National’s management of the economy has been completely predicated on borrowing and spending, with no strategy or commonsense.
And precious little focus on helping out the vast majority of NZers who are on less than $50K pa and plenty of focus on helping rich mates make more money by taking money off workers.
There was some growth in jobs pertaining to death. Deaths in the year ending December 2011 – up six percent, or 1640, on the 2010 year. For the first time deaths exceeded 30,000. There were 30,080 reported deaths.
The preventable deaths are the ones which concern me. Buildings not properly checked, medical errors, employers cutting corners e.g. bad work conditions, unrealistic demands on workers and the most unacceptable, the fatal bashing of defenseless children.
Don’t be simplistic. National made a promise of 4000 jobs from a cycleway which was never ever going to eventuate. Its also keeping the NZ dollar at historical highs which is killing our manufacturing exporters (same as Labour). And the wealth pump which are the Australian banks sending billions a year offshore – that has to be stopped.
Selling off our most productive assets including farmland is a formula for long term ruin, but what do these Tories care – they get to line their pockets today.
In fact just going by this graph does it not show that the jobs summit was a huge success.
Just to run through this from January 2008 to February 2009 62,000 jobs were lost – effectively 9 months of Labour and 4 months of National (who would have had no time to do anything). Then since February 2009 only 3,000 jobs have been lost.
That’s a pretty good effort from the summit I would have thought.
But given this is a left leaning blog I assume I am happy to admit there is a strong possibility I am reading the graph incorrectly, especially since I have not followed the link to the information provided and and basing it solely off the graph.
Yep, I’m having a bit of difficulty following it myself. ‘Since Job Summit’ looks like the square peg to me. The others fit the sequence, but that column seems awfully short.
too bad about you being too lazy to click a link, even if it is just to educate yourself chris….. then maybe we could have been spared another dissembling…… which seems to have become the M O of pretty much every tory apologist on here…..
How can I answer when I have no idea what you are asking for? In fact as far as I can tell your only question was got no real ammo. Ammo for what? You don’t ask any real questions then criticize me for not answering – good work
Back to the post though yes jobs dropped initially under National as they did under the last part of the last Labour government, primarily as a result of the recession – since 2009 they have generally been climbing again. Indicating perhaps the government isn’t actually at fault for the job loss. Does that answer your non-question
Back to the post though yes jobs dropped initially under National as they did under the last part of the last Labour government, primarily as a result of the recession…
Funny, isn’t it…
When National is held to account for high unemployment and lack of jobs – it’s the fault of the recession.
When welfare is debated, unemployment is the fault of beneficiaries, who are labelled as bludgers.
So given the apparent fact that job growth or loss is all the governments fault what the hell did Labour do to drop jobs by 25,000 in 9 months
You just don’t get it. When we have a Labour govt and the economy is going well (normal in first term under socialism) then it’s Labour’s policies…. but when things go bad under Labour (normal in term 2 or 3) then it’s the global economy….
Then when having rooted the economy with excessive spending and over taxation Labour are thrown out of office (normal for Labour after 2 terms) it’s all National’s fault.
Come on Chris, like the Soviet Union… it was going great guns right till the last minute when people ditched communism socialism… it was ditching communism socialism that made them broke… life was glorious before that…..
Having actually worked in the FSU it was my experience that the ordinary people had very mixed feelings about their life under the Soviet state. Before capitalism came to Russia they might not have had political freedom, but they had families, homes, jobs, food, superb schooling, universities, hosptitals… and on the weekends they caught a cheap train out of town to the family dacha by a river or lake, caught fish and lived on mushrooms and berries. Life was actually ok.
They did realise that the totalitarian state had to come to an end; while at the same time there was huge bitterness about how the Western capitalists had bankrupted their country, stolen their assets (sound familiar) and then abandoned them.
It was only the fact of their intensely socialist history that meant that all the people who kept society running, albeit at often a very basic level, still turned up to work, still kept the water, the power, the schools, the hospitals, etc.. kept the going even when they were often not beiing paid for months on end.
The cops might shake you down now and then, but mainly to put some gas in the Lada so as they could still get around town.
Everyone had two or three jobs or black market scheme of some sort just to keep alive. I rented an apartment from two doctors … who gladly moved out for three months… because my hard currency rent tripled their income.
I’m not glamourising it burt. I saw some grim things I’ve never talked about and I’m not about to here. But as a society they’ve survived a capitalist collapse of the worst kind in a way we could never dream of in the West. I saw it up close burt and it left a lasting impression.
Well some of notice the pattern that forms when we flip-flop from Labour to National every 3-9 years. Perhaps if you watch the pre-election Labour campaign again you can try and explain to me how after every “great rebuilding” from Labour, which showed a great and prosperous NZ, it suddenly flipped to “Nasty National” raining down hard times on NZ…..
Was it because NZ voters hated having life so glorious under Labour so they voted for hardship or was it because invariably the policies of Labour are like a heroin fix…. the initial rush and euphoria of rampant redistribution and intervention feels great then the effects start to wear off and the hangover kicks in ….
Interested to hear your explanation as to why it’s National’s fault that they seem to always inherit a rooted stagnant economy from Labour.
You’ll note that unemployment was down during Labour’s term; wages rose; government surpluses were up; and a few other positive (as well as a few negative) indicators.
Perhaps if you watch the pre-election Labour campaign again you can try and explain to me how after every “great rebuilding” from Labour, which showed a great and prosperous NZ, it suddenly flipped to “Nasty National” raining down hard times on NZ…..
This happened in the 1990s, when National cut taxes (twice) and cut spending on social services. Once again, NZ ended up with a widening gap in income and inadequate social services.
It’s interesting that people had had a gutsful of National by 1999, and the election that year practically reversed the number of seats held by Labour and National. If Nasty National was such a great government – why were they turfed out?
Was it because NZ voters hated having life so glorious under Labour so they voted for hardship or was it because invariably the policies of Labour are like a heroin fix
Because wages rose under Labour?
Because social services met the needs of society?
Just a few “pointers”.
By the way, I might remind you that our Dear Leader promised to raise wages – and has yet to fulfill his pledge.
And a question for you , Burt; at what point does National start taking responsibility for failure of it’s own policies?
This happened in the 1990s, when National cut taxes (twice)
It happened in 2008 as well. As the graphs in the blog you linked to show, unemployment was already falling when Labour inherited the economy in 1999. Somehow… National made it go back up again while Labour were still in power……
OK so the peak for job loss in 08 was when Labour was in power great chart! Totally agree. We all know when Labour were in power in 08 the World economic down turn was no where as bad as it is now or since National has been in.
So what you are telling me is National has done a great job in difficult circumstances couldnt agree more thanks for the article
[you know James, this place isn’t like your high school. We don’t have to let you come no matter how dumb you are. yes, the recession began worldwide in the first half of 08 – remember the subprime crisis and the credit crunch? – and NZ had a drought to boot. I can’t believe you say the downturn was worse then than now – five quarters of recession, the world financial system frozen. National has had three years to recover and we’re still losing jobs. Eddie]
“So what you are telling me is National has done a great job in difficult circumstances couldnt agree more thanks for the article”
James you seem to be looking in the wrong place for some feel-good, redneck National propaganda to satisfy your fetish for all things blue. The article regarding good news brought about by your beloved National does’t seem to be forthcoming due to their inability to do anything for the public good.
Now James why don’t you (and the rest of your year 8 class) write letters to your local National MP or John Key even and voice your concerns about their lack of ability to do anything of value for the WHOLE of the NZ population.
Eddie the data doesn’t back that up up until September we were growing jobs again. the last couple of months have dipped again slightly but they haven’t been shedding jobs the way you suggest.
Zero minus negative five is positive five. So if you lose -10,100 jobs, you end up with +10,100 jobs. This is in regards to the chart above, not the data that is linked to. I think the label is wrong.
Paula Bennett reckons the jobs are there for people to take.
WHAT JOBS? I have been trying to find work since my Christchurch job died with the building it was in on 22 February 2011, and there are two things that are quite clear:
1) Many of the jobs that are supposed to exist, don’t. Those that do are swamped by applicants and the chances of scoring an interview are sometimes as low as 1/30.
2) Employers are fussy. I have done postgraduate, have skills that would really useful in Christchurch and none of the applications filed in the last year have landed me jobs and many have gone completely unacknowledged.
i believe that labour and national are essentially the same party. They both agreed to make us live in the same type of system with slightly different views on very few details, but the general propositions are exactly the same: Low inflation and protecting the capital.
At the end, what the parties are really interested, is protecting the banks and their only asset: Money Capital, that with inflation would be devalued spreading the wealth.
The situation here is even worse off, because 4 out of 5 banks are australians and the huge profit are sent overseas overnight, skimming the country off of further funds.
Until one party decides to stop the anti market privilege to let the bank know how much they can approx lose with their capital in one, ( stability pack says that our inflation has to be between 0 and 3%) there will be no opportunities for a real economic boom, because banks are not interested in booming time, but in controlling the money supply and the expansion thereof, so the devaluation of their capital is under control.
All banks want is stability and that’s all they have.
All employers and employees want is opportunities and that won’t happen with low tight inflation.
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
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The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
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PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
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Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
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National’s management of the economy has been completely predicated on borrowing and spending, with no strategy or commonsense.
And precious little focus on helping out the vast majority of NZers who are on less than $50K pa and plenty of focus on helping rich mates make more money by taking money off workers.
There was some growth in jobs pertaining to death. Deaths in the year ending December 2011 – up six percent, or 1640, on the 2010 year. For the first time deaths exceeded 30,000. There were 30,080 reported deaths.
The preventable deaths are the ones which concern me. Buildings not properly checked, medical errors, employers cutting corners e.g. bad work conditions, unrealistic demands on workers and the most unacceptable, the fatal bashing of defenseless children.
I’m sure people dying adds to GDP somehow so is it all bad.
So given the apparent fact that job growth or loss is all the governments fault what the hell did Labour do to drop jobs by 25,000 in 9 months
[a little something called the Great Recession happened that year. Eddie]
Don’t be simplistic. National made a promise of 4000 jobs from a cycleway which was never ever going to eventuate. Its also keeping the NZ dollar at historical highs which is killing our manufacturing exporters (same as Labour). And the wealth pump which are the Australian banks sending billions a year offshore – that has to be stopped.
Selling off our most productive assets including farmland is a formula for long term ruin, but what do these Tories care – they get to line their pockets today.
I’m not arguing any of that if you see my comment below I have a feeling something is wrong with the graph.
NZ Herald report on the cycleway. Note the photo used, and the nature of the story: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10692801
In fact just going by this graph does it not show that the jobs summit was a huge success.
Just to run through this from January 2008 to February 2009 62,000 jobs were lost – effectively 9 months of Labour and 4 months of National (who would have had no time to do anything). Then since February 2009 only 3,000 jobs have been lost.
That’s a pretty good effort from the summit I would have thought.
But given this is a left leaning blog I assume I am happy to admit there is a strong possibility I am reading the graph incorrectly, especially since I have not followed the link to the information provided and and basing it solely off the graph.
Yep, I’m having a bit of difficulty following it myself. ‘Since Job Summit’ looks like the square peg to me. The others fit the sequence, but that column seems awfully short.
A bit of contextual info would be helpful, Zet.
too bad about you being too lazy to click a link, even if it is just to educate yourself chris….. then maybe we could have been spared another dissembling…… which seems to have become the M O of pretty much every tory apologist on here…..
what’s up? got no real ammo or something?
Not sure what you’re asking here? Was simply pointing out it is terrible graph if you are trying to show how much National has failed.
I looked at the data and it shows the graph is accurate – so why would the dissembling have been saved?
no answer then? never mind,…. i was expecting that….
How can I answer when I have no idea what you are asking for? In fact as far as I can tell your only question was got no real ammo. Ammo for what? You don’t ask any real questions then criticize me for not answering – good work
Back to the post though yes jobs dropped initially under National as they did under the last part of the last Labour government, primarily as a result of the recession – since 2009 they have generally been climbing again. Indicating perhaps the government isn’t actually at fault for the job loss. Does that answer your non-question
Funny, isn’t it…
When National is held to account for high unemployment and lack of jobs – it’s the fault of the recession.
When welfare is debated, unemployment is the fault of beneficiaries, who are labelled as bludgers.
Which is it?
Are you asking me? Because I don’t believe that unemployment is the fault of the beneficiaries and have never said it was?
I just don’t believe that the drop in jobs is National’s fault anymore than it was Labour fault previously
Chris
You just don’t get it. When we have a Labour govt and the economy is going well (normal in first term under socialism) then it’s Labour’s policies…. but when things go bad under Labour (normal in term 2 or 3) then it’s the global economy….
Then when having rooted the economy with excessive spending and over taxation Labour are thrown out of office (normal for Labour after 2 terms) it’s all National’s fault.
Come on Chris, like the Soviet Union… it was going great guns right till the last minute when people ditched
communismsocialism… it was ditchingcommunismsocialism that made them broke… life was glorious before that…..Having actually worked in the FSU it was my experience that the ordinary people had very mixed feelings about their life under the Soviet state. Before capitalism came to Russia they might not have had political freedom, but they had families, homes, jobs, food, superb schooling, universities, hosptitals… and on the weekends they caught a cheap train out of town to the family dacha by a river or lake, caught fish and lived on mushrooms and berries. Life was actually ok.
They did realise that the totalitarian state had to come to an end; while at the same time there was huge bitterness about how the Western capitalists had bankrupted their country, stolen their assets (sound familiar) and then abandoned them.
It was only the fact of their intensely socialist history that meant that all the people who kept society running, albeit at often a very basic level, still turned up to work, still kept the water, the power, the schools, the hospitals, etc.. kept the going even when they were often not beiing paid for months on end.
The cops might shake you down now and then, but mainly to put some gas in the Lada so as they could still get around town.
Everyone had two or three jobs or black market scheme of some sort just to keep alive. I rented an apartment from two doctors … who gladly moved out for three months… because my hard currency rent tripled their income.
I’m not glamourising it burt. I saw some grim things I’ve never talked about and I’m not about to here. But as a society they’ve survived a capitalist collapse of the worst kind in a way we could never dream of in the West. I saw it up close burt and it left a lasting impression.
Default response #1: Labour’s fault.
Frank Macskasy
Well some of notice the pattern that forms when we flip-flop from Labour to National every 3-9 years. Perhaps if you watch the pre-election Labour campaign again you can try and explain to me how after every “great rebuilding” from Labour, which showed a great and prosperous NZ, it suddenly flipped to “Nasty National” raining down hard times on NZ…..
Was it because NZ voters hated having life so glorious under Labour so they voted for hardship or was it because invariably the policies of Labour are like a heroin fix…. the initial rush and euphoria of rampant redistribution and intervention feels great then the effects start to wear off and the hangover kicks in ….
Interested to hear your explanation as to why it’s National’s fault that they seem to always inherit a rooted stagnant economy from Labour.
Happy to oblige, Burt. The data can be found here; http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/labour-the-economic-record-2000-2008/
You’ll note that unemployment was down during Labour’s term; wages rose; government surpluses were up; and a few other positive (as well as a few negative) indicators.
This happened in the 1990s, when National cut taxes (twice) and cut spending on social services. Once again, NZ ended up with a widening gap in income and inadequate social services.
It’s interesting that people had had a gutsful of National by 1999, and the election that year practically reversed the number of seats held by Labour and National. If Nasty National was such a great government – why were they turfed out?
Because wages rose under Labour?
Because social services met the needs of society?
Just a few “pointers”.
By the way, I might remind you that our Dear Leader promised to raise wages – and has yet to fulfill his pledge.
And a question for you , Burt; at what point does National start taking responsibility for failure of it’s own policies?
It happened in 2008 as well. As the graphs in the blog you linked to show, unemployment was already falling when Labour inherited the economy in 1999. Somehow… National made it go back up again while Labour were still in power……
???
OK so the peak for job loss in 08 was when Labour was in power great chart! Totally agree. We all know when Labour were in power in 08 the World economic down turn was no where as bad as it is now or since National has been in.
So what you are telling me is National has done a great job in difficult circumstances couldnt agree more thanks for the article
[you know James, this place isn’t like your high school. We don’t have to let you come no matter how dumb you are. yes, the recession began worldwide in the first half of 08 – remember the subprime crisis and the credit crunch? – and NZ had a drought to boot. I can’t believe you say the downturn was worse then than now – five quarters of recession, the world financial system frozen. National has had three years to recover and we’re still losing jobs. Eddie]
“So what you are telling me is National has done a great job in difficult circumstances couldnt agree more thanks for the article”
James you seem to be looking in the wrong place for some feel-good, redneck National propaganda to satisfy your fetish for all things blue. The article regarding good news brought about by your beloved National does’t seem to be forthcoming due to their inability to do anything for the public good.
Now James why don’t you (and the rest of your year 8 class) write letters to your local National MP or John Key even and voice your concerns about their lack of ability to do anything of value for the WHOLE of the NZ population.
Eddie the data doesn’t back that up up until September we were growing jobs again. the last couple of months have dipped again slightly but they haven’t been shedding jobs the way you suggest.
Isn’t negative job loss the same as job growth?
No… Negative job loss is what happens under National, job growth only happens under Labour.
Zero minus negative five is positive five. So if you lose -10,100 jobs, you end up with +10,100 jobs. This is in regards to the chart above, not the data that is linked to. I think the label is wrong.
Think you missed the point a bit there.
Yes, that’s quite possible.
Paula Bennett reckons the jobs are there for people to take.
WHAT JOBS? I have been trying to find work since my Christchurch job died with the building it was in on 22 February 2011, and there are two things that are quite clear:
1) Many of the jobs that are supposed to exist, don’t. Those that do are swamped by applicants and the chances of scoring an interview are sometimes as low as 1/30.
2) Employers are fussy. I have done postgraduate, have skills that would really useful in Christchurch and none of the applications filed in the last year have landed me jobs and many have gone completely unacknowledged.
What use is that?
i believe that labour and national are essentially the same party. They both agreed to make us live in the same type of system with slightly different views on very few details, but the general propositions are exactly the same: Low inflation and protecting the capital.
At the end, what the parties are really interested, is protecting the banks and their only asset: Money Capital, that with inflation would be devalued spreading the wealth.
The situation here is even worse off, because 4 out of 5 banks are australians and the huge profit are sent overseas overnight, skimming the country off of further funds.
Until one party decides to stop the anti market privilege to let the bank know how much they can approx lose with their capital in one, ( stability pack says that our inflation has to be between 0 and 3%) there will be no opportunities for a real economic boom, because banks are not interested in booming time, but in controlling the money supply and the expansion thereof, so the devaluation of their capital is under control.
All banks want is stability and that’s all they have.
All employers and employees want is opportunities and that won’t happen with low tight inflation.
best
DTC