News round-up
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8:46 am, February 10th, 2011 - 6 comments
Categories: Economy, foreshore and seabed, jobs, privatisation, supercity -
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- English says our public assets won’t get as high returns if sold as they have been recently
- English says our public assets haven’t been getting high enough returns and we’ll get more if we sell some
- Fran O’Sullivan against asset sales that undermine our economic sovereignty
- Do you support selling our assets for $10b? What if we only get $6b for the same stuff, as Patrick Smellie estimates (not online)
- Herald says it would have been simpler and cheaper for Hide to give Maori supercity council seats than the $3.4m ‘advisory board’ he created. Will he resign as promised?
- Another lawyers body calls CERRA anti-democratic and unnecessary
- Nats and Maori Party rush Foreshore Bill through select committee before Maori Party implodes
- ‘Recovery’ in retail spending just higher food and petrol prices hammering families
- 110 more jobs gone
- Duncan Garner asks ‘where’s the brighter future we were promised by Key?‘
- Key does some stunt to distract from his government’s performance and agenda (pending)
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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
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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
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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. ...5 days ago
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- 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
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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
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
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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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In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...2 weeks ago
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The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...2 weeks ago
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Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...2 weeks ago - Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...2 weeks ago
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Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...14 hours ago - PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...2 days ago
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...2 days ago
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The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...2 days ago
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The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...2 days ago
- Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...3 days ago
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The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...3 days ago
- Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...3 days ago
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Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...3 days ago
- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
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State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...4 days ago
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- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
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- Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments
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- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
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But thats ALL we have Waffley policy.. Waffley Government. oh and the Blatant Bull out of Blinglishes mouth “That we are all saving too hard and not spending. Oh really I for one have trouble just getting the BASICS paid, thanks to the Nats Generous tax cuts
Peoples response to you inadequate measure to the earthquake in Chch getting you down? Hire a PR firm to tell people just how much better off the really are – even if they aren’t.
All this talk about the boost in Canterbury’s GDP due to the reconstruction work – is a load of bollocks. You’d think a finance minister, especially from a government that claims “to know economics” would know something they teach in the first three weeks of undergraduate macroeconomics.
The Broken Window Fallacy – of course the income is generated by the construction and repair firms and may give a boost to GDP, but there is all of the costs borne by insurance companies (who may now increase premiums), the state (through EQC), and businesses either not covered for damage or business interruption – and wages lost to those employees whose companies closed.
What else would people’s money have been spent on? It’s never as visible – since it didn’t pan out.
How much interest/revenue streams were lost on investments sold down to pay out EQC victims? I’m not arguing that this shouldn’t have happened by the way – just that you shouldn’t argue that there will “spin-off” effects from the earthquake – in the very least it is bad taste.
$4 billion asset shortfall + $3.4 million on an unelected brown table + tax losses and benefit payouts to 110 more unemployed people… and that’s just this week?
It’s a pity there wasn’t, like, you know, some other party that could do something stark like quantify what that means for the pocket of the average voter instead of waffling about English’s waffling in a “wah wah” press release no journo with a pulse would bother to report.
“Key does some stunt to distract from his government’s performance and agenda (pending)”
yup.
“PM at the Halberg awards tonight:
Susan Devoy to John Key – “Don’t worry you’re amongst friends here”
John Key – “That’s what Tony Veitch said””
why does he turn up at every event going anyway? halberg’s are nothing to do with him