Author Archive

English: dodgy asset sales figures

Written By: - Date published: 4:19 pm, June 9th, 2011 - 15 comments

Question Time: David Cunliffe wipes the floor with Bill English in the House today, as he shows up his missing costs of asset sales.

John Key: Evidence please!

Written By: - Date published: 6:17 am, June 2nd, 2011 - 55 comments

John Key prefers his gut to real evidence, and it means that the policies he is implementing aren’t the ones that are best for our country.
Also: Steven Joyce & the Rail Loop.

R&D: Our future

Written By: - Date published: 6:27 am, May 25th, 2011 - 86 comments

National are bleating about Labour’s Research & Development tax credit – largely because as they have no economic plan of their own, so they can only talk about other parties’. But Labour’s R&D tax credit is in fact part of what’s desperately needed to get our economy moving in the right direction.

National vs Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 1:42 am, May 23rd, 2011 - 23 comments

National are not acting in accordance with Auckland’s wishes. Aucklanders want public transport, and its Council wants a quality compact sustainable eco-city – National seem to be aiming to frustrate that. Aucklanders should submit their views to strengthen our voice against the government.

Some facts on Wages, Inflation and GDP

Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, May 17th, 2011 - 40 comments

John Key at a press conference yesterday made some claims about wages, inflation and Treasury predictions that really need looking at a bit more closely.

Maggie Barry

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 17 comments

National have tonight chosen Mt Albert resident Maggie Barry as their North Shore candidate.

Cunliffe addresses Key lies

Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, May 11th, 2011 - 56 comments

Key’s pre-budget speech was hugely uninspiring and mis-leading.

Cunliffe rips his claims apart.

Auckland: Submit!

Written By: - Date published: 5:37 pm, May 9th, 2011 - 25 comments

Apologies to non-Aucklanders, but this is an appeal for those in the Queen City to make sure they have their say on the future shape of our biggest city.

Len wants your input, fellow Aucklanders!

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, May 4th, 2011 - 35 comments

McCully joins Flying Squad

Written By: - Date published: 5:31 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 6 comments

With his RNZAF jaunts to photo-ops, John Key has set an example his ministers seem keen to follow. Having seen Key use Air Force helicopters to enjoy the V8s and do karaoke at the Parachute festival, Murray McCully has learnt that our Air Force is there to ferry about ministers. On 13 February our Foreign […]

NZMA position on health inequity

Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 18 comments

NZ’s doctor’s organisation is prescribing a healthier society: putting kids first, reduced income inequality (higher minimum income), investment in skills and education, and equity, not equality in our social services – helping most those with the greatest need. Take note Don, John.

National cuts safety nets

Written By: - Date published: 6:24 am, April 29th, 2011 - 34 comments

National continue to target the vulnerable with their cuts.  Their latest moves in cutting the budgets of Womens’ Refuges and a national Self-Defence course for girls are merely the latest example.

Paula Bennett – Out Of Touch

Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, April 27th, 2011 - 21 comments

“Make The Politician Work” is a new “reality” series from TVNZ, with its first episode on Easter Sunday. I don’t particularly like the premise, as the vast majority of our politicians work very hard.  But despite that, and the shonky reality stylings, the first episode with Paula Bennett was most enlightening. Bennett, about to help […]

Candidate Conference

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 pm, April 18th, 2011 - 59 comments

This weekend just gone there was a conference in Wellington for Labour candidates to get us all up to speed with the campaign.  We’re ready to go out there and make it happen.

Better off with National?

Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, April 13th, 2011 - 27 comments

National is making most New Zealand households worse off – 5.3% worse off after 2 years, and it’ll be even worse once the 3rd year’s data is out. As the wage gap with Australia grows, this government is failing its “fundamental purpose”.

Footnote: legal aid.

Evidence-based policy

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, April 11th, 2011 - 64 comments

From the Dunedin Study, to The Spirit Level, to the IPCC – there is a lot of evidence out there that our government should be basing their policy on. Let’s champion that aim.

IMF: Neo-liberalism dead

Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, April 7th, 2011 - 48 comments

This post is largely by the head of the IMF. “[T]he pendulum will swing … from the market to the state,” Mr Strauss-Kahn says, “The benefits of growth must be broadly shared, not just captured by a privileged few … the invisible hand must not become the invisible fist.”

Economy

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, April 3rd, 2011 - 84 comments

The economy, shall we say politely, is facing some difficulties. With a National government there was no plan as to how to weather the economic storm, we just got tax cuts for the rich and an economy that just can’t get growing.

Sick April Fool’s Joke

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, April 1st, 2011 - 72 comments

Today National has a terrible April Fools for workers around Aotearoa: 90 day fire-at-will, reduced union access, sick notes after 1 day and minimum wage up a pittance. Workers are doing it tough already, and now National’s turning the screw.

Future Auckland Transport

Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 23rd, 2011 - 78 comments

This post was going to be about Auckland Unleashed which is being released today, but has been somewhat, er, derailed, by the bridge vs tunnel report that’s come out.

Children First

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 67 comments

I was going to have my first post on the economy, but that will have to wait until the weekend as I’m all inspired after hearing Judy Bailey give a Brainwave Trust presentation this week.  The incredible importance of providing the best possible start to our children in those very early years was good to have reinforced…