He said he spoke on behalf of Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa committed to taking action on Xinjiang “or as they call it East Turkestan.” If they call it East Turkestan they are likely separatists, with possible links to terrorists. That explains a lot.
Collins’ really bad take on te Tiriti
Last weekend Judith Collins spoke to the Northern Regional Conference of the National Party and gave as crude an analysis of te Tiriti as you can imagine.
Sepuloni: Labour to increase Jobseeker benefit
Some good news from over the weekend. Labour is planning to significantly increase the level of Jobseeker benefit.
Can we trust David Seymour?
David Seymour has got himself into a little bit of trouble. He filed a Parliamentary Pecuniary interests return that was not, ahem, correct.
The Most Blacks
The New Zealand Rugby Union is currently in the process of selling its soul to the devil, in this case a private equity firm called Silver Lake. This made me reflect on what the NZRU is selling.
National’s election review leaked
It was only a matter of time. Tova O’Brien at Newshub has been leaked a copy of the abridged version of the National Party election review.
Boris Johnson’s and Dominic Cummings’ very public fallout
Over in the UK Boris Johnson and his former chief advisor Dominic Cummings have had a very public fallout. And ever since it happened there have been very public leaks of damaging information which incredibly have not as yet damaged the Conservative Party’s standing.
The five eyes beat up
There has been a conservative sourced beat up of Aotearoa New Zealand for not using an intelligence gathering treaty grouping to publicly attack China.
Biden is serious about climate change
One of the many regretful aspects of the Trump presidency was the United States open hostility to doing anything about climate change. It looks like Joe Biden will do his best to make up for lost time.
Too much too far?
As we lead up to Budget 2021, there’s much more shape to the whole direction of this government.
National’s very bad day
Yesterday was a day where National focussed on dog whistle racism, supported religious extremists and moaned about workers receiving a modest increase in the minimum wage.
DHBs to go
Television New Zealand has reported that Andrew Little is to announce that district health boards are to go
Putting Five Eyes in its place
Following her speech to the NZ China Council, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta wanted to be very clear that in speaking out about issues with other countries, New Zealand would not be doing it in concert with Five Eyes partners. She expressed a view that New Zealand did not agree with Five Eyes remit encroaching beyond intelligence, and that this had been communicated to Five Eyes partners. Good.
Its official – Transmission Gully is a fiasco
A damning report into National’s PPP contract for construction of Transmission Gully has concluded that the maximum price the government would pay was set too low, project bidders soon worked this out and that proposals were “value managed down” or made cheaper on designs and timelines that created risks that would eventually manifest themselves after procurement once construction commenced.
The European Super League – a proposal that has united Britain
There are few issues where UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Labour Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn see eye to eye, yet this proposal has achieved just that. Rarer still to have the Second Heir to the Throne comment on such matters saying it would be “damaging.”
The Problem with Personification in Politics
It is a grave mistake to treat Ministries as if they are real persons.
Einstein versus Trump*
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
The daily critics whinge
I was just reading a post by Bryan Gould on his current perspective on news media in “The Government v. the people”. It resonated because some news and opinion media are getting tedious. It made me reflect on my current habits because much of what he is discussing is that I remember as something in my rear view mirror. Not what I do today.
National’s housing policy
National has released its housing policy and the proposals are predictable. Free up more land, loosen up the RMA, and require Councils in high growth areas to urgently review their district plans.
Bridges supports Judith at this time
Simon Bridges had added to rumours of a leadership challenge by pledging support for Judith Collins as leader “at this time”.
Donations trouble for Māori Party and National
The Electoral laws about donations are pretty clear. Receive a donation over $30,000 and you should tell the Electoral Commission about the report within the next ten working days. But the Maori Party and the National Party have both managed to recently breach this simple requirement.
The politics of the Covid vaccination roll out
Poor National. Faced with a Government response to Covid that has been superb it is reduced to criticising the Government for not rolling out the Covid vaccine quickly enough.
Well done John Edgar
I’d thought I’d take a moment to celebrate the life of John Edgar, who passed away a few days ago.
The Covid India issue
This is a desperately difficult issue. India is currently experiencing a surge in Covid cases. And faced with the prospect of quarantine beds being overrun if current trends continue the Government has taken the step of banning people entering the country if they have been in India during the two weeks prior to travel.
Bridges is back?
Judith Collins has more reasons to be worried. There is a rumour of a SImon Bridges-Chris Luxon leadership ticket potentially having a run for the leadership of the National Party.
Click bait frenzy
Media has been awash with discussion about Mike Hosking’s recent interaction with Jacinda Ardern. She was invited onto his show, agreed to appear, was grilled on isolation facility beds, and gave responses. End of story you would think.
Go well Kiri Allan
Kiri Allen has announced that she is receiving treatment for stage three cervical cancer.
Bubble bubble toil and trouble
An announcement on the Trans Tasman bubble is expected this afternoon.