Privatisation
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Cheekygames: Privatisation comes to a blue suburb
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, January 24th, 2016 - 18 comments
Julia Schiller posts on the threatened closing of the St Heliers Post Shop and how it is another example of the Government’s privatisation agenda.
CERT: the partial privatisation of the GCSB
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 13th, 2015 - 24 comments
A public private organisation with the acronym CERT was announced this week along with the new cyber security strategy. CERT’s role is to provide information to government so it can protect against cyber threats. Which is one of the roles of the GCSB.
John Key’s hedge fund mate behind Teach First (NZ)
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, December 9th, 2015 - 195 comments
Julian Robertston, a US billionaire who made his money with hedge fund Tiger Management, Merryl Lynch’s largest customer when John Key was working there, is the man behind privatisation trojan horse Teach First (NZ).
Use of Teach First (NZ) illegal
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, December 7th, 2015 - 113 comments
To date, TeachFirst(NZ) has received more than $6.4 million dollars of public money and, as a result, has infested 18 schools with dozens of so-called “teachers”.
TiSA reduces COP21 to a charade
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, December 5th, 2015 - 13 comments
That National Ltd™ is currently in the process of giving away New Zealand’s sovereignty in areas such as energy resources and related regulations, explains its contempt for the environment and the talking down of expectations regarding climate change.
Minister declined to comment…
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, November 9th, 2015 - 9 comments
Isn’t it amazing how many Ministers can’t wait to front up to the media when they are selling. But when it comes to after sale service they just don’t want to front?
AECT election campaign shenanigans
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, October 24th, 2015 - 14 comments
The Auckland Energy Community Trust triennial election is currently under way and complaints have been made about C&R advertising of the payout to beneficiaries which they are entitled to as a matter of course. And some ill discipline amongst the right gives the City Vision candidates a real prospect of success.
Bottom lines weaker than tissue paper
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 pm, October 13th, 2015 - 287 comments
Today, Labour showed the commercial world that its non-negotiable “bottom lines” are actually very negotiable, and even disposable.
Imagine if National had not sold the shares in our companies 2015 version
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 30th, 2015 - 55 comments
The latest financial reports for the privatised companies suggests that the New Zealand Government has lost in the past twelve months $470 million in dividends it would have received had it held onto the shares.
Serco has yet more explaining to do
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, August 24th, 2015 - 10 comments
New allegations that at least one Serco prison guard was active involved in Mt Eden’s “fight club”. In some ways the public mess that Serco has made of Mt Eden has done us all a favour
Hard left Corbyn receives public backing from 41 leading economists
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, August 24th, 2015 - 118 comments
Jeremy Corbyn announces the potential renationalisation of privatised state assets, with minimal compensation. While 41 leading economists back his anti-austerity stance. This is what left wing leadership and courage looks like.
Housing selloff – obsessive secrecy and power
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 19th, 2015 - 21 comments
National’s selloff of our state houses is yet another example of its two main obsessions, secrecy and unaccountable power.
250 to 300 Job Losses at Unitec in Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, August 8th, 2015 - 84 comments
Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)
Aspiration statementTo be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change.
It’s not just Serco, it’s state operated prisons
Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 25th, 2015 - 72 comments
Recent focus has been on the tragedy and incompetence of a Serco run private prison. But problems extend further than that, into the entire way NZ views its prison system. We need fundamental penal reform.
Admitting failure on private prisons
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, July 25th, 2015 - 32 comments
The Nats have been forced to call in the good old-fashioned state to clear up Serco’s mess.
Failing Charter School punished by increase in funding
Written By: - Date published: 1:33 pm, July 24th, 2015 - 33 comments
The Friday afternoon bad news dump is on with news that Education Minister was recommended to close a poorly performing charter school. She has elected not to do so and to instead give the school extra money.
So much for the competitive market
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, July 23rd, 2015 - 18 comments
I love how right-wing ideology is just some thing that can be switched on and off at will. Case in point, ownership of state houses…
Selling state houses to Australia
Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, June 28th, 2015 - 20 comments
English needs to explain why the government can’t find NZ buyers for their “social housing” plans. The Nats to explain how selling state houses helps a single family in need.
An open letter to Andrew Little
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 26th, 2015 - 433 comments
A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!
The myth of “Retirement Savings”
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, June 9th, 2015 - 101 comments
Advocates of Kiwisaver and other funded “retirement savings” schemes perpetuate the fundamental misunderstanding that “conventional” in New Zealand’s case “neo-liberal” economists, speculators, finance companies, politicians and those with a lot of share holding wealth in non-productive enterprises like to perpetuate.
De Boni on privatising mental health
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, June 5th, 2015 - 26 comments
A superb piece by Dita De Boni on the Nats’ plans to privatise mental health. See also (and sign!) Labour’s open letter opposing the “social bonds” scheme.
Human Synergistics, Richard Prebble, and the end of government
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 am, May 17th, 2015 - 64 comments
Back in March 1988 David Lange had a clear idea about what lay ahead for New Zealanders as the long-term consequences of Roger Douglas’ psychopathic worshipping of the metaphysical Invisible Hand gradually materialised.
The state housing sell-off
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 8th, 2015 - 7 comments
If National were serious about their “social housing” spin they would place restrictions on the use and resale of these houses. Without such protections its just another privatisation of public assets.
National Ltd™Plays The Race Card
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, May 7th, 2015 - 16 comments
The Auditor General found that no one in National Ltd™, the Māori Party, Te Puni Korkiri, or any other of its apologists can detail exactly what Whānau Ora is supposed to be doing, provide evidence of its outcomes, or explain why up to 33% of the money is being paid in “administration”. In other words, Whānau Ora is a shambles. And dodgy.
National’s social housing policy in action
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, April 9th, 2015 - 14 comments
For those who are wondering how National’s “social housing” policy is going to work in practice, The Herald today has a piece that gives a pretty fair idea.
Salvation army says no
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, March 23rd, 2015 - 48 comments
Where does this leave National’s “social housing” sell-off?
A calculated feeding of the beasts within
Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, February 5th, 2015 - 76 comments
The social democracy of my youth has radically collapsed into our current culture of individualism, privatisation and personal greed.
PM’s science award winners on the sell-off
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, January 31st, 2015 - 27 comments
“The Government’s continuing attempts to divest itself of state housing overlook the enormous benefits to society which these homes produce in alleviating severe housing shortages. They were built up by successive generations of New Zealanders, and to “sell them off” under the pretence of efficiency is a disservice to all of us, whether we’re homeowners or renters.”
This is not business as usual. This is not some hippy over-reaction. This is serious shit!
Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, December 11th, 2014 - 55 comments
New author Mandy Hager joins us with some reflections on having become a grandmother: “So that’s why I’m speaking out now, every opportunity I get. Not because I like the exposure (shudder), but because I love this tiny little person and I will fight for his future, come what may. It’s the right thing to do. …”
Oppose the housing sell off!
Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 4 comments
A last-minute, urgent appeal from Phil Twyford – oppose the sell off of state houses – today!
Fred Dagg – User’s Guide to NZ
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 pm, December 4th, 2014 - 35 comments
I miss Fred Dagg – John Clarke’s latest is a purler. “New Zealand … is an egalitarian nation made up of well over four million rugged individualists and naturally gifted sportspeople and is run on alternate days by the government and whoever bought the national infrastructure.” Read, laugh and weep – he might be gone but we’re not forgotten, and thank God for that.
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Ahead of his appearance in Aotearoa, the acclaimed British journalist, podcaster and documentarian talks to Stewart Sowman-Lund about why people are still fascinated by the fringes. The last place I would expect to find Jon Ronson is relaxing in the countryside. The iconic British journalist and writer is best known ...2 days ago - Kia kaha Lebanon: NZ media only tell half your story of struggle
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution — for the fourth time — in Israel’s war on Gaza, while Hezbollah demands a complete ceasefire and “protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty” in any deal with Israel. Amid the death and devastation, Joe Hendren reflects on his time in ...3 days ago
- ‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews
The acclaimed New Zealand drama has just premiered on TV in the United Kingdom, and the five-star reviews are already flowing in. Six months after it was called a “blistering” “tour de force” by Australian critics, and nearly a year since The Spinoff declared it the best drama New Zealand ...3 days ago
- Drugs are getting cheaper and easier to find in Aotearoa
New Zealanders are drinking and smoking less, but most other recreational drugs are becoming cheaper, more popular and more available, two new reports show. Two significant new surveys about drugs in Aotearoa were released this week, offering a rare insight into New Zealanders’ choice of substances, which ones are becoming ...3 days ago
- COP29: ‘climate finance’ for the Pacific is mostly loans, saddling small island nations with mor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Ratuva, Director, Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury Lenora Qereqeretabua, the deputy speaker of Fiji’s Parliament, at the COP29 climate summit. IISD/ENB/Mike Muzurakis, CC BY-SA As this year’s UN climate summit reaches its final stage of negotiations, Pacific ...3 days ago
- Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greed
The new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but it’s also proof that bigger isn’t always better, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund. Contains minor spoilers for Wicked. There’s no doubt that Wicked is going to be huge. No other pop culture event this year, save from maybe Charli XCX’s Brat, has ...3 days ago
- Dame Jacinda Ardern to be given United Nations leadership award
She will get the champion for global change award from the United Nations Foundation at a ceremony in New York tomorrow. ...3 days ago
- NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand
Analysis: NZ is lifting what was supposed to be a permanent ban on live animal exports. But it’s not the lucrative industry it once was. The post NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago - Financial forms of family violence affect one in seven of us – but the law is lagging
There are calls for New Zealand’s Family Violence Act to name economic harm as a standalone type of violence, rather than a subcategory of psychological abuse, to bring it in line with the United Kingdom and Australia. Economic harm – restricting access to, sabotaging or exploiting another person’s financial resources, ...3 days ago
- Downside Risks To Treasury’s Economic And Fiscal Forecasts
New Zealand is currently running a structural fiscal deficit, with expenditure exceeding revenue. Economic growth falling short of expectations has been making it harder for the Government to bring the books back into balance. ...3 days ago - Science continues to exclude Indigenous communities. Fixing this benefits everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jordan Peter Anthony Pitt, Associate Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Services (Faculty of Science), University of Sydney An enduring challenge facing science around the world is how to best include and engage Indigenous communities. In Australia, for example, 0.5% of Indigenous ...3 days ago
- Why is cricket so popular on the Indian sub-continent?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Cricket originated in England, but has been spread worldwide by British soldiers and settlers in the past few hundred years. It is now the second most popular sport in ...3 days ago
- Disinformation and deepfakes played a part in the US election. Australia should expect the same
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee Barnes, Associate professor of Journalism, University of the Sunshine Coast Mladen Zivkovic/Shutterstock As America takes stock after Donald Trump’s re-election to the presidency, it’s worth highlighting the AI-generated fake photos, videos and audio shared during the campaign. A slew ...3 days ago
- Is thunderstorm asthma becoming more common?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kira Morgan Hughes, PhD Candidate in Allergy and Asthma, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University When spring arrives, so do warnings about thunderstorm asthma. But a decade ago, most of us hadn’t heard of it. So where did thunderstorm asthma ...3 days ago
- Overwhelmed by ever more clothing donations, charities are exporting the problem. Local governments ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yassie Samie, Postdoctoral Researcher in Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University anna.spoka/Shutterstock What happens to your clothes after you don’t want them any more? Chances are, you will donate them to op shops run by a charity organisation. There are more ...3 days ago
- Friendly fire: a nuclear push by allies at COP29 poses a sticky problem for Albanese
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland IndustryAndTravel/Shutterstock Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn’t see this coming. At the global COP29 climate talks in Baku, the Australian government was indirectly criticised by two allies, the United States and the ...3 days ago
- Nugget Is Dead brings queer love, multiculturalism and Aussie flair to the Christmas movie formula
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology Julia Firak Stan’s new Christmas film Nugget is Dead is a colourful production that follows the rules of the seasonal genre film to a tee – with an Aussie ...3 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Should I cut contact with my ex-stepdad?
My parents are finally getting divorced. So why do I feel like my stepdad’s feelings are still my problem? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera My parents recently announced their separation. This in itself isn’t a problem. I’ve already gone through this once before in my early childhood, so ...3 days ago
- New Zealand Drops In Global Ranking On Climate Action
If the government won’t hold polluters to account, then people will. People are increasingly taking to the streets and the courtrooms, putting their bodies on the line to shut down polluting industries. This will only escalate further unless New ...3 days ago
- Government’s fiscal policy dragging out recession, economists say
Slashing the budget deficit and reducing public debt are making matters worse for households and businesses, they say. ...3 days ago
- Mongrel Mob member charged 3 minutes after patch ban begins
The new gang patch law came into force at midnight. The first person under the ban was caught at 12.03am. ...3 days ago
- Spending Cuts Need To Stop – PSA Urges Govt To Listen To Economists
The economists, drawn from universities, unions and the private sector, are calling on the Government to urgently revisit its fiscal policy stating the economic rationale for spending cuts and deferral of key infrastructure projects was ‘unclear’. ...3 days ago
- Government proposes law change on name suppression for sex offenders
Convicted adult sex offenders would not get permanent name suppression unless the victim agreed to it, the justice minister says. ...3 days ago
- Insufficient data on restraint and seclusion of children in Oranga Tamariki facilities, watchdogs sa...
The Independent Children's Monitor says it cannot determine if there have been improvements since a 2020 report found both practices were used inappropriately. ...3 days ago
- No mental wellbeing priority in government’s latest child strategy
Mental well-being has been removed as a standalone priority in the government's latest Child and Youth Well-being Strategy - despite officials warning against this earlier in the year. ...3 days ago
- ‘Enforcement action taken’ hours after gang patch ban comes into effect
The Police Minister says gang members in the Hawke's Bay came out at midnight to challenge the law. ...3 days ago
- ‘The deal sucks’: MPs question Tauranga marine precinct sale
Two MPs in Tauranga are calling for the Auditor-General to investigate the sale of the city's marine precinct, which one believes is a "really bad deal for Tauranga". ...3 days ago
- Will banning gang patches actually make New Zealand safer?
Gang members say it will create more problems, but the government argues it’s about improving public safety, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...3 days ago
- Gang patch ban: ‘Subtle adaptations’ of insignia already being seen
Gang members are already changing their insignia to get around the law that came into effect overnight. ...3 days ago
- Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project
The Govt’s bootcamp bill will have its first reading on Thursday, ahead of a final evaluation of the controversial pilot programme. The post Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
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