Author Archive

Another Key lie is why this government can’t be trusted with increased spying powers

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, August 16th, 2016 - 33 comments

When caught abusing new powers the response will be the same as when caught out abusing the old – meh, so sue us.

Spark – kudos

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, August 15th, 2016 - 30 comments

Our wages are too low generally, and this is one of the main economic challenges that we face. A few more employers committing to paying a living wage would be a good place to start.

The housing crisis and the diseases of poverty

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 15th, 2016 - 122 comments

Rheumatic fever is on the rise again. It is likely that other diseases of poverty are also or will also increase as the housing crisis drags on under National.

Globalisation and global incomes (the “elephant graph”)

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 14th, 2016 - 55 comments

An elegant graph explains why free trade is a good thing, but why it is causing a backlash in rich “Western” countries.

Taonga tax

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, August 13th, 2016 - 77 comments

Tourists are coming for our “clean green” image (however undeserved), no reason why they shouldn’t be happy to help contributing to maintaining / strengthening it.

TPP – with a whimper

Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, August 12th, 2016 - 166 comments

Plenty of folk today pronouncing the death of the TPP. This is a victory for activism.

Immigration jobs and housing

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, August 11th, 2016 - 88 comments

Until we sort out our housing and unemployment problems it is surely time to reign in NZ’s currently record levels of immigration.

Reserve bank cuts OCR to record low

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, August 11th, 2016 - 28 comments

The Reserve Bank just cut the OCR to a historic low of 2%. And no it’s not good (economic) news.

Labour on student debt – beware of clickbait headlines

Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 10th, 2016 - 125 comments

“Revealed: Labour’s plan to wipe student debt”. Nope. Saved you a click.

Labour’s Kiwibuild is popular

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, August 9th, 2016 - 81 comments

More good news for the political left in the fine print of yesterday’s Newshub-Reid Research poll.

Why are wages flat?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 9th, 2016 - 179 comments

The Nats would have you believe that the economy is in good shape, in which case there is no excuse for the ongoing stagnation of wages. Of course it’s not as simple as that.

Happy Birthday WWW

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, August 7th, 2016 - 11 comments

Despite being an early adopter I completely failed to spot the potential of the web.

Wasted food and carbon footprint

Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, August 6th, 2016 - 17 comments

The Italian intiaitive encouraging supermarkets to give unsold food to those in need is a great move. Helps the poor, reduces waste, win win. But it’s just a start. We need to massively change attitudes and behaviour to reduce food waste.

Open mike 06/08/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 6th, 2016 - 80 comments

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

Employers failing Kiwsaver obligations

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, August 5th, 2016 - 35 comments

In a sign of just how stressed our economy is: “Inland Revenue is chasing employers for unpaid KiwiSaver contributions worth tens of millions of dollars.”

Fewer police, more crime

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, August 5th, 2016 - 39 comments

The number of police (per head of population) is falling, and crime figures are rising. But no doubt National will play the “tough on crime” card again next year.

Government puts 15% tax on foreign house buyers

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, August 4th, 2016 - 32 comments

No, not our government. Though as the average NZ house price just hit $600,000, and Auckland just short of $1m, they really should.

Trade retaliation

Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, August 3rd, 2016 - 50 comments

The Nats are in a difficult spot here, no doubt about it. The weak steel is a serious issue and it should be investigated. But their usual tactics of deny and lie have been caught out yet again.

Team Trump pretty much calls for civil war

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, August 3rd, 2016 - 168 comments

Team Trump is pretty much calling for civil war if they don’t get their way. We are through the looking glass.

Free money from climate change deniers

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 pm, August 2nd, 2016 - 5 comments

Double or nothing?

NZ being used as international example of a bad welfare system

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, August 2nd, 2016 - 104 comments

NZ under National is being used internationally as an example of a bad welfare system.

Do we care? Are we going to fix it?

We can’t say we weren’t warned

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, August 1st, 2016 - 190 comments

When the Auckland housing bubble bursts a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money. They won’t be able to say they weren’t warned.

Hollywood should try a different model

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, July 30th, 2016 - 17 comments

Piracy is shifting from peer-to-peer to streaming. Big Entertainment isn’t shifting it’s attitudes at all – still stuck in the dark ages.

The Ray White – China deal

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, July 30th, 2016 - 87 comments

Real Estate agent Ray White has formed a partnership with China’s Lianjia to market NZ houses to about 260 million Chinese buyers. They say it’s the government’s problem – and they’re right.

The future of work

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 29th, 2016 - 25 comments

The Herald (Liam Dann) had a Terminator themed piece on the future of work yesterday. If only there was a party that was thinking about these long term issues!

Unitary Plan – affordability requirements removed

Written By: - Date published: 10:12 am, July 28th, 2016 - 63 comments

What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?

Extraordinary day at the DNC

Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, July 27th, 2016 - 69 comments

Quite a day for the Democrats and their convention in Philadelphia. Hillary makes history, but Jill Stein and Donald Trump may be the main beneficiaries.

TPP teetering on the precipice

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 27th, 2016 - 51 comments

A silver lining in the depressing chaos of the American presidential process.

Metiria speaks the unspeakable – house prices should fall

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, July 27th, 2016 - 135 comments

Not often you’ll catch Metiria Turei and Don Brash in agreement!

CYF massively underfunded

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, July 26th, 2016 - 28 comments

National pays electoral homage to our vulnerable children. They talk a big game about putting “the needs of our most vulnerable children and families at the centre of decisions”. Their actions tell a different story – of under-funding at CYF and falling numbers of social workers.

Predator free a fantastic goal – but…

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, July 26th, 2016 - 231 comments

Feel-good promises for 2050 are easy. Add this one to the list with a cycleway the length of NZ, a secret plan to end Japanese whaling, the War on P, our emissions reduction (hah!) targets, plans to be a “financial hub”, the promise of pandas, and so on and so on.

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