”The former Dunedin Labour MP told the Otago Daily Times when contacted yesterday he would ask chief executive Brian Roche about zero-hours contracts when the pair met tomorrow.
”I want to talk with the chief executive about that.
”I would be very concerned if we were involved in any kind of permanent arrangement around zero-hour contracts,” Sir Michael said.
& more information about NZ Posts PPM (Postal Pay Model – paid for volume not hours worked), is on the monday there was no mail because of snow (the trucks couldn’t get over the Kilmogs), so no volume, no pay.
And there would be no delivery issue in Dunedin that day if the mail was not sorted in Chch as there was minimal snow in the city itself.
Posties are part of a community network that grows more important with the ageing population, with more people at home in their old age.
But instead we get a zerohours exploited workforce, privatisation by stealth to DX Mail, and a too readily accepted story about technology change/TINA.
Some small providers are stepping up like taxi firms delivering mail in small towns, which is fine as it’s filling a gap in a public service, but leading to an overall outcome of fragmentation and inefficiency.
No less than the president himself has promised, “No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.” National Economic Council chief Jeffrey Zients has stated, “It is an often repeated, but inaccurate, claim that ISDS [a provision of the TPP] gives companies the right to weaken labor or environmental standards, for example, suggesting that a trade agreement could result in the United States having to lower its minimum wage. The reality is that ISDS does not and cannot require countries to change any law or regulation.”
That’s right…. it’s a “choice”. Eliminating all but two options (in this case be sued or change the law – see you have ALL the control!) works for four year old children, so why wouldn’t it work for an apathetic, dumb and numb population?
“Being sued” is just another way of saying that the government would compensate for losses attributable to legislative changes. I’d love that. Road user charges go up, I get compensated by the government. Max Bradford enacts a faith-based electricity market, I get compensated for that too.
Tell the corporations to get in line or fuck off. ISDS my ass.
This is one of those reports you need to read to get to the good news. It appears that now 6 years after the banks melted down – we are getting some prosecutions of some individuals who knew they were acting immorally and corruptly. That said, some of the major players are still walking free – what a odd world we live in – when people who cause such despair, heartbreak, and death – walk free, because they have the biggest check book.
Also I see Chris Trotter is calling trick dicky out. Well done Chris. Hoot’s your lying is getting out of whack again. I know, I know to you, it’s just propaganda promoting you set of ideals. However, when you cross the line – you will get called on it.
Hmmm I thought Kalashinkov himself designed the AKM circa 1949 or 1950 to improve upon his original AK47 design. And yes, I suspect that China has made the majority of those worldwide now as what is generally called an AK47 is actually the slightly updated AKM model.
And conservative fiscal policies do enormous social harm. That’s true even for the mildest, most generous version of “fiscal conservatism” — low taxes, small government, reduced regulation, a free market. These policies perpetuate human rights abuses. They make life harder for people who already have hard lives. Even if the people supporting these policies don’t intend this, the policies are racist, sexist, classist (obviously), ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and otherwise socially retrograde. In many ways, they do more harm than so-called “social policies” that are supposedly separate from economic ones.
Translation for the middle-class overlords in the Labour Party. The good deeds you do with your human rights policies (aka the odious term “identity politics”) are completely undermined by the harm you do to the groups you purport to support with your craven fiscal positioning.
Unless you are only interested in protecting the human rights of the wealthiest 10-15 percent. Surely that couldn’t be true?
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I find it funny that it is the Labour Party which is driven to undermine the universality of the NZ welfare state.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases. Oil is a limited resource. Gas is a limited resource. Fresh water is a limited resource. Top soil is a limited resource. Bismuth and helium are limited resources. But electronic ones and zeroes sitting on a spreadsheet? It’s a total misconception of what a “resource” is.
Labour is simply avoiding asking itself the hard questions when it comes to socioeconomic policy like universal NZ super: is it a critical priority to fully fund it. If the answer is YES then money will always be available because the Government can spend into existence the money required. OR if its politics require it, it can instead TAX back in previously issued money in order to re-spend it on NZ super.
In essence, what Labour is saying when it discusses means testing NZ Super or raising the Super eligibility age is:
– We are not willing to borrow the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to tax in the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to issue the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– We are however willing to cut Kiwis’ entitlement to universal NZ super.
And as a reminder, these are MPs all on very generous parliamentary Kiwi Saver schemes all on incomes well into the top 2%, deciding this for everyone else.
It doesnt really matter anymore. Little’s comments about super last week probably cost Labour the next election. They will not be trusted on super ever again.
You’re the one calling money a resource, CV, so it’s you with the misconception. Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight. QE works, but only if it’s constrained. Your fantasy about ones and zeroes ends with massive inflation that actually ruins the lives of the majority. Have a look at the lessons from Zimbabwe and Argentina where the practical results of your fantasy can be seen. If you destroy the value of the currency, it’s working people that pay.
What is the difference between just flooding an economy with bank notes and flooding an economy with public works ‘paid for’ with newly created government money?
I get how the first scenario leads to huge levels of inflation, but the second would appear to be a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.
“a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.”
There is Bill, because the money does not stay with the Public Works.
In order to complete the public works the money has to go to suppliers / contractors / workers / architects / lawyers / etc etc, and so in fact it does spill through to the wider economy and act as an inflationary force.
If you are building up productive capacities and capabilities, inflation will not be a problem. And if inflation appears to be taking hold, the money supply can always be briefly tightened as new competitive suppliers are created.
Of course, globally the economic problem is one of deflation – insufficient money supply in many areas of the real economy.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
You have to see money as a flow from the government and back to the government. From the government is creating the money and back to the government is destroying it.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
Or increasing compulsory savings.
Or slowing down of credit/loans extended by the private sector.
Or encouraging capital investment.
Or any number of other ways to slow down or reduce money supply in the real economy
There are so many ways to manage an economy intelligently, and all the orthodox types can think about is squeezing life out of the economy using the blunt inhumane mallets of keeping unemployment up, wages down, and benefits on the bread line.
CV just, quite specifically, said that money isn’t a resource.
Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight.
Agreed but it’s really a question of how that constraint is applied. ATM there is, effectively, almost no constraint on the explosion of money in the system as the explosion in housing prices shows.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases.
Can you point to the part of that sentence that says that money is a resource?
Edit: (I’ve got to disappear for a while, but the guts of it is this: we all know (including the Labour hierarchy) that the physical object ‘money’ is an unlimited resource. We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences. That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value. And when you dilute its value, most of us suffer. As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history …)
We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences.
And, in fact, we are and the consequences are massive house price inflation especially in Auckland.
See, you can’t just say that we can’t print money while we’re massively printing money (well, the private banks are).
As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history
Yeah, I recall that and the cause was the same as today. Massive returns from investment for foreign investors in housing. Despite the capital controls of the time we were still being flooded by foreign investment wanting to get its part of the ~20% mortgage market here.
There’s a reason why both major religions in the world ban usury and it’s because it crashes the economy.
That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value.
This is a false concept. Money is already priced in multiple ways and therefore its “agreed value” is being constantly determined by what worthwhile things an economy can supply for the money you have. It is that focus on the real economy which is key.
Of course as TRP now admits, there is no real shortage of money other than the artificial one that the system is designed to inflict upon the majority of the population. In other words: austerity for you; ZIRP for us.
Oh TRP, I’m simply working through a process of discovery of your true views. No need for the condescension. You really are used to being the boss, I guess. More tomorrow.
Check your reading comprehension skills dude; I said I was trying to find out what you really think. If you want to hide it, fine, I wasn’t that interested in the first place.
[Ok, so that second sentence confirms it. Withdraw or take some time off. TRP]
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Please do not presume to make statements about what I do or don’t recognise. You are possibly the person least likely to have any insight on the matter.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives. The importance of keeping inflation low by keeping buying power and money supply tight, the use of unemployment to shrink consumer inflation, the importance of annual economic growth combined with tight fiscal discipline, the importance of government surpluses and balancing the books to keep the confidence of the markets, etc.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Nope. You are welcome to stop making up shit about authors on this site.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
Why are you referring to authors privilege based on my commenting about something you wrote somewhere else? If you think my conclusion about your economic views are inaccurate, just say so. I am quite happy to be corrected.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
But is the label accurate or inaccurate, from your perspective? Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
Since the 1970s the establishment within each of the Anglo FVEY nations has adopted neoliberal economic paradigms and decision frameworks. The USA, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ. That’s been the true revolution.
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I think that’s unfair, CV.
The whole point of the article is that if you care about people you care about economics and human rights. The two can’t be separated into neat little spheres. I think Stephanie understands this better than most.
The real problem is not that the Labour Party does or does not agree with Modern Monetary Theory, it’s that proposing it destroys fiscal credibility in the eyes of the public. The Greens proposed QE last election, and got relentlessly attacked on the subject for weeks, even if it now turns out everyone else is doing QE anyway…
It’s funny how all the right wing rush out the line GODWIN when anybody describes anything the right wing do as fascist.
But conversely – when right wingers describe the left in tired old left, almost Stalinist terms – no one bats an eyelid?
Hell I dislike the old left as much as the next person – unimaginative, staid, misogynistic, homophobic, and just too overbearing for words. Yes it was sacrilegious, but we have moved on.
So why do we let the right define us as so?
[lprent: The Godwin thing invariably degenerates into boring flamewars. Godwin is a shortcut for people who have seen it degenerate a thousand times before to say “shut the fuck up” to the idiot starting to use it it as if it was a new tactic. That includes the stalin, various kims, pinochet and every other pissant dictatorial metaphor to replace their inability to use their brains.
When people express what they actually think rather than sprouting slogans we tend to be more tolerant. Doesn’t matter if we think they are nutters from the right or left (and there are many on the left who are exactly as dogmatic). But if they get boring about it and deteriorate into slogans then you’ll find that commenters and moderators will bat more than an eyelid. It isn’t a recipe for long term tolerance in any net environment. ]
The Left have not got a strong defining narrative or paradigm for what its mission is in the 21st century, so others find it easy to define us especially as they have a powerful and far reaching communications infrastructure to do it with.
“We need to KILL THEM ALL!
And if some women and children get killed, so be it.” Paul Henry, TV3, Wednesday 27 May 2015
Paul Henry, Hillary Barry (sycophant), Jim Kayes (sycophant)
“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.” — Plato
As the last item on the 7 a.m. news, Hillary Barry reads about a Danish radio host who has bludgeoned a rabbit to death with a bicycle pump, cooked it, then eaten it live on air. She is clearly appalled by this…..
HILLARY BARRY: Bludgeoning it with a bicycle pump? JIM KAYES: Good kicker. PAUL HENRY: Now that’s a technical term and a lot of viewers won’t know what that means. JIM KAYES: “Kicker” means the last story. HENRY: Thank you.
Hillary Barry’s brief display of humanitarian revulsion was interesting, especially in light of her reaction to the bloodthirsty ranting that would occur in the studio just over an hour later. While she made no bones about her tender feelings for the fate of a rabbit in Denmark, she was less keen to defend human beings in Iraq and Syria as they came under a savage rhetorical assault.
7:12 a.m. ….
Along with endorsing the Key government’s cynical, rotten “plan” to house people under power lines, Henry’s mission today is to endorse the American-led campaign against ISIS. To this end, Henry interviews Steve Hoadley, an extreme right wing American who glories in the title of “Associate Professor of International Relations” at Auckland University. Hoadley is notorious for stating, at the very height of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza in 2008-9—what Israeli generals chortlingly termed “twenty-two days of madness”—that he supported the Israelis because they were civilized compared to the people they were destroying. Today, however, Hoadley delivered an anodyne and uncontroversial summary of the situation in Iraq; the unhinged ranting would come not from him, but from Paul Henry.
7:16 a.m. ….
Henry heaps scorn on the Labour Party politicians who have dared to question the land that the government wants to force people to live on—next to cemeteries and under electric power lines. “How STUPID are THEY?” he snarls.
8:05….
Hillary Barry reads the weather, including for Alexandra, which she daringly and controversially calls “Alex”… HILLARY BARRY: I know you don’t like me saying Alex, but I DO.
8:07….
Jim reads the sports news, corpsing throughout, because he has just told a mildly amusing joke.
8:10 a.m. ….. HENRY: I just can’t get over the idea of the British putting in these duck lanes. JIM KAYES: That IS very funny. HENRY: It’s just too STUPID for words.
After the 8 o’clock news, there’s a regular “panel”—two guests who are supposed to reflect on current issues. Today’s panel features former reality TV star Joe Cotton, billed as a “broadcaster”, and RadioLIVE host Andrew Patterson.….
HENRY: All right, Labour have had a field day with this 430 hectares. It can’t ALL be beachfront property! Would you buy a house next to a graveyard? The thing that annoys me about this is that Labour—this is the opposition just saying things to be an opposition.
Andrew Patterson apparently has nothing to say about this; he simply agrees with Henry. And Joe Cotton, instead of saying something thoughtful or challenging, launches in to an unfunny diversionary spiel about poltergeists and horror movies.
HENRY: Are you in favor of our troops being in Iraq? ANDREW PATTERSON: No I’m not comfortable. But of course you’ve got to do SOMETHING. HENRY: It sends a very clear message that New Zealand is WITH the United States and the rest of the willing. Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES. ANDREW PATTERSON:[gravely] Of course, of COURSE. HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it? JOE COTTON:[baffled sigh] Whooooooof…. HENRY: We have to POUND them and SQUASH them don’t we? ANDREW PATTERSON: I guess the big question here is: how do we counter the ideology? HENRY: It’s hard. It’s hard…..
8:35 a.m. …. HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY:[softly] I’m afraid so. JIM KAYES:[softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so. HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD! We have to KILL THEM ALL! And in the course of this, bombs are going to bounce into tents where there are women and children! But we must not get up in arms about that! Kill them all! HILLARY BARRY:[clearly uncomfortable] Mmm hmmm. JIM KAYES:[gravely] That’s the reality of war.
HILLARY: I’d like some feedback on this Alex/Alexandra controversy! Paul thinks I should say Alexandra. PAUL HENRY: I think you are being too casual towards the people of Alexandra when you call their town Alex. HILLARY BARRY:[mock-scolding] Look who’s calling me casual!
HENRY: Just on this ISIS thing again. THEY thrive because WE hesitate. They’re not LIKE us. JIM KAYES: We fight in a conventional, honest way. Whereas— HENRY: Exactly! We need to KILL THEM ALL! And if some women and children get killed, so be it.
PAUL HENRY: Right, on the phone, we have Cade from Alexandra. Are you happy with Alex, Cade, or is it Alexandra? For a fact we know that it is Alexandra not Alex, are we all agreed on that? What kind of a name is Cade anyway? HILLARY BARRY:[giggling] Stop being MEAN!
Jim Kayes snickers dutifully.
8:59 a.m…… HENRY: I’d like to dedicate this show to our troops in Iraq, who are on the frontline in the war against ISIS—a war we are part of, like it or not.
Don’t worry, my friend, I watch and listen to creeps like Henry so that you don’t have to. Keep an eye out for some more transcripts* from some of his earlier shows, which I’m starting to write up now.
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)? Because if it was real… *vomits entire contents of his body, entrails, viscera and all, onto the floor*
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)?
He actually said that. I think I got that bit exactly verbatim.
This morning, as a parting shot, Henry dedicated the programme to the senile thug “Sir” Robert Jones, whose actions apparently lend “colour” to our lives.
Nah, Realblue was suggesting that Hone’s parents were somehow equivalent to Bank’s folks. Which is the purest bullshit, of course. Banks is a very complicated fellow and his upbringing in poverty hasn’t taught him any compassion for the poor. It’s just made him determined to be as distant from poverty as possible and by any means necessary. So the apple/tree analogy is pretty apt.
One of Hones parents abused children, the appalling Titiwhai.Clearly you and Morrissey are ok with that. Fair enough. Morrisey brought Banks parents into it, then you join in with an inevitable “look over there” response. The classy left eh?
Across a dalliance of rainbows,
A little crooked man smiles,
With time-filled grace,
Why do thee frown,
When across that big blue sky,
Ruptures of magnificence awaits?
Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
If John Banks was an honest, decent citizen, I would not invoke the memory of his criminal parents. The fact is, though, he is not a decent, honest citizen, and his parents’ criminality obviously did affect him deeply.
But you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
Although I’d place Banks in the ‘crooks’ column, that’s a pretty rotten thing to say. People are not their parents and may or may not learn to be like them.
you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
I recognize that there are people all over the country that have risen above their family circumstances, many of them far more onerous than John Banks’s circumstances, and gone on to live decent, honest lives where they have been an asset rather than an outrage to the community. Banks, on the other hand, has behaved with the most flagrant dishonesty; to point out the link to his criminal parents is entirely appropriate, I would have thought.
Or do you think Banks’s behaviour just springs out of nowhere?
Again, it was the sweeping generalisation I object to, not to a possible specific comment that Banks may have learned to be frugal with the truth from his parents.
If one of Banks’s kids is involved with money-laundering of, say, fifty thousand dollars that he’s asked to be paid for in two separate cheques, then yes, the obvious influence of his father will be remarked upon.
If, on the other hand, his kids somehow transcend the handicap of having a dishonest criminal stepdad, then I would applaud them, just as I would have applauded Banks if he had acted with integrity and honour in his political career.
didnt his parent assist women to abort children? at a time when women were criminals for controlling their own lives and bodirs. Or have i confused them with someone else
The story is fairly well known and has been in the public arena for decades.
From Wikipedia: “When he was a young child, his parents Archie and Kitty were imprisoned for procuring abortions. His father was a career criminal and his mother an alcoholic.”
I think casting his parents as the altruistic and enlightened saviours of women with unwanted pregnancies is probably a bit of a reach. More likely it was just another string to their bow of criminal enterprise.
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
Carmel Sepuloni has been charged with, or convicted of, dishonesty offences? If she has been, your analogy will have merit; if she has not, you are simply ignorant.
To prevent us thinking you are ignorant, could you post evidence for us of Carmel Sepuloni’s criminality?
Ah, okay, so even though you aren’t convicted of anything, the fact you are charged is the key to your argument.
In that case Hone Harawira does fall into your criteria, mother has been convicted (assault) and he has been charged (failure to remove a vehicle from a road).
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament, notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them.
Banks, on the other hand, is neither honest nor respected, and that won’t change no matter how much you try to divert and smear other, superior politicians.
Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny. They are not like their parents; Banks on the other hand, has betrayed his public fiduciary duty as an elected representative—which makes him far worse than his notorious parents.
“notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them”
Like when Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the “Ka Mate” haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones? Or do we metaphorically abuse him?
“You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament”
Yeah, Hone was really respected for his “white mother fuckers” rant, and respected in that he had a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs because they had “lost trust and confidence” in Mr Harawira, that he “acted unethically and without integrity” and that he “deliberately undermined” the party and the leaders. Or respected because he said Osama bin Laden’s actions were those of “a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people” and that people should not be damning him but mourn him?
“Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny”
No, Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques, then admitted to receiving payments from that man, but never declared how much he had been paid…hmm sounds familiar
Unfortunately you have made some wildly confused statements in your rant, Bob. However, since you have at least endeavoured to defend your corner, I will deal with each of the points you raise, even though most of them are, sadly, quite spurious.
1.) Like when Harawira was part of He Taua….
Hone Harawira was, like other Māori students at Auckland in 1979, incensed by the racist, demeaning behaviour of the Engineering students’ mock haka party. For years, he and other young Māori leaders had repeatedly protested against those goons and demanded they stop their provocation. The He Taua action was the last resort, after the racists had treated all the Māori protests with contempt.
But it looks like you have made up your mind that the provocateurs were the victims rather than the instigators of the trouble; nothing anyone says is likely to change your mind. Let’s move on to your next point….
2.) “…white mother fuckers….”
Okay, that was a foolish thing to write in an email. You make a reasonable point there, Bob. I presume you have been equally outraged at the far more numerous racist and sexist outbursts by National Party MPs like John “Hone” Carter, Jonathan Coleman, —and John Banks.
3.) a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs
So he’s not a team player. That’s not a sin, and it’s not a crime, and it’s not an ethical lapse. Why would you even mention this irrelevant point?
4.) Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques…
The problem with what Banks did was not Kim Dotcom—it was Banks’s illegal actions. You don’t seem quite up to speed with the facts and issues of the case.
5.) …hmm sounds familiar
No, you’ve (perhaps deliberately) missed the point again. Hone Harawira’s open dealings with Kim Dotcom were utterly different from Banks’s hamfisted attempts to rort the system.
That’s not what you think it is, CV. Minimum wage workers already pay very little tax as the UK has a tax free threshold of ten thousand pounds. What this really means is locking in the minimum wage at its current low rate. It also allows the rich to sneer at the working poor (look how much I pay in tax while the plebs pay nothing etc).
It’s actually a very Blairite kind of move; at first glance, vaguely progressive, but at heart, just more patronising conservatism. What’s needed is Labour’s policy of lifting the minimum wage and gradually bringing in a living wage.
Um, that question makes no sense. Can you try again?
Edit: to save time, I should point out that I’ve never been short of an opinion. I thought that would have been pretty obvious by now! And my opinion on this matter is that all income earners should pay tax and that tax should be levied on a graduated scale, with lower income earners paying very little. A UBI would be even better starting point, of course.
A historical note on taxing benefits – none were taxed until one day Muldoon decided unemployment beneficiaries should be taxed. up until then Sickness and Unemployment Benefit were paid at the same rate. When taxing of all benefits was brought in the already reduced rate of Unemployment Benefit was treated as if it wasn’t already taxed and taxed again.
IMO, rather than making low income tax free, all benefits need to be increased and so does the minimum wage. Incomes over $70,000 a year need to have a higher rate of tax, and an even higher rate should apply at $150,000. Capital gains of any sort should be taxed.
We are being continually told that aucklands housing problem is predominately all about supply.
Well, we are lifting supply to the market, but there are “unforeseen” consequences:
The ability to find contractors is prooving difficult, as the level of activity increases this is more than matched by price increase well beyond inflation. E.g cost of pipes, diesel is increasing flowing onto increase tender costs for the earthworks component.Council processing of consents, s224s late last year it was within 3 weeks now it is taking 2 months. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/construction-costs-making-impossible-build-affordable-homes-developer-6241175
Does no one ever consider, that by increasing supply you are increasing the demand on building products the ability for construction coys to deliver ?
He seems to have some hang-up about the oppo. members doing their job and grilling their opposite numbers in the House. Yesterday was a supreme example. Peter’s was attempting to ask a supplementary question. He prefaced it with a handful of words to the effect his question was not in response to the first part of the minister’s answer. It was a point of explanation. Misterrrr Speaker appeared to take it the wrong way and issued him with a warning . Peter’s started to explain what he was doing. Misterrrr Speaker threw him out of the house!
Previous to that incident Key had been screeching at Little across the chamber (including the Super gaffe 🙄 ) – none of them had anything to do with Little’s original questions but hey… that’s okay. He just gets a mild admonishment usually delivered in a voice tinged with amusement.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well. Key gets away with more shit than I’ve ever seen any Speaker allow. It’s disgraceful ! The larrikan head boy has it all over the headmaster.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well
Yep, meant to add that. If all the m****s out there who thinks he’s such a loverlee guy watched question time in the House and saw his narrowed ice cold eyes and heard his sly, mendacious and puerile-ridden shrieking (at Little in particular) they would drop dead with shock. Serves them right. They are getting exactly what they deserve – which is nothing.
Given how quickly the PM said he wouldnt stop nzers from coming home who were fighting for isis… rather makes me think its cos he knows there arent any… which makes a bit of a mockery of his breathless haste to surveil cos of the threat of nzers being radicalised… just pondering
According to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the using of NZ taxpayer funds to bribe a Saudi businessman is all the fault of the Clark administration!!
But – – but – – Helen Clark did it. Where have I heard this before?
The All Blacks play well and have a good win. People like Paul Henry say, “We were all over them, we played well.” The All Blacks lose and people like Paul Henry say, “They were hopeless, they should’ve played better.”
A war is happening and New Zealand troops are sent:
HENRY: … Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
…
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD!
_____________________________________________________
I have opined before that if the need were so serious for troops to go, John Key and Mike Hosking would have ensured that their kids signed up, did the training and demanded they be sent. (Their parents would no doubt have done the demanding too.)
Paul Henry, wanting to get in there ‘strong and hard’ seems to have the attitude to want to be, to demand to be their commanding officer. Yeah.
Any chance the TV could show us how serious it is about hard news and sent Paul Henry off to Iraq to do an imbed and go out on some patrols towards ISIS territory –
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
Cullen to look into concerns over use of zerohour contracts at NZ Post and gives undertaking of sorts about their use.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/343643/chairman-check-contracts
”The former Dunedin Labour MP told the Otago Daily Times when contacted yesterday he would ask chief executive Brian Roche about zero-hours contracts when the pair met tomorrow.
”I want to talk with the chief executive about that.
”I would be very concerned if we were involved in any kind of permanent arrangement around zero-hour contracts,” Sir Michael said.
& more information about NZ Posts PPM (Postal Pay Model – paid for volume not hours worked), is on the monday there was no mail because of snow (the trucks couldn’t get over the Kilmogs), so no volume, no pay.
And there would be no delivery issue in Dunedin that day if the mail was not sorted in Chch as there was minimal snow in the city itself.
Posties are part of a community network that grows more important with the ageing population, with more people at home in their old age.
But instead we get a zerohours exploited workforce, privatisation by stealth to DX Mail, and a too readily accepted story about technology change/TINA.
Some small providers are stepping up like taxi firms delivering mail in small towns, which is fine as it’s filling a gap in a public service, but leading to an overall outcome of fragmentation and inefficiency.
http://wallstreetexaminer.com/2015/05/heres-the-most-pernicious-obama-administration-falsehood-on-tpp/
No less than the president himself has promised, “No trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws.” National Economic Council chief Jeffrey Zients has stated, “It is an often repeated, but inaccurate, claim that ISDS [a provision of the TPP] gives companies the right to weaken labor or environmental standards, for example, suggesting that a trade agreement could result in the United States having to lower its minimum wage. The reality is that ISDS does not and cannot require countries to change any law or regulation.”
That’s right…. it’s a “choice”. Eliminating all but two options (in this case be sued or change the law – see you have ALL the control!) works for four year old children, so why wouldn’t it work for an apathetic, dumb and numb population?
I don’t see it that way.
“Being sued” is just another way of saying that the government would compensate for losses attributable to legislative changes. I’d love that. Road user charges go up, I get compensated by the government. Max Bradford enacts a faith-based electricity market, I get compensated for that too.
Tell the corporations to get in line or fuck off. ISDS my ass.
This is one of those reports you need to read to get to the good news. It appears that now 6 years after the banks melted down – we are getting some prosecutions of some individuals who knew they were acting immorally and corruptly. That said, some of the major players are still walking free – what a odd world we live in – when people who cause such despair, heartbreak, and death – walk free, because they have the biggest check book.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/05/22/17377/bankers-major-institutions-still-havent-been-held-responsible-financial-crash
Because I saw the petition from Jacinda Ardern being promoted on the standard, and it’s not really appropriate to put this – on that page.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/going-backwards-table-talk-2-at-ika.html
Also I see Chris Trotter is calling trick dicky out. Well done Chris. Hoot’s your lying is getting out of whack again. I know, I know to you, it’s just propaganda promoting you set of ideals. However, when you cross the line – you will get called on it.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/tricky-customer-why-is-matthew-hooton.html
Raw: Waitress knocks groping man to ground
Seems reasonable. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to be more concerned with the perpetrator of assault than the person assaulted.
@DTB it looks like she was more than capable of taking care of herself !
A tough young russian lady, good on her !
she probably knows how to field strip an AKM.
akm = Chinese copy
And yes they teach kids how to field strip an AK47 or they used to
Hmmm I thought Kalashinkov himself designed the AKM circa 1949 or 1950 to improve upon his original AK47 design. And yes, I suspect that China has made the majority of those worldwide now as what is generally called an AK47 is actually the slightly updated AKM model.
Might have my facts wrong though…
Would she have responded so had she had her hair stroked/pulled?
Probably.
That doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need any support from those around her.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/here-are-7-things-people-who-say-theyre-fiscally-conservative-but-socially-liberal-dont-understand/
via boots theory:
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/qotd-on-being-fiscally-conservative-but-socially-liberal/
And conservative fiscal policies do enormous social harm. That’s true even for the mildest, most generous version of “fiscal conservatism” — low taxes, small government, reduced regulation, a free market. These policies perpetuate human rights abuses. They make life harder for people who already have hard lives. Even if the people supporting these policies don’t intend this, the policies are racist, sexist, classist (obviously), ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and otherwise socially retrograde. In many ways, they do more harm than so-called “social policies” that are supposedly separate from economic ones.
Translation for the middle-class overlords in the Labour Party. The good deeds you do with your human rights policies (aka the odious term “identity politics”) are completely undermined by the harm you do to the groups you purport to support with your craven fiscal positioning.
Unless you are only interested in protecting the human rights of the wealthiest 10-15 percent. Surely that couldn’t be true?
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I find it funny that it is the Labour Party which is driven to undermine the universality of the NZ welfare state.
Almost the entirety of the hierarchy of the Labour Party assumes that money is a limited resource, when money today is nothing more than electronic ones and zeroes entered by keyboard in spreadsheets and databases. Oil is a limited resource. Gas is a limited resource. Fresh water is a limited resource. Top soil is a limited resource. Bismuth and helium are limited resources. But electronic ones and zeroes sitting on a spreadsheet? It’s a total misconception of what a “resource” is.
Labour is simply avoiding asking itself the hard questions when it comes to socioeconomic policy like universal NZ super: is it a critical priority to fully fund it. If the answer is YES then money will always be available because the Government can spend into existence the money required. OR if its politics require it, it can instead TAX back in previously issued money in order to re-spend it on NZ super.
In essence, what Labour is saying when it discusses means testing NZ Super or raising the Super eligibility age is:
– We are not willing to borrow the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to tax in the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– Neither are we willing to issue the money required to keep NZ super universal.
– We are however willing to cut Kiwis’ entitlement to universal NZ super.
And as a reminder, these are MPs all on very generous parliamentary Kiwi Saver schemes all on incomes well into the top 2%, deciding this for everyone else.
It doesnt really matter anymore. Little’s comments about super last week probably cost Labour the next election. They will not be trusted on super ever again.
Yeah, I know.
You’re the one calling money a resource, CV, so it’s you with the misconception. Whether you understand it or not, to retain value for you and I , the money supply must remain relatively tight. QE works, but only if it’s constrained. Your fantasy about ones and zeroes ends with massive inflation that actually ruins the lives of the majority. Have a look at the lessons from Zimbabwe and Argentina where the practical results of your fantasy can be seen. If you destroy the value of the currency, it’s working people that pay.
What is the difference between just flooding an economy with bank notes and flooding an economy with public works ‘paid for’ with newly created government money?
I get how the first scenario leads to huge levels of inflation, but the second would appear to be a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.
“a simple act of taking the real world resources that already exist and getting them in place…ie, there is no flooding of the economy with increasingly worthless bank notes.”
There is Bill, because the money does not stay with the Public Works.
In order to complete the public works the money has to go to suppliers / contractors / workers / architects / lawyers / etc etc, and so in fact it does spill through to the wider economy and act as an inflationary force.
If you are building up productive capacities and capabilities, inflation will not be a problem. And if inflation appears to be taking hold, the money supply can always be briefly tightened as new competitive suppliers are created.
Of course, globally the economic problem is one of deflation – insufficient money supply in many areas of the real economy.
Over time and can easily be offset by use of taxes.
You have to see money as a flow from the government and back to the government. From the government is creating the money and back to the government is destroying it.
Or increasing compulsory savings.
Or slowing down of credit/loans extended by the private sector.
Or encouraging capital investment.
Or any number of other ways to slow down or reduce money supply in the real economy
There are so many ways to manage an economy intelligently, and all the orthodox types can think about is squeezing life out of the economy using the blunt inhumane mallets of keeping unemployment up, wages down, and benefits on the bread line.
CV just, quite specifically, said that money isn’t a resource.
Agreed but it’s really a question of how that constraint is applied. ATM there is, effectively, almost no constraint on the explosion of money in the system as the explosion in housing prices shows.
The ‘resource’ thing was CV’s strawman crack in the comment 6.1 above. He made it up, hence he’s the one calling it a resource, nobody else.
Can you point to the part of that sentence that says that money is a resource?
Yes.
Edit: (I’ve got to disappear for a while, but the guts of it is this: we all know (including the Labour hierarchy) that the physical object ‘money’ is an unlimited resource. We can print more. However, if we do , it has real world consequences. That’s not because of what it is, physically or digitally, but what it represents; it’s agreed value. And when you dilute its value, most of us suffer. As recently as 1984 we had that happen in NZ and the ‘cure’ was Rogernomics. If we don’t learn from history …)
And, in fact, we are and the consequences are massive house price inflation especially in Auckland.
See, you can’t just say that we can’t print money while we’re massively printing money (well, the private banks are).
Yeah, I recall that and the cause was the same as today. Massive returns from investment for foreign investors in housing. Despite the capital controls of the time we were still being flooded by foreign investment wanting to get its part of the ~20% mortgage market here.
There’s a reason why both major religions in the world ban usury and it’s because it crashes the economy.
This is a false concept. Money is already priced in multiple ways and therefore its “agreed value” is being constantly determined by what worthwhile things an economy can supply for the money you have. It is that focus on the real economy which is key.
Of course as TRP now admits, there is no real shortage of money other than the artificial one that the system is designed to inflict upon the majority of the population. In other words: austerity for you; ZIRP for us.
“as TRP now admits …”
I’ve never said otherwise. Sharpen up, CV.
Oh TRP, I’m simply working through a process of discovery of your true views. No need for the condescension. You really are used to being the boss, I guess. More tomorrow.
Are you calling me a liar?
Are you calling me a dullard?
Answer the question, CV.
Do you really think that you are the boss?
Check your reading comprehension skills dude; I said I was trying to find out what you really think. If you want to hide it, fine, I wasn’t that interested in the first place.
[Ok, so that second sentence confirms it. Withdraw or take some time off. TRP]
I withdraw my previous comments as per your orders, Te Reo Putake.
[Thank you. Let’s move on, aye? TRP]
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Please do not presume to make statements about what I do or don’t recognise. You are possibly the person least likely to have any insight on the matter.
Hi Stephanie,
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives. The importance of keeping inflation low by keeping buying power and money supply tight, the use of unemployment to shrink consumer inflation, the importance of annual economic growth combined with tight fiscal discipline, the importance of government surpluses and balancing the books to keep the confidence of the markets, etc.
Then you’re welcome to agree, deny or clarify (or do nothing) re Labour being orthodox fiscal conservatives.
Nope. You are welcome to stop making up shit about authors on this site.
Your definition of “orthodox fiscal conservatives” (i.e. anyone who isn’t advocating a total revolution of basic Western economic practices) is so broad and unrealistic to expect of a major party in a Westminster democracy that it’s laughable you think you’re making some kind of cutting argument by labelling Labour as such.
Why are you referring to authors privilege based on my commenting about something you wrote somewhere else? If you think my conclusion about your economic views are inaccurate, just say so. I am quite happy to be corrected.
But is the label accurate or inaccurate, from your perspective? Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
Since the 1970s the establishment within each of the Anglo FVEY nations has adopted neoliberal economic paradigms and decision frameworks. The USA, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ. That’s been the true revolution.
Again, you are non-committal about your actual views.
You say “non-committal”, I say “unwilling to be baited into a conversation where you’ve already set the ground rules so you cannot be argued with.”
Give it up CV.
If Steph wanted her opinions analysed or questioned, she’d publish them.
Something to note about SR is she does not recognise that Labour are orthodox fiscal conservatives.
I think that’s unfair, CV.
The whole point of the article is that if you care about people you care about economics and human rights. The two can’t be separated into neat little spheres. I think Stephanie understands this better than most.
And I doubt she is naive about the Labour Party.
Plus, no need to bring her into it at all. Focus on the issues.
But a feminist who advocates for Side Issues No One Cares About was getting positive attention! This is a travesty!!!
The real problem is not that the Labour Party does or does not agree with Modern Monetary Theory, it’s that proposing it destroys fiscal credibility in the eyes of the public. The Greens proposed QE last election, and got relentlessly attacked on the subject for weeks, even if it now turns out everyone else is doing QE anyway…
A observation on my readings this morning.
It’s funny how all the right wing rush out the line GODWIN when anybody describes anything the right wing do as fascist.
But conversely – when right wingers describe the left in tired old left, almost Stalinist terms – no one bats an eyelid?
Hell I dislike the old left as much as the next person – unimaginative, staid, misogynistic, homophobic, and just too overbearing for words. Yes it was sacrilegious, but we have moved on.
So why do we let the right define us as so?
[lprent: The Godwin thing invariably degenerates into boring flamewars. Godwin is a shortcut for people who have seen it degenerate a thousand times before to say “shut the fuck up” to the idiot starting to use it it as if it was a new tactic. That includes the stalin, various kims, pinochet and every other pissant dictatorial metaphor to replace their inability to use their brains.
When people express what they actually think rather than sprouting slogans we tend to be more tolerant. Doesn’t matter if we think they are nutters from the right or left (and there are many on the left who are exactly as dogmatic). But if they get boring about it and deteriorate into slogans then you’ll find that commenters and moderators will bat more than an eyelid. It isn’t a recipe for long term tolerance in any net environment. ]
The Left have not got a strong defining narrative or paradigm for what its mission is in the 21st century, so others find it easy to define us especially as they have a powerful and far reaching communications infrastructure to do it with.
“We need to KILL THEM ALL!
And if some women and children get killed, so be it.”
Paul Henry, TV3, Wednesday 27 May 2015
Paul Henry, Hillary Barry (sycophant), Jim Kayes (sycophant)
“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.” — Plato
As the last item on the 7 a.m. news, Hillary Barry reads about a Danish radio host who has bludgeoned a rabbit to death with a bicycle pump, cooked it, then eaten it live on air. She is clearly appalled by this…..
HILLARY BARRY: Bludgeoning it with a bicycle pump?
JIM KAYES: Good kicker.
PAUL HENRY: Now that’s a technical term and a lot of viewers won’t know what that means.
JIM KAYES: “Kicker” means the last story.
HENRY: Thank you.
Hillary Barry’s brief display of humanitarian revulsion was interesting, especially in light of her reaction to the bloodthirsty ranting that would occur in the studio just over an hour later. While she made no bones about her tender feelings for the fate of a rabbit in Denmark, she was less keen to defend human beings in Iraq and Syria as they came under a savage rhetorical assault.
7:12 a.m. ….
Along with endorsing the Key government’s cynical, rotten “plan” to house people under power lines, Henry’s mission today is to endorse the American-led campaign against ISIS. To this end, Henry interviews Steve Hoadley, an extreme right wing American who glories in the title of “Associate Professor of International Relations” at Auckland University. Hoadley is notorious for stating, at the very height of Israel’s murderous assault on Gaza in 2008-9—what Israeli generals chortlingly termed “twenty-two days of madness”—that he supported the Israelis because they were civilized compared to the people they were destroying. Today, however, Hoadley delivered an anodyne and uncontroversial summary of the situation in Iraq; the unhinged ranting would come not from him, but from Paul Henry.
7:16 a.m. ….
Henry heaps scorn on the Labour Party politicians who have dared to question the land that the government wants to force people to live on—next to cemeteries and under electric power lines. “How STUPID are THEY?” he snarls.
8:05….
Hillary Barry reads the weather, including for Alexandra, which she daringly and controversially calls “Alex”…
HILLARY BARRY: I know you don’t like me saying Alex, but I DO.
8:07….
Jim reads the sports news, corpsing throughout, because he has just told a mildly amusing joke.
8:10 a.m. …..
HENRY: I just can’t get over the idea of the British putting in these duck lanes.
JIM KAYES: That IS very funny.
HENRY: It’s just too STUPID for words.
After the 8 o’clock news, there’s a regular “panel”—two guests who are supposed to reflect on current issues. Today’s panel features former reality TV star Joe Cotton, billed as a “broadcaster”, and RadioLIVE host Andrew Patterson.….
HENRY: All right, Labour have had a field day with this 430 hectares. It can’t ALL be beachfront property! Would you buy a house next to a graveyard? The thing that annoys me about this is that Labour—this is the opposition just saying things to be an opposition.
Andrew Patterson apparently has nothing to say about this; he simply agrees with Henry. And Joe Cotton, instead of saying something thoughtful or challenging, launches in to an unfunny diversionary spiel about poltergeists and horror movies.
HENRY: Are you in favor of our troops being in Iraq?
ANDREW PATTERSON: No I’m not comfortable. But of course you’ve got to do SOMETHING.
HENRY: It sends a very clear message that New Zealand is WITH the United States and the rest of the willing. Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
JOE COTTON: [baffled sigh] Whooooooof….
HENRY: We have to POUND them and SQUASH them don’t we?
ANDREW PATTERSON: I guess the big question here is: how do we counter the ideology?
HENRY: It’s hard. It’s hard…..
8:35 a.m. ….
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them!
HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD! We have to KILL THEM ALL! And in the course of this, bombs are going to bounce into tents where there are women and children! But we must not get up in arms about that! Kill them all!
HILLARY BARRY: [clearly uncomfortable] Mmm hmmm.
JIM KAYES: [gravely] That’s the reality of war.
HILLARY: I’d like some feedback on this Alex/Alexandra controversy! Paul thinks I should say Alexandra.
PAUL HENRY: I think you are being too casual towards the people of Alexandra when you call their town Alex.
HILLARY BARRY: [mock-scolding] Look who’s calling me casual!
HENRY: Just on this ISIS thing again. THEY thrive because WE hesitate. They’re not LIKE us.
JIM KAYES: We fight in a conventional, honest way. Whereas—
HENRY: Exactly! We need to KILL THEM ALL! And if some women and children get killed, so be it.
PAUL HENRY: Right, on the phone, we have Cade from Alexandra. Are you happy with Alex, Cade, or is it Alexandra? For a fact we know that it is Alexandra not Alex, are we all agreed on that? What kind of a name is Cade anyway?
HILLARY BARRY: [giggling] Stop being MEAN!
Jim Kayes snickers dutifully.
8:59 a.m……
HENRY: I’d like to dedicate this show to our troops in Iraq, who are on the frontline in the war against ISIS—a war we are part of, like it or not.
And that is why my friend I do not watch or listen to Henry
Don’t worry, my friend, I watch and listen to creeps like Henry so that you don’t have to. Keep an eye out for some more transcripts* from some of his earlier shows, which I’m starting to write up now.
* Yes, Felix, I know, I know….
Haha, excellent.
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)? Because if it was real… *vomits entire contents of his body, entrails, viscera and all, onto the floor*
But tell me, was the 8:59am dedication a real thing, or a bit of poetic licence (for which you will receive 12 lashings)?
He actually said that. I think I got that bit exactly verbatim.
This morning, as a parting shot, Henry dedicated the programme to the senile thug “Sir” Robert Jones, whose actions apparently lend “colour” to our lives.
paul henry unhinged. Very frightening. For this sub human we lose Clive??
JOHN BANKS : crook or not? read, listen to him & judge for yourself
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/john-banks-a-tale-of-two-cheques/
Crook.
His parents were two of the most notorious criminals in Auckland; the rotten apple doesn’t roll far from the tree.
Indeed “Harawira” springs to mind.
That’s a foolish thing to say. Hone Harawira is a serious and thoughtful person. John Banks is not.
Or do you have some evidence of Hone Harawira receiving secret, illegal payments of money like John Banks?
Parents, Moz. The comment was about the parents.
Fair enough, Te Reo—but this fool seemed to be suggesting Hone Harawira was in some way comparable to John Banks.
Nah, Realblue was suggesting that Hone’s parents were somehow equivalent to Bank’s folks. Which is the purest bullshit, of course. Banks is a very complicated fellow and his upbringing in poverty hasn’t taught him any compassion for the poor. It’s just made him determined to be as distant from poverty as possible and by any means necessary. So the apple/tree analogy is pretty apt.
Thanks for that, Te Reo. A model of exposition, as always!
I’m here to help, Moz!
One of Hones parents abused children, the appalling Titiwhai.Clearly you and Morrissey are ok with that. Fair enough. Morrisey brought Banks parents into it, then you join in with an inevitable “look over there” response. The classy left eh?
So that’s one parent, as opposed to both. So do you acknowledge you owe Hone’s dad an apology?
Across a dalliance of rainbows,
A little crooked man smiles,
With time-filled grace,
Why do thee frown,
When across that big blue sky,
Ruptures of magnificence awaits?
No I don’t, his and his family’s crimes usually involve violence. A much lesser sin in your eyes clearly.
I’m going to call you out on that mate. Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
Agreed I’m surprised Morrisey hasn’t attacked Banks kids yet. Day isn’t over I guess. Shabby stuff indeed.
Uncool to judge the guy for his parents’ mis-deeds, or anyone else for that matter.
If John Banks was an honest, decent citizen, I would not invoke the memory of his criminal parents. The fact is, though, he is not a decent, honest citizen, and his parents’ criminality obviously did affect him deeply.
“the rotten apple”
But you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
Although I’d place Banks in the ‘crooks’ column, that’s a pretty rotten thing to say. People are not their parents and may or may not learn to be like them.
you didn’t just call Banks out Morrissey, you made a sweeping generalisation about bad people and the perceived obviousness of their children being the same.
I recognize that there are people all over the country that have risen above their family circumstances, many of them far more onerous than John Banks’s circumstances, and gone on to live decent, honest lives where they have been an asset rather than an outrage to the community. Banks, on the other hand, has behaved with the most flagrant dishonesty; to point out the link to his criminal parents is entirely appropriate, I would have thought.
Or do you think Banks’s behaviour just springs out of nowhere?
Again, it was the sweeping generalisation I object to, not to a possible specific comment that Banks may have learned to be frugal with the truth from his parents.
Agreed I’m surprised Morrisey hasn’t attacked Banks kids yet.
If one of Banks’s kids is involved with money-laundering of, say, fifty thousand dollars that he’s asked to be paid for in two separate cheques, then yes, the obvious influence of his father will be remarked upon.
If, on the other hand, his kids somehow transcend the handicap of having a dishonest criminal stepdad, then I would applaud them, just as I would have applauded Banks if he had acted with integrity and honour in his political career.
didnt his parent assist women to abort children? at a time when women were criminals for controlling their own lives and bodirs. Or have i confused them with someone else
The story is fairly well known and has been in the public arena for decades.
From Wikipedia: “When he was a young child, his parents Archie and Kitty were imprisoned for procuring abortions. His father was a career criminal and his mother an alcoholic.”
I think casting his parents as the altruistic and enlightened saviours of women with unwanted pregnancies is probably a bit of a reach. More likely it was just another string to their bow of criminal enterprise.
as i wrote my memory wasnt clear. but it needs to be looked at in the context of the day. and reports of it in the same way.
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
How about Carmel Sepuloni’s mother then Morrissey? Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there, or is that different somehow?
Carmel Sepuloni has been charged with, or convicted of, dishonesty offences? If she has been, your analogy will have merit; if she has not, you are simply ignorant.
To prevent us thinking you are ignorant, could you post evidence for us of Carmel Sepuloni’s criminality?
Ah, okay, so even though you aren’t convicted of anything, the fact you are charged is the key to your argument.
In that case Hone Harawira does fall into your criteria, mother has been convicted (assault) and he has been charged (failure to remove a vehicle from a road).
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
Bringing families into politics is a bad idea Morrisey, Carmel Sepuloni isn’t her mother, Hone Harawira isn’t his mother (or cousins), and John Banks most certainly isn’t his parents.
You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament, notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them.
Banks, on the other hand, is neither honest nor respected, and that won’t change no matter how much you try to divert and smear other, superior politicians.
Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny. They are not like their parents; Banks on the other hand, has betrayed his public fiduciary duty as an elected representative—which makes him far worse than his notorious parents.
“notwithstanding the personal and irrelevant abuse that you and other right wing shills ceaselessly heap on them”
Like when Harawira was part of He Taua, which confronted drunk University of Auckland engineering students who performed a parody of the “Ka Mate” haka with obscenities painted on their bodies. The group including Harawira assaulted them with baseball bats and hoses, resulting in several broken bones? Or do we metaphorically abuse him?
“You’re 66.6666 per cent correct there, Bob. Carmel Sepuloni and Hone Harawira are (or were) honest and respected members of parliament”
Yeah, Hone was really respected for his “white mother fuckers” rant, and respected in that he had a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs because they had “lost trust and confidence” in Mr Harawira, that he “acted unethically and without integrity” and that he “deliberately undermined” the party and the leaders. Or respected because he said Osama bin Laden’s actions were those of “a man who fought for the rights, the land and the freedom of his people” and that people should not be damning him but mourn him?
“Harawira and Sepuloni have their faults, but neither of them has asked donors to make illegal payments in two separate cheques in order to (unsuccessfully) escape scrutiny”
No, Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques, then admitted to receiving payments from that man, but never declared how much he had been paid…hmm sounds familiar
Unfortunately you have made some wildly confused statements in your rant, Bob. However, since you have at least endeavoured to defend your corner, I will deal with each of the points you raise, even though most of them are, sadly, quite spurious.
1.) Like when Harawira was part of He Taua….
Hone Harawira was, like other Māori students at Auckland in 1979, incensed by the racist, demeaning behaviour of the Engineering students’ mock haka party. For years, he and other young Māori leaders had repeatedly protested against those goons and demanded they stop their provocation. The He Taua action was the last resort, after the racists had treated all the Māori protests with contempt.
But it looks like you have made up your mind that the provocateurs were the victims rather than the instigators of the trouble; nothing anyone says is likely to change your mind. Let’s move on to your next point….
2.) “…white mother fuckers….”
Okay, that was a foolish thing to write in an email. You make a reasonable point there, Bob. I presume you have been equally outraged at the far more numerous racist and sexist outbursts by National Party MPs like John “Hone” Carter, Jonathan Coleman, —and John Banks.
3.) a complaint laid against him by all of the other Māori Party MPs
So he’s not a team player. That’s not a sin, and it’s not a crime, and it’s not an ethical lapse. Why would you even mention this irrelevant point?
4.) Harawira made an alliance with the man that was all too happy to write those two cheques…
The problem with what Banks did was not Kim Dotcom—it was Banks’s illegal actions. You don’t seem quite up to speed with the facts and issues of the case.
5.) …hmm sounds familiar
No, you’ve (perhaps deliberately) missed the point again. Hone Harawira’s open dealings with Kim Dotcom were utterly different from Banks’s hamfisted attempts to rort the system.
So the UK Tories are about to announce that anyone working up to 30 hours per week on the minimum wage will be income tax free.
Interesting the playbook they are all sharing. What is UK Labour going to come back with? Blairite Nu Labour 2?
That’s not what you think it is, CV. Minimum wage workers already pay very little tax as the UK has a tax free threshold of ten thousand pounds. What this really means is locking in the minimum wage at its current low rate. It also allows the rich to sneer at the working poor (look how much I pay in tax while the plebs pay nothing etc).
It’s actually a very Blairite kind of move; at first glance, vaguely progressive, but at heart, just more patronising conservatism. What’s needed is Labour’s policy of lifting the minimum wage and gradually bringing in a living wage.
Odd idea the Left has that making beneficiaries and low paid workers pay tax means the rich now sneer at them less. Has it worked in NZ?
Well, that maybe your idea, but that’s not what I wrote. Sharpen up!
So you don’t think that beneficiaries and low wage earners should be subject to income tax? Or are you avoiding having an opinion on the issue?
Um, that question makes no sense. Can you try again?
Edit: to save time, I should point out that I’ve never been short of an opinion. I thought that would have been pretty obvious by now! And my opinion on this matter is that all income earners should pay tax and that tax should be levied on a graduated scale, with lower income earners paying very little. A UBI would be even better starting point, of course.
Thanks for your answer to the question which “makes no sense” – that benes should indeed pay income tax.
A historical note on taxing benefits – none were taxed until one day Muldoon decided unemployment beneficiaries should be taxed. up until then Sickness and Unemployment Benefit were paid at the same rate. When taxing of all benefits was brought in the already reduced rate of Unemployment Benefit was treated as if it wasn’t already taxed and taxed again.
IMO, rather than making low income tax free, all benefits need to be increased and so does the minimum wage. Incomes over $70,000 a year need to have a higher rate of tax, and an even higher rate should apply at $150,000. Capital gains of any sort should be taxed.
70000 includes teachers, nurses, police. Perhaps you should asked them. Are you trying to punish them for something?
Most teachers and nurses earn less than $70,000.
“Thanks for your answer to the question which “makes no sense” – that benes should indeed pay income tax.”
D’uh! If you get some spare time, look up the words income and benefit and see if you can suss the difference.
We are being continually told that aucklands housing problem is predominately all about supply.
Well, we are lifting supply to the market, but there are “unforeseen” consequences:
The ability to find contractors is prooving difficult, as the level of activity increases this is more than matched by price increase well beyond inflation. E.g cost of pipes, diesel is increasing flowing onto increase tender costs for the earthworks component.Council processing of consents, s224s late last year it was within 3 weeks now it is taking 2 months.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/construction-costs-making-impossible-build-affordable-homes-developer-6241175
Does no one ever consider, that by increasing supply you are increasing the demand on building products the ability for construction coys to deliver ?
fletchers will have… considered extra costs for construction materials
Passengers applaud as obnoxious political extremist escorted off plane
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sir-bob-jones-booted-off-flight-refusing-listen-crew-6322883
Since we left wingers have no sense of humour, according to Sir Bob, we don’t find this at all funny. No sirree bob!
Thousands of Turkish workers are currently taking on the bosses, the repressive state and the yellow union they were corralled into following the 1981 military coup:
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/05/26/turkish-car-workers-take-on-bosses-state-and-yellow-union/
When is something going to be done about David Carter?
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-fingerprints-of-biased-speaker.html
The guy’s a complete and utter failure as a Speaker. He must be the worst NZ’s ever had. Something needs to be done.
Oww… you beat me by 20 minutes link,n all.
He seems to have some hang-up about the oppo. members doing their job and grilling their opposite numbers in the House. Yesterday was a supreme example. Peter’s was attempting to ask a supplementary question. He prefaced it with a handful of words to the effect his question was not in response to the first part of the minister’s answer. It was a point of explanation. Misterrrr Speaker appeared to take it the wrong way and issued him with a warning . Peter’s started to explain what he was doing. Misterrrr Speaker threw him out of the house!
Previous to that incident Key had been screeching at Little across the chamber (including the Super gaffe 🙄 ) – none of them had anything to do with Little’s original questions but hey… that’s okay. He just gets a mild admonishment usually delivered in a voice tinged with amusement.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well. Key gets away with more shit than I’ve ever seen any Speaker allow. It’s disgraceful ! The larrikan head boy has it all over the headmaster.
And frequently with the hint of a smile on his dial as well
Yep, meant to add that. If all the m****s out there who thinks he’s such a loverlee guy watched question time in the House and saw his narrowed ice cold eyes and heard his sly, mendacious and puerile-ridden shrieking (at Little in particular) they would drop dead with shock. Serves them right. They are getting exactly what they deserve – which is nothing.
Given how quickly the PM said he wouldnt stop nzers from coming home who were fighting for isis… rather makes me think its cos he knows there arent any… which makes a bit of a mockery of his breathless haste to surveil cos of the threat of nzers being radicalised… just pondering
According to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the using of NZ taxpayer funds to bribe a Saudi businessman is all the fault of the Clark administration!!
But – – but – – Helen Clark did it. Where have I heard this before?
Bob Jones thrown off a plane for being a douche.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11455485
If only such would happen more often…
Meanwhile in stacking public institutions with stooges/jobs for the boys news
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11455565
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11455485
Supreme Court of New Zealand, watch out. You just do not do that to ‘the entitled’ !
Another fabulous role model drawn from our ruling class hahaha…….
The All Blacks play well and have a good win. People like Paul Henry say, “We were all over them, we played well.” The All Blacks lose and people like Paul Henry say, “They were hopeless, they should’ve played better.”
A war is happening and New Zealand troops are sent:
HENRY: … Is this a fight worth having? You HAVE to say YES.
ANDREW PATTERSON: [gravely] Of course, of COURSE.
HENRY: This is a fight that we have to be on the right side of, isn’t it?
…
HENRY: Absolutely we should be part of the fight. And we have to really take it to them! HILLARY BARRY: [softly] I’m afraid so.
JIM KAYES: [softly, grimacing with moral doubt] Yes, I think so.
HENRY: We have to be in there STRONG and HARD!
_____________________________________________________
I have opined before that if the need were so serious for troops to go, John Key and Mike Hosking would have ensured that their kids signed up, did the training and demanded they be sent. (Their parents would no doubt have done the demanding too.)
Paul Henry, wanting to get in there ‘strong and hard’ seems to have the attitude to want to be, to demand to be their commanding officer. Yeah.
Any chance the TV could show us how serious it is about hard news and sent Paul Henry off to Iraq to do an imbed and go out on some patrols towards ISIS territory –