Written By: - Date published: 7:39 pm, June 2nd, 2015 - 98 comments
New Reid Research poll; National, Key tank. Opposition parties nudge 50%. Little, Peters rise in preferred PM. Taxi for Mr Key?
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 53 comments
I’ll cautiously call the previous Roy Morgan, which caused so much angst, an outlier.
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 16 comments
In Australia a recent attempt by Abbott and some supporters to give the Minister of Immigration the power to cancel an Australian’s citizenship status was met by a cabinet revolt. In England there is talk of the UK withdrawing from the European Convention of Human Rights. So much for the Conservative commitment to the rule of law.
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 169 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, June 1st, 2015 - 92 comments
One News has reported that the Government is on the verge of introducing Social Bonds whereby investors in social services will be rewarded if targets are met.
Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, May 31st, 2015 - 12 comments
Schools are not adequately funded for the job we ask them to do.
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, May 30th, 2015 - 26 comments
Over the next two weeks Kelvin Davis and supporters will be going a Hikoi through the North to publicise the curse of sexual violence and to get more men to speak out against it.
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 29th, 2015 - 60 comments
Nice to see English acknowledging the importance of Kiwisaver – thanks Michael Cullen, thanks Helen Clark! I certainly support default enrollment. But – isn’t this Big Government Nanny State Gone Mad?
Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, May 28th, 2015 - 46 comments
Students speak on the lifetime limit on eligibility for student loans. This particularly affects those committed to a long term course of study, such as medical students. They can’t get loans for their final years of study. It’s crazy.
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, May 28th, 2015 - 103 comments
It has emerged that the New Zealand Government has paid money to a Saudi businessman allegedly to settle a legal dispute that does not exist but more probably to persuade the Saudi Government to enter into a free trade agreement. Update – and maybe there was a threat of legal action but because of the actions of National, not Labour.
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, May 27th, 2015 - 29 comments
Currently, child protection law means a young person leaves CYFS care at 17, but other state support, like housing and student allowances, doesn’t start until age 18.
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, May 26th, 2015 - 4 comments
Should have covered this earlier – extracts from Gordon Campbell on the budget.
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 26th, 2015 - 69 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, May 25th, 2015 - 21 comments
A marked drop in mortgagee sales recently. Good news?
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, May 25th, 2015 - 197 comments
National has again refused to consider doing anything about the future of Superannuation. Yet its policies of increasing Crown debt, stopping contributions to the Cullen Fund and attacking Kiwisaver have made a discussion about the future of superannuation more important than ever.
Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, May 25th, 2015 - 75 comments
Extracts from Rod Oram’s piece in the SST as posted on Facebook. “What’s missing from [the budget], and the six before, is any glimpse of the world we live in, let alone the political leadership we need to survive and thrive in it.”
Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, May 24th, 2015 - 7 comments
Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to legalise same sex marriages.
Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, May 24th, 2015 - 60 comments
The media’s handling of Labours Best Start policy announcement in January of last year and its handling of National’s recent budget announcement of a $25 a week increase for beneficiary families provides an interesting contrast.
Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, May 22nd, 2015 - 188 comments
An increase to the base rate of benefits is welcome, but it comes with nasty fishhooks. As the Nats are forced to address leftie / progressive issues – a capital gains tax, Auckland housing, poverty – we the people need to keep the pressure on.
Written By: - Date published: 4:42 pm, May 21st, 2015 - 44 comments
Budget debate speeches – Little, Key and Turei.
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, May 21st, 2015 - 41 comments
I support any decision he makes to lay a complaint with the NZ Law Society against the taxpayer funded prosecutor/s who made the decision to breach their obligation to the Court and to hold the AG’s feet to the fire regarding a rigorous investigation of the withholding of the memorandum.
Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, May 21st, 2015 - 13 comments
Grosser has confirmed that the TPPA (if it ever happens) will contain “ISDS” provisions that could limit the scope of our sovereignty by allowing foreign corporations to sue NZ.
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, May 21st, 2015 - 59 comments
Last night Kim Dotcom released an open letter to John Banks.
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, May 21st, 2015 - 161 comments
A panicked response to the Auckland property crisis. A welcome (albeit inadequate) adjustment to benefit rates. Public pressure is forcing action on the Left’s political agenda. Still no surplus, and no one believes the projected one next year. A reactive budget – there is no vision.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, May 20th, 2015 - 39 comments
Rob had a couple of great posts on National & Housing yesterday, as they are all over the place on it. Still trying to point the finger at Helen Clark because average house prices in Auckland rose $219,000 in the 9 years of the last Labour government; but it’s no longer crisis after a further $313,000 rise in 7 years of National.
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, May 19th, 2015 - 18 comments
We haven’t cut their funding, there’s just been a change in their contract = We’ve cut their funding $4.8 million
Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, May 19th, 2015 - 198 comments
John Banks has been acquitted of electoral fraud and his re-trial has been abandoned. Kim Dotcom has once again failed to follow through. Banks vs Goff in next year’s mayoralty race?
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, May 19th, 2015 - 22 comments
Creepy Key has dodged a question from the Green Party about any contact he may have had with the New Zealand Fox News Herald in the lead-up to Rachel Glucina’s hit job on the cafe worker who’s ponytail he pulled.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 19th, 2015 - 29 comments
The Herald has praised David Cunliffe with changing public opinion about the introduction of a capital gains tax. And rubbished John Key’s suggestion that the announced limited tax on increasing housing values is not a capital gains tax.
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, May 19th, 2015 - 13 comments
The government is “consulting” we the people on New Zealand’s climate change target. You can use Generation Zero’s Fix Our Future site to make a submission. Do it!
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, May 19th, 2015 - 24 comments
National’s policy opens the door to more effective capital gains tax, thus irritating investors and their base, while probably not achieving anything in practice. The worst of both worlds. Bonus question – does this policy effectively underwrite losses when the property bubble bursts? Plus another bonus John Key lie!
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