People who rent their home shouldn’t have to get sick or complain before the safety of their home is tested and guaranteed.
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, August 22nd, 2022 - 33 comments
National’s media spin team is at it again claiming that removing interest rate deductibility for landlords is a “tenant tax” when it is neither a new tax nor for tenants.
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, May 15th, 2022 - 9 comments
The Auckland mayoralty campaign promises to be a fascinating contest between a right winger promising to spend $1.5 million on the campaign and wants to turn sprinklers on the homeless and Efeso Collins who promises to run an inclusive respectful campaign.
Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, April 29th, 2022 - 157 comments
The tide of this government is running out. There’s 18 months left in the term. What would you save?
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, April 18th, 2022 - 79 comments
Despite Labour seeing the country through the biggest public health threat seen in the last century and despite improving numbers of houses and a reduction in child poverty some on the left are buying into National’s despair lines. And the issues on which the next election will be fought are becoming clearer.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, February 13th, 2022 - 34 comments
Where will the votes come from to get Labour a third term?
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, February 2nd, 2022 - 107 comments
With Ardern getting a good-old media beat-down, remember here’s how to change a country for good like no one else but Labour can.
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, January 14th, 2022 - 184 comments
Labour are doing the things about the housing crisis they said they would. It’s not working.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, October 29th, 2021 - 131 comments
ANZ Bank has just announced a $1.92 billion profit for the year to September 30, 2021. This is about 1% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, October 25th, 2021 - 15 comments
A year ago we were preparing for the America’s Cup and threading our way through the latest crisis quite well. What will we be planning next year?
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, October 16th, 2021 - 35 comments
The Government’s dramatic action taken over the past 18 months to respond to Covid and the population’s overwhelming support suggests that it should be taking similar drastic action to address poverty and climate change.
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, July 27th, 2021 - 68 comments
Bernard Hickey calls Labour’s inaction a scandal, and it’s hard to disagree.
Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, July 23rd, 2021 - 118 comments
People who rent their home shouldn’t have to get sick or complain before the safety of their home is tested and guaranteed.
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, June 22nd, 2021 - 5 comments
Since real estate is that machine that relentlessly powers our society and most of our economy, it’s already worth checking whether this governments’ recent policy changes are starting to have some of its intended effects.
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 18th, 2021 - 31 comments
Anarkaytie writes about the history of the housing crisis in New Zealand and how tiny housing provides some of the solutions.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 23rd, 2021 - 97 comments
As we lead up to Budget 2021, there’s much more shape to the whole direction of this government.
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, April 16th, 2021 - 30 comments
National has released its housing policy and the proposals are predictable. Free up more land, loosen up the RMA, and require Councils in high growth areas to urgently review their district plans.
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, March 28th, 2021 - 217 comments
Media has been abuzz with comment about how last election Grant Robertson has backtracked on a promise on not extending the bright line test. Should politicians stick to their pronouncements no matter what? Or should they change their minds if circumstances demand a change in course?
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, March 25th, 2021 - 163 comments
The Government’s housing policy announcements have been attacked by the right and landlords as being an attack on rights and business, and by elements of the left for being too timid. Which suggests that the announcements are quite well pitched.
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 23rd, 2021 - 226 comments
Labour disappoints again. Individual investment rights trump collective responsibility for people having homes.
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 23rd, 2021 - 41 comments
I am going out on a limb here but I think that Comrade Chris Trotter suggesting that Jacinda Ardern may resign as Prime Minister may be overhashed.
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, March 17th, 2021 - 71 comments
Over the past week National and the Greens have released housing policy designed to address the country’s current housing crisis. National’s are tired and either reflect what is already happening or reinforce their doctrinal view of the world. The Green’s proposals are more radical and reflect steps that Micky Savage and the First Labour Government took in 1935.
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, March 13th, 2021 - 96 comments
The bright-line test is a red herring and does nothing to deter housing speculation.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 7th, 2021 - 75 comments
Money does not grow on trees, it grows on houses. It is pure magic!
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, January 14th, 2021 - 63 comments
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, December 17th, 2020 - 66 comments
The Government’s finances are in remarkably good shape. Who would have predicted that dealing properly with a global pandemic would have had better results for the economy than timidly dealing with it and trying to ensure that economic activity continued? But by international levels our Government debt is already low and maybe now is the time to spend on vital areas such as poverty, climate change and the housing crisis.
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, December 12th, 2020 - 68 comments
Not a vague let’s raise wages and benefits explanation, but an in-depth, number crunching, evidence-driven explanation. Where is it?
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 pm, December 6th, 2020 - 134 comments
Don’t expect a jellyfish to grow a spine, they just bob along on the current and keep moving, gently, slowly, kindly.
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, December 2nd, 2020 - 73 comments
On two issues, pill testing at music festivals and tax changes to address the housing crisis, National yesterday indicated that it will do what conservative parties do and oppose any meaningful change.
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, November 27th, 2020 - 21 comments
I’m sure one needs a particular depth of political nerdiness to give a flying fig about such things, but since I am one of those, these are my highlights from the speech from the throne to Parliament this week.
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, November 23rd, 2020 - 20 comments
One in four property speculators aren’t paying the bright-line tax.
Written By: - Date published: 4:50 pm, November 20th, 2020 - 114 comments
It’s not possible to resolve New Zealand’s housing and poverty crises from within a neoliberal frame. Change is going to have to be driven from outside of parliament.
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