It has occurred to me that New Zealand is a premium economy in which to have a business. http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/new-zealand/. Therefore like any premium product, there should be a premium price. At the supermarket we pay more for Anchor than Home Brand, more for Dilmah than Choysa and more for Hunters than Jacobs Creek.
Offshore owners of businesses in New Zealand should also pay a premium for doing business here. Currently the tax rate for business is, I believe, 33%. I propose that a sliding scale of share ownership V tax paid should be introduced. If the offshore entity has a 51% ownership, the tax on the profit shifted outside of New Zealand climbs to, say, 39%. The scale then continues until on the final n% of shares owned, the tax is, say, 90%. However if they are 100% owned offshore, but choose to reinvest their profits back into the New Zealand economy, the tax rate would be mitigated, at an appropriate rate.
Seems like a great way to either raise revenue, or ensure that the money made out of New Zealanders is reinvested in New Zealand.
I’m sure you will correct me if I am wrong.
On the issue of the wine, by memory, NZ wines have a baseline price they can’t go under when sold in NZ. That’s why we don’t have cheap (sub $10) NZ wines compared to Aussie wines. Can’t remember the rationale, but it’s a industry/trade agreement. Probably doesn’t help, though, that the profits from a boutique vineyard of a few thousand vines will be necessarily less than a block with hundreds of thousands of vines.
Dilmah is imported here, already blended, to a warehouse in sunny Ellerslie, if I remember correctly. Choysa isn’t grown here, so what is premium NZ about those things? Our ability to re-handle or box product?
Is Anchor and Home Brand the same product except for the colour of the wax paper around it? How do we arrive at “premium NZ” anything – just believe it is?
All the tea labels are from bulk produced tea plantations. No label like Choysa or Tiger or Dilmah have their own plantations. They buy from the bulk producers just as carpet manufacturers buy from wool “plantations.”
Except for Anchor’s niche value-added products (lactose-free milk, extra calcium etc) and ones where the production process matters (cheese) you’d be a mug to buy anchor as it’s the same product as home brand.
“Seems like a great way to either raise revenue, or ensure that the money made out of New Zealanders is reinvested in New Zealand.”
Working for a multinational IT company that has exports in the $50m+ US range, it sounds like a good way to ensure the Christchurch office is shut down. We’ve already had a tough time with the exchange rate.
Working for a multinational IT company that has exports in the $50m+ US range, it sounds like a good way to ensure the Christchurch office is shut down.
I see you’ve bought into the capitalist lie that the owners of businesses are the ones that create work. Here’s the truth: If the work is there then the work is there, it doesn’t need a particular company or its owners to be satisfied.
The US’s ‘war on terror’ and ‘containment’. How’s that working for them? Anyone got an up to date tally of current US embassies under various levels of siege?
John Banks seems to confirm the character of the long line of municipal mayoralties throughout history (worldwide) who are less than squeaky clean (dodgy) – there to line their pockets through what ever means available. No surprises in the latest revelations really – did anyone expect different?
Logic97. The only surprise is that we actually got to learn about these latest revelations! But no surprise over the Key-Banks affair – they are glued together in dubious ethic, game-playing, defiance of anything or anyone that might represent decency.
‘To all the governments negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement:
As concerned global citizens, we call on you to make the TPP process transparent and accountable to all, and to reject any plans that limit our governments’ power to regulate in the public interest. The TPP is a threat to democracy, undermining national sovereignty, workers’ rights, environmental protections and Internet freedom. We urge you to reject this corporate takeover.’
If you wish to sign the petition here is the link:
Hey marsman, I was going to post this petition yesterday but I held off becuase I wondered whether folks were getting sick of me posting Avaaz petitions as well as Labour Rights petitions.
I’m glad you put it up though. Avaaz does make a difference and their campaigns work. The Americans seem to be taking the TPPA seriously. I get daily emails from all sorts of American organisations opposed to the TPPA. Sure our population is a drop in the ocean compared to theirs, but at least they have knowledge of it and are standing up to it. We seem oblivious to the threat here in NZ.
Have you ever thought about how the supermarket operates, as you wander the aisles doing your grocery shopping? Having had the misfortune of working for a supplier to foodstuffs in 07 I can say that the unfair practices of foodstuffs reffered to in this article is just the tip of the iceberg
There is also the issue of suppliers having to provide merchandisers to put the product on the shelf, once it arives from their warehouse or the hub, and do the displays. Merchies are low paid contract workers who usually have to organise their own ACC, sick and holiday pay. They also have to use their own cars and phones for the job, often being poorly compensated. This way the supermarket hires less of their own shelf fillers. Most NW workers are on minimum wage or slightly above. Foodstuffs have been known to block workers attempts to unionise while Aussie owned Countdown (Progressive Enterprises) has a good collective agreement and doesn’t block workers from joining the union. Countdowns’ starting hourly rate is higher than NW’s.
I shop at NW because I like to support NZ owned businesses and because they have more NZ made products and stock products from small suppliers that Progressive Enterprises won’t touch. Countdown on the other hand has a better employment agreement. Its a domestic dilema. Either way, the business of supermarkets really needs to be exposed. They are getting away with alot more than we realise.
Hi Rosie, definitely agree that its something which most people simply can’t/won’t or don’t want to know…
They go to the shop/supermarket, or whatever it might be, they buy/consume, and give very little thought to the practices of the establishment they are spending money at.
It is generally outside the scope of the bandwidth available to people..
Seriously , next time you are unfortunate enough to have to frequent a mall/supermarket, have a look at the faces/eyes of the people wandering around…its like a zombie nation!
Hi Muzza. Zombie nation indeed:) Its like folks go into a sort of catatonic state. My favourite is a bunch of people standing aimlessly right in the middle of a thoroughfare and you have to weave and dance through them. Its like they are dazzled by the fluoro lights and noise, which to me is one of the many reasons to avoid a mall excursion. Those mega supermarkets do that to folks too.
If I ever the $$$ to spend on something non grocery item I usaully go to an independant retailer in a non mall setting. I try to go for items that haven’t impacted negatively on the environment or the producer. Doesn’t always work out that way though, as its hard to avoid completely.
Good stuff Rosie, any thought given to what else is in play behind the shelves and “bright lights”, has to be a good thing.
Sometimes in AKL is not easy to get to a supermarket which is not attached to a mall, so its after hours or early mornings in order to avoid the stunned mullets wandering aimlessly around “the mall”
Mate calls them gormless, doddery consumers. And that’s exactly what they are. On autopilot they simply just walk into you, can’t even make eye contact if they try, like every reflex and instinct for self preservation they have has already died.
Supermarkets actually need to be nationalised and run as a government service with free delivery. They’re effectively a private duopoly which is just as bad as a private monopoly. Nationalising will get rid of the dead weight loss of profit that they impose upon us and free delivery will help us save on scarce resources.
True…I would love to be able to shop at a government run supermarket. I’m sick of having two options, both of which provide poverty wages, and rip off customers and local suppliers.
Countdown on the other hand has a better employment agreement. Its a domestic dilema
No dilemna for me! I haven’t got a car, and NW are too far away… Countdown do not have a very good wage, but supporting NZ business is not always the way to go.
I’ve recently reached a milestone on my blog – 1500 posts – three and a half years of blogging. Much of the inspiration to keep going comes from this site, from the posts and comments, the arguments and understanding, the links, knowledge, and new ideas introduced or stories broken. So I want to say thanks to all.
It seems that I follow the comments of my favourites here as much as those I really disagree with – which is interesting, I wonder if others are the same.
Congrats Marty. You are one of the commenters I look out for here, so I should get to your place more often. Totally agree about the diversity of views.
Devaluation lowered across the boom in the House this weak
dearie me, dear oh dear oh dear
Joyce-mobility of low income families. into what?
-‘dynamic environment’. dynamite jobs. and he has ‘thought’ of an even more destructive plan; neo-liberal capitalism
i always enjoy Nanaia Mahuta’s questioning in the House
H.B Climate. many retail shops being left empty. vacancies for Green businesses?
Agree with Margaret Mutu’s assertion re colonisation of Public Servants, NGOs etc
Cunliffe is an effective communicator imo
to the consumption ‘priests’ Steppenwolf-“The Pusher”
off to fellowship now. will leaven People rather than burn the faithful. God Bless u and have a Great Day
2014 won’t be a repeat of 2011. The left and centre will come out in numbers against this government.
Although we always need to push the issue, the motivation in 24 months will be huge for the vast majority of New Zealanders who will by then be living below the poverty line. 2011 was the elction that matttered because it allowed the Nat to complete their intentional destruction of New Zealand society. 2014 will be about the rebuild of the economy and society
In the 1920s the leading academic economists, Frank Knight of Chicago and Irving Fisher of Yale, along with others including underground economist and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Frederick Soddy, strongly advocated a policy of 100% reserves for commercial banks. Why did this suggestion for financial reform disappear from discussion? The best answer I have received is that the great depression and subsequent Keynesian emphasis on growth swept it aside because limiting bank lending to actual savings was too restrictive on growth, which became the big panacea. Also there is the obvious vested interest of commercial banks in retaining the privilege of creating money and lending it at interest.
It seems that more and more economists and other informed people are coming out in favour of a 100% reserve currency created by the state rather than the banks. Now all we need is for the politicians to wake up to the fact that we actually need to go to such a system.
You turn the commercial banks into savings and loans institutions like the NZCU, the Co-operative Bank, and finance companies (albeit regulated and run to far higher standards).
The Reserve Bank would provide new funds to all other institutions as required.
You could read the article and you could go to the top address that the article is on and read their information. You could also do a Google search. My own method would go something like this:
*) Build lots state housing which would be rented out at 5% of household income
*) Offer 0% mortgages through the national bank (Kiwibank in our case) which would be paid back at 25% of household income. This money would be created at the time that the mortgage was created
*) Offer to buy privately owned residences which the present owner could then rent from the government at 5% of household income
*) While doing this slowly (over say, two years) reduce the banks reserve/capital ratio to 1:1
Done this way it shouldn’t disrupt the economy. There are other ways and it’s probably worth having a discussion about them.
You’d have to scrap the futures market, which is the main driver of this inflation.
Created for “Financial Security” reasons, and abused by the controlling oranisations for profit usinfg the same “Financial Security” argument as justification.
It’s also the main driver behind the current Oil fiasco, which is costing the whole planet jobs every day.
If 2011’s Arab Spring was all about the propaganda “hope” of democracy (driven paradoxically by soaring global good prices as we predicted in early 2011 before the first Tunisian domino toppled), then 2012 Arab Fall, is all about the blowback to US policies and intervention in the region. And while we are amused by the media’s narrative that an entire continent can suddenly come to arms against Pax Americana over a YouTube clip, we are confident that what some hate-mongering preacher has to say about Mohammed is about as relevant to what is happening in the Middle East today, as how the global economy performs impact the S&P. Absolutely none. What we do know is that the anti-American revulsion, which started on September 11 in Egypt and has since taken Libya and Yemen by storm, is spreading like wildfire.
Who would have thought that supporting a bunch of rebel militias would be bad for the citizens once they are “left to it”. A whole bunch of ethnic cleansing in Libya tends to show it’s not the best way of bringing about democracy.
But I suppose the cries of “Evil Dictator” across the MSM will always overshadow the warnings from the activists actually on the ground, until the people who warn against it are cast down as sympathizers.
The US has had an embassy in Libya since 2006 (with a hiatus from Feb to Sept 2011 while the war was in progress). So that was five years under Gaddafi with no ambassadors being killed.
America also had an embassy there between 1969 and 1979, when Gaddafi was in power. The embassy was attacked and burned down by “a mob” in 1979, but it doesn’t seem that anyone was killed.
The “majority” of Gaddafi rule? WTF are you on about? Some kind of political statistical dodge?
15 years of US diplomats under Gaddafi…US ambassadors killed = 0
1 year of Arab spring…US ambassadors killed = 1
TRP said:
Well, given that there was no US embassy for the last 30 years
Seems like you’re the one who didn’t know. Thanks once again to uke for pointing out the facts:
The US has had an embassy in Libya since 2006 (with a hiatus from Feb to Sept 2011 while the war was in progress). So that was five years under Gaddafi with no ambassadors being killed.
and sucks once more to TRP for dodging them and hypocritically accusing others of ignorance.
But I suppose the cries of “Evil Dictator” across the MSM will always overshadow the warnings from the activists actually on the ground, until the people who warn against it are cast down as sympathizers
Congratulations to Wellingtons Dompost for the two articles by Chris Trotter and Brenda Pilott today.
The National Party are the purveyors of freedom and democracy but they are steadily trying to erode all our rights and freedoms in a welter of corporatist neo-liberal legislation that is based on ideology but also represents a transfer of jobs and decision power to a select group of consultants and 10c mba’s closely tied to the national party.
this tampering of the very warp and weft of society must stop and be exposed for what it is before they do too much damage.
the shadowy Constitutional Advisory Panel and the Local bodies act need more scrutiny and more action so they can die the death just like kweeweees shonkey aset sales.
they are no good and neither are the spnsors, The National Party.
Thanks Captain for mentioning these, I read them over coffee this morning, top articles. Seems to me Trotter gets given a hard time by the “left” for being “incorrect”. He is still in my mind one of the most perceptive scribe on the “left” side.
Trotter is fine (indeed often excellent) on both historical and strategic analysis. For specific issues and specific current topics however, he often fucks up or comes short in his perceptiveness.
The consequence of TINA as a leadership ideology, which I think might be more the focus of discussion by critics of austerity, is that TINA leads to bullying the public both rhetorically and increasingly physically via the use of the surveillance and police power of governments to enforce austerity measures. Efforts at coercion and control are already occurring both in North America and Europe where austerity measures are being imposed via physical force and political intimidation in certain municipalities, regions, and nations as a whole. Austerity isn’t a necessity but is made to appear “necessary” via coercion as well as the ideological blinders of mainstream economics.
Sounds remarkably like NACT are doing especially with all the beneficiary bashing that we’re seeing out of them as it’s becoming more and more desperate as their financial formulaic answers continue to fail to work.
Anybody out there able to help and tell me that I am wrong wrong wrong……..?
While meandering home I stopped at the local chainstore bookshop to scan the magazines. I always figure Gina can afford me! But I picked up the NBR dated today and scanned that too. On the inside editorial type page David Shearer appears to be agreeing that a sickness beneficiary who collects an NZ Herald off his porch to read is a sponger!
I’m still in shock – if I read this correctlyI think they can forget about being in power again.
In 1929 Labour’s leader, Harry Holland said, in a speech in parliament, “Gentlemen, we are revolutionists.” Of course, no-one, especially in the Labour Party, took him seriously. Keeping strictly to bourgeois parliamentarism, and gradually acquiring more parliamentary seats, the party’s pretence of being “socialist” wore increasingly thin. In fact, a number of important changes had taken place in the party organization and programme in the 1920s, to make it a more fit party for administering capitalism.
Even today we see that Labour is still more interested in managing capitalism than achieving any actual reform that would benefit society.
1) Democracy in work places.
2) Worker owned enterprises.
3) Making the reserve bank the sole source of debt free, interest free money into the economy.
4) Government policy of full employment.
5) Active government ownership, control and democratic governance of all core infrastructure.
I couldn’t find it on their website, but I would very much like to know if you are right or not. If you are right, then it simply makes me sick. Each day new job losses, each day Bennett crowing about next round of sanctions, and this kind of thing from the Leader of the main opposition party!
The NBR website. http://www.nbr.co.nz/ – that is the paper that RedBaron mentioned. He is referring to a print version. I would very much like to know, after all the fuss over the roof guy, if David Shearer actually agreed that a sickness beneficiary who collects an NZ Herald off his porch to read is a sponger.
how to spot a national party voter.
these days they use interrogatives much like secret handshakes to let each other know who they are.
Anyone who listened to the manawatu/northland game the other night on the radio would have heard the stockand station agent with an interest in Rugby, announcer end every second sentence with an interrogative.
much like mike valentine did in his opening sentence on close up tonight.
interrogatives are dishonest, disrespectful and an invalid fallacy in any book of logic so it is no wonder that the National Party has chosen this mark of dishonesty as their badge of recognition
I am concerned about the Christchurch School closures and mergers. I know this was inevitable but I feel far too soon. I also believe that all teachers deserve to be recognised for their efforts during the big earthquakes and for managing the well being of children after these events. I know my daughter’s classroom teacher was looking after her 3 hours after the initial February quake as we could not get across town. Mean while she had her own family to worry about and due to communication issues could not get through to them. They could have been dead but she still stayed and looked after our girl. Outstanding!! I don’t think too many politicians would have had this courage. These schools that are being merged, closed, built if this is a quick process I know many CHCH residence will be up set because the government is able to push for these to be done quickly yet there are still many residence who feel neglected as they live in their cold damp earthquake damaged houses.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
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TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
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My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
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It has occurred to me that New Zealand is a premium economy in which to have a business. http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/new-zealand/. Therefore like any premium product, there should be a premium price. At the supermarket we pay more for Anchor than Home Brand, more for Dilmah than Choysa and more for Hunters than Jacobs Creek.
Offshore owners of businesses in New Zealand should also pay a premium for doing business here. Currently the tax rate for business is, I believe, 33%. I propose that a sliding scale of share ownership V tax paid should be introduced. If the offshore entity has a 51% ownership, the tax on the profit shifted outside of New Zealand climbs to, say, 39%. The scale then continues until on the final n% of shares owned, the tax is, say, 90%. However if they are 100% owned offshore, but choose to reinvest their profits back into the New Zealand economy, the tax rate would be mitigated, at an appropriate rate.
Seems like a great way to either raise revenue, or ensure that the money made out of New Zealanders is reinvested in New Zealand.
I’m sure you will correct me if I am wrong.
On the issue of the wine, by memory, NZ wines have a baseline price they can’t go under when sold in NZ. That’s why we don’t have cheap (sub $10) NZ wines compared to Aussie wines. Can’t remember the rationale, but it’s a industry/trade agreement. Probably doesn’t help, though, that the profits from a boutique vineyard of a few thousand vines will be necessarily less than a block with hundreds of thousands of vines.
Dilmah is imported here, already blended, to a warehouse in sunny Ellerslie, if I remember correctly. Choysa isn’t grown here, so what is premium NZ about those things? Our ability to re-handle or box product?
Is Anchor and Home Brand the same product except for the colour of the wax paper around it? How do we arrive at “premium NZ” anything – just believe it is?
All the tea labels are from bulk produced tea plantations. No label like Choysa or Tiger or Dilmah have their own plantations. They buy from the bulk producers just as carpet manufacturers buy from wool “plantations.”
“we pay more for Anchor than Home Brand”
Except for Anchor’s niche value-added products (lactose-free milk, extra calcium etc) and ones where the production process matters (cheese) you’d be a mug to buy anchor as it’s the same product as home brand.
“Seems like a great way to either raise revenue, or ensure that the money made out of New Zealanders is reinvested in New Zealand.”
Working for a multinational IT company that has exports in the $50m+ US range, it sounds like a good way to ensure the Christchurch office is shut down. We’ve already had a tough time with the exchange rate.
I see you’ve bought into the capitalist lie that the owners of businesses are the ones that create work. Here’s the truth:
If the work is there then the work is there, it doesn’t need a particular company or its owners to be satisfied.
The work wouldn’t be in NZ, is my point.
Why? Are you looking to move out of NZ?
I have smiled at the NZHerald TV advert celebrating the launch of their new format.
1981… Everyone knew what side they were on.
Yeah right… except for our current Prime Minister.
The US’s ‘war on terror’ and ‘containment’. How’s that working for them? Anyone got an up to date tally of current US embassies under various levels of siege?
No tally but lots to read.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/09/anti-islam-flick/all/
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/13/mohammed-movie-s-mystery-director.html
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/christians-produce-anti-muslim-film-blame-jews/0019351
http://www.dailynews.com/travel/ci_21530557/movie-that-set-off-violence-middle-east-produced
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2012/09/egyptian-outrage-peddler-who-sent-anti-islam-youtube-clip-viral/56826/
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/egypt-embassy-marines-live-ammo
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/j9d2oa
This too.
http://imgur.com/a/tlCyI
Like
Oh that stench…
John Banks seems to confirm the character of the long line of municipal mayoralties throughout history (worldwide) who are less than squeaky clean (dodgy) – there to line their pockets through what ever means available. No surprises in the latest revelations really – did anyone expect different?
Logic97. The only surprise is that we actually got to learn about these latest revelations! But no surprise over the Key-Banks affair – they are glued together in dubious ethic, game-playing, defiance of anything or anyone that might represent decency.
TPPA
Avaaz has a petition to be sent….
‘To all the governments negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement:
As concerned global citizens, we call on you to make the TPP process transparent and accountable to all, and to reject any plans that limit our governments’ power to regulate in the public interest. The TPP is a threat to democracy, undermining national sovereignty, workers’ rights, environmental protections and Internet freedom. We urge you to reject this corporate takeover.’
If you wish to sign the petition here is the link:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_corporate_death_star/?bgkRPab&v=17848
Hey marsman, I was going to post this petition yesterday but I held off becuase I wondered whether folks were getting sick of me posting Avaaz petitions as well as Labour Rights petitions.
I’m glad you put it up though. Avaaz does make a difference and their campaigns work. The Americans seem to be taking the TPPA seriously. I get daily emails from all sorts of American organisations opposed to the TPPA. Sure our population is a drop in the ocean compared to theirs, but at least they have knowledge of it and are standing up to it. We seem oblivious to the threat here in NZ.
If you want to understand the anti-TPP case there is plenty of information on this page.
http://tppwatch.org/what-is-tppa/ and a newsletter here
http://tppwatch.org/2012/09/12/tppwatch-action-bulletin-17-12-september-2012. Apparently some back tracking by negotiators in recent days so all the more reason to push ahead with the avaaz petition.
Have you ever thought about how the supermarket operates, as you wander the aisles doing your grocery shopping? Having had the misfortune of working for a supplier to foodstuffs in 07 I can say that the unfair practices of foodstuffs reffered to in this article is just the tip of the iceberg
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7673843/Supermarkets-called-too-powerful
There is also the issue of suppliers having to provide merchandisers to put the product on the shelf, once it arives from their warehouse or the hub, and do the displays. Merchies are low paid contract workers who usually have to organise their own ACC, sick and holiday pay. They also have to use their own cars and phones for the job, often being poorly compensated. This way the supermarket hires less of their own shelf fillers. Most NW workers are on minimum wage or slightly above. Foodstuffs have been known to block workers attempts to unionise while Aussie owned Countdown (Progressive Enterprises) has a good collective agreement and doesn’t block workers from joining the union. Countdowns’ starting hourly rate is higher than NW’s.
I shop at NW because I like to support NZ owned businesses and because they have more NZ made products and stock products from small suppliers that Progressive Enterprises won’t touch. Countdown on the other hand has a better employment agreement. Its a domestic dilema. Either way, the business of supermarkets really needs to be exposed. They are getting away with alot more than we realise.
Hi Rosie, definitely agree that its something which most people simply can’t/won’t or don’t want to know…
They go to the shop/supermarket, or whatever it might be, they buy/consume, and give very little thought to the practices of the establishment they are spending money at.
It is generally outside the scope of the bandwidth available to people..
Seriously , next time you are unfortunate enough to have to frequent a mall/supermarket, have a look at the faces/eyes of the people wandering around…its like a zombie nation!
Hi Muzza. Zombie nation indeed:) Its like folks go into a sort of catatonic state. My favourite is a bunch of people standing aimlessly right in the middle of a thoroughfare and you have to weave and dance through them. Its like they are dazzled by the fluoro lights and noise, which to me is one of the many reasons to avoid a mall excursion. Those mega supermarkets do that to folks too.
If I ever the $$$ to spend on something non grocery item I usaully go to an independant retailer in a non mall setting. I try to go for items that haven’t impacted negatively on the environment or the producer. Doesn’t always work out that way though, as its hard to avoid completely.
Good stuff Rosie, any thought given to what else is in play behind the shelves and “bright lights”, has to be a good thing.
Sometimes in AKL is not easy to get to a supermarket which is not attached to a mall, so its after hours or early mornings in order to avoid the stunned mullets wandering aimlessly around “the mall”
Mate calls them gormless, doddery consumers. And that’s exactly what they are. On autopilot they simply just walk into you, can’t even make eye contact if they try, like every reflex and instinct for self preservation they have has already died.
Supermarkets actually need to be nationalised and run as a government service with free delivery. They’re effectively a private duopoly which is just as bad as a private monopoly. Nationalising will get rid of the dead weight loss of profit that they impose upon us and free delivery will help us save on scarce resources.
True…I would love to be able to shop at a government run supermarket. I’m sick of having two options, both of which provide poverty wages, and rip off customers and local suppliers.
I prefer the halfway house of co-operative grower/supplier ownership myself.
No dilemna for me! I haven’t got a car, and NW are too far away… Countdown do not have a very good wage, but supporting NZ business is not always the way to go.
Range! It should say “Countdown do not have a very good range” drat it! (I was multi-tasking, silly me…)
I’ve recently reached a milestone on my blog – 1500 posts – three and a half years of blogging. Much of the inspiration to keep going comes from this site, from the posts and comments, the arguments and understanding, the links, knowledge, and new ideas introduced or stories broken. So I want to say thanks to all.
It seems that I follow the comments of my favourites here as much as those I really disagree with – which is interesting, I wonder if others are the same.
marty mars – good for you! Keep it going!!
Congrats marty – I know what a lot of work it is!
Congrats Marty. You are one of the commenters I look out for here, so I should get to your place more often. Totally agree about the diversity of views.
How to get the vote out in 2014.
on the other side of Pascals’ wager
Devaluation lowered across the boom in the House this weak
dearie me, dear oh dear oh dear
Joyce-mobility of low income families. into what?
-‘dynamic environment’. dynamite jobs. and he has ‘thought’ of an even more destructive plan; neo-liberal capitalism
i always enjoy Nanaia Mahuta’s questioning in the House
H.B Climate. many retail shops being left empty. vacancies for Green businesses?
Agree with Margaret Mutu’s assertion re colonisation of Public Servants, NGOs etc
Cunliffe is an effective communicator imo
to the consumption ‘priests’ Steppenwolf-“The Pusher”
off to fellowship now. will leaven People rather than burn the faithful. God Bless u and have a Great Day
2014 won’t be a repeat of 2011. The left and centre will come out in numbers against this government.
Although we always need to push the issue, the motivation in 24 months will be huge for the vast majority of New Zealanders who will by then be living below the poverty line. 2011 was the elction that matttered because it allowed the Nat to complete their intentional destruction of New Zealand society. 2014 will be about the rebuild of the economy and society
I don’t think “the vast majority of New Zealanders” will be living under the poverty line in 2014.
True. It’ll only be a million, or perhaps a million and a quarter people.
Eough is Enough. But NOT under Brownlee, please God!
btw, of all the internet cafes in all the world, u would not believe wot was just on the radio?
-Waiting for The Sun
Mazarati? I believe. Wow.
Have a nice Day.
Shine on you Crazy Diamond.
“…i’ve always been a little crazy..”
however, To the Fun Police,
” the loonatic is Off the Grass”
have a little compassion; unless you come as a little child, u shall not see…
Wonderful to hear the call of Unity through Maoridom over water, imo;
Ride Free.
Nationalise Money, Not Banks
It seems that more and more economists and other informed people are coming out in favour of a 100% reserve currency created by the state rather than the banks. Now all we need is for the politicians to wake up to the fact that we actually need to go to such a system.
Do you have links to any resources which explain how the transfer from fractional reserve to 100% reserve would work?
You turn the commercial banks into savings and loans institutions like the NZCU, the Co-operative Bank, and finance companies (albeit regulated and run to far higher standards).
The Reserve Bank would provide new funds to all other institutions as required.
Also worth reading about the public (state owned) Bank of North Dakota.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/03/how-nation%E2%80%99s-only-state-owned-bank-became-envy-wall-street
You could read the article and you could go to the top address that the article is on and read their information. You could also do a Google search. My own method would go something like this:
*) Build lots state housing which would be rented out at 5% of household income
*) Offer 0% mortgages through the national bank (Kiwibank in our case) which would be paid back at 25% of household income. This money would be created at the time that the mortgage was created
*) Offer to buy privately owned residences which the present owner could then rent from the government at 5% of household income
*) While doing this slowly (over say, two years) reduce the banks reserve/capital ratio to 1:1
Done this way it shouldn’t disrupt the economy. There are other ways and it’s probably worth having a discussion about them.
“Jesus has left Chicago…”
You’d have to scrap the futures market, which is the main driver of this inflation.
Created for “Financial Security” reasons, and abused by the controlling oranisations for profit usinfg the same “Financial Security” argument as justification.
It’s also the main driver behind the current Oil fiasco, which is costing the whole planet jobs every day.
Is this the best time to place even more stress and bureaucratic heavy-handedness onto Christchurch communities and families? http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/christchurch-suffers-schooling-shock.html
Someone please tell Jenny about the “Arab Fall” [Autumn]
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/arab-fall-becomes-anti-us-blowback-turmoil-spreads-morocco-sudan-and-tunisia
CV, you know full well that you’ll get more waffle about anyone > Assad = GOOD don’t you?
😎
Who would have thought that supporting a bunch of rebel militias would be bad for the citizens once they are “left to it”. A whole bunch of ethnic cleansing in Libya tends to show it’s not the best way of bringing about democracy.
But I suppose the cries of “Evil Dictator” across the MSM will always overshadow the warnings from the activists actually on the ground, until the people who warn against it are cast down as sympathizers.
As ZeroHedge put it the other day:
Total number of US ambassadors to Libya killed since “Arab Spring” = 1
Total number of US ambassadors to Libya killed during Gaddafi’s rule = 0
Well, given that there was no US embassy for the last 30 years, Gaddafi didn’t have much opportunity to kill any ambassadors, did he?
The US has had an embassy in Libya since 2006 (with a hiatus from Feb to Sept 2011 while the war was in progress). So that was five years under Gaddafi with no ambassadors being killed.
America also had an embassy there between 1969 and 1979, when Gaddafi was in power. The embassy was attacked and burned down by “a mob” in 1979, but it doesn’t seem that anyone was killed.
Thanks a lot uke.
TRP: you suck.
And you can’t count, CV. For the majority of the Gadaffi regime, there was no US embassy, something that Zerohedge, and you, clearly did not know.
The “majority” of Gaddafi rule? WTF are you on about? Some kind of political statistical dodge?
15 years of US diplomats under Gaddafi…US ambassadors killed = 0
1 year of Arab spring…US ambassadors killed = 1
TRP said:
Seems like you’re the one who didn’t know. Thanks once again to uke for pointing out the facts:
and sucks once more to TRP for dodging them and hypocritically accusing others of ignorance.
Sadly, you’re exactly right… 🙁
Congratulations to Wellingtons Dompost for the two articles by Chris Trotter and Brenda Pilott today.
The National Party are the purveyors of freedom and democracy but they are steadily trying to erode all our rights and freedoms in a welter of corporatist neo-liberal legislation that is based on ideology but also represents a transfer of jobs and decision power to a select group of consultants and 10c mba’s closely tied to the national party.
this tampering of the very warp and weft of society must stop and be exposed for what it is before they do too much damage.
the shadowy Constitutional Advisory Panel and the Local bodies act need more scrutiny and more action so they can die the death just like kweeweees shonkey aset sales.
they are no good and neither are the spnsors, The National Party.
Thanks Captain for mentioning these, I read them over coffee this morning, top articles. Seems to me Trotter gets given a hard time by the “left” for being “incorrect”. He is still in my mind one of the most perceptive scribe on the “left” side.
I googled chris trotter and found this list of Chris’s pieces at the Timaru Herald. A nice choice http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/opinion/chris-trotter/
Trotter is fine (indeed often excellent) on both historical and strategic analysis. For specific issues and specific current topics however, he often fucks up or comes short in his perceptiveness.
Beyond the Morality of Spending and Saving (Money) – Part 1
Sounds remarkably like NACT are doing especially with all the beneficiary bashing that we’re seeing out of them as it’s becoming more and more desperate as their financial formulaic answers continue to fail to work.
Beyond the Morality of Spending and Saving (Money) – Part 2
Anybody out there able to help and tell me that I am wrong wrong wrong……..?
While meandering home I stopped at the local chainstore bookshop to scan the magazines. I always figure Gina can afford me! But I picked up the NBR dated today and scanned that too. On the inside editorial type page David Shearer appears to be agreeing that a sickness beneficiary who collects an NZ Herald off his porch to read is a sponger!
I’m still in shock – if I read this correctlyI think they can forget about being in power again.
Couldn’t say but I’m finding this an interesting read:
Even today we see that Labour is still more interested in managing capitalism than achieving any actual reform that would benefit society.
DTB – for my benefit, are you able to very simply describe some of the reforms you would make?
Try scrolling up a bit.
IMO
1) Democracy in work places.
2) Worker owned enterprises.
3) Making the reserve bank the sole source of debt free, interest free money into the economy.
4) Government policy of full employment.
5) Active government ownership, control and democratic governance of all core infrastructure.
Thanks CV.
What currently prevents 1, 2?
3. How would that work?
I couldn’t find it on their website, but I would very much like to know if you are right or not. If you are right, then it simply makes me sick. Each day new job losses, each day Bennett crowing about next round of sanctions, and this kind of thing from the Leader of the main opposition party!
Olwyn do you mean by ‘their’ website, the Dompost one. I was looking there and couldn’t find things mentioned above.
The NBR website. http://www.nbr.co.nz/ – that is the paper that RedBaron mentioned. He is referring to a print version. I would very much like to know, after all the fuss over the roof guy, if David Shearer actually agreed that a sickness beneficiary who collects an NZ Herald off his porch to read is a sponger.
how to spot a national party voter.
these days they use interrogatives much like secret handshakes to let each other know who they are.
Anyone who listened to the manawatu/northland game the other night on the radio would have heard the stockand station agent with an interest in Rugby, announcer end every second sentence with an interrogative.
much like mike valentine did in his opening sentence on close up tonight.
interrogatives are dishonest, disrespectful and an invalid fallacy in any book of logic so it is no wonder that the National Party has chosen this mark of dishonesty as their badge of recognition
I am concerned about the Christchurch School closures and mergers. I know this was inevitable but I feel far too soon. I also believe that all teachers deserve to be recognised for their efforts during the big earthquakes and for managing the well being of children after these events. I know my daughter’s classroom teacher was looking after her 3 hours after the initial February quake as we could not get across town. Mean while she had her own family to worry about and due to communication issues could not get through to them. They could have been dead but she still stayed and looked after our girl. Outstanding!! I don’t think too many politicians would have had this courage. These schools that are being merged, closed, built if this is a quick process I know many CHCH residence will be up set because the government is able to push for these to be done quickly yet there are still many residence who feel neglected as they live in their cold damp earthquake damaged houses.
Yes it absolutely disgusting the way Parata, Brownlie and Langston have treated the schools on ChCh
If the teachers had behaved like those three, education would have collapsed in ChCh after the quakes.
For them to DUMP and run is disgraceful.
What happened to ‘accord’ with all the major education groups after their last stuff up.
I dont know how chch can have any confidence that they the Nacts will be able to organize such a huge task. Or is it just another list.