As MS has already noted, Deborah Russell has the best summary of the budget: Russell's piece is here: Budget 2016 - How do we look after all New Zealanders? Very quietly, a cut here and a decrease there, a failure to keep up with inflation…
The 2016 budget has been delivered. The best analysis has been provided by Deborah Russell. Her conclusion is captured by the opening paragraph of her article published in the Herald. Crosby Textor dreams of having this quality of succinct analysis. The added bonus is that it is…
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 …
All budgets, whether actually implemented by Government, or those of Opposition Parties highlighting their priorities and strategies, are contingent upon the only budget that really matters these days. Oddly enough, from all I’ve read, our leaders and would be leaders, have been assiduously ignoring the…
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Live coverage of the budget starts around 2pm. Check out: Scoop: Budget 2016 - Scoop Full Coverage Stuff: Budget 2016: Live coverage as Bill English reveals his spending plan Herald: Bill English delivers 2016 Budget - Live coverage, news updates and analysis Other links and…
Budget day! Here's a little light reading to get us started. Budget 2016: The risk of not investing in children Budget 2016: An opportunity to put children first Budget 2016: Everything you need to know What we know about Budget 2016 Budget 2016: Can we…
Sue Moroney's bill to extend paid parental leave passed its second reading last night - bravo to all those who supported it! Unfortunately the bill is progressing towards inevitable veto: Increased paid parental leave a no-go as Government promises to veto it Getting 26 weeks…
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 …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
"News" today: Social Housing Minister: Homeless could be offered up to $5000 to leave Auckland Homeless people could be offered up to $5000 to leave Auckland and resettle in a state house in the provinces, Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett has confirmed. The policy was…
Quite apart from falling to his lowest level ever as preferred PM, the Newshub poll had more bad news for King John: John Key's Govt has failed New Zealand on housing The verdict is in: John Key's government has failed the New Zealand public when…
The Government is engaged in a review of budget advice services offered throughout the country and some of the services' funding is threatened. The review involves the use of classic Orwellian doublespeak. From Radio New Zealand: Budgeting services are facing an uncertain future, as the government…
Paula Bennett sought leave yesterday to make a personal explanation to Parliament so that she could correct an answer that was, how do you say, incorrect. She said this: In response to a supplementary question asked during question No. 5 on 10 May, I said…
Budgets are about priorities and choices. NZ is the worst country in the world for domestic violence, but the budget is going to ignore on-the-ground support organisations. Green Party MP Jan Logie calls out the Nats in this piece on Stuff: Govt delivers 'devastating news'…
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 …
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standarnistas 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 …
Latest Newshub poll shows little change in the party standings and Winston still kingmaker. It also shows that Key "plummets" to his lowest level ever. Key's popularity plummets to lowest level ... John Key's popularity as Prime Minister has dropped to its lowest point since…
Nick Smith is on a roll. Hard on the heels of his success in delivering 0.75% of the new homes he promised for Auckland he has declared that the surge in the housing crisis is a figment of our imagination. Just as well he has…
Andrew Little had an excellent piece in The Herald yesterday: Govt's priorities to blame for housing crisis Over the past week, New Zealanders have been horrified to learn the extent to which families are being forced to live in garages and cars because of National's…
https://twitter.com/GreatDismal/status/734417289219473408 https://twitter.com/GreatDismal/status/734418193649930240 https://twitter.com/GreatDismal/status/734418933332070400 William Gibson, creator of Cyberpunk, the person who came up with the word cyberspace, author of Neuromancer which is credited with inspiring the Matrix movies as well as much more, is worried that Donald Trump may be the American fascist real deal. Hat…
Yesterday Nick Smith announced - Deals signed off for 740 more Auckland homes The Government has signed off deals to build 740 homes on spare land in Auckland, some of which must be sold for "affordable" prices. Housing Minister Nick Smith confirmed this afternoon that…
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 …
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 …
The latest Roy Morgan opinion poll result is out. Taking the numbers at their face value and ignoring the margin of error suggests that National is up 3% to 45.5% although half of this came from its allies and from the Conservative Party. Labour is…
After small leads in a flurry of recent polls, Trump has overtaken Clinton on average polling for the first time: Trump overtakes Clinton in poll average for first time Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has overtaken Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in an average of…
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". Today…
Reflections on Noam Chomsky’s ‘Requiem for the American Dream.’ A Guest Post by Tony Veitch. In his powerful 2015 documentary, Requiem for the American Dream, Noam Chomsky delineates 10 principles that motivate the Neo Liberals in the United States and, indeed, all over the world.…
Good coverage for Andrew Little's speech on Sunday. Stuff: Labour leader Andrew Little: Kiwi families' pay packets $50 a week worse off under National A squeeze on "middle New Zealand" means the average Kiwi family has missed out on more than $13,000 in wages since…