One of the nasty little fishhooks in the budget was the cutting of the home insulation scheme (Warm Up New Zealand). The scheme had a benefit-cost ratio of $6 for every $1 invested. Around 1,600 people die in NZ a year of cold-related factors. Hope the tax cuts are worth it eh?
Thank you Robert Smellie QC, I’m sure your donation will be put to great use. Smellie said: “I am a practising Anglican and as such I see socialism as being far closer to the Gospel than free enterprise.”
Bill English knows that our low wage economy is a ticking time-bomb for the government. He must be starting to get worried. The repeated promises of jam tomorrow are well worn out now.
In the wake of the accommodation supplement fiasco Joyce has promised that the government will monitor the rental market.
Questions that the media may wish to ask Mr J – Where do tenants send reports of rent gouging? – Exactly what action will the government take when they receive these reports?
The cigarette crime spree is a real problem for National. Their “law and order” credentials are in tatters.
Ban cigarettes, find a way to compensate dairy owners for a transitional period.
I/S at No Right Turn writes: “The Court has ruled that the High Court was right to declare that National’s 2010 prisoner voting restrictions (the ones which were so shabby and shoddily passed that they brought Parliament into disrepute) were inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act“
From pre announced budget initiatives it is clear that today’s budget will provide National the opportunity to announce watered down insipid versions of current Labour Party policies.
Where to from here?
Geddis: “So either Bill English was lying to Susie Ferguson on the radio, or his advisors lied to him about what TPP11 will require, or the Crown’s lawyers are lying to the Waitangi Tribunal.”
Peter Ellis from Peter’s Stats Stuff
A Christchurch community group has come out with an outstanding solution for what to do with red zone land that is currently unusable.
Some great ideas in The Greens “Budget for All Mothers”. Surely no “data driven” “social investment” party could be opposed?
Swedish prosecutors are dropping their seven year old preliminary investigation into an allegation of rape against Julian Assange. Chelsea Manning has been released from prison after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence.
Good piece by Andrew Little where he addresses the arguments of the property speculators. “It’s common sense. Taxpayers shouldn’t be subsidising speculators and helping them outbid home buyers.”
On the issues of suicide and mental health, the choice is pretty clear. Bungling and abuse from National, a positive plan for action from Labour.
John Armstrong is not impressed: Government’s handling of housing crisis lurches from chaotic to shambolic
Richard Harman on the Politik blog: “Overall, to use a favourite Government saying, it was an ‘untidy’ weekend capped by a flat speech from English which saw delegates ignore placards they’d been given to wave when he finished speaking.” The B-team is missing John Key.
It must be election year, because National has admitted that the market has failed, and swallowed the dead rat of state building. A useful graphic summary in The Herald lets you compare National and Labour’s housing plans…
Useful but – mostly re-announcing existing developments, far too little, far too late, and open to property speculators…
Labour has set the cat among the property speculator pigeons, and they don’t like it at all.
Housing may be the issue that decides this year’s election. And if Labour wins Andrew Little will have a major crisis to deal with, one that he has to solve.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Not even joking.
Labour’s mental health policy has had a good reception, especially in contrast to National’s systematic under-funding and arrogant response to the issue.
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 …
But only in Nick Smith’s head. See the finally released government Housing Affordability Measure (HAM).
according to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman
The political right wing has been kicking itself in the head all over the courts recently. For those of you keeping score at home we have…
Andrew Little is not ruling out the ‘radical’ suggestion of a prison run on Maori values: ‘Whatever we’re doing now is wrong’.
A good piece by Andrew Little in The Herald, setting out Labour’s position on immigration (with policy to come).
With the Eminem case on the go too its a busy time in court for National.
Good work by Lane Nichols in The Herald, a window into the minds of what we must hope is small subset of “property investors”.
