economy

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Economic anger and political madness

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, March 11th, 2016 - 66 comments

History clearly shows us that when people are economically stressed they turn to extreme action and extreme leaders. Economist Jared Bernstein argues that the Trump ascendancy is another example of this.

RB snaps awake, jolts markets

Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, March 10th, 2016 - 49 comments

Simon Louisson on the Reserve Bank’s surprise announcement to reduce the official cash rate by 25 points.

The minimum wage is not a living wage

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, March 1st, 2016 - 110 comments

Credit where it’s due for an increase in the minimum wage – but the gap between that and a living wage keeps growing…

National the party of economic lunacy

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, February 10th, 2016 - 166 comments

A “$17 billion hole in the economy”. An estimated $18 billion lost because National stopped investing in the super fund. A record national debt. And we’re still talking about tax cuts? Lunacy!

Jobs and wages

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, February 6th, 2016 - 54 comments

Boring stuff about boring old jobs and wages.

So, how would you spend $1.2B per year?

Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, February 1st, 2016 - 84 comments

A Kiwi Kids allowance for all under fives, with totally fee free public primary and secondary schools.

Postcards from the brighter future

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, January 31st, 2016 - 18 comments

Part of an occasional series.

Anyone seen the rockstar economy lately?

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, January 28th, 2016 - 56 comments

Bill English reviews the economy

Record debt, a higher than expected deficit and a credit rating downgrade on our economic outlook. All thanks to National’s genius economic management!

The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED)

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 27th, 2016 - 79 comments

How many more lies will John Key tell today in his so-called State of the Nation address? Virtual chocolate fish to whomever guesses the closest number.

TPPA ‘National Interest Analysis’ – get both sides

Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, January 26th, 2016 - 86 comments

The Government has released a TPPA ‘National Interest Analysis’. It should be read along with TPP Legal’s extensive analysis of the costs and risks.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, January 25th, 2016 - 135 comments

Regular commenter Paul rounds up the links you need to read to prepare yourself for the coming second GFC. National won’t be able to pass this one on to future generations by loading NZ up with crippling debt. We’ll be paying for GFC2 economically, socially and personally, right here, right now.

2015 hottest year. By. Far.

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, January 21st, 2016 - 232 comments

2015-heat-map

Skill shortages and reaping what you sow

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, January 18th, 2016 - 114 comments

Data released to the Sunday Star-Times shows a huge decline in numbers of tertiary students, including declines in many key skills and fields. Various explanations are offered, only one of them makes sense…

The unexpected oil crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, January 16th, 2016 - 186 comments

The world is currently facing a problem that even a few years ago was unthinkable.  Oil is cheap and demand has dropped out of the market.  What are the geopolitical implications of this?

National’s vision for New Zealand’s future

Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, January 12th, 2016 - 94 comments

Stephen Joyce has had published an opinion piece in this morning’s Herald which extolls the virtue of free trade and ignores the pitfalls.  Such as those shown this week when TransCanada sued the US Government for rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline contract.

Why are we working so hard?

Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, January 10th, 2016 - 46 comments

A recent New Matilda article discusses why at a time of increasing productivity the need to work has increased and not decreased.

The China Stockmarket crisis

Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, January 5th, 2016 - 103 comments

Overnight there has been further turmoil on the Chinese Stock exchange with stocks plummeting 7% before trading was stopped. And things may only get worse when a 6 month ban on trading by major stock owners is lifted.

Summer break

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 19th, 2015 - 46 comments

Standardista authors are on summer break! There will be an Open Mike each day, but little or no other posting (unless an author feels particularly inspired). Here’s some summer reading suggestions – by all means add your own…

International Labour Organisation on Austerity

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, November 21st, 2015 - 10 comments

An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report warns that austerity measured are an international threat to jobs and growth.

Read my lips – some new taxes

Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, November 20th, 2015 - 29 comments

new-taxes

Inequality is a choice

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, November 10th, 2015 - 65 comments

Inequality is a choice. It isn’t a choice made by individuals, it is a choice made by governments. Check out Joseph Stiglitz’s new book Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy: An Agenda for Growth and Shared Prosperity.

Useless on unemployment

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, November 6th, 2015 - 73 comments

“Less debt more jobs” says National’s billboard. Instead we good the opposite. With extra helpings of icing on this Cake of Fail.

Sobriety

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, October 26th, 2015 - 10 comments

The video excerpt comes from the Yann Arthus-Bertrand film ‘Human’. It’s available to view on youtube.

Another financial crisis?

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, October 19th, 2015 - 102 comments

There are a lot of canaries giving warning in the world’s economic coal mine just now.

Surplus explained

Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, October 16th, 2015 - 26 comments

aurplus2015

Thanks Canterbury for the surplus

Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, October 14th, 2015 - 91 comments

The Government books have hit surplus.  But it looks like treatment of the financials for the Canterbury Earthquake may account for pretty well all of it. Update: Underspending on special education accounts for much of the “surplus”.

TPP roundup

Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, October 7th, 2015 - 161 comments

A roundup of the best analysis of and reaction to the TPP. The gains are minor and delayed, the losses are real. In NZ we don’t have any democratic input into ratification, but the US does, and the deal may fall there.

Future Jobs

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, September 29th, 2015 - 14 comments

I’m going to get to reviewing Labour’s next 3 Future of Work papers, honest.

But in the meantime, I have something to share from Andrew McAfee.

Just a great Ted Talk on YouTube.

Economic doldrums

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, September 19th, 2015 - 16 comments

Two pieces this week on how National’s mismanagement of the economy has left us in the doldrums.

Greens’ climate discussion paper

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, September 4th, 2015 - 122 comments

The Greens are attempting something remarkable, a plan that is economically credible, but set in the context of realistic environmental constraints. Did they succeed?

Away with the economic fairies

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 1st, 2015 - 40 comments

The ANZ survey shows business confidence at the lowest levels since the financial crisis. Yesterday John Key insisted that it was “reasonably positive”. He was either completely wrong or lying through his teeth. Either way it’s unacceptable.