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The Most Important Economic Speech of His Presidency

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, December 10th, 2011 - 40 comments

Truth-Out content is licensed for redistribution, so I’m going to repost this excellent piece in its entirety. It’s long, but it’s worth it.  Is Obama going to grow a pair at last?

The long game on charter schools & national standards

Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, December 7th, 2011 - 57 comments

Charter schools and national standards/league tables are part of the same process. It’s about siphoning off public funds, the best pupils, and the best teachers into ‘elite’ schools, and leaving everyone else behind. It’s about cutting money for ‘failing’ schools and ‘failing’ students. It ultimately means more lost potential and a poorer NZ, but one that serves the elite’s interests.

Support locked-out CMP workers tomorrow

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, December 2nd, 2011 - 14 comments

Six weeks ago CMP workers were locked out for refusing to accept a 20% pay cut.

Tomorrow there will be fundraising protests around the country to support them.

Law firm sets out business wish list

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, December 1st, 2011 - 97 comments

Law firm Chapman Tripp has taken it upon itself to summarise the business community’s expectations for National’s second term.  Back to youth rates, and that’s just for starters.

Listen to us – Homebrew

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, November 25th, 2011 - 2 comments

We’ve been getting links to this song for a week or two. Wish I’d gotten round to posting it earlier. Just fantastic.

Hiding in his mansion/While half the population flies across the Tasman/The other half try to act like it’s not happening

There’s no depression in New Zealan’/ Just a slow sinking feelin’

Racism more than skin deep for Nats

Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, November 25th, 2011 - 16 comments

This post originally appeared on the Hand Mirror and we reproduce it with their permission. It is an account of a National Party meeting in the Wairarapa, and a stark reminder of the dark heart of the Right that hates and fears anything different, which wants a New Zealand built for a rich, Pakeha, male, straight business-owning elite.

Keeping the help in line

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 pm, November 24th, 2011 - 37 comments

Keeping up brand Key means keeping the help in line.

Just pity the poor buggers that have to help hold that facade up.

Wall St Occupation evicted

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, November 16th, 2011 - 14 comments

As has been widely reported, the Wall Street occupation at Zuccotti Park was evicted in an overnight raid yesterday. By refocusing media attention on the Occupation, will this eviction only make them stronger?

A new type of coup?

Written By: - Date published: 5:27 pm, November 13th, 2011 - 36 comments

In the old days soldiers marched onto the floor of parliament with fixed bayonets to replace governments and frustrate the popular will.
Now it is being done differently

Creating opportunities

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, November 13th, 2011 - 16 comments

The Nats admit that they’ve failed to close the gap between rich and poor.  In fact, of course, it’s getting worse.  Bill English says they’ve “created opportunities”, which is Tory speak for doing nothing at all.

State house evictions

Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, November 12th, 2011 - 54 comments

In 2005 Labour wrote to State House tenants with a warning  “Don’t let National sell your house.” We were criticised for scaring people. Now Tamaki residents have got the real letters. And the boot. Same old National.

Those nice men in suits

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, November 12th, 2011 - 16 comments

Treasury on the minimum wage

Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, November 11th, 2011 - 35 comments

Labour want to raise the minimum wage to $15.  The Nats say that will cost jobs (they want to lower the minimum wage instead). Documents obtained by 3 News show that Treasury think the Nats are wrong.  A vote for increasing the minimum wage will not cost jobs.

Vote to keep us rich & you poor

Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, November 9th, 2011 - 19 comments

The first of the CTU’s online election ads.

Are we a caring country?

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, November 9th, 2011 - 125 comments

Nothing separates the political Right and Left  like their attitude to welfare.  The difference is very starkly highlighted in the recent policies from National and Labour.  Which approach better serves the children of New Zealand?  How much do we care?

Labour’s fantastic children’s policy

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, November 8th, 2011 - 272 comments

Labour released its excellent children’s policy yesterday  that will lift 150,000 children out of poverty and enhance families’ quality of life. The Right is wailing. Fuck ’em. They’ve turned a blind eye while 32,000 more kids have fallen into poverty.  Only a Labour-led government will have the policies for a truly brighter future for all Kiwis, especially our kids.

Praise for the Occupation movement

Written By: - Date published: 10:10 pm, November 7th, 2011 - 15 comments

In an Editorial that would not have been out of place as a post on ‘The Standard’ The Herald praises the Occupiers of city squares around the country, (and around the world).

Insight on poverty

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, November 7th, 2011 - 49 comments

Sunday morning’s RNZ Insight program was an excellent examination of poverty in NZ. Labour’s policies were slowly reducing poverty.  National’s are making it worse again.  How much do we care?

The impact of right wing economics

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 6th, 2011 - 32 comments

1980 saw the election of Ronald Regan as US president. On taking office at the start of 1981 he ushered in a package of right wing economic policies that soon picked up the nick-name “Reganomics”. How did that work out for workers and for inequality?

Dr David Suzuki message to the world

Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, November 3rd, 2011 - 4 comments

This address from Dr David Suzuki to the world, delivered to a gathering at Occupy Vancouver, attracted some attention in comments yesterday. Well worth watching.

Evicting Occupy Dunedin

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, November 2nd, 2011 - 20 comments

Yesterday was a dramatic day for Occupy Dunedin.  A trespass eviction deadline of 8pm came and went, but after a big show of public support, the Occupation is still there.  Dunedin North Labour candidate David Clark lends his support to the movement.

National’s welfare policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, November 1st, 2011 - 48 comments

National’s got 60,000 more on benefits after 3 years. Nats’ plan: get 46,000 off in 4 years (only 11,000 into work, the rest?)
So, National’s welfare plan = 14,000 more on benefits 7 years after coming to power. Ambitious for New Zealand?
Where’s National plan to reduce corporate welfare? Like the $400m free irrigation they want to give farmers and keeping them out of the ETS.

National’s plan to screw workers some more

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, October 28th, 2011 - 89 comments

John Key has announced National’s IR policy and it’s all about cutting back workers negotiating power.

The message from Key is clear – big business might have made this recession but you’re the ones who are gonna pay for it.

Nats want to cut wages

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, October 28th, 2011 - 25 comments

The Nats want to extend the new entrants wage from 200hrs/3 months to 6 months. Won’t create jobs. Most businesses don’t bother with the new entrants wage anyway. word is, though, that the NE wage is a red herring. The guts of the policy will be a broad-spectrum on the rights of workers to organise and bargain designed to drive down wages

Why is it wrong to want a better world?

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, October 25th, 2011 - 37 comments

“The truth is, the world cannot be made perfect” says Deborah Hill Cone, arrogantly dismissing the Occupy movement. And she may be right. But that does not mean we are living in the best of all possible worlds and that the injustices and imperfections of our world are things we just have to accept. Rijab takes her on.

Labour day

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, October 24th, 2011 - 16 comments

On this Labour Day it is good to see that the Labour Party is staying true to its roots, and is out there working for a labour policy to lift the wages and conditions of the workers of New Zealand.

One citizen. One dollar. One vote.

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, October 23rd, 2011 - 36 comments

A second message is emerging from the Occupation movement: “One citizen. One dollar. One vote.”

Everything is OK

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, October 22nd, 2011 - 1 comment

Signs of the Occupation 1 – Everything is OK.

RWC final highlights inequalities

Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 21st, 2011 - 48 comments

A very thoughtful piece from Simon Collins in today’s Herald: “Deep divisions over $1000 for a Rugby World Cup game as poverty grows”.

The Right’s crocodile tears for higher pay

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, October 20th, 2011 - 31 comments

It’s disappointing to see the Dom joining with the Right’s mouthpieces in attacking Labour’s work and wages policy. The editorial says of course “something” must be done about low and inequitable wages but opposes introducing a system modeled on the one that delivers high wages in Australia. Meanwhile bosses are putting the screws on to cut workers’ pay.

A global test of non-violent protest

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, October 20th, 2011 - 24 comments

The Occupation movement has bankers worried.  So far, however, the protests have been peaceful.  In fact, the Occupation is quickly shaping up as the biggest ever, world wide test of the efficacy of non-violent protest.