The calls from the right to freeze the minimum wage underline the fact that the coronvirus issue will be used as yet another excuse to rip any semblance of purchasing power from those at the bottom.
Rather than raising the minimum wage (and all the inflation that goes with it), I think it would be better to give them more money in the hand via a tax rate reduction.
Tricky thing with tax cuts going into a downturn is that they only help those that are paying tax, and do absolutely nothing for those that don't have an income or make a profit, who are the ones who need the assistance that comes from aforesaid tax cuts. For business the impact of tax cuts is also delayed for 12 – 18 months by the way the tax system works.
Likewise just putting up wages is going to have the odd perverse outcome, like accelerate the impending unemployment of the min wage earner. But the problem here isn't the 5-10% increase, it's really the other 90% of the wage bill.
Reality here is that what's needed is massive stimulus to keep money circulating in the economy, however this could be tricky with the international supply constraints this event is going to cause. All that could be thought of in 2009 was John Key's cycleway project, which around here met it's aims quite well. Projects will need to be small enough to not need lots of inputs from overseas, but big enough to get plenty of cash moving around.
As an aside, years ago a Nat candidate came bouncing into my business saying National's tax cut policy was going to be the best thing out for my business. My reply was "It'd just be nice to be paying some tax" The look on his face as the realisation sank in and he scuttled out the door was priceless.
In the economic conditions of recent years, more businesses are paying tax than not. Most will be paying provisional tax, and relief could be as close as the next payment due in just 18 days.
As to a massive stimulus, I simply don't trust this or any government to make the right calls around that. Return more money into the pockets of NZ's, target low and middle income families, and let them make individual choices about whether they save, spend or pay down debt.
There's a lot of businesses who won't be paying tax next year, most of the forestry and tourism sectors, and I'd say most of the discretionary retail are in for a very tough year. We're in tourism and after a very good year last year, this year is going to be a loss, and we have virtually no exposure to the Chinese market. Tax cut sounds pretty hollow.
Many of those businesses will be paying provisional tax, in about 18 days!. That tax is based on historical profits (at least to a large degree), so a cut in the tax rate would have an immediate benefit. Not hollow at all.
Provisional tax can be reassessed if there is justification – not making any profit is justification, and if they pay the provisional tax and then don't make a profit and it has to be refunded, that's a terrible outcome as they paid the money for nothing at the worse possible time.
That is time consuming for both the IRD and the businesses involved. And then there’s the consequences of getting the assessment wrong. Much more sensible would be a simple mechanism to reduce the amount of the provisional tax. Like a reduction in the tax rate.
Actually it's not that difficult according to my accountant. Tourism has an advantage as most businesses have a June balance so by the time you're paying your prov tax you've got a pretty good idea how the year is going. Busy time for accountants, but it's dealt with regularly as we go through our cycles. You just don't want to get it too far wrong, IRD don't like that.
A few % here or there in the rate is fuck all compared with what a lot are facing, so I don't you're in business, just cranking out ideology from your bedroom.
I didn't say it was difficult, I said it was time consuming. And I know, because I am accountant who now runs a group of businesses. And not from my bedroom. I also happen to be averse to corporate welfare. Businesses are facing a ‘rainy day. We’ve also been enjoying good economic conditions for many years, which was when we should have been putting money away for this rainy day, not expecting government assistance at the first signs of clouds gathering.
If government was to cut tax a zero rated threshold would be the way to do it. Another option would be a cut in GST, but most of that would go to retailers who wouldn't pass it on.
Nope beneficiaries never benefit from tax cuts. The net rate stays the same and less PAYE is paid to IRD. Only NZS benefits from tax cuts.
Just another way beneficiaries have been impoverished.
Benefits originally weren’t taxed but bean counters realised if you taxed it you added it to total income for tax purposes and if people worked during the tax year you could get some of the now pittance paid back through the tax system.
A look at why Biden is suddenly the prohibitive front-runner. And no, it's not "the establishment", Democratic party leaders have been bending over backwards to avoid even the appearance of trying to influence the choice.
Biden's frequent inability to articulate a coherent thought is offensive to those of us strongly interested in politics and the ability to concisely present clear ideologies and plans. But most voters don't care. Especially general election voters. Just look at Reagan, Shrub, and the Don the Con.
Politics tragics almost always have almost zero self-awareness about where their personal views sit on the distribution of political ideas.
Lurking beneath the theory that high turnout would disadvantage Joe Biden is what we might call the “disappointed nonvoter thesis.” Scratch a political devotee and you’ll almost always find the same theory of turnout underpinning their plans: If only a candidate would say what I already think but louder. This reflects the disappointment that the very engaged have with their leaders: Practicing politicians have to appeal to mixed constituencies to win reelection or pass anything in Congress, and so they compromise their beliefs, sand down their edges, trim their ambitions.
The idea that there's a hidden mass of non-voters just waiting to turn out for the candidate that echos your personal views invariably ends in tears.
Then the coming election will be almost entirely a referendum on Hair Farce One. The chaos and divisiveness of the past few years is fatiguing and distressing, so for most voters a return to something vaguely familiar is much more attractive than yet more revolution, chaos and divisiveness.
Your assessment of what's happening may well turn out to be right. My quibble is with the reasoning behind it, i.e. "a return to something vaguely familiar is much more attractive than yet more revolution, chaos and divisiveness."
The status quo before Trump was already a place of chaos and divisiveness – not to mention the barbarism and cruelty of economic life. The only path to a place of civilised, and rational reasonableness is through major reform. We are all living inside a radical right-wing experiment, and we need to get out of it.
If the electorate don't see it this way and go for Joe – I see no sign that the Sanders campaign will berate them for it. Instead Sanders will swing behind Biden as he did for Clinton, and do his best. The 'Bernie Bro' narrative, like the 'deplorables' designation, is a classist myth perpetuated by elite centrists who think their opinions are above criticism from their economic and social inferiors.
And finally, if the thought of Sleepy Joe facing Trump's comic power doesn't worry everyone, then it should. Here is Trump ridiculing Bloomberg – and also getting at Warren by implying she is a 'mean woman'.
There's that thing about hanging out in spaces where politics tragics congregate again – very few ordinary voters would see their life as living inside a radical right-wing experiment in the way most commenters here do. In general, they are at best interested in whether government is going to promote things they like and move away from things they don't like.
Undoubtedly there's a voting segment that wants upheaval and "sticking it to the establishment" more than anything else, and are less concerned about the direction it takes, whether left or right. You can see that here, in the commenters that show very little concern for the myriad damaging shit the Terracotta Turdface pulls all the time but are very quick to post things he or his sycophants have done that lefties might be OK with. But for most of these voters, the genital-grabbing golem is delivering on the demolition they crave – so why would they switch from a proven wrecker?
As for Darth Drumpf alleged comedic genius, again that's appealing to a small and frankly juvenile subset of the electorate. Even then, it only works when it builds on already existing prejudice. So Bloomberg was a sitting duck. Hillary had decades of smears to leverage off.
But for anyone not already strongly predisposed towards Genghis Don, trying to damage Biden by pointing at his apparently declining cognition is simply going to invite comparison to the alternative. Unbelievable as it may be to anyone considering Biden in isolation, the comparison to the Spraytan Stalin is flattering to Biden. Also, Biden has a long history of verbal mess-making, so for a lot of people it's just Joe being Joe.
In 2016, some of Bernie's supporters (and to a lesser extent Bernie himself) were disruptive and divisive all the way to the convention and beyond. Post-convention, I'd hardly describe Bernie as an enthusiastic campaigner for Hillary – it appeared frankly grudging. And yes, the BernieBros subset of his supporters were indeed a thing, and some of them actively worked against Hillary to the end. Hopefully Bernie and his more reasonable supporters have learned for this time and have a plan for dealing with it.
Union leaders and their members can be on divergent paths re elections as the Nevada Primary showed. And now a union forum between Mr Biden and Mr Sanders has been cancelled. Joe’s minders will be relieved…
@ Tiger Mountain, Good to see at least one sane leftie pushing back against centrists on this site…keep up the good work, though I fear any tonic to remedy the amount of free market liberal kool aid this lot have consumed might well have little or most probably no effect.
Still planting seeds I guess might be a kinder way to think about it.
The passengers are going to end up owning a cruise company.
An alert about a coronavirus infection sat in an unmonitored inbox. A cruise doctor saw “no point” in disinfecting the ship. And Japan disregarded medical guidelines to contain an outbreak.
[…]
“Would kindly inform the ship related parties and do the necessary disinfection,” Princess’s port representative wrote on Feb. 1, relaying a warning from Hong Kong health officials. “Many thanks!”
Nothing happened. Princess says it believes the alert sat unread in unmonitored inboxes. Grant Tarling, the company’s top doctor and the person in charge of responding to outbreaks, said he hadn’t learned about the infection until the following day — after being alerted to a post on social media.
The US legal system is going to have a great time with Carnival. There mightn't be much left by the end.
Carnival are also a very large company and have a dominant share of the cruise market. If they end up getting taken to bits global tourism will be changed quite a bit. Although I think our, and the global tourism industry will be unrecognisable after COVID19 has done it's thing.
I love how he tried to pretend that he needed someone else's permission to talk about why he chose to sue and then why he chose to withdraw the case.
How cool would that be as a catch-all evasion: "I know I said I'd go to softball practise today and that I have now chosen to not go, but due to a confidentiality agreement I cannot disclose why I changed my mind or what I will be doing instead"
Australian Doc says don't wait, isolate everyone now. It's a good call considering the overwhelming toll on emergency and ICU resources, although 3 weeks might be better.
And yes, expecting retired doctors to go back to work and expose themselves to illness when we already know they are in a high risk group is incredibly unrealistic. A smart retired doctor would stay retired.
I am concerned that preparations within healthcare for the cases to come are already behind the level of need. Healthcare workers are ill, or in isolation, or worried to go to work. Healthcare workers have died elsewhere. Facilities are short-staffed. Work safety, especially in smaller institutions or general practice, is threatened by lack of consistent guidelines, inadequate protective clothing, design of safe places for changing gowns, and by the fact they cannot know which patients may be carrying the virus. Retired doctors can’t fill gaps in service. Already out of practice by definition, by age they are in a high-risk group.
Yes. Western govts everywhere have wasted a months warning and are miserably failing to proactively get in front of this crisis. Everywhere they're waiting until too late to act.
While we have a post headlined about the state not listening to women, maybe it would be good to look at the ratio of men to women in the comments feed on The Standard. Then consider why TS has so few women's voices and what that might mean for the left or the labour movement. By consider I mean listen to women (or ask), not start in with reckons if you are male.
…"By consider I mean listen to women (or ask), not start in with reckons if you are male"..damn and I had already started typing, lol.
No but seriously, that is a good point you bring up concerning TS there Weka, and I would be very interested to see those male/female comment numbers.
I have to say it yet is another reason why I have liked the Sanders movement so much, as is it has proved to have been such a big unashamed and prominent platform for the powerful Woman of the progressive Left, young and old.
Excuse me while I contemplate a thread set up by a woman specifically asking to hear from women and for men to listen, and the first comment is from a man touting his perception of inclusiveness from the Sanders campaign when actual exit polls show a significant gender gap with Sanders receiving a lot lower support from women than from men.
Well, there's an Adrian Thornton that has somewhat of an online presence outside TS that's male and has a very close correlation of interests and circumstances with what the Adrian Thornton persona has disclosed here on TS.
The links are there because I made assertions of fact – without the links it would be just reckons.
That Adrian out there probably is me, I use my name in nearly everything politically that I do online, why wouldn't I? I actually stand behind and really believe in what I stand for, and if anyone has a problem with anything I say they can easily find me for a face to face debate if they wished…I might even make them a pretty damn good coffee (if I my say so myself) while we doing it.
I was talking about comment 10.1. Your reply to me pointing out the problem of low women commenter numbers and asking that men either listen to women or ask rather than jumping in with their reckons. Then you and Andre, both men apparently, jump in with your reckons.
Of the 20 easily visible comments in the Comment menu, two are from women, another two are from gender neutral names where I don't know the person well enough to know what sex they are. That leaves 16 from men. Sometimes there are more women around, but the ratio rarely gets to something suggesting there isn't a problem.
Of the half dozen authors active at the moment, only one is female. It's been that kind of ratio for a long time. Occasionally another woman author will post, but I'm the only one doing so regularly.
Also pertinent is the number of times a post like the headlined one is written by a male author.
Always liked the weka at the Napier Botanical Gardens. It would sprint back and forth at the back of the cage. Not a comment , just a memory.
Interesting the taxi drivers over at Kiwiblog outnumber Lefties 8 to 1 . And the Right deciding things the last many decades. The entertainmentism of individualism explains a lot but solidarity doesn't seem to have much traction.
Bit late here..but as a woman I tend not to comment on TS so much because it doesn't strike me as being a forum for 'Leftist' ideas..or even the Labour Movement ie very few stories about issues concerning workers (be it NZ or overseas).
Most contributors seem more concerned with repeating the refrain "National (or Trump, or Bridges) are Morons', which while correct, is not something I need to hear everyday. Nor the endless comments about why Bernie is a loser, and the joys of incremental change compromise
So, that could be 'just my opinion' as a Leftist idealogue (the pet hate of certain well placed individuals on TS), or, possibly, that could be be, as a woman, not enjoying the repetitive crowing (roosters crowing?) against a party that doesn't interest me, or the cocks crowing against any real political movement to the Left.
Funnily enough..Adrian T. has always told me Weka is a woman…and I've always claimed Wekea is a dude…so, there you go..
Heh. I'm gender non-conforming when it comes to behaviour.
One of the dynamics about TS is that authors are free to write what they want, so when it gets left to some authors, what they want to write about is what will be the main thing happening on site. Micky writes a lot about National (r0b did too), but it's micky that keeps the blog going by putting up a post most days. I'm averaging about one a week currently (plus some cross posts).
What I was trying to do in the past was bring in more authors with more diversity, with an initial focus on increasing women (authors, readers and commenters). There are solid reasons why I had to stop doing that, but the easiest one to talk about on the front end is what I pointed to yesterday.
Imo, if the existing commentariat valued having women here, there would be more women here, and this would change the conversations. I think the increase in diversity would also serve the site well (we lost a lot of regular commenters in the past few years). I would probably write more, if there was more support for women here. At the moment I am actively avoiding writing from a feminist perspective.
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Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
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. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
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 ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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The calls from the right to freeze the minimum wage underline the fact that the coronvirus issue will be used as yet another excuse to rip any semblance of purchasing power from those at the bottom.
Rather than raising the minimum wage (and all the inflation that goes with it), I think it would be better to give them more money in the hand via a tax rate reduction.
Tricky thing with tax cuts going into a downturn is that they only help those that are paying tax, and do absolutely nothing for those that don't have an income or make a profit, who are the ones who need the assistance that comes from aforesaid tax cuts. For business the impact of tax cuts is also delayed for 12 – 18 months by the way the tax system works.
Likewise just putting up wages is going to have the odd perverse outcome, like accelerate the impending unemployment of the min wage earner. But the problem here isn't the 5-10% increase, it's really the other 90% of the wage bill.
Reality here is that what's needed is massive stimulus to keep money circulating in the economy, however this could be tricky with the international supply constraints this event is going to cause. All that could be thought of in 2009 was John Key's cycleway project, which around here met it's aims quite well. Projects will need to be small enough to not need lots of inputs from overseas, but big enough to get plenty of cash moving around.
As an aside, years ago a Nat candidate came bouncing into my business saying National's tax cut policy was going to be the best thing out for my business. My reply was "It'd just be nice to be paying some tax" The look on his face as the realisation sank in and he scuttled out the door was priceless.
In the economic conditions of recent years, more businesses are paying tax than not. Most will be paying provisional tax, and relief could be as close as the next payment due in just 18 days.
As to a massive stimulus, I simply don't trust this or any government to make the right calls around that. Return more money into the pockets of NZ's, target low and middle income families, and let them make individual choices about whether they save, spend or pay down debt.
Internal tourism!
What better time to visit all those hotspots that are normally overcrowded with rude pushie foreign tourists.
A government backed advertising campaign and free train tickets if you book more than 5 nights away.
There's a lot of businesses who won't be paying tax next year, most of the forestry and tourism sectors, and I'd say most of the discretionary retail are in for a very tough year. We're in tourism and after a very good year last year, this year is going to be a loss, and we have virtually no exposure to the Chinese market. Tax cut sounds pretty hollow.
Many of those businesses will be paying provisional tax, in about 18 days!. That tax is based on historical profits (at least to a large degree), so a cut in the tax rate would have an immediate benefit. Not hollow at all.
Provisional tax can be reassessed if there is justification – not making any profit is justification, and if they pay the provisional tax and then don't make a profit and it has to be refunded, that's a terrible outcome as they paid the money for nothing at the worse possible time.
That is time consuming for both the IRD and the businesses involved. And then there’s the consequences of getting the assessment wrong. Much more sensible would be a simple mechanism to reduce the amount of the provisional tax. Like a reduction in the tax rate.
Actually it's not that difficult according to my accountant. Tourism has an advantage as most businesses have a June balance so by the time you're paying your prov tax you've got a pretty good idea how the year is going. Busy time for accountants, but it's dealt with regularly as we go through our cycles. You just don't want to get it too far wrong, IRD don't like that.
A few % here or there in the rate is fuck all compared with what a lot are facing, so I don't you're in business, just cranking out ideology from your bedroom.
I didn't say it was difficult, I said it was time consuming. And I know, because I am accountant who now runs a group of businesses. And not from my bedroom. I also happen to be averse to corporate welfare. Businesses are facing a ‘rainy day. We’ve also been enjoying good economic conditions for many years, which was when we should have been putting money away for this rainy day, not expecting government assistance at the first signs of clouds gathering.
That's not entirely true, If you cut by making a tax free threshold everybody wins including benificaries.
Can even be paid for my an additional bracket set at 100k.
If government was to cut tax a zero rated threshold would be the way to do it. Another option would be a cut in GST, but most of that would go to retailers who wouldn't pass it on.
Nope beneficiaries never benefit from tax cuts. The net rate stays the same and less PAYE is paid to IRD. Only NZS benefits from tax cuts.
Just another way beneficiaries have been impoverished.
Benefits originally weren’t taxed but bean counters realised if you taxed it you added it to total income for tax purposes and if people worked during the tax year you could get some of the now pittance paid back through the tax system.
Yet another way beneficiaries were impoverished.
And starve our health system.
Lets try “disaster socialism” for a change…
A look at why Biden is suddenly the prohibitive front-runner. And no, it's not "the establishment", Democratic party leaders have been bending over backwards to avoid even the appearance of trying to influence the choice.
Biden's frequent inability to articulate a coherent thought is offensive to those of us strongly interested in politics and the ability to concisely present clear ideologies and plans. But most voters don't care. Especially general election voters. Just look at Reagan, Shrub, and the Don the Con.
Politics tragics almost always have almost zero self-awareness about where their personal views sit on the distribution of political ideas.
The idea that there's a hidden mass of non-voters just waiting to turn out for the candidate that echos your personal views invariably ends in tears.
Then the coming election will be almost entirely a referendum on Hair Farce One. The chaos and divisiveness of the past few years is fatiguing and distressing, so for most voters a return to something vaguely familiar is much more attractive than yet more revolution, chaos and divisiveness.
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/9/21169367/joe-biden-electability-democratic-primary-bernie-sanders-donald-trump
Your assessment of what's happening may well turn out to be right. My quibble is with the reasoning behind it, i.e. "a return to something vaguely familiar is much more attractive than yet more revolution, chaos and divisiveness."
The status quo before Trump was already a place of chaos and divisiveness – not to mention the barbarism and cruelty of economic life. The only path to a place of civilised, and rational reasonableness is through major reform. We are all living inside a radical right-wing experiment, and we need to get out of it.
If the electorate don't see it this way and go for Joe – I see no sign that the Sanders campaign will berate them for it. Instead Sanders will swing behind Biden as he did for Clinton, and do his best. The 'Bernie Bro' narrative, like the 'deplorables' designation, is a classist myth perpetuated by elite centrists who think their opinions are above criticism from their economic and social inferiors.
And finally, if the thought of Sleepy Joe facing Trump's comic power doesn't worry everyone, then it should. Here is Trump ridiculing Bloomberg – and also getting at Warren by implying she is a 'mean woman'.
There's that thing about hanging out in spaces where politics tragics congregate again – very few ordinary voters would see their life as living inside a radical right-wing experiment in the way most commenters here do. In general, they are at best interested in whether government is going to promote things they like and move away from things they don't like.
Undoubtedly there's a voting segment that wants upheaval and "sticking it to the establishment" more than anything else, and are less concerned about the direction it takes, whether left or right. You can see that here, in the commenters that show very little concern for the myriad damaging shit the Terracotta Turdface pulls all the time but are very quick to post things he or his sycophants have done that lefties might be OK with. But for most of these voters, the genital-grabbing golem is delivering on the demolition they crave – so why would they switch from a proven wrecker?
As for Darth Drumpf alleged comedic genius, again that's appealing to a small and frankly juvenile subset of the electorate. Even then, it only works when it builds on already existing prejudice. So Bloomberg was a sitting duck. Hillary had decades of smears to leverage off.
But for anyone not already strongly predisposed towards Genghis Don, trying to damage Biden by pointing at his apparently declining cognition is simply going to invite comparison to the alternative. Unbelievable as it may be to anyone considering Biden in isolation, the comparison to the Spraytan Stalin is flattering to Biden. Also, Biden has a long history of verbal mess-making, so for a lot of people it's just Joe being Joe.
In 2016, some of Bernie's supporters (and to a lesser extent Bernie himself) were disruptive and divisive all the way to the convention and beyond. Post-convention, I'd hardly describe Bernie as an enthusiastic campaigner for Hillary – it appeared frankly grudging. And yes, the BernieBros subset of his supporters were indeed a thing, and some of them actively worked against Hillary to the end. Hopefully Bernie and his more reasonable supporters have learned for this time and have a plan for dealing with it.
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200306204901-02-opinion-cartoons-0306-exlarge-169.jpg
Biden just got the endorsement of the Machinists and Aero Workers union.
It was a free vote for any party candidate, and Trump got 34%. Plenty of fight in Trump yet.
That's an influential union with good ground game.
Union leaders and their members can be on divergent paths re elections as the Nevada Primary showed. And now a union forum between Mr Biden and Mr Sanders has been cancelled. Joe’s minders will be relieved…
https://www.axios.com/afl-cio-presidential-forum-canceled-coronavirus-1cbfb1a3-3106-40e4-aa3e-1216da61949e.html?fbclid=IwAR384NxZIs1OCsXeayhnWCez5sg8NkXw2wU4slOeCXNCT8-XWyctgLPGb8o
It is tough in the South…
https://labornotes.org/blogs/2017/02/viewpoint-boeing-vote-was-not-referendum-organizing-south
Little victories…
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-union-idUSKCN1IW1DH
@ Tiger Mountain, Good to see at least one sane leftie pushing back against centrists on this site…keep up the good work, though I fear any tonic to remedy the amount of free market liberal kool aid this lot have consumed might well have little or most probably no effect.
Still planting seeds I guess might be a kinder way to think about it.
A fairly comprehensive look at the impact of coronavirus on the global economy.
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/9/21167391/coronavirus-economy-stimulus-recession
Smartarse optics games with coronavirus …
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/03/matt-gaetz-coronavirus-quarantine/
Only the best people…
https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1236843649775947776
edit:
https://twitter.com/RepGosar/status/1236822800846864386
Gosar … isn't he the dude who had the rest of his family take out TV ads saying don't vote for him?
Ted Cruz is self-quarantining as well. I s'pose he's amusing himself cooking up his breakfast bacon on the muzzle of his full-auto, again.
Oh my god.
AOC nukes him after he tweets, I shit you not, "I'd rather die in gloriously battle than from a virus"
https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1237186157701664768
Seriously, what fucking planet are these microdick repugs from?
This one.
https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1237053212886212609
https://twitter.com/xtreme_cent/status/1237064066801295362
fucksake
WOW!
Because public health advice is to gather large groups and go sticky to sticky with strangers.
https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1237032789700206592
..and all the gang were there..
https://twitter.com/RepDougCollins/status/1237096863624507398
https://twitter.com/samstein/status/1237099279627489281
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/cpac-2020-trump-worship-hating-socialism-bullied-victim-left-2020-2?r=US&IR=T
On plastic… LEGO uses sugarcane waste instead of…
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/lego-sugarcane-blocks-plastic-waste/?fbclid=IwAR3AoMg1olV0U9Jmv9eRKw9D5BcmojWWw_p7EQQ4iVX3-jzBZ1X9ARE6MgM
The passengers are going to end up owning a cruise company.
An alert about a coronavirus infection sat in an unmonitored inbox. A cruise doctor saw “no point” in disinfecting the ship. And Japan disregarded medical guidelines to contain an outbreak.
[…]
“Would kindly inform the ship related parties and do the necessary disinfection,” Princess’s port representative wrote on Feb. 1, relaying a warning from Hong Kong health officials. “Many thanks!”
Nothing happened. Princess says it believes the alert sat unread in unmonitored inboxes. Grant Tarling, the company’s top doctor and the person in charge of responding to outbreaks, said he hadn’t learned about the infection until the following day — after being alerted to a post on social media.
http://archive.li/vwaIX
The US legal system is going to have a great time with Carnival. There mightn't be much left by the end.
Carnival are also a very large company and have a dominant share of the cruise market. If they end up getting taken to bits global tourism will be changed quite a bit. Although I think our, and the global tourism industry will be unrecognisable after COVID19 has done it's thing.
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411365/sir-bob-jones-to-pay-legal-costs-to-renae-maihi
lol
I love how he tried to pretend that he needed someone else's permission to talk about why he chose to sue and then why he chose to withdraw the case.
How cool would that be as a catch-all evasion: "I know I said I'd go to softball practise today and that I have now chosen to not go, but due to a confidentiality agreement I cannot disclose why I changed my mind or what I will be doing instead"
Good job. Don't forget the interest.
How to support our economy in the wake of Covid19…
Shop local.
Fun fact, the increase in the minimum wage will help local economies, as that is where it will be spent, at the local shops.
Australian Doc says don't wait, isolate everyone now. It's a good call considering the overwhelming toll on emergency and ICU resources, although 3 weeks might be better.
And yes, expecting retired doctors to go back to work and expose themselves to illness when we already know they are in a high risk group is incredibly unrealistic. A smart retired doctor would stay retired.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/don-t-wait-let-s-self-isolate-everyone-for-two-weeks-now-20200309-p548ao.html
Yes. Western govts everywhere have wasted a months warning and are miserably failing to proactively get in front of this crisis. Everywhere they're waiting until too late to act.
While we have a post headlined about the state not listening to women, maybe it would be good to look at the ratio of men to women in the comments feed on The Standard. Then consider why TS has so few women's voices and what that might mean for the left or the labour movement. By consider I mean listen to women (or ask), not start in with reckons if you are male.
…"By consider I mean listen to women (or ask), not start in with reckons if you are male"..damn and I had already started typing, lol.
No but seriously, that is a good point you bring up concerning TS there Weka, and I would be very interested to see those male/female comment numbers.
I have to say it yet is another reason why I have liked the Sanders movement so much, as is it has proved to have been such a big unashamed and prominent platform for the powerful Woman of the progressive Left, young and old.
Excuse me while I contemplate a thread set up by a woman specifically asking to hear from women and for men to listen, and the first comment is from a man touting his perception of inclusiveness from the Sanders campaign when actual exit polls show a significant gender gap with Sanders receiving a lot lower support from women than from men.
https://www.edisonresearch.com/on-super-tuesday-gaps/
And yes, I get it that what I just wrote further degenerates this thread into something specifically not wanted. Sorry, weka.
edit: here’s state by state data
https://edition.cnn.com/election/2020/entrance-and-exit-polls/california/democratic
I've always assumed that Adrian is a woman.
Not sure why you had to go there with the links and stuff, although it illustrates my point I guess.
Well, there's an Adrian Thornton that has somewhat of an online presence outside TS that's male and has a very close correlation of interests and circumstances with what the Adrian Thornton persona has disclosed here on TS.
The links are there because I made assertions of fact – without the links it would be just reckons.
Hopefully they will come along and clarify.
The problem was the reckons about US pol Andre. And now you're defending the derail despite apparently understanding the reasons to not do so.
That Adrian out there probably is me, I use my name in nearly everything politically that I do online, why wouldn't I? I actually stand behind and really believe in what I stand for, and if anyone has a problem with anything I say they can easily find me for a face to face debate if they wished…I might even make them a pretty damn good coffee (if I my say so myself) while we doing it.
And yes I am a Man.
Then why ignore this "By consider I mean listen to women (or ask), not start in with reckons if you are male."?
Did you even understand what I wrote?
Settle down there, I wasn't even commenting to you, I was clarifying something to Andre..that is why the comment was addressed to Andre and not you.
Weka @ 10
Adrian Thornton @ 10.1
QED
I was talking about comment 10.1. Your reply to me pointing out the problem of low women commenter numbers and asking that men either listen to women or ask rather than jumping in with their reckons. Then you and Andre, both men apparently, jump in with your reckons.
As Incog pointed out, QED.
Of the 20 easily visible comments in the Comment menu, two are from women, another two are from gender neutral names where I don't know the person well enough to know what sex they are. That leaves 16 from men. Sometimes there are more women around, but the ratio rarely gets to something suggesting there isn't a problem.
Of the half dozen authors active at the moment, only one is female. It's been that kind of ratio for a long time. Occasionally another woman author will post, but I'm the only one doing so regularly.
Also pertinent is the number of times a post like the headlined one is written by a male author.
Always liked the weka at the Napier Botanical Gardens. It would sprint back and forth at the back of the cage. Not a comment , just a memory.
Interesting the taxi drivers over at Kiwiblog outnumber Lefties 8 to 1 . And the Right deciding things the last many decades. The entertainmentism of individualism explains a lot but solidarity doesn't seem to have much traction.
right now it's 1/20 (one commenter I know is a woman)
Bit late here..but as a woman I tend not to comment on TS so much because it doesn't strike me as being a forum for 'Leftist' ideas..or even the Labour Movement ie very few stories about issues concerning workers (be it NZ or overseas).
Most contributors seem more concerned with repeating the refrain "National (or Trump, or Bridges) are Morons', which while correct, is not something I need to hear everyday. Nor the endless comments about why Bernie is a loser, and the joys of incremental
changecompromiseSo, that could be 'just my opinion' as a Leftist idealogue (the pet hate of certain well placed individuals on TS), or, possibly, that could be be, as a woman, not enjoying the repetitive crowing (roosters crowing?) against a party that doesn't interest me, or the cocks crowing against any real political movement to the Left.
Funnily enough..Adrian T. has always told me Weka is a woman…and I've always claimed Wekea is a dude…so, there you go..
Heh. I'm gender non-conforming when it comes to behaviour.
One of the dynamics about TS is that authors are free to write what they want, so when it gets left to some authors, what they want to write about is what will be the main thing happening on site. Micky writes a lot about National (r0b did too), but it's micky that keeps the blog going by putting up a post most days. I'm averaging about one a week currently (plus some cross posts).
What I was trying to do in the past was bring in more authors with more diversity, with an initial focus on increasing women (authors, readers and commenters). There are solid reasons why I had to stop doing that, but the easiest one to talk about on the front end is what I pointed to yesterday.
Imo, if the existing commentariat valued having women here, there would be more women here, and this would change the conversations. I think the increase in diversity would also serve the site well (we lost a lot of regular commenters in the past few years). I would probably write more, if there was more support for women here. At the moment I am actively avoiding writing from a feminist perspective.