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NZ exporting poverty

Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, May 9th, 2016 - 15 comments

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.

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 pm, May 8th, 2016 - 174 comments

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 vouch for the truth of that statement. That is not to degrade the ever present ‘intimate’ violence perpetrated by men against women and children. However women are just as capable of performing […]

Why we need to support Medical Cannabis Awareness NZ

Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, May 8th, 2016 - 24 comments

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

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Tony Veitch: I’m the Real Victim Here.

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, May 8th, 2016 - 137 comments

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.

If we tax the multinational corporations will they leave?

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, May 8th, 2016 - 151 comments

Rodney Hide thinks that making multinational corporations pay their fair share of tax will make them leave.

Will Labour Endorse the TPPA?

Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, May 7th, 2016 - 64 comments

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?

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, May 6th, 2016 - 49 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, May 6th, 2016 - 30 comments

It’s a steady attrition, the death of a thousand cuts.

Oooops !

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, May 5th, 2016 - 47 comments

More from the lying liar that lies.

Key’s sloppy trust

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, May 5th, 2016 - 7 comments

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

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, May 5th, 2016 - 17 comments

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.

Little’s Healthy Homes Bill passes first reading

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 5th, 2016 - 22 comments

Last night Andrew Little’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill passed it’s first reading. Bravo to Andrew Little, Labour, The Greens, NZF, The Maori Party, and Peter Dunne, who voted in support.

The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 4th, 2016 - 39 comments

They say in politics that a news story is good for the opposition/bad for the Government if it hits the media cycle two days in a row.  If it appears for a third or a fourth day then it is a crisis and urgent action is required.  Louise Upston’s handling of the OIO is clearly a crisis.

National standards – a failed crusade

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, May 3rd, 2016 - 260 comments

National told us “New Zealand elected a Government that promised to introduce national standards so that every single child could read, write, and do maths when they left school.”

We’re number one!

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, May 3rd, 2016 - 34 comments

housing-number-one

Budget month

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, May 2nd, 2016 - 14 comments

National’s budgets are boring affairs, but they will be hoping for some distraction from current events.

Garner – government “missing in action”

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 1st, 2016 - 47 comments

Duncan Garner reckons the government is “missing in action” on housing. Similar pieces could be written about poverty, pollution, the rising debt, carbon emissions, the use of NZ as a tax haven, etc.

Labour’s strong week – National and land sales to foreigners

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 30th, 2016 - 63 comments

Labour had a strong week this week with the disclosure of individuals behind a Mossack Fonseca related entity had criminal convictions for environmental damage forcing the OIO to review its original decision.   Grant Robertson has correctly called for a full inquiry into the circumstances relating to the Government stopping a review of the Foreign Trust regime.  And Phil Twyford has persuaded the OAG to rule that Housing New Zealand’s handling of parts of the housing sale process were sub standard.

Key’s Blind Trust vs Our Blind Faith

Written By: - Date published: 4:19 pm, April 29th, 2016 - 29 comments

So Key’s lawyer reckons the PM directly requested that trust industry leaders lobby the Revenue Minister. On the other hand, PM DunnoKeyo reckons he did no such thing. That leaves some really big questions …

If you need a good laugh this morning

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, April 29th, 2016 - 71 comments

“Nick Smith reckons Akld housing’s more affordable now than before National came to power”

Mossack Fonseca bites National on the arse

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, April 29th, 2016 - 348 comments

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.

Key’s land tax – too weak

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, April 28th, 2016 - 76 comments

Reaction to Key’s land tax has been luke warm at best, with strong calls for more effective action. Labour is promising “a ‘tidal wave’ of big housing reforms”…

Emmerson on the land tax

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, April 27th, 2016 - 38 comments

Emmerson land tax

What has the ECHR ever done for the British?

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, April 26th, 2016 - 4 comments

Well nothing apart from …

Key prepares to backflip on Auckland housing

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, April 26th, 2016 - 126 comments

John Key is preparing the ground for a reversal on National’s refusal to do anything about Auckland’s housing crisis.

Robert Reich: The populist left and right are on the same side

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 23rd, 2016 - 43 comments

A recent post from Salon.  Robert Reich believes that the left and right have more in common than they think.

Housing crisis solved!

Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, April 22nd, 2016 - 26 comments

I don’t like to boast, but I have solved the housing crisis.

Key launches war on P

Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, April 22nd, 2016 - 89 comments

“My message to the gangs is clear. This Government is coming after your business and we will use every tool we have to destroy it. We will be ruthless in our pursuit of you and the evil drug you push.”

NRT: Bill English wants to end your privacy

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, April 22nd, 2016 - 85 comments

I/S at No Right Turn the “data supermarket” and privacy concerns. “The government wants to be able to effectively spy on and database everyone, so they can save a few dollars here and there.”

John’s Key’s “lawyer” is not a lawyer

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, April 21st, 2016 - 199 comments

John Key, explaining why he had an account with tax avoidance specialists Antipodes Trust Group, said he used the firm because his long-term friend, Ken Whitney, is a principal at the firm and has been his private lawyer for many years. The flaw in that theory is that Whitney is not currently a lawyer.

National gets a smacking on the housing crisis

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, April 20th, 2016 - 59 comments

Fair to say that Simon Bridges’ claim that there is no housing crisis has – not gone down well. National – you have a problem.