In praise of David Shearer
David Shearer has criticised the Australian Government as having lost its “moral compass” in relation to the Nauru Asylum Detention Centre.
Social issues
The housing crisis and the diseases of poverty
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.
This is the face of the failure of globalisation
My apologies to Mohammad Jamal, the man in the photo, for using his largely unknown story to make a point about free-trade and Western privilege.
NZ at the Olympics
Congratulations to all the athletes representing NZ at the Olympics!
Leggett in Gollins’ pocket too!!!
It gets worse – another property developer is rattling the tin for Porirua carpetbagger Nick Leggett for Wellington’s mayoralty. Chris Gollins has been asking for donations, with donors having to submit email addresses to nick@gollins.co.nz. It seems Andrew Little might have been right to warn Stuart Nash MP off association with Leggett’s campaign.
Green Party Bill to improve the rights of renters
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.”
Daily Review 10/08/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Labour on student debt – beware of clickbait headlines
“Revealed: Labour’s plan to wipe student debt”. Nope. Saved you a click.
The Nauru files
Once again a whistleblower / leaker has done the world a service. Shame on Australia.
Leggett in Parkin’s pocket?
Former Councillor Chris Parkin interviewed in Wellington’s DomPost shared his ambitions – investing in property in central Wellington, and getting Porirua mayor Nick Leggett elected in Wellington, of all places. Word has it that large billboards for Leggett around the town have been funded by Parkin. The last thing Wellington needs is a mayor who’s in a property investor’s pocket.
Labour’s Kiwibuild is popular
More good news for the political left in the fine print of yesterday’s Newshub-Reid Research poll.
John Key’s Lies Since the 2014 Election (UPDATED)
There is one item on the list concerning whether John Key knew about the brewing trade squabble with China regarding the dumping of cheap steel on the local market.
NRT: Calling bullshit on “P-contamination”
I/S at No Right Turn writes on meth testing, false positives, and Housing NZ.
Nats contradicting each other on panicked infrastructure policy
From Newshub:
Happy Birthday WWW
Despite being an early adopter I completely failed to spot the potential of the web.
Foreskin’s lament
The Waikato Chief’s mad Monday shows that Rugby’s attitude to women are still mired in the past and a threat to New Zealand’s interests, as well as an affront to all women.
Al Jazeera on NZ homeless – watch it and weep
Al Jazeera: Once a pioneer of the social welfare state, New Zealand now has over 40,000 people who are homeless, forced to live in their cars and in garages as a result of rapid house price and rent rises and a shortage of social housing. Al Jazeera … charts the country’s fall from and egalitarian society to one with deep divisions of wealth
Daily Review 05/08/2016
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Housing dreams should not be blocked
Unions Auckland’s Housing Action Committee is planning to highlight the homeless crisis tomorrow by protesting at a Block NZ’s open home to highlight the absurdity of the current housing market.
Fewer police, more crime
The number of police (per head of population) is falling, and crime figures are rising. But no doubt National will play the “tough on crime” card again next year.
Pack Mentality
The Waikato Chiefs rugby franchise have admitted two incidents of abuse at a drunken post season celebration. Their response to claims of sexual abuse? Blame the victim.
EDIT: The CEO accepts he got it wrong and has made a modern ‘if offence was taken’ style apology on Radio Sport. No direct apology to the woman concerned, however.
Government puts 15% tax on foreign house buyers
No, not our government. Though as the average NZ house price just hit $600,000, and Auckland just short of $1m, they really should.
Meth Fries Housing NZ’s Brains
Housing NZ has admitted that it is evicting tenants when only tiny trace amounts of meth are found on the property. It further admits that the testing regime is not fit for purpose. But, hey, they have the power to make people homeless and they’re not going to let fairness or common sense get in the way of their moral panic.
When did the War on Drugs become the War on the Poor?
Breaking: Compensation for Bain for Government’s mishandling of compensation process
The Government has agreed to pay $925,000 compensation to David Bain, not for wrongful conviction but as an ex gratia payment for the flaws in the compensation process.
Listen to Nick Smith trying to defend fudged foreign ownership data
Anyone who believes the Nats’ figures needs to listen to yesterday’s interview – Why won’t Nick Smith answer this one simple question? Excellent work from Garner.
The EU thinks that our tax system’s clean bill of health is not so clean
The European Union is considering sanctions against New Zealand for operating as a tax haven and the proposed reforms by John Sherwin may not be enough.
NZ being used as international example of a bad welfare system
NZ under National is being used internationally as an example of a bad welfare system.
Do we care? Are we going to fix it?
The Unitary Plan will not solve the Housing Crisis
The Unitary Plan has been described as a panacea for the housing crisis by the Government. But will it actually address this most acute of issues?
We can’t say we weren’t warned
When the Auckland housing bubble bursts a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money. They won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.
NZ in the international news again
The Ray White – China deal
Real Estate agent Ray White has formed a partnership with China’s Lianjia to market NZ houses to about 260 million Chinese buyers. They say it’s the government’s problem – and they’re right.
Is US Green Party’s Jill Stein the new people’s champion?
Plus she makes Fox News reporters’ heads explode.
Unitary Plan – affordability requirements removed
What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?
The Greens take a stand on the housing bubble
“I want to be very clear that we are talking about a responsible, carefully managed reduction in house prices over a period of time like 10 to 15 years.”
Metiria Turei
Metiria speaks the unspeakable – house prices should fall
Not often you’ll catch Metiria Turei and Don Brash in agreement!
Labour’s Centenary History
Covering 100 years in 250 pages, Unity Books’ Tilly Lloyd’s review described Labour’s centenary history by Jim McAloon and Peter Franks as a ‘coherent skim.’ Prefaces and prehistory take 50 pages to get to the starting line. The 23 years from Helen Clark’s accession to the leadership to the present takes as many pages. Of the 32 persons interviewed 28 were Members of Parliament. Surprisingly Mike Williams, the second longest-serving President after Big Jim Roberts, was not included among them.