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We need more than capital gains tax to address inequality

Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, March 25th, 2019 - 46 comments

The most important comment in the Tax Working Group’s Final Report is that even the reasonably comprehensive capital gains tax proposed is likely to have only a minor impact on addressing inequality — what is needed is a more progressive income tax system that lifts the top marginal tax rate 

Trump: Nyet Collusion!

Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, March 25th, 2019 - 138 comments

The Mueller report apparently clears Donald Trump of collusion. However, charges of obstruction of justice against his team remain possible.

Reform of the SIS

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, March 25th, 2019 - 60 comments

Following the Christchurch Mosque murders there are strong calls for an inquiry into the SIS. But should it be given more power or should it be reformed to remove a pretty clear blind spot.

Mueller Report Complete

Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, March 23rd, 2019 - 120 comments

The Mueller report has dropped. The next few days are going to be crucial for the Trump presidency.

Adequate gun control and (almost) complete party support.

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, March 22nd, 2019 - 128 comments

Now that I’ve had time to look through what has been implemented and what is proposed to happen with changes to gun laws and think about it. I’m almost satisfied. Since that so seldom happens that I suspect a gotcha, I’m now going to keep debugging until I am sure that it is actually as good as it looks.

 

Rambo has been constrained. Now about those other semi-automatics?

Written By: - Date published: 4:39 pm, March 21st, 2019 - 80 comments

Jacinda Ardern has announced an effective ban by an order in council on the current sales of all military-style semi-automatic weapons and all assault rifles. There will be legislation passed to remove them from the hands of the public including a buyback and prison terms for possession. Not quite far enough yet. (Updated as I see other details)

Banning Rambo weapons not a knee-jerk

Written By: - Date published: 5:35 am, March 21st, 2019 - 185 comments

Passing stringent gun controls is far from a knee-jerk reaction to the Christchurch massacre – our politicians of all stripes have procrastinated over this ever since the 1990 Aramoana massacre. We already have the 13 recommendations of the 2017 Law & Order committee that were rejected. Let us at the very least now accept those.

Westland Dairy sale

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, March 20th, 2019 - 30 comments

Westland Dairy has done a deal to sell out to Yili industrial Group of Mongolia. This company is the third largest dairy company in New Zealand.

The power of compassionate politics

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, March 20th, 2019 - 205 comments

Jacinda Ardern has shown over the past week that she is one of the country’s best leaders.

National’s unfortunate misstatement about its migrant petition

Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, March 19th, 2019 - 76 comments

National has been caught out in what is euphemistically called a misspeak about when it took its odious anti UN Migration pact petition down from its website. It said it was weeks before the Christchurch murders but it appears the petition was still live after the event.

Lets ban assault weapons – now

Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 18th, 2019 - 284 comments

The Government needs to urgently change the law to ban the sale of military style semi automatic weapons.

Ardern backs students striking for climate change

Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, March 15th, 2019 - 70 comments

Jacinda Ardern has publicly supported the School students strike about climate change and urged them not to underestimate the power of their voices.

James Shaw Assaulted

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, March 14th, 2019 - 188 comments

Green co-leader James Shaw has been assaulted near Parliament. The MP is in hospital and a man has been arrested.

Simon Bridges is distancing himself from Simon Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, March 13th, 2019 - 44 comments

Simon Bridges did the remarkable thing yesterday of distancing himself from his own party over events he had major involvement in.

Simon Bridges is rooting for the Greens*

Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, March 9th, 2019 - 28 comments

Simon Bridges makes a passionate plea for the environment and for a mate.

The tax debate – Dogwhistle time

Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, March 7th, 2019 - 111 comments

National has resorted to race baiting in its attempt to denigrate the Tax Working Group’s proposed capital gains tax.

Young people and climate change

Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, March 6th, 2019 - 50 comments

School students are planning national protests against climate change on March 15, 2019. The response of some politicians to this news is less than optimal.

Kim Hill eviscerates Chris Christie on National radio

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, March 3rd, 2019 - 54 comments

Chris Christie agreed to be interviewed by Kim Hill about his recently released book. It seems like he did not know what he was letting himself in for.

Lies damn lies and tax analysis

Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, March 2nd, 2019 - 67 comments

National’s claim that a capital gains tax would reduce the value of an average worker’s Kiwisaver account by $64,000 over a 45 year working life seems to be as valid as Steven Joyce’s claim there was an $11.5 billion dollar hole in Labour’s draft budget.

Simon Bridges’ twitter game

Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, March 1st, 2019 - 39 comments

Why is Simon Bridges’ twitter account liking and retweeting his own tweets?

Brownlee forced to withdraw ad with fake data

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, February 28th, 2019 - 32 comments

Gerry Brownlee has been obliged to withdraw a Facebook ad about tax bracket creep after it was discovered he had used grossly overinflated figures.

Cohen Testifies: LIVE

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, February 28th, 2019 - 106 comments

Live video coverage of Michael Cohen’s testimony to the House Oversight committee

From dirty politics to compassionate politics

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, February 28th, 2019 - 43 comments

Newshub has revealed that Jacinda Ardern instructed her ministers not tp publicly discuss National’s problems with Jami-Lee Ross.

Why New Zealand needs a capital gains tax

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, February 27th, 2019 - 249 comments

Expert comment suggests that a capital gains tax will redress inequality, improve the economy and make housing more affordable.

Brexit; Labour Finally Backs A Second Referendum

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, February 26th, 2019 - 104 comments

Events in recent days have forced UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn into backing a second Brexit referendum. Labour are now aligned with the majority of British voters, but is it too little too late?

Tamihere has some strange friends

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, February 26th, 2019 - 20 comments

John Tamihere has been endorsed by Jordan Williams for Auckland’s mayoralty. And his campaign has commissioned the Taxpayers Union to do a cost cutting exercise.

Spare a thought for our poor impoverished landlords

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, February 25th, 2019 - 225 comments

Spare a thought for poor landlords who are aghast at the thought that they should have to share capital gains on properties they have purchased with no intent of making a capital gain.

Bernie runs again

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, February 20th, 2019 - 250 comments

Bernie Sanders has announced he will seek the Democratic candidacy for the presidency and has described Trump as being a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy.

What China crisis?

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, February 18th, 2019 - 52 comments

Claims that New Zealand is at a crisis point in terms of its relationship with China appear to be somewhat overegged.

The NZ National Party is the Wizard of Oz

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, February 16th, 2019 - 32 comments

The National Party is a sad, confused, slightly dazed white old man behind the curtain.

Walls and Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, February 16th, 2019 - 54 comments

It’s been a horror week for two leaders and a leader who will never be leader.

TRP casts a wary and weary eye over three political zombies whose time appears up.

And, oh, Jeremy Corbyn.