Trump 41%, Clinton 39%
A US-wide poll shows Trump leading Clinton 41% to 39%. The poll was taken before Trump won the nomination. His numbers will have strengthened now.
International
Indiana vote
Keep an eye on the Indiana US primary vote today. Trump has crushed all opposition and Bernie is going to pull off an upset win.
Update: Rumours that Cruz is dropping out of the race! Update: True – Cruz is gone.
Climate Change Change Pt 1: What are we waiting for?
Before government spending cuts there was The Riot for Austerity, a grass roots Climate Change movement that showed how it was possible for ordinary people to change and significantly reduce their carbon emissions without someone forcing them to.
Maybe stop dropping it…
…the hot potato – stop dropping it. Maybe grow the fuck up and react intelligently to the blindingly obvious.
Tax haven questions for National
The weekend saw the pressure stay on National over our tax haven status, and the role Key might have played in protecting it.
Dunne concerned about “extremely damaging” tax haven label – years too late
Peter Dunne is concerned about the ‘extremely damaging’ tax haven label. Guyon Espiner points out that he used to call it ‘legitimate tax avoidance’.
Mossack Fonseca bites National on the arse
John Key is facing some problems describing how a Mossack Fonseca company ended up owning a New Zealand farm and how after his lawyer asked the Government not to change the rules surrounding foreign trusts the Government moved to make sure that no rule change would occur.
Little just visited NZ troops in Iraq
“Opposition Leader Andrew Little has visited New Zealand troops at Camp Taji, Iraq. Mr Little also met with Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled Al-Obedih and senior military officials from the Coalition forces in Iraq. He now heads to Jordan to see the unfolding refugee crisis first hand.”
What has the ECHR ever done for the British?
Well nothing apart from …
In the Home of Labour
Still out of touch and running out of time.
Anzac Day 2016
Today is Anzac Day, 101 years since ANZAC forces began the Gallipoli campaign.
Leftie Kiwis
Received political wisdom is that NZ is a conservative country, tending to the right. Interesting then, to see this data on our voting preferences re American presidential candidates.
Stalled global economy and helicopter money
The global economy has been stuck in an ongoing crisis since 2008. Printing more money won’t fix it, but it looks like we’re going to try it anyway.
Coming Down To Beijing
Our Glorious Leader John Key Il is considering a formal extradition treaty with China. No doubt some genuinely bad people will be sent back, but China’s definition of ‘criminal’ is very, very broad. Why are we sucking up to a country lacking both democracy and a legitimate judicial system? Could it be the money? Could it be the pandas?
We used to be better than this. And not so long ago. Where did we go wrong?
Going electric
Old Zeeland showing New Zealand the way.
Saving the town
What do you do for a town when the company that provides all the jobs shuts down?
London – tens of thousands march against austerity
In the UK, Cameron’s latest cuts have provoked a very public response.
The secrecy uprising
It is clear from John Key’s irresponsible reaction to accusations of NZ being a loosely controlled tax haven, that we are becoming an international target. Contrast that with European reactions, and then have a look at the David Brin’s prophetic reasons for the fictional Helvitica War…
What tax evasion robs us of
An interesting piece in The Guardian looks at the costs of tax evasion, and how (in America) the missing funds could be used to fund a UBI.
Key changed the law to extend NZ as a tax haven
John Key personally directed the 2011 law change that turned NZ into an attractive tax haven.
It’s part of a complicated context involving his failed plan to turn NZ into a “financial hub”.
Simplicity
Good shit happening in France.
Panama tax rort stirs world leaders but not Key
The Panama Papers highlight a significant problem for the countries of the world. The actions of the 1% is robbing countries throughout the world of funds needed to run their countries and underlines that the capitalist system is based on greed. Most leaders see this but not John Key.
Obama calls for international tax reform – what will Key do now?
Key has made it clear that he doesn’t care that NZ is operating as an international tax haven. When The Greens called for action he called them “barking mad”. But last night President Obama called for international action on tax reform. What will Key do now?
John Key’s response to the Panama Papers leak
John Key and National are floundering and trying urgently to work out what lines they should use concerning the release of the Panama Papers.
Deborah Russell: What’s going on with foreign trusts?
Deborah Russell provides expert analysis and commentary on the treatment of foreign trusts in New Zealand and how there is actually a loophole.
Panama Papers: NZ is a tax haven
The Panama Papers show that NZ operates a tax haven. Key’s denials don’t hold up, particularly in the light of at least two three prior warnings that his government has received.
NZ Tax Haven Inc – of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%
A huge leak of confidential documents which reveals how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth suggests that New Zealand plays its part.
Global poverty. Global oligarchy.
The west continues to hold a lock on global wealth. Africa and India remain desperately poor. China has built a burgeoning working class and middle class.
Sanders is down but not out
The parties are over half way through the primaries and Bernie Sanders still has a chance of pulling off what would be a dramatic victory.
Oliver Stone backs Sanders; attacks pro-war Clinton
Oliver Stone says that the fascism and corruption of big money has poisoned US politics. And Hilary Clinton has embraced it.
Global elite plan their escape from “pleb masses”
So, Key has now come out and revealed to us how afraid the global oligarch class (and their well paid professional enablers) are. They appear to have no plans to reverse their activites to make things better for us.
Will the Republicans have the courage of their gun convictions?
Will the Republicans have the courage of their convictions and allow open carry at their approaching Convention?
Key wants to turn New Zealand into a haven for the 1%
Fran O’Sullivan has spilt the beans. John Key thinks that overseas terrorism and by implication climate change are good for the New Zealand economy and that the country should not do anything about overseas corporates paying low tax rates because investment will occur. And he wants New Zealand to become a haven for people overseas fleeing from terrorism and climate change. But only if they are wealthy.
Lahore bombing
Condolences to all those affected by the horrific bombing in Lahore.
Easter Monday Round Up
Three news items stand out from the long weekend. Actor Robert De Niro being inoculated against anti-vaxxers, ISIS being driven out of Palmyra and the free part of Ireland celebrating the centenary of the Easter Rising. All are milestones of sorts, markers of positive change.
Big wins for Bernie
To the eternal annoyance of the establishment Democrats, Bernie Sanders is still winning primaries.