Daily Review 29/08/2016
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5:30 pm, August 29th, 2016 - 23 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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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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- 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
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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
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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Andrew Little needs to get his office sorted and quickly. Obviously the Labour leadership knew several weeks ago that McCarten was leaving and a new Chief Press Sec should have been in place before this announcement. Don’t go for another big name ego, Little needs two faceless professionals, who are proven in the job.
Oh is McCarten gone?
edit: oh, interesting – heading up a new Labour office in auckland
John Key personally reassures the Chinese immigrant community.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/key-reassures-chinese-community-on-crime-2016082916
I wonder when he’ll take the time to reassure the rest of us.
But the rest of us aren’t so generous when it comes to giving the National Party money or party votes.
True that. I’m reminded of BM’s concern troll earlier about the fundraising capabilities of the Labour party.
Clearly the Labour Party aren’t in the business of selling political favours.
Exactly, such a personal response, wow.
Maybe the Nats are simply seeking to capitalise on Labour’s alienation of the Chinese community. Sure. I know many don’t see anything wrong with what Labour said around Chinese house buyers, but it’s the perceptions within Chinese communities that counts.
And that (cough) news report informing people that burglary was the most hated of all crimes and suggesting Labour were crying favouritism over National producing propaganda targeting the self-same group that Labour have possibly alienated…you see how it’s meant to play out, yes?
How does the perception within Chinese communities count?
They can barely bring themselves to vote, it being such a novel event for them, democracy and worker rights being illegal in their own country.
No, what counts is the perception of recent and not so recent serial and amateur property investors in NZ who are being told that their fragile wealth is dependent on the continued flow of dirty money out of Asia.
It is the National government which is driving wedges in between different sections of New Zealand society.
John Key’s personal apology to Chinese immigrants confirms this.
Wow. Just fucking “wow”.
Someone has to say it.
Massive immigration. Government laps up the benefits but refuses to pay for the outcomes.
+1
“Someone has to say it.”
Indeed. Your comment is racist. Because the flow of money is coming not just from Asia, but from many places with better access to finance eg the US and the UK. Focussing on ‘dirty money from Asia’ reinforces stereotypes and entrenched racism against that group of people already living in NZ.
Worse, you just said there is a portion of the NZ population whose perspectives should be discounted because of their ethnicity.
Bill and I have quite difference views on immigration, but myself, I can’t see any reason why we can’t talk about the need to limit immigration without being racist in how that conversation happens.
FFS we have to call a spade a spade. There is an obvious trend here, my whole neighbourhood (Hillcrest) has changed drastically in the last few years, I can often be the only non Asian on the bus in the morning.
PC crap should not take precedence over legitimate concerns about housing speculation, money laundering, and widespread immigration scams
FJK’s “cabinet club” and grovelling to Chinese community — not racist
FJK’s policies forcing poor Polynesians to sleep in cars — not racist
Muttonbird’s comment about obvious (widely reported) issues — RACIST!!!
Well it reassures the rest of us that if we have the misfortune of being burgled we should mimic a Chinese accent and we will get a patrol car around and something will be done about it.
What hypocrisy that the PM is wont to apologise to anything or anybody but will immediately ingratiate himself and personally apologise to the Chinese community because of their homes being burgled. How many others of us have had to wait and given up on any police doing anything about it for us. At least the Chinese community has done a favour for us and maybe if we are very lucky the police may have the time to investigate household break-ins from now on.
Meanwhile our ghost house next door grows grass ever longer.
Agree. Collins today forced the police to go back on the policy she previously had them implement and that was to not record burglaries as crime.
Now she’s realised that was a mistake and has forced the police to again record burglaries as crime.
She’s good at forcing entities removed from government interference to do certain things whenever she wants them to, see.
This is a win for all New Zealanders but I’m concerned that the Chinese community are to be the recipient of more police resources that the rest of us in the wake of John Keys’ personal apology to them, and only them.
Oh No, not another rogue poll from Roy Morgan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, or do the choir have any other excuses ?.
Colonel Viper and Swordfish what are your opinions on this latest poll ?, I respect both your opinions.
More bad polling & spin from the Nat’s. They can’t count. RM.Lab/Greens/NZFirst=Nat’s & Maori Party & Dunne Gone Burger!
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6946-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-august-2016-201608291538
Looks like reversion to the mean, to me, rather than a rogue poll.
The number for the greens looks a little too high compared to other polls, but otherwise it seems reasonable.
Re McCarten. You cant be employed by Parliament & political party and run a local government campaign at the same time aye?
I believe you can, but the important thing is not to be doing any non-Parliamentary campaigning using Parliamentary resources or time.
Ta. SR. Matt will have to carry 3 mobiles, 3 lap-tops & 3 of pretty much everything else! Efficiency! Haha!
Maybe just two if he multitasks the local and party stuff. 😛 The important thing for Parliamentary Services is making sure Parliamentary funds are spent appropriately.
Just very good to see Labour HQ paying attention to Auckland with dedicated resource. Hope it pays off with more votes.