Another strong piece from Little
Andrew Little had an excellent piece in The Herald yesterday: “It’s always about choices, and National has made some terrible ones”.
Social issues
Nick Smith 0.75% successful on Auckland housing!
One year later Nick Smith has delivered three quarters of 1% of his promised 430 ha of new Auckland housing land. The Brighter Future strikes again.
Latest Roy Morgan Poll
The Latest Roy Morgan poll result has been released with both National and Labour recording a significant improvement in support. But Winston is still the king maker …
Grant Robertson’s pre-budget speech
Grant Robertson has just delivered his pre-budget speech. One takeaway message: “Labour’s finance spokesman Grant Robertson says Labour will set out a tax package before the 2017 election to set out how it will raise revenue to address issues in education, health and housing”.
Budget 2016 – the real deal
Each budget day the CTU produces an analysis based on what it means for working New Zealanders.
Andrew Little’s pre-budget speech
“If there is one thing I am clear on it is this: the next Labour government will not tolerate poverty in New Zealand in the 21st century.”
Structural injustice
Structural injustice alive and well in NZ.
Dodgy Niue deal back in the headlines
Good of the hotel to keep the Nats’ dodgy deal in the headlines. Andrew Little has called their bluff – of course.
All aboard the charter schools gravy train
Charter schools are pretty nice work if you can get it, no wonder groups are lining up. But there’s no evidence that they are good for education.
Petition to forgive emergency accommodation debt
A petition: “As Minister of Social Development we call upon Minister Anne Tolley to urgently forgive all debts incurred by people who have been forced to stay in Motels as emergency accommodation….”
Incoherent, unfair and unaccountable
That is how officials from the Ministry of Social Development described the emergency housing system to Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett – a year ago. What has Bennett done in the year since?
We’re going to burn it all, until we burn it down.
What does it really mean to reduce NZ’s total fossil fuel use by 50% by 2030: a warm up discussion for an upcoming thought experiment.
Portugal
There are bits of good news out there, but there’s a lot of denial around the mess we’re in.
Vernon Small on Key’s fiscal Tardis
Small: “Only this week Prime Minister John Key managed to spend one, save it and outline a plan to give it back to taxpayers all at the same time.”
Glib words and false hope aren’t going to cut it
This is a massive market and moral failure. The problem isn’t going to go away, it’s going to get worse, and the media are going to stay on the case. Time for National to borrow some more Labour / Green policy thinking.
Labour would legalise medical cannabis
On Stuff: “Little said cannabis products should be available to anyone suffering chronic pain or a terminal condition if their GP signed off on it.”
Government’s plan for housing crisis: tread water
The Government’s promised funding for 3,000 new beds for the homeless will not create any but will make sure that existing beds are kept available.
Homeless coverage goes international
Coverage of Auckland’s homeless goes international. The working poor are now the working homeless.
The hidden homeless and the speculators
Speculators keep buying houses while families live in garages and cars. This is a moral failure, a leadership failure, a market failure – it is every kind of failure.
Economic Leadership
The Reserve Bank is doing more for New Zealand than the National Government.
75% of group discussion is dominated by men
But how do they achieve that? Watch and Learn The online version is written bullying. The patronising part is the same.
Land tax – what’s the down side?
The Nats are using spurious data to justify dropping a proposal for a land tax on foreign buyers of housing. Why?
Random impertinent question: Why did Cameron get diversion?
Why did the police offer Cameron Slater the soft option of diversion when he doesn’t qualify?
Hickey on Housing data
“Mr Hickey said the actual figure for foreigners buying homes here could be anywhere between 3 and 48 percent.”
Broken
The Standard is broken. We are not a safe place for women. How do we fix that?
NZ exporting poverty
By enabling tax evasion for the rich in other (notably South American) countries NZ is exporting poverty. It’s all perfectly legal. And that’s exactly the problem.
In Defense of Tony Veitch.
I was asked by trp to respond to his post earlier today separately. I’ll start by re-quoting a comment from Anne: I can […]
Why we need to support Medical Cannabis Awareness NZ
A new charity has been set up to use GiveALittle to raise funds for people who have been granted access to a medial cannabis product – and then they can’t afford them. I don’t want these people missing out on what I am getting from this drug. It works. Help them
.
Tony Veitch: I’m the Real Victim Here.
Domestic abuser Tony Veitch has written a self absorbed piece about how domestic abuser Tony Veitch is better now. Good on domestic abuser Tony Veitch!
UPDATE: Veitch’s victim’s father calls for a real apology.
Will Labour Endorse the TPPA?
The Labour Party have made their objections to the TPPA clear in a minority report to Parliament. As this guest post from Jenny Kirk makes clear, the fight for our future isn’t over. TPPA? No Way!
UK Council Elections; A Referendum on Corbyn?
Voting in the UK council, mayoral and assembly elections has just closed. The first results are coming in and there appears to be a big protest vote. In Scotland, the question is who will come second, Labour or the Tories. In London, Sadiq Khan was a shoo in for mayor until Ken Livingstone had a brain fart. In Wales, the Greens and UKIP are hoping to make significant gains.
Ultimately, all eyes are on Jeremy Corbyn. This is make or break for the Labour leader.
Pharmac underfunded and education cuts
It’s a steady attrition, the death of a thousand cuts.
Oooops !
More from the lying liar that lies.
Key’s sloppy trust
An editorial in The Herald today keeps the pressure on Key. Meanwhile his “lawyer” can’t be happy, and Key hits peak condescension.
A week is a long time in politics
Over the past week the Government has gone from “there is no problem with the Overseas Investment Office” to announcing an urgent review and a staffing boost to make sure that approvals of foreign purchases of land are being properly processed.