Author Archive

Dithering Nats

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:42 am, April 1st, 2013 - 49 comments

Changes to the tax rules that kick in today reverse two decisions made earlier by the government. Dither dither dither.

Poverty Watch 25

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:00 am, March 30th, 2013 - 13 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 we continue with the 2012 report from the Office of the Children’s Comissioner, and note the Mana Party’s call for support for their Feed the Kids Bill.

Tax cuts – because it worked so well last time

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:47 am, March 29th, 2013 - 190 comments

The ideological loonies advising the government want us to go even further down the stupid and damaging path of income tax cuts. Surely even the Nats have too much sense to listen this time.

The wage gap and the productivity lie

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:42 am, March 28th, 2013 - 23 comments

New figures show that the wage gap with Australia is still increasing. National has nothing to offer but useless policies and excuses, while the captains of industry trot out the old productivity lie again.

Spinning the job market

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:43 am, March 27th, 2013 - 11 comments

Audrey Young and Simon Collins should get danger money for spinning this hard on jobs. But at least they’re trying, the best that Key can manage is some waffle about a “fluid market”…

The Cyprus solution

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:48 am, March 26th, 2013 - 48 comments

The financial crisis in Cyprus has taken an unusual turn, and for a change it is the rich who will be left with the bill.

Benefit reforms trigger surge in DPB births?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:58 am, March 25th, 2013 - 120 comments

National, the party of beneficiary bashing that has lead a crusade against parents on the DBP, appears to have triggered a surge of new births to DPB parents.

Poverty Watch 24

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:54 am, March 23rd, 2013 - 28 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, we start on the 2012 report from the Office of the Children’s Comissioner. NZ is a signatory to UN conventions that give children the right to adequate resources…

Good poll for Shearer

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:28 am, March 22nd, 2013 - 36 comments

The latest Herald Digipoll is mixed news for the left, but good news personally for David Shearer. Even John Armstrong is cautiously impressed…

GCSB cover-up an “operational matter”

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:25 am, March 21st, 2013 - 19 comments

The extent of the GCSB cover-up in the Dotcom fiasco is now clear. Key is pleading ignorance, claiming that it was an “operational matter”. If Key isn’t briefed on “operational matters” then what possible oversight can he provide? In fact he was briefed on this “operational matter” – the only question is when…

Dumping on Dunne’s taxes

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:48 am, March 20th, 2013 - 13 comments

The Nats are in trouble with their budget deficits and looking to raise money via increased taxes. But they are tinkering at the edges of the problem, and were quick to chuck Peter Dunne under the bus when the latest proposals didn’t fly.

Polling merry-go-round

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:52 am, March 20th, 2013 - 28 comments

The Roy Morgan polls continue their mad merry-go-round, and we bloggers continue to get too excited about it. The latest RM projects a win for Labour / Greens.

Selling out our education

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:54 pm, March 19th, 2013 - 35 comments

Profit-driven private sector cowboys are damaging the reputation of our education system. Naturally, National wants to make matters worse by subsidising foreign owners of profit-driven charter schools. Brilliant.

Flogging a dead horse

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:43 am, March 18th, 2013 - 32 comments

Irrelevant fringe group “Family First” really only has one drum, so I guess that they have nothing better to do except continue to beat it.

Hide confused on underclass

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:06 am, March 17th, 2013 - 61 comments

Remember the “underclass”? John Key pretended to be concerned about them for a while as a gimmick for the 2008 election. Thanks to Matt McCarten, Rodney Hide has been reminded of their existence. He then goes on to diagnose the wrong problems and the wrong solutions (of course). I’m sure that Standardistas can do better…

Poverty Watch 23

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:55 am, March 16th, 2013 - 32 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, seeds of hope – the P3 Foundation.

Good employer

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:26 pm, March 15th, 2013 - 13 comments

Bravo to TONZU, the first employers to sign up for the living wage for all its workers.

What if Winston…

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:26 am, March 14th, 2013 - 86 comments

What if Winston Peters holds the balance of power in 2014? Just a little something for potential Mighty River Power investors to consider…

Thinking too small

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:18 am, March 13th, 2013 - 24 comments

John Armstrong thinks poor Bill English has got it tough with the current drought and its impact on the budget. You’re thinking too small John. Way too small.

Mondayising win!

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:04 pm, March 12th, 2013 - 40 comments

The Bill to Mondayise holidays seems certain to progress. A nice win for David Clark and for Labour, and an all too rare example of MMP working as it should.

Should the Left keep opposing asset sales?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:08 am, March 12th, 2013 - 81 comments

Should the parties of the Left continue to oppose asset sales? Lew At Kiwipolitico (loudly cheered on by Bryce Edwards) doesn’t think so. I think Lew is wrong. Here’s why…

The Brits are smarter than us

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 9:41 am, March 11th, 2013 - 44 comments

All sorts of bad polling news for the British Conservative government, as the Brits lose faith in the politics of economic austerity.

It’s real when an All Black does it

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:33 pm, March 10th, 2013 - 118 comments

100 prominent New Zealanders warning about the most serious threat we have ever faced – meh. It’s only newsworthy when someone associated with the All Blacks does it…

Poverty Watch 22

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:25 am, March 9th, 2013 - 3 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, our final look at the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and I’ll suggest some conclusions that can be drawn.