Social issues

Categories under Social issues

Our Great De-Leveraging

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, June 4th, 2023 - 13 comments

Debt is the most destructive and addictive form of economic behaviour we have in New Zealand. And mortgages are New Zealand’s very high grade heroin and we are being forced to come down off a most spectacular high into a rage-inducing forced withdrawal.

Blowin’ in the wind

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, May 31st, 2023 - 36 comments

National is blowing hard on the racist dog whistle by claiming that replacing signs with a Te Reo English version will affect the number of potholes that can be repaired.

National’s triple backward summersault on RMA reform

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, May 30th, 2023 - 26 comments

The focus groups have spoken.  National has performed a complete reversal on the bipartisan changes to the Resource Management Act amendments designed to improve housing supply and introduced only 18 months ago.

Carmel Sepuloni – bring it on

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 pm, May 27th, 2023 - 49 comments

Carmel Sepuloni’s speech to the 2023 Labour Party Congress.

National thinks tax cut good, reduction in Government charges bad

Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, May 19th, 2023 - 77 comments

National has promised to reverse the removal of prescription charges even though it has a strong policy support and is an example of the state taking less of individuals’ private wealth.

What Do The Maori Party Want Anyway?

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, May 12th, 2023 - 174 comments

Since they’re touted as 2023’s electoral ‘Kingmakers’, it’s time to understand what the Maori Party really want.

Iwi Kiwi 2.0

Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, May 10th, 2023 - 54 comments

In 2005 the National Party went full on racist with attacks on supposed Maori privilege which almost won the party power. Looks like they are going to try this tactic again.

Really Small States in Really Big Conflicts

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, May 9th, 2023 - 16 comments

In case we just missed it, New Zealand really has picked a side. Prime Minister Hipkins will head to the NATO summit in Lithuania together with Australia, Japan and South Korean leaders. Also Vladimir Zelinskyy is intending to go as well.

Yes, A Constitution

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, May 6th, 2023 - 50 comments

We are mature enough to have our own leader. Own our own shit.

Where Is New Zealand Extremism Going?

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, April 28th, 2023 - 78 comments

I’ve worked my way through two books recently, both on extremist sects, one about New Zealand groups and one about those in the United States of America. It’s startling.

Much ado about nothing

Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, April 22nd, 2023 - 44 comments

Right wing twitter thought it was onto something big yesterday after there were revelations that Human Rights Commissioner Meng Foon had donated funds and cheap premises to Kiri Allan’s election campaign in 2020.  But there was one rather significant problem with this expose, he had also donated to the National candidate in the same election.

National’s problem with its candidates

Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, April 16th, 2023 - 58 comments

Another day, and yet another report a National candidate has done something really stupid.

Greens: Three waters rebrand insufficient

Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, April 14th, 2023 - 24 comments

Today the Government adopted a long held Green Party position to increase the number of water entities to ensure a closer connection with communities they serve. However, despite the rebrand, significant concerns remain.

How I answered the census ‘gender’ question 

Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, April 13th, 2023 - 77 comments

Guest Post by Laura López on the complex problems with the “What is your gender?” question in the New Zealand 2023 Census.

What is UK Labour doing?

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, April 8th, 2023 - 28 comments

In the United Kingdom Keir Starmer’s faction are exerting their control by moving to the centre and adopting policy positions very similar to the Conservatives.  And by refusing to allow Jeremy Corbyn to stand as a Labour candidate in the next election.

An Easter Meditation

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 pm, April 7th, 2023 - 16 comments

In his …and forgive them their debts, my favourite economist and Jubilee advocate Michael Hudson states that Jesus driving the money-changers from the Temple was “the act that inspired the city leaders to plot his death.”

Jacinda’s Valedictory Speech

Written By: - Date published: 6:28 pm, April 5th, 2023 - 6 comments

Video of Jacinda Ardern’s Valedictory speech given today in Parliament.

We should have a chat about Artificial Intelligence

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, April 2nd, 2023 - 36 comments

As we adjust to the advent of civilisation threatening climate change there is a new threat that is emerging, the unregulated development of artificial intelligence.

The real reason New Zealand’s literacy standards are tanking *

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 27th, 2023 - 42 comments

* the answer is National Standards, the effects of which are still being felt.

Debating with nazis

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 pm, March 24th, 2023 - 278 comments

So Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand and intends to spread her message. Wikipedia describes her as someone who “has used posters, billboards, stickers, and social media to promote anti-trans messages, and she has organized events in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia that have been protested by […]

Gender recognition: woke-ism or human rights?

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 am, March 20th, 2023 - 259 comments

This debate is about every teenager, anywhere in the world, questioning their gender and sexual identity. This is about the person who after years of suffering, at some point in their lives decides they wish to identify as having a gender identity different to that of their birth.

Submit!

Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, March 19th, 2023 - 10 comments

What sort of city do you want to live in? If you do not wish to live in a city that is going backwards environmentally, artistically and socially then please submit on Auckland Council’s Draft Annual Budget.

Luxon slumps in latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: - Date published: 6:18 pm, March 13th, 2023 - 57 comments

The latest One News Kantar Poll result has been released and it is a doozie.

Did bacteria exist before we had microscopes?

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, March 13th, 2023 - 162 comments

So much of the ongoing debate about Mātauranga Māori is based on belief, and often unevidenced belief about what Mātauranga Māori is and how it is being used.

Helen White wins Mount Albert selection

Written By: - Date published: 3:24 pm, March 11th, 2023 - 25 comments

In breaking news Helen White has won the selection for the Mt Albert seat over Camilla Belich.  This is something of an upset as Belich was rumoured to have head office support.

Will Australia Hear The Voice?

Written By: - Date published: 7:07 pm, March 6th, 2023 - 10 comments

Australia’s Prime Minister Albanese is trying to get actual indigenous representation into the Australian Parliament with a referendum. Going to be tough.

National’s childcare announcement

Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, March 6th, 2023 - 21 comments

National’s proposed child care subsidy policy is essentially an increase to existing grants that will fuel inflation and costs increases in the child care sector.

But How Do You Pay For It?

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, March 5th, 2023 - 27 comments

To pay for recent flood damage Grant Robertson has to decide on what proportion of this will be paid by new debt, what proportion by reallocation of expenditure, and what proportion by special tax levies.  Is an Australian style levy under consideration?

Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?

Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, February 28th, 2023 - 97 comments

Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance.  But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet.  Why is this?

Sturgeon, like Ardern, a casualty of online abuse

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, February 21st, 2023 - 65 comments

Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation as Scotland’s First Minister was something of a replay of Jacinda Ardern’s resignation. While subject to widespread abuse, both were reluctant to cite this as their main reason for quitting. But the abuse undoubtedly played a major role. But the misogynist trend is endemic and needs to be quelled.

Natural disasters test new leaders in New Zealand – some did better than others.

Written By: - Date published: 4:48 am, February 19th, 2023 - 1 comment

After the Auckland flood, Wayne Brown’s election will now be viewed as a cautionary tale. What can happen when someone who is inexperienced and unsuited to political office is elected to important political leadership roles. The blowback of this on the New Zealand right should not be understated, it is bad news for them.