Archive for June, 2013

For Solar

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, June 25th, 2013 - 48 comments

There’s an issue for solar power about to hit: Standards NZ’s new proposed standard requires the use of a particular, untested, inverter which is not expected to even exist until July 2014.  The current 2005 standard on solar power production allows electricity lines companies to enforce their own set of standards onto independent solar power installers.

Who’s Tourism Minister again?

Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, June 25th, 2013 - 45 comments

Back in 2008, a bright new thing called John Key said that, if he became Prime Minister, he would take the Tourism portfolio. He said “it’s an industry that’s particularly important in maintaining and boosting this country’s employment levels and growth prospects” and “we can do an awful lot better”. International tourism revenue has fallen 20% since 2008.

GCSB Bill – for shame

Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, June 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

The Law Society is not exactly a hotbed of leftie activism. So the supporters of this appallingly arrogant government should sit up and take notice when they speak out as clearly as this against the GCSB spying bill. Two faced Key is simultaneously claiming that the current law is both unclear and “very clear”. He needs to be called out on it.

Lying Bridges caught out

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, June 25th, 2013 - 67 comments

Labour Minister Sim0n Bridges has been trying to justify the latest round of attacks on workers’ rights by saying the law currently requires workers to be union members for the first 30 days on a new job and that people ought to have choice. That’s a lie. The law Bridges wants to throw out says new workers can’t be paid less than union rates, not that you have to join the union.

Why enhanced spying powers are bad

Written By: - Date published: 6:54 am, June 25th, 2013 - 62 comments

If one needs any more reason to worry about the government’s GCSB bill, here is the latest news from the UK: police there seemed to spend more time investigating the murder of innocent school boy Stephen Lawrence’s family to undermine their anti-racism campaign than they did his murder. An former undercover officer has said he […]

Open mike 25/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 25th, 2013 - 126 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Caregivers in equal pay spotlight

Written By: - Date published: 11:23 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 22 comments

John Ryall writes on the case of long-term caregiver Kristine Bartlett who took a landmark case to the Employment court this morning. It is on the application of the Equal Pay Act 1972 into gender segmented work. Hopefully this will help reduce the lack of progress on closing our male-female wage gap.

An unjust government

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 18 comments

So the Ministry of Health has relented to some caregivers and is paying them something… but not others. Margaret Spencer has given up her life to look after her adult son, but gets no compensation for it. If she gave her son over to strangers to look after, not only would the MoH have to […]

I’m not a UF fan, but…

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 16 comments

Today’s stuff Dilbert cartoon seems very apt.

Christchurch East maneuvering

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, June 24th, 2013 - 33 comments

So it looks like Labour’s Christchurch East candidate when Lianne Dalziel steps down will be either Clayton Cosgrove or James Caygill. The first question you ask is ‘why wouldn’t Clayton just stand in Waimakiriri again?’. He’s won it 4 of 5 attempts and Wilkinson only has a 600 majority. A slight swing will win it for him again, why give that up? The answer is troubling.

Foreign land buyers: its non-residents, not immigrants

Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, June 24th, 2013 - 38 comments

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse was on Q+A yesterday, talking about immigrant labour exploitation and about foreigners pushing up prices for houses and land. Woodhouse, purposely, conflated immigrants buying houses when they are coming here with non-residents buying houses that are purely rental investments/speculations on the NZ housing market.

Anemic recovery

Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, June 24th, 2013 - 113 comments

Despite the heroic efforts of National’s spinsters the economic “recovery” remains anemic. We’re still behind 2007, and what recovery there is seems to be largely driven by another property bubble, and captured by a few. All National have managed is to hold us back for four years.

Open mike 24/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 24th, 2013 - 123 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Flooding

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, June 23rd, 2013 - 86 comments

Noticed a lot of flooding in the world headlines recently? Me too. What’s up with that?

Workrights on the Nation

Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, June 23rd, 2013 - 121 comments

An interesting couple of interviews. Jamie-Lee Ross admits he took advice on strikebreaking from the Ports of Auckland Ltd, and Darien Fenton makes it clear what National are up to, and (note to Labour’s press team) shows why she should be fronting serious media more often.

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, June 23rd, 2013 - 5 comments

My semi-regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere.  This week: mastery of the internet means mastery of us by the NSA, feminist statistics, some interesting people and popularity lists.

1938 6

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, June 23rd, 2013 - 6 comments

A Sunday feature – each week a random section scanned from a copy of The Standard, September 15th, 1938. Find out more here.

Open mike 23/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 23rd, 2013 - 124 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

Volunteers wanted!

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 6 comments

As National Volunteer Week draws to a close, let us continue to celebrate the 1/3 of New Zealanders who regularly do volunteer work in our communities.

No traffic jam on the high road

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 34 comments

I am reading a very interesting book on the role of Collective Bargaining in the Global Economy (Edited by Susan Hayter). It confirms for me the importance of getting political support to change the labour laws in New Zealand to support industry level/sector wide bargaining…

Should a country be run like a business?

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 102 comments

Many business people say that a country should be run like a business. Maybe they are right. It should be run like a SUCCESSFUL business. It is appropriate for Government to take lessons from business success, and the reverse. But when it comes down to details, right wing Neo-Liberal business do not want Government and country they govern to become too successful or democratic…

Poverty Watch 36

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, June 22nd, 2013 - 7 comments

Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a debrief on The Vote: “Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting”. The results are encouraging!

Open mike 22/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 22nd, 2013 - 131 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

OP: Fluoridation – it does reduce tooth decay

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 306 comments

Ken Perrott at Open Parachute has been debunking some of the nonsense around fluoridated water by investigating claims (his background is in scientific research). It is refreshing after reading some of the recent misinterpreted drivel around about the science.

Weekend social 21/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 24 comments

Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?

Mana housing policy needs work

Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 28 comments

Mana’s housing policy is ambitious, and leaves National’s inaction looking increasingly isolated and out of touch. But there are too many gaps in this policy as currently stated. Needs work.

Who benefits?

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, June 21st, 2013 - 42 comments

The leaderless uprising in Brazil exposes unbearable inequalities in a dysfunctional post-growth world.  Extravagant sports events and expensive stadium contrast with anti-public service austerity measures.  Home building lags in Christchurch, while Key looks to asset sales to fund a stadium.

Extreme weather

Written By: - Date published: 6:03 am, June 21st, 2013 - 173 comments

I hope everyone in Wellington, and other places affected by last night’s the ongoing storms, gets through it all OK. New Zealand is entering a new phase, extreme weather will become ‘the new normal’.

Open mike 21/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 21st, 2013 - 135 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…

NRT: The problem of SOEs

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, June 20th, 2013 - 7 comments

A second repost (with thanks) from I/S at No Right Turn. This time on SOEs.

NRT: Some “reforms”

Written By: - Date published: 3:32 pm, June 20th, 2013 - 2 comments

I/S at No Right Turn is on a roll today. Here he is on the gambling amendment.