Social issues

Categories under Social issues

NZ First and Winston seek anti vax vote

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, August 14th, 2023 - 53 comments

Winston Peters clearly hopes that enough of us have short memories. He was an integral part of the 2017 Government whose Covid policies saw our death rate from the disease amongst the lowest in the developed world.  But now his party is clearly courting the anti vaccination community.

Labour’s GST and WFF policy announcement

Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, August 13th, 2023 - 168 comments

As predicted Labour has announced a policy of taking GST off fresh fruit and vegetables and a significant adjustment to Working for Families In House Tax Credit levels and the Thresholds.

Barbie Will Save The World

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, August 11th, 2023 - 11 comments

Ad believes the Barbie Movie will be a mobilising element in regaining Democrat balance in Congress (maybe not the Senate) and the White House.

Nanny state National wants to ban cell phones at schools

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 10th, 2023 - 62 comments

luxon sheep

National has this propensity of announcing policies that scratch conservative itches, cost nothing and hog media attention. Yesterday we had a classic example of this as they announced that cell phones would be banned at schools.

Greens: free dental care for all

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, August 7th, 2023 - 75 comments

“Under our plan, everyone will be able to keep their teeth healthy, and access treatment when they need it through a new community-based New Zealand Dental Service.”

A letter to Chris Hipkins

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, July 30th, 2023 - 31 comments

My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.

Laura norda rides again

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 57 comments

This week Labour has announced toughening up of the law dealing with 12 and 13 year olds and National has been playing politics with the shooting incident after earlier saying it was not a day to play politics.

Potholes damned potholes and National Party statistics

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 19th, 2023 - 16 comments

National underlined its complete lack of intellectual grunt and its fascination with passing anxieties as well as its intent to forget what it did by recently releasing a pothole policy.

Why a change of Government would be a bad thing – school lunches

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, July 14th, 2023 - 63 comments

Act has declared its class prejudice by advocating for the cancellation of the free lunch in schools programme even though the benefits are clear and recognised and the programme helps poor kids’ nutrition and education.

Act’s dishonest Youth offending policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 11th, 2023 - 56 comments

Act’s newly released policy that suggests all 17 year olds are dealt with in the Youth Court shows a concerning lack of understand how the Youth Justice system actually works.

The very strange election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, July 8th, 2023 - 86 comments

With 98 days to go despite large parts of the electorate being very grumpy the polls are neck and neck and Labour can still win. This is what they have to do.

Rules-based cricket disorder

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 pm, July 6th, 2023 - 12 comments

“It isn’t cricket” supposedly set the ethical standard around the British Empire for over a century. Last week saw Lords, the ‘home of cricket,’ validate a damning report about racism, elitism, classism and sexism in British cricket just days after it was issued.

New curriculum: science to be taught in the context of the great challenges of our time

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, July 5th, 2023 - 211 comments

“science would be taught through five contexts – the Earth system, biodiversity, food, energy and water, infectious diseases”

The Green Party’s Pledge to Renters

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, July 3rd, 2023 - 66 comments

“Right now, the rental market more closely resembles a game of monopoly than a public good – and it’s landlords who hold all the cards. This didn’t happen by accident. For decades, governments have made rules to prioritise those who own property and failed to protect people who rent.”

The very Kafkaesque attack on Kiritapu Allan

Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, July 2nd, 2023 - 54 comments

Being subject to allegations of inappropriate behaviour the detail of which has not been released by unnamed public servants must make Kiritapu Allan think that she is living in a Franz Kafka novel.

Greens release rental stories collection

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, June 30th, 2023 - 127 comments

“All four residents came down sick within the week and stayed sick until we moved out. Three of us could not move out until the end of the lease, which took two months. Two of the residents had throat swabs done, both coming back with lung infections of bacteria primarily found in the intestines.”

Proper Race Politics In Your Face

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Who has the better take on the Treaty of Waitangi? Julian Batchelor or Sir Apirana Ngata?

Sepuloni 1 Luxon 0

Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, June 28th, 2023 - 12 comments

Yesterday in Parliament National attempted to embarrass Carmel Sepuloni in question time by asking her detailed economic questions. But the attempt backfired.

Hipkins in China

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, June 27th, 2023 - 38 comments

A weakened Russia is a Russia made more dependent on China. New Zealand is also deeply reliant on China.

NACT’s Law & Order Policies: Dog Whistle Or Proto-Fascism?

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 26th, 2023 - 22 comments

NACT’s Law & Order policies are a dog whistle and signs of proto-fascism.

National releases uncosted corrections policy

Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, June 26th, 2023 - 12 comments

National has released a hotch potch policy of changes to Criminal Justice that is uncosted and seeks to achieve that which is already in force or proposed.

Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments

It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.

Why Public Ownership Is Great

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 10 comments

In the absence of any political party stating clearly that public ownership of major infrastructure is a very good idea, here’s 10 good things public ownership of infrastructure does that private ownership doesn’t.

China’s gift horse

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, June 23rd, 2023 - 9 comments

It is good to see that there is a substantial business delegation accompanying Chris Hipkins to China, and that it is aimed at seeking to diversify into a wider range of issues. As China’s ambassador Wang Xiaolong noted in the Herald yesterday, there are significant opportunities for New Zealand on offer.

Winning ugly

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, June 21st, 2023 - 146 comments

luxon sheep

Another week and another example of National using dog whistle racism to stir up hatred and try and gain political advantage. This time it is to attack the notion that our health system should be seeking to look after those most in need.

Dumber

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, June 18th, 2023 - 34 comments

New Zealand is not an intellectual or innovation powerhouse but the rapid decline of our entire tertiary education is a tragedy.

Luxon Aeterna

Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, June 16th, 2023 - 48 comments

luxon sheep

Ad reports on Christopher Luxon’s meeting in Wanaka.

Greenpeace: Climate activist Rosemary Penwarden found guilty but remains undeterred

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 15th, 2023 - 17 comments

“We applaud Rosemary for standing up against big oil and gas.”

The hypocrisy of the attacks on Michael Wood

Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, June 12th, 2023 - 13 comments

According to National holding a modest shareholding can open a Minister to allegations of conflict of interest but owning seven investment properties and proposing beneficial tax treatment of landlords does not.

Greens announce income guarantee and wealth tax policy

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, June 11th, 2023 - 65 comments

The Green Party has today announced an income guarantee and a wealth tax.

Diplomacy with China hasn’t failed – it hasn’t been tried

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, June 5th, 2023 - 34 comments

Gerald Hensley was David Lange’s chief of staff when New Zealand’s nuclear free policy was adopted. He opposed what happened then and opposes it still. He now argues we should prepare for war with China.