We have had years of systematic under funding of the police and front-line numbers are falling. None the less police are now expected to attend every burglary. For the sake of this exercise in public perception other areas of police wrok will suffer.
The MP for Hauraki-Waikato has responded strongly to the latest jibes coming from the Māori Party.
Matt McCarten is to head a new Labour party office in Auckland. The party is going to take to fight to National in the city that decides the election. Yet another bold step from Andrew Little, who is looking more and more like the next PM.
John Key has used some very dodgy figures to claim that the housing crisis was worse under Labour than it is now.
The latest Roy Morgan is out. A solid 7% drop for National.
As the average Auckland house price hits $1 Million, the Special Housing Areas fail, and Real Estate agents openly promote land banking, what does National do? Why, they give up, of course.
Illustrator and commentator Toby Morris has animated TA’s story: “What do you want most in the world,” John Campbell asks TA, who has been living in a van with her family since February. “A library.”
Green Party finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter starts a conversation about post-neoliberal economics.
Great news everyone! On The Nation this morning Nick Smith committed to raising average NZ wage to $250,000!
The Spinoff: “Lose the top of your party vote in Auckland, with Labour making ground, and the picture for the general election in 2017 looks like, walks like and quacks like a crisis.”
Robertson: “What is the economic paradigm that will meet the challenge of world of less secure work, more automation?”
You know National really have their finger on the pulse with their latest members bills. First was Nuk Korako showing why he’s 50 […]
New research on homelessness from Otago University sheds light on the depth and breadth of the problem. Naturally Paula Bennett says she doesn’t believe it, and that she won’t read it. Because of course.
Most of the media has reported the Government’s “3%” spin on the extent of residential property purchases in NZ going to foreign buyers pretty uncritically. There have been honourable exceptions, and yesterday property editor Anne Gibson in The Herald joined them.
It’s not April 1st, so I’m forced to conclude that this is a genuine announcement: Students to learn online from home instead of at school under major education reform.
Andrew Little: “John Key will give you all the excuses you can stomach for his failure to stabilise house prices and boost incomes but the truth is clear: if we want to change the path we’re on, we need to change the government.”
The Standard’s authors have offered candidates for the upcoming Labour Party internal elections the chance to guest post about why they’re running. Tane Phillips has been nominated for the position of Māori Vice President. Here’s his vision for the role and the party.
After National blocked a proposed official inquiry into homelessness, Labour, The Greens and The Maori Party went ahead with their own. It will no doubt come up with useful recommendations. But to see them implemented we will need to change the government.
In seeking to understand and remedy racism in NZ we should start with the actions of governments and leaders, not with the words of blowhard media constructs.
Metro: “The National-led government — with its laissez-faire approach to homelessness, house prices and mass immigration — is sailing into a ferocious storm. A newly critical mainstream media and a resurgent opposition is a powerful mix.”
America is bailing on private prisons because they don’t work. What’s the bet that National is ‘too proud and arrogant’ to follow suit.
The Government is refusing to accept there are legal issues with Kiwisaver providers investing in manufacturers of cluster bombs. But it is also not ruling out there may be a problem.
New Zealand is slowly losing faith with this Government and this is why.
Tents and warehouses have been considered as emergency housing. Working people sleeping in cars are looking for driveways to rent. Say – has anyone seen John Key lately?
Once again this country under National is rightly shamed in the international media.
I/S at No Right Turn does great analysis of legislation. His coverage of the new spying laws has been excellent. Here he is on National’s clumsy and misguided attempt to re-impose official secrets. Criminalised for reading The Guardian?
To the complete surprise of no one, private sector developers have largely waited out the “affordable houses” requirement in the special housing areas. Another National failure.
When caught abusing new powers the response will be the same as when caught out abusing the old – meh, so sue us.
David Shearer has criticised the Australian Government as having lost its “moral compass” in relation to the Nauru Asylum Detention Centre.
Rheumatic fever is on the rise again. It is likely that other diseases of poverty are also or will also increase as the housing crisis drags on under National.
Tourists are coming for our “clean green” image (however undeserved), no reason why they shouldn’t be happy to help contributing to maintaining / strengthening it.
It’s time to stop viewing renting as second best, and put some decent laws in place to ensure everyone has the security of a home. The Green Party’s Member’s Bill aims to “strengthen tenants’ rights and promote secure, long-term tenancies.”
“Revealed: Labour’s plan to wipe student debt”. Nope. Saved you a click.
In Parliament yesterday John Key showed a clear lack of understanding of what being poor in New Zealand entails.
Yeah Happy Birthday JK. But – does anyone actually fall for this?
