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.”
Social issues
uncategorized
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.
Broken
The Standard is broken. We are not a safe place for women. How do we fix that?
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.
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.
The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm
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.
Budget month
National’s budgets are boring affairs, but they will be hoping for some distraction from current events.
Labour’s strong week – National and land sales to foreigners
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
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 …
Mossack Fonseca bites National on the arse
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.
Robert Reich: The populist left and right are on the same side
A recent post from Salon. Robert Reich believes that the left and right have more in common than they think.
John’s Key’s “lawyer” is not a lawyer
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.
McCully, the National Party donation and the Niue resort
Murray McCully has assured New Zealand that there is no link between the granting of valuable rights to manage a luxury resort in Niue and the making of large donations to the National Party.
Climate change – that ship has sailed
Our models and our plans for responding to climate change are already out of date.
The solar surcharge
Profit gouging or genuine need?
Trickledown has failed
Two recent articles in the Guardian highlight the staggering amount of money being sent to overseas tax havens by the wealthy and how with the disappearance of work a universal basic income will become a necessity.
Can we trust John Key?
John Key’s relationship with Antipodes Trust Group Limited will need some explaining.
Daily Review 11/04/2016
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 …
Caption Competition
‘ Keep it seemly . . .
Clayton Cosgrove to Leave Parliament
Labour List MP Clayton Cosgrove has announced he is to leave Parliament.
Brownlee is dragging Canterbury down
The Christchurch rebuild gets its second fail grade from Treasury. And what of the rebuild work that has been done with failed reinforcing steel?
Panama tax rort stirs world leaders but not Key
The Panama Papers highlight a significant problem for the countries of the world. The actions of the 1% is robbing countries throughout the world of funds needed to run their countries and underlines that the capitalist system is based on greed. Most leaders see this but not John Key.
Go Helen!
Great news that Helen Clark is putting her name forward for the very important post of Secretary-General of the United Nations. She has been a courageous champion for peace – perhaps the most important priority for the world today.
John Key’s response to the Panama Papers leak
John Key and National are floundering and trying urgently to work out what lines they should use concerning the release of the Panama Papers.
Deborah Russell: What’s going on with foreign trusts?
Deborah Russell provides expert analysis and commentary on the treatment of foreign trusts in New Zealand and how there is actually a loophole.
The sock puppets, the media and the UBI
Labour’s discussion of a possible UBI is still generating debate.
Guy Standing: Rentier Capitalism and the Precariat – Christchurch 30 March
Guy Standing will speak on this subject in Christchurch on Wednesday evening at 6pm at the Fern Room, the Atrium, 455 Hagley Avenue. […]
Aussies may be bastards, but they believe in themselves.
Here in Ballarat, Victoria we are having a mini-boom in manufacturing. Yes you read that right. We’re having trouble retaining good people because […]
Rentier capitalism
Tautoko Murray Edmonds’ comment yesterday on this Michael Hudson interview This is an absolutely brilliant discussion of what contemporary economic theory SHOULD be […]
National tricky on climate change aid
TVOne has discovered that National’s preposed climate change aid spend announced at COP21 would result in a reduction in the amount spent compared to previous years.