Labour’s new housing policy – Shearer on Q+A
David Shearer on Q+A just set out new policy on housing, proposing restrictions on overseas buyers. It’s another big policy move from Labour…
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The Auckland Protest
Some photos from today’s Auckland protest. It was a great occasion. The question needs to be though, where to from here? This momentum needs to be built on.
Poverty Watch 41
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, the NBR “rich list” and the sick joke of “trickle down” wealth.
The worst advice in the world
Well known Labour supporters John Armstrong and Fran O’Sullivan are bursting with advice for David Shearer. I’m sure they have the Left’s best interests at heart. O’Sullivan says Shearer must be more pro-capitalist. Armstrong says he needs to pick fights with the Greens. This is based on a premise that flies against the polling evidence that Labour is seen as too Left or too close to the Greens
How National plans to smash collective agreements
Over the coming weeks I’m going to go through each of National’s changes to employment law to show how they will make our workplaces less fair and reduce Kiwis’ pay.
The first is the change allowing the boss to refuse to negotiate a collective agreement.
GCSB Bill opposition heats up
The stop the GCSB Bill meeting in Auckland last night was well attended and had a series of high quality presentations made. A series of protests are planned for this weekend. Momentum is building …
Beneficiary bashing crocodile tears
The Nats have created a beneficiary bashing culture so rigid and so nasty that crazy stuff happens. They cry some crocodile tears about it – but only for cases publicised by the media.
A king is born: Long Live Inequality!
UK children born on the same day as the new prince will get a silver penny: but their lives will be vastly different. Left foot Forward spells out the inequalities between these new born. John Key gushes over the new prince, while his government slashes, burns and fuels inequalities.
Winston Peters, King Maker
Winston Peters may be the king maker after the next election. No wonder that John Key has started to court the person he said as a matter of principle he would never have in his Government.
Labour stands by 6A
The Employment Relations Act Part 6A ensures that jobs are transferred to a new contractor, on the same terms, if a firm is restructured. Naturally the Nats plan to abolish it.
John Key: These are my principles …
… and if you don’t like them, I have others. Key once said he’d never have Peters in any government he led, now he’s reconsidering. Peters is playing hard to get, and Gower tries to be part of the story as usual, promoting 3 News’ own poll.
Big Brother comes to Kindy
The Nats used to make a career out of faux “nanny state” hysteria. Now they want to ID number and track beneficiaries’ kids in pre-school. Paul Little warns of “the surveillance state that we are becoming”.
On the Labour leadership
Over the last few weeks Labour has been in a state of agitation as the party, the affiliates and even the caucus have come to the realisation that the Shearer project has failed.
Poverty Watch 40
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, poverty and educational outcomes.
Outsourcing: Scamming the system
A new report on the UK government’s outsourcing of public sector work is damning. Necessary and basic work to fulfill individual and social needs, (eg social security, unemployment, health care, education) is being “gamed” and scammed by monopolistic private contractors. Key’s government favours outsourcing to private profiteers.
No free speech at convention centre
National’s dirty deal with Sky City includes the right for the government to ban groups it doesn’t like from booking the convention centre.
Free speech. Use it or lose it.
NRT: A surfeit of caution
I/S at No Right Turn on Street’s End of Life Choice Bill.
Sick bastards
The Nats resent every cent spent on welfare. They want our consent to keep “culling” people off it as fast as they can. They hope that they can get our consent by re-framing New Zealand’s social safety-net as – quite literally – a dangerous addiction. It is a ludicrous framing, equivalent to blaming the bandage for the wound.
Peter Dunne’s chance to shine
Peter Dunne may be the best chance that we have of defeating the GCSB amending legislation. He has said that there is a principle at stake in that his rights of privacy have been breached and I believe that he is right. Time to seek his support?
Bridges can’t even lie straight in bed
They say you can tell a pathological liar by the fact they’re no longer just lying about the big stuff, but start telling petty, irrelevant lies that hardly even seem worth it.
No Milford tunnel
Nice to be able to congratulate the Nats on an environmental decision for a change!
A tale of two housing policies
Houses are seriously unaffordable, especially for first-time buyers. Labour’s policy settings will help first-time buyers, the Reserve Bank under the current government is proposing tougher requirements that will make matters worse for them. Parties of the Left need to take this issue and run hard!
The truth makes them angry
A visiting Professor of Economics says he was bullied by Bill English when they met between their respective Q+A interviews. His crime was to point out that National are governing for the rich. Seems English can’t handle the truth.
Dropping the pretense: Whanau Ora privatisation
So, Tariana Turia is finally dropping the pretense that Whanau Ora is anything but a scheme to privatise social assistance and put it in the hands of unaccountable private groups. Not content with funding family reunions and other bollocks, Turia is now handing the funding decisions to three private groups. Oh, and she doesn’t want them to be covered by the OIA.
Keeping it in the Family Commission
Defending democracy – then and now
There have been strong and compelling criticisms of the Nats’ spying Bill, similar to the situation that occurred under the previous government with electoral finance. But the responses of the two governments are very different – and very revealing. Where Labour revised its errant Bill to address the criticisms, John Key has threatened the HRC with funding cuts. Predictably, the response of The Herald to the two cases has been very different too…
War on social security: demonisation of beneficiaries
Sweeping changes to NZ’s Social Security system begin today. This is a major shift from the the 1938 Social Security Act: a shift from support of those in need, to treating them as potential criminals, self-serving addicts, and malingerers. Shame on John Key & Paula Bennett! [Update: RNZ & BAF & AAAP]
Truth no longer matters
A significant proportion of the media is now heavily invested in the narrative that David Shearer is about to be rolled as Labour leader. As Matt McCarten puts it today “Truth no longer matters” and “civil society is poorer for it”.
Poverty Watch 39
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, extracts from a piece by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In contrast to our own disinterested government, it sets out what is really required to break the cycle of poverty.
Knuckleheads – nothing to fear?
The knuckleheads (tm John Key) in the parliamentary press gallery are concerned about their privacy. Are they concerned about ours too?
Don’t vote for more pokie victims
It seems that the Sky City Bill means pokies in Auckland InterCity bus terminal. So much for monitored and controlled environments. Those MPs who vote for this legislation are voting for more social harm, including more suicide. Contact them – ask them not to create more pokie victims.
GCSB – independent inquiry needed
A full, independent inquiry of the GCSB is needed , as argued by the Green & Labour Parties, and politics lecturer Damien Rogers. NZ First & Dunne – don’t support Key’s dodgy law changes! Key is masking political motives with spin and secrecy. [update] Campbell Live tonight – must see viewing.
Sky City deal – personal vote
Multiple reports on Twitter that Key’s grubby Sky City Bill will be a conscience personal vote. If true, I guess we get to see if any Nat MPs have a conscience.
Much a coup about nothing
Apparently there was a coup in Labour last night. Missed it? So did Labour. Looks like what really happened was that someone played Garner / Gower. Perhaps the problem lies with relying on well-known Labour insider Cameron Slater as your source.
Can democratic parties succeed?
Can democratic parties be successful major parties in modern politics? The media’s drooling obsession with the “man ban” really makes me wonder, particularly with the level of ignorance displayed by Patrick Gower and others.
Why the Pakeha Party is great news for the Left
The ‘Pakeha Party’ has the most Facebook followers of any New Zealand political movement (excepting John Key’s page) That’s in one day of publicity. They’re seriously talking about forming an actual political party. Should we be worried about this apparent reactionary force? Nah. The creation of a ‘Pakeha Party’ would be good news.