Author Archive
Another Key lie is why this government can’t be trusted with increased spying powers
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, August 16th, 2016 - 33 comments
When caught abusing new powers the response will be the same as when caught out abusing the old – meh, so sue us.
Spark – kudos
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, August 15th, 2016 - 30 comments
Our wages are too low generally, and this is one of the main economic challenges that we face. A few more employers committing to paying a living wage would be a good place to start.
The housing crisis and the diseases of poverty
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 15th, 2016 - 122 comments
Rheumatic fever is on the rise again. It is likely that other diseases of poverty are also or will also increase as the housing crisis drags on under National.
Globalisation and global incomes (the “elephant graph”)
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 14th, 2016 - 55 comments
An elegant graph explains why free trade is a good thing, but why it is causing a backlash in rich “Western” countries.
Taonga tax
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, August 13th, 2016 - 77 comments
Tourists are coming for our “clean green” image (however undeserved), no reason why they shouldn’t be happy to help contributing to maintaining / strengthening it.
TPP – with a whimper
Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, August 12th, 2016 - 166 comments
Plenty of folk today pronouncing the death of the TPP. This is a victory for activism.
Immigration jobs and housing
Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, August 11th, 2016 - 88 comments
Until we sort out our housing and unemployment problems it is surely time to reign in NZ’s currently record levels of immigration.
Reserve bank cuts OCR to record low
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, August 11th, 2016 - 28 comments
The Reserve Bank just cut the OCR to a historic low of 2%. And no it’s not good (economic) news.
Labour on student debt – beware of clickbait headlines
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 10th, 2016 - 125 comments
“Revealed: Labour’s plan to wipe student debt”. Nope. Saved you a click.
Labour’s Kiwibuild is popular
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, August 9th, 2016 - 81 comments
More good news for the political left in the fine print of yesterday’s Newshub-Reid Research poll.
Why are wages flat?
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 9th, 2016 - 179 comments
The Nats would have you believe that the economy is in good shape, in which case there is no excuse for the ongoing stagnation of wages. Of course it’s not as simple as that.
Happy Birthday WWW
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, August 7th, 2016 - 11 comments
Despite being an early adopter I completely failed to spot the potential of the web.
Wasted food and carbon footprint
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, August 6th, 2016 - 17 comments
The Italian intiaitive encouraging supermarkets to give unsold food to those in need is a great move. Helps the poor, reduces waste, win win. But it’s just a start. We need to massively change attitudes and behaviour to reduce food waste.
Open mike 06/08/2016
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 6th, 2016 - 80 comments
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 …
Employers failing Kiwsaver obligations
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, August 5th, 2016 - 35 comments
In a sign of just how stressed our economy is: “Inland Revenue is chasing employers for unpaid KiwiSaver contributions worth tens of millions of dollars.”
Fewer police, more crime
Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, August 5th, 2016 - 39 comments
The number of police (per head of population) is falling, and crime figures are rising. But no doubt National will play the “tough on crime” card again next year.
Government puts 15% tax on foreign house buyers
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, August 4th, 2016 - 32 comments
No, not our government. Though as the average NZ house price just hit $600,000, and Auckland just short of $1m, they really should.
Trade retaliation
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, August 3rd, 2016 - 50 comments
The Nats are in a difficult spot here, no doubt about it. The weak steel is a serious issue and it should be investigated. But their usual tactics of deny and lie have been caught out yet again.
Team Trump pretty much calls for civil war
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, August 3rd, 2016 - 168 comments
Team Trump is pretty much calling for civil war if they don’t get their way. We are through the looking glass.
Free money from climate change deniers
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 pm, August 2nd, 2016 - 5 comments
Double or nothing?
NZ being used as international example of a bad welfare system
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 2nd, 2016 - 104 comments
NZ under National is being used internationally as an example of a bad welfare system.
Do we care? Are we going to fix it?
We can’t say we weren’t warned
Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, August 1st, 2016 - 190 comments
When the Auckland housing bubble bursts a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money. They won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.
Hollywood should try a different model
Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, July 30th, 2016 - 17 comments
Piracy is shifting from peer-to-peer to streaming. Big Entertainment isn’t shifting it’s attitudes at all – still stuck in the dark ages.
The Ray White – China deal
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 30th, 2016 - 87 comments
Real Estate agent Ray White has formed a partnership with China’s Lianjia to market NZ houses to about 260 million Chinese buyers. They say it’s the government’s problem – and they’re right.
The future of work
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 29th, 2016 - 25 comments
The Herald (Liam Dann) had a Terminator themed piece on the future of work yesterday. If only there was a party that was thinking about these long term issues!
Unitary Plan – affordability requirements removed
Written By: - Date published: 10:12 am, July 28th, 2016 - 63 comments
What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?
Extraordinary day at the DNC
Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, July 27th, 2016 - 69 comments
Quite a day for the Democrats and their convention in Philadelphia. Hillary makes history, but Jill Stein and Donald Trump may be the main beneficiaries.
TPP teetering on the precipice
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 27th, 2016 - 51 comments
A silver lining in the depressing chaos of the American presidential process.
Metiria speaks the unspeakable – house prices should fall
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, July 27th, 2016 - 135 comments
Not often you’ll catch Metiria Turei and Don Brash in agreement!
CYF massively underfunded
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, July 26th, 2016 - 28 comments
National pays electoral homage to our vulnerable children. They talk a big game about putting “the needs of our most vulnerable children and families at the centre of decisions”. Their actions tell a different story – of under-funding at CYF and falling numbers of social workers.
Predator free a fantastic goal – but…
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, July 26th, 2016 - 231 comments
Feel-good promises for 2050 are easy. Add this one to the list with a cycleway the length of NZ, a secret plan to end Japanese whaling, the War on P, our emissions reduction (hah!) targets, plans to be a “financial hub”, the promise of pandas, and so on and so on.
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