John Ryall writes on the case of long-term caregiver Kristine Bartlett who took a landmark case to the Employment court this morning. It is on the application of the Equal Pay Act 1972 into gender segmented work. Hopefully this will help reduce the lack of progress on closing our male-female wage gap.
So the Ministry of Health has relented to some caregivers and is paying them something… but not others. Margaret Spencer has given up […]
Today’s stuff Dilbert cartoon seems very apt.
So it looks like Labour’s Christchurch East candidate when Lianne Dalziel steps down will be either Clayton Cosgrove or James Caygill. The first question you ask is ‘why wouldn’t Clayton just stand in Waimakiriri again?’. He’s won it 4 of 5 attempts and Wilkinson only has a 600 majority. A slight swing will win it for him again, why give that up? The answer is troubling.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse was on Q+A yesterday, talking about immigrant labour exploitation and about foreigners pushing up prices for houses and land. Woodhouse, purposely, conflated immigrants buying houses when they are coming here with non-residents buying houses that are purely rental investments/speculations on the NZ housing market.
Despite the heroic efforts of National’s spinsters the economic “recovery” remains anemic. We’re still behind 2007, and what recovery there is seems to be largely driven by another property bubble, and captured by a few. All National have managed is to hold us back for four years.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Noticed a lot of flooding in the world headlines recently? Me too. What’s up with that?
An interesting couple of interviews. Jamie-Lee Ross admits he took advice on strikebreaking from the Ports of Auckland Ltd, and Darien Fenton makes it clear what National are up to, and (note to Labour’s press team) shows why she should be fronting serious media more often.
My semi-regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: mastery of the internet means mastery of us by the NSA, feminist statistics, some interesting people and popularity lists.
A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
As National Volunteer Week draws to a close, let us continue to celebrate the 1/3 of New Zealanders who regularly do volunteer work in our communities.
I am reading a very interesting book on the role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy (Edited by Susan Hayter). It confirms for me the importance of getting political support to change the labour laws in New Zealand to support industry level/sector wide bargaining…
Many business people say that a country should be run like a business. Maybe they are right. It should be run like a SUCCESSFUL business. It is appropriate for Government to take lessons from business success, and the reverse. But when it comes down to details, right wing Neo-Liberal business do not want Government and country they govern to become too successful or democratic…
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a debrief on The Vote: “Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting”. The results are encouraging!
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
Ken Perrott at Open Parachute has been debunking some of the nonsense around fluoridated water by investigating claims (his background is in scientific research). It is refreshing after reading some of the recent misinterpreted drivel around about the science.
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Mana’s housing policy is ambitious, and leaves National’s inaction looking increasingly isolated and out of touch. But there are too many gaps in this policy as currently stated. Needs work.
The leaderless uprising in Brazil exposes unbearable inequalities in a dysfunctional post-growth world. Extravagant sports events and expensive stadium contrast with anti-public service austerity measures. Home building lags in Christchurch, while Key looks to asset sales to fund a stadium.
I hope everyone in Wellington, and other places affected by last night’s the ongoing storms, gets through it all OK. New Zealand is entering a new phase, extreme weather will become ‘the new normal’.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
A second repost (with thanks) from I/S at No Right Turn. This time on SOEs.
I/S at No Right Turn is on a roll today. Here he is on the gambling amendment.
On the Pace of Modern Life: “Conversation is said to be a lost art … Good talk presupposes leisure, both for preparation and enjoyment. The age of leisure is dead, and the art of conversation is dying.”
“Intellectual laziness and the hurry of the age have produced a craving for literary nips. The torpid brain … has grown too weak for sustained thought. There never was an age in which so many people were able to write badly.”
We have an unfortunate tendency in New Zealand to reduce politics to dumb slogans. The “fart tax” was a classic example. The current case in point is “printing money”.
Blame beneficiaries, blame the young, blame the old, blame the boomers, blame Maori, blame Pakeha, blame granny, hell, why don’t we just blame […]
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
The conservatives are back, telling lies and trying to ignore the fact that humans enjoy sex and teenagers have minds of their own – and they’re getting media pickup. Don’t fall for it!
Lianne Dalziel’s decision to run for the mayoralty of Christchurch will be great for the people of the city. But this means a by-election in Christchurch East: and with National’s 2011 party vote 1000 more than Labour and the Greens combined, it’s going to be a long way from a cake-walk for any Labour candidate.
John Key can’t admit there’s a crisis in manufacturing. His response is to huff and puff and call people bozos. Not good enough. Here are some basic questions that Key should be able to answer…
The Speaker’s list of lobbyists has doubled over the last year. “Neoliberal” & corporate entities have the balance of power. Journalists & PR merchants get more influence than the marginalised, low income & politically disengaged. Social media is a means to counter such influence. [Update: Bunji, NRT]
As widely anticipated, Lianne Dalziel has confirmed that she will stand for Mayor of Christchurch.
The proposed changes to employment law make massive changes to the right to strike. Those opposed to the Bill by Jamie Lee-Ross to allow replacement labour during strikes, need to be consistent in this view and should also be very worried about the main Employment Relations Amendment Bill now in Select Committee.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to […]
