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.
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Bryan Gould has some choice words on the latest Nat donations scandal.
The global economy has been stuck in an ongoing crisis since 2008. Printing more money won’t fix it, but it looks like we’re going to try it anyway.
Fair to say that Simon Bridges’ claim that there is no housing crisis has – not gone down well. National – you have a problem.
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Our Glorious Leader John Key Il is considering a formal extradition treaty with China. No doubt some genuinely bad people will be sent back, but China’s definition of ‘criminal’ is very, very broad. Why are we sucking up to a country lacking both democracy and a legitimate judicial system? Could it be the money? Could it be the pandas?
We used to be better than this. And not so long ago. Where did we go wrong?
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Old Zeeland showing New Zealand the way.
There is a clear conflict of interest in the Niue resort case.
What do you do for a town when the company that provides all the jobs shuts down?
Housing is very much in the news again. Short term profit and bugger the consequences!
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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 …
Jane Bowron writes in the Dominion Post: “Two things happened this week that could signal the beginning of the end of John Key and his government.”
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.
Our models and our plans for responding to climate change are already out of date.
Gareth Morgan estimates that NZ could be missing out on up to 25% of total income tax because the rich aren’t paying their fair share. What could a government do with an extra $7.5bn a year?
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In the UK, Cameron’s latest cuts have provoked a very public response.
Two opinion pieces on Labour this weekend offer a full spectrum from insight to inanity.
George Monbiot in the Guardian gives a precise and accurate description of neoliberalism and asks the question why has the left not come up with a modern alternative?
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Michael Wood has announced his candidacy to be nominated as the Labour candidate for Mt Roskill when Phil Goff vies for the Auckland Mayoralty. I can’t think of anyone better for that role or for winning the electorate for the left. Go young Michael. This is an unsolicited and possibly unwanted endorsement from me.
Why we all, readers and authors, should praise IDG Communications for the generous gift of shortening this sites domain name.
Brighter Future. Cusp of Something Special. Tell it to the newly jobless.
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It is clear from John Key’s irresponsible reaction to accusations of NZ being a loosely controlled tax haven, that we are becoming an international target. Contrast that with European reactions, and then have a look at the David Brin’s prophetic reasons for the fictional Helvitica War…
Profit gouging or genuine need?
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.
As Nick Smith flounders about uselessly, here are extracts from Phil Twyford’s speech on solutions to the housing crisis in Auckland.
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