Daily Review 26/08/2015
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6:00 pm, August 26th, 2015 - 26 comments
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
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It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
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The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
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IRD billion dollar contract a ‘missed opportunity’
It’s the ZOMG, it’s so complicated that NZ companies just can’t do iiiitttttttt BS that we’ve been getting from government for the last 30+ years and I, for one, am sick of it. Especially when you realise that the majority of the work will be done by NZ subcontractors anyway. The foreign contractor will just be a ticket clipper.
Its out of any companies league here. You have no idea. While id like it here you need to know your limits.
What makes it so?
Well, it appears that the Californian company that’s going to use NZ companies to do the work thinks that we’re quite capable.
Infused : I’m thinking of Novopay – weren’t they overseas ? ? ?
A very small Australian company way out of their depth.
A good example of why you shouldn’t trust critical software jobs to small companies that don’t have the track record to prove they’re up to the job. Hence why no NZ companies were included in the tender process for the IRD job.
With a failed history hence the ‘2’ in their name so why were they given the job?
What a load of BS. Datacom (you know, the company that was doing the Education Payroll before Talent 2) would most definitely have that proven track record and size that you want and I suspect more than a few other companies in NZ do as well.
How many tax systems have Datacom written?
Fast Enterprises specialise in it: http://www.fastenterprises.com/integratedtax.html
Their tax software is used by 30 different US states, and also in Finland, Poland and Malaysia.
Datacom…?
Ah, the old They haven’t done it before and thus can’t do it at all, ever fallacy beloved of the really stupid.
Did you note that the company doing the software is getting in MYOB and others? Companies that have experience writing programs for the NZ tax system?
Although, personally, this IRD system design and rebuild is an example of why I hold that the government has the scale needed to justify a government computer department dedicated to keeping the government software all up to date and running smoothly. The Talent 2 fiasco is another good example. So would INCIS.
Nah, it’s the standard industry-recognised fact about software projects. Any project that is similar to one you’ve done before is hugely more likely to succeed, compared to something you’ve never done before.
I’d rather the IRD spent $2B on a company that has done many tax systems before, to dramatically increase their chance of success (delivering required functionality on time without cost blowouts).
We don’t want a repeat of INCIS. Or Novopay.
Yes, writing programs *for* the NZ tax system. Not writing *the* NZ tax system. Big difference in scope.
Andrew Little neatly skewered John Key in the house today, asking Key if the state home that he lived in was warm and dry and if current tenants of Housing Corp homes should enjoy the same standards. Key responded like a trained seal, kept saying that it was all Labour’s fault and kept referring to $300 million being spent on state house maintenance. The video is below.
Then Metiria Turei asked Key why he would not work with the Greens on improving standards. The response was more petulance by Key.
Trained seal ! that’s better than an American puppet – indicates he knows even less than a puppet would !! Thanks MS for that image ….
Yeah, it was a shame Labour didn’t back a kiwi IT company.
It’s contagious.
Yes your right.
Sort of like Datacom BM
More of a shame that Tolleyet al signed off without any proper trials.
Based on advice from a big accounting company. Did we ever get a refund from them as well?
Novopay was “developed” by an Australian company Talent 2 otherwise known as “talentless”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novopay
Or, Talent -2
It’s amazing what some people will do for a bottle of red and a selfie.
key looks armless in that shot
He has his hand…. (need I say more?)
Goodness – had to have another look at the photo ………….. ? @#!
I think it’s where his left hand is that’s the issue politically 😉
lols…
Will we get a “David Seymour was responsible” death and injury record following the late night opening of liquor outlets during the Rugby World Cup?
Will David assist in economic reparation for those deaths and injuries?
How much will the extra policing cost?