Caption competition
political parties
national
Sums it up, really
National’s 3 quarters of the way through its time at the crease now. And what has it achieved? A record debt pile. 300,000 jobless. 100,000 underemployed. Rising poverty. 1,000 a week fleeing to Australia. A new housing bubble. A record high dollar that’s killing our businesses. And falling household incomes. A list of articles on Stuff sums it up.
NRT: Paula Bennett giggles at child poverty
The government doesn’t measure child poverty, so has no way to tell if it is getting better or worse. Hilarious right? Paula Bennett certainly thinks so. “Gosh!”
Poverty Watch 26
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week we continue with the 2012 report from the Office of the Children’s Comissioner, and in current news a World Bank report on eradicating extreme poverty by 2030.
Getting there
So, the trend in the Roy Morgans continues, ever so painfully slowly to move in the Left’s favour. Since Labour recovered from its election disaster level to 30+, the Left’s support has risen at a bit under 0.2% per month, the Right vice versa. Lab+Green now outpolls National as often as not. But ‘if these trends continue’ is the most dangerous phrase in politics.
ImperatorFish: Arrest of The Environment ends campaign of terror against businesses
NRT: The PCE on RMA “reform”
I/S at No Right Turn on the undermining of the Resource Management Act…
Rio Tinto ups the ante
Our “let’s make a deal” PM is outclassed on this one. I actually have some sympathy this time, the government is between a rock and a hard place. But while most of us worry about Southland, I suspect the Nats’ concerns will be a little closer to home…
Democracy for sale
The Nats have sold favours to Hollywood, to Sky City, to Rio Tinto (work in progress), and now with the “Petrobras law” it looks very much like they’re selling us out on our right to protest too.
Dithering Nats
Changes to the tax rules that kick in today reverse two decisions made earlier by the government. Dither dither dither.
How austerity is destroying Britain… coming soon near you
A raft of Tory policies have been dismantling the British welfare state: bedroom tax, privatising the NHS: NZ’s NAct government is following the same pattern of slyly changing small things, adding up to major changes that are ultimately socially & economically destructive.
Pokies and corruption?
Significant International Affairs files, relating to dodgy Pokies’ trusts, going missing, SkyCity convention centre deals made through flawed government processes. No corruption in NZ, just governance through sloppy processes? Cui bono?
Poverty Watch 25
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week we continue with the 2012 report from the Office of the Children’s Comissioner, and note the Mana Party’s call for support for their Feed the Kids Bill.
Tax cuts – because it worked so well last time
The ideological loonies advising the government want us to go even further down the stupid and damaging path of income tax cuts. Surely even the Nats have too much sense to listen this time.
More Bullshit
National ministers – Nick Smith, Steven Joyce, John Key – come up with their stories, but reality keeps on not fitting to their stories. I call bullshit.
The wage gap and the productivity lie
New figures show that the wage gap with Australia is still increasing. National has nothing to offer but useless policies and excuses, while the captains of industry trot out the old productivity lie again.
Spinning the job market
Audrey Young and Simon Collins should get danger money for spinning this hard on jobs. But at least they’re trying, the best that Key can manage is some waffle about a “fluid market”…
Benefit reforms trigger surge in DPB births?
National, the party of beneficiary bashing that has lead a crusade against parents on the DBP, appears to have triggered a surge of new births to DPB parents.
NRT – National: Restoring discrimination
I/S at No Right Turn on youth rates…
Granny Herald: from flawed data, false conclusions
Three of the Herald’s political staff has a crack at trying to explain why National polled 48.5% in the latest Herald-Digipoll. Consensus seems to be that John Key’s an angel sent to earth to do very little but keep enough of the middle class happy enough who’ll never lose. May I humbly suggest an alternative theory – that the Herald-Digipoll is broken.
Poverty Watch 24
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, we start on the 2012 report from the Office of the Children’s Comissioner. NZ is a signatory to UN conventions that give children the right to adequate resources…
What a surprise
Government MPs vote down a request for an enquiry into Solid Energy.
Dumping on Dunne’s taxes
The Nats are in trouble with their budget deficits and looking to raise money via increased taxes. But they are tinkering at the edges of the problem, and were quick to chuck Peter Dunne under the bus when the latest proposals didn’t fly.
Selling out our education
Profit-driven private sector cowboys are damaging the reputation of our education system. Naturally, National wants to make matters worse by subsidising foreign owners of profit-driven charter schools. Brilliant.
NRT: Insanity
I/S at No Right Turn on the insanity of scrapping the home insulation programme.
Poverty Watch 23
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, seeds of hope – the P3 Foundation.
What if Winston…
What if Winston Peters holds the balance of power in 2014? Just a little something for potential Mighty River Power investors to consider…
Thinking too small
John Armstrong thinks poor Bill English has got it tough with the current drought and its impact on the budget. You’re thinking too small John. Way too small.
Poverty Watch 22
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, our final look at the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and I’ll suggest some conclusions that can be drawn.
Popularity doesn’t make it OK
Even Peter Dunne is getting disgusted with Key’s arrogance. Trouble is, Dunne assumes that being popular makes it OK. It doesn’t.
Two Things
Parata was told it was too early to make Christchurch school decisions by her ministry and why aren’t we allowed to know how much the state paid off Don Elder when he resigned over Solid Energy’s rapid decline?
Strategic blunder
Amidst the froth of predatory “excitement” about the sale of our power generation assets, it was refreshing to read in The Herald yesterday a single lone voice who was thinking long term.
Kiwis at the front of the queue?
One of the promises that Key made about asset sales was that Kiwis would be “at the front of the queue”. So why will up to 30% of the current offering be heading overseas?
Welfare is not a pissing contest
Why must we turn welfare, an important safety net and part of the social fabric / contract of our country, into a stupid pissing match about a minister’s “reputation”?
Poverty Watch 21
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, more from the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and the British government’s maneuverings on the definition of poverty…