Author Archive

Political carnage in England

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:12 am, June 27th, 2016 - 131 comments

Deep divisions in both Labour and the Conservatives and a possible breakup of the UK. Interesting times.

Bill English unaware that GST is a tax shock!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:25 am, June 26th, 2016 - 69 comments

Is it true that 40 percent of us pay no tax? Why, no, no it isn’t.

Brexit remorse

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:18 am, June 26th, 2016 - 250 comments

Should a referendum be binding when the promises that secured the result are immediately dumped?

Speaking of inequality…

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:35 am, June 25th, 2016 - 45 comments

“Poverty NZ’s ‘new normal’ – report”. “Food bank pantries bare, emergency food grant dropping – report”. “NZ egalitarian? That’s a pretty little lie”. Hello – National supporters – where do you think this is going to end?

Snakes and ladders

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:17 am, June 25th, 2016 - 155 comments

Yesterday was a big day for both UK and US politics. Brexit revealed the political consequences of social inequality. Meanwhile in America the Trump Train is derailing.

No accountability under Key

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:03 am, June 24th, 2016 - 63 comments

Rebstock’s report into into leaks from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been absolutely torn apart by the Ombudsman, with multiple serious flaws identified. This morning Key expressed his continuing confidence in Rebstock. Of course.

The Herald says you don’t want a pay rise

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 23rd, 2016 - 32 comments

You might be surprised to learn this, but you don’t want a pay rise.

Our zombie economy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:04 am, June 22nd, 2016 - 149 comments

It’s basically flat-lining – only partially animated by immigration and a housing bubble.

Another shocking environmental record

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:28 am, June 21st, 2016 - 16 comments

The world’s news is full of new environmental records. Here’s a shocker.

Another day at Te Puea Marae

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:54 pm, June 20th, 2016 - 7 comments

An update on Te Puea Marae, a homeless teen cancer sufferer, and how to help.

The politics of dumb anger

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:05 am, June 20th, 2016 - 113 comments

There are some pretty depressing political trends going on.

I think we can all agree that Paula Bennett is the real victim here

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:30 am, June 18th, 2016 - 56 comments

Te Puea Marae, whose only “crime” in this the Brighter Future was to try and help the homeless, “has fears of ‘smear campaign’ “. Naturally Paula Bennett is the real victim here. And furthermore, it’s all Labour’s fault.

90 day trial – no lie too outrageous for National

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:22 am, June 18th, 2016 - 52 comments

For eight long years National have been telling us that the 90 day trial (fire at will) law was all about creating jobs. Yesterday a new Treasury report showed that it had failed to do so. RNZ: “The government now says its 90-day trial period was never about increasing the number of jobs in New Zealand”. Of course.

Fire at will (90 days) law a great success!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:28 am, June 17th, 2016 - 104 comments

Or not. More National ideology burned to the ground by facts.

Good morning to the “Park up for homes” folks

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:38 am, June 17th, 2016 - 18 comments

A very sincere good morning to the “Park up for homes” folks who have just spent the night in their cars, protesting in support of the homeless.

Nats overrule Parliament to veto parental leave extension

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 3:54 pm, June 16th, 2016 - 102 comments

So – like Canterbury, like Auckland, the democratic process can get stuffed as far as National are concerned.

Double the quota

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:25 am, June 16th, 2016 - 3 comments

The Nats’ quota increase has now been described as “shameful and inhumane”, “stinks of a Government that doesn’t care”, “pathetic”, “mean-spirited and callous”, and more. Will they get the message?

Brexit

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:51 pm, June 15th, 2016 - 54 comments

Brexit is looking more and more likely, and the consequences are difficult to predict…

The ghost house epidemic and the invisible hand

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:01 am, June 13th, 2016 - 54 comments

Last year there were officially 22,000 unoccupied properties in Auckland. This year 33,000 are officially classified as empty. “Auckland’s 6.6 per cent vacancy rate is higher than either Sydney (5.2 per cent) or Melbourne (4.8 per cent), where there has been an uproar over “ghost houses” deliberately left empty by speculators trading on a soaring market”. This is madness.

Fiji flop

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:59 am, June 12th, 2016 - 26 comments

key-fiji-domestic-animal

Police undermined by their own minister

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:59 pm, June 11th, 2016 - 100 comments

Good piece by Jo Moir on Stuff this morning, about National’s train-wreck week. Follow it up with Andrew Geddis on the legality of the Collins blurt.

Banks act on housing affordability crisis (while National sits on its hands)

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:29 am, June 10th, 2016 - 144 comments

Despite Key’s barnstorming 2007 speech on the housing affordability crisis, National these days prefer to deny that it exists. Apparently fed up with waiting for the government to take action, banks are moving to reduce their risk and limit foreign buyers.

National’s lies, damn lies and statistics on housing

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:05 am, June 9th, 2016 - 43 comments

The housing crisis is not going away, and National needs to offer something better than lies, damn lies, and statistics.

Time for Bernie to stand down?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, June 9th, 2016 - 190 comments

What will Bernie do now?

Funding priorities

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:10 pm, June 8th, 2016 - 68 comments

Why are we spending so much money on “defense” when there are so many real and urgent needs? It is hard to imagine that our “enemies” could possibly do us more damage than we are inflicting on ourselves.

Labour Green MOU well received in poll

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:28 am, June 8th, 2016 - 149 comments

A modest bump for the Labour Green block in the latest Colmar Brunton. And what appears to be a shift from NZF to Labour after the MOU announcement. That might wipe the smile off Winston’s dial.

What now Paula?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:09 am, June 7th, 2016 - 20 comments

Seeing is believing they say, and Paula Bennett says that she has taken on board the climate change message after a Pacific visit. So what now Paula? It’s a tough question for sure. But at least you’re blessed with an opposition that will cooperate, instead of trying to whip up people’s fears and obstruct progress for political gain.