Author Archive

Our rail revival

Written By: advantage - Date published: 1:41 pm, October 31st, 2018 - 96 comments

Yesterday the government announced that it was reversing the previous government’s decision to kill off the electric trains. The decision is one of many recently made that suggests that the future of rail is bright.

Oil and morality

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:08 am, October 23rd, 2018 - 44 comments

The death of Jamal Khashoggi raises the important question can we still question the morality of Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia and the United States

Written By: advantage - Date published: 10:17 am, October 17th, 2018 - 21 comments

Saudi Arabia is preparing to admit that the U.S. resident and investigative reporter did indeed die in their embassy in Turkey.

Retail Fuel politics

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:32 am, October 15th, 2018 - 53 comments

New Zealand is now getting truckie protests about fuel prices reminiscent of the first term of the Helen Clark government. This is no doubt the start of many protests to come from truckie and consumer alike.

Shake It Up, Taylor Swift, Shake It Up

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:29 am, October 10th, 2018 - 36 comments

There is a long a proud history of musicians adding their weight to the Democratic cause in the United States, but Taylor Swift’s recent action is about as on-message as you can get.

Petrol, Zero Carbon, and 15,000 Submissions

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:21 am, October 9th, 2018 - 139 comments

Get ready, according to the AA, for petrol at $3 a liter for Christmas.

It’s America Again

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:46 am, October 8th, 2018 - 113 comments

It would fit the karma of a leftie universe if the United States was now suffering from its political choices. But it’s the reverse: the United States economy is roaring and President Trump is starting to be rewarded for delivering what he promised.

What the Prime Minister actually said

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, September 27th, 2018 - 71 comments

What Jacinda Ardern said to the United Nations about Nelson Mandela on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Prime Minister Ardern’s Coalition Reset Speech

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:27 am, September 16th, 2018 - 132 comments

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to give a big speech today. I’m hoping for something that gives some kind of plan, common purpose, and sense of direction.

Fonterra’s loss

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:35 am, September 13th, 2018 - 67 comments

Fonterra has just reported an after tax loss of $196 million for the 2018 year. It’s never had an annual loss in its history.

The Global Financial Crisis 10 Years On

Written By: advantage - Date published: 11:19 am, September 11th, 2018 - 32 comments

Ten years ago this week massive financial businesses in the United States started collapsing. How has the world recovered from this?

Public Service Reform

Written By: advantage - Date published: 4:30 pm, September 6th, 2018 - 27 comments

For a country the size of Melbourne, we have a ridiculously complex state, and this layer of accountablility is largely a complete waste of our taxpayer money and degrades our agency as citizens. Can we do better?

Government as startup

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, September 4th, 2018 - 67 comments

Labour and New Zealand First Ministers under the first term of the sixth Labour government sitting in the Cabinet office.

This new government is almost perfectly replicating the burn cycle of a startup business.

Parliament and bullying

Written By: advantage - Date published: 12:42 pm, August 31st, 2018 - 41 comments

It should be a qualification of being a Labour Member of Parliament that they treat their worked in an exemplary manner.

Norway’s plastic bottle recycling

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, August 28th, 2018 - 16 comments

Norway’s recycling policies are that good that it is in serious need of more rubbish.

Australia, New Zealand, and Climate Change Politics

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, August 25th, 2018 - 37 comments

What are the implications for New Zealand’s climate change policies of Australia’s change of Prime Minister?

The Pope’s Letter to All Believers

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, August 22nd, 2018 - 64 comments

The pope missed a great recent chance to state that accused abusers should be walked to the nearest Police station, make written statements, face trial, hopefully jailed, then defrocked, and excommunicated.

Elizabeth Warren and Accountable Capitalism

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:30 am, August 21st, 2018 - 22 comments

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is proposing a law change that would require US corporations to consider its workers and community in company decisions and prevent political donations from being made unless 75% of shareholders agreed.

No Waimea dam

Written By: advantage - Date published: 2:35 pm, August 17th, 2018 - 26 comments

With the change in Government and ever increasing costs of construction it appears that the Waimea dam project in Tasman District is going to be scuppered.

Building Nations

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:15 am, August 16th, 2018 - 72 comments

This Government has probably one term to show progress in dealing with the country’s infrastructure deficit.

What is the RCEP?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 3:55 pm, August 15th, 2018 - 14 comments

It’s time we paid attention to RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Who protects us from water companies?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, August 10th, 2018 - 78 comments

New Zealand seriously needs a water regulator. Something that will show that each catchment can withstand having that much taken out of it, and that it is being sold for a fair price, and ensures everyone has access to beautiful-quality water.

We need more radicals coming here

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:31 am, August 9th, 2018 - 68 comments

We need more radical voices again here. But it’s like MMP has turned us once again into the passionless people. It always looks like “hate speech” when you hate it.

Should we defend global institutions?

Written By: advantage - Date published: 9:22 am, August 8th, 2018 - 37 comments

With the world facing environmental, economic and social crises now more than ever before is a time for strong international institutions.

China and Google

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:52 am, August 6th, 2018 - 2 comments

Google is planning a launch of its eponymous spectacular search engine in which it allows censorship from the Chinese state. Some U.S. politicians aren’t happy about it. Principles are, in the words of the words of my tailor, funny; you loosen a bit here, you loosen a bit there, you find your trousers fall down. […]