7% undecided in the poll. Interesting that they released that.
New Zealand National-Led Govt’s Winning Lead Increases
59.5% (UP 4%) CF. LABOUR 40.5% (DOWN 4%)
Finding No. 4705 – This latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted by telephone with a NZ wide cross-section of 847 electors from September 26 – October 9, 2011. Of all electors surveyed 7% (unchanged) didn’t name a party.: October 18, 2011
The latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows support for Prime Minister John Key’s National-led Government has risen to 59.5%. Support for Key’s National Party is 55.5% (up 4.5%), ACT NZ 1.5% (unchanged), the Maori Party 2% (down 0.5%), and United Future 0.5% (unchanged).
Support for Opposition Parties is at 40.5% (down 4%) — Labour Party 28% (down 2.5%), Greens 9.5% (down 2%), New Zealand First 2% (up 1%), Mana Party 0.5% (unchanged) and Others 0.5% (down 0.5%).
Actually no Freedom….what I was commenting on is the reality of a weak labour party, and when all else has failed there is always hope……….hope that the polls may change……….hope that labour may be resurgent this election……….keep hope alive.
The polls are our reality, they have framed the narative are are the talking point.
Yes, the people will see Phil Goff mucking in and will realise that Phil Goff is a man of the people and will flock around him and cast the National party out of office
And that loyal kiwi job creator sir M Fay underbids for them and goes on the PR charm offensive that he’s got NZ’s interests at heart (again) as the offer is rejected …..tui moment.
I think you are correct Craig G .E. I’m sure Shipley went to China with the Wongs. what a greedy cunning woman ,and is she not recieving a huge amounts of taxpayers money thanks to Brownlee . the more I see of Tories and their ilk the more I wonder how they can con the public time and time again . It just beats me!.
At what point in NZ did our collective outlook on life become underpinned by sociopathy?
Why are our national tales of overcoming struggle used as clubs to beat our young into silence and submission?
When the same amount of effort goes into perpetuating problems as that which would solve them, why chose abuse as default?
At what point does a guy figure that buying a new suit, car, house, boat or swimming pool, is a better option than learning to be a happy person and better lover?
If he knows he’s unhappy, why not change, rather than abuse those around him for lack of personal responsibility?
If happiness and sadness have the same value to him, why not finally discover what human life really is, instead of engineering the next iphone app?
This is what happens when you have dried blueberries from Bolivia on your porridge. They must have been grown next to coca plants.
Julia Gillard said yesterday the summit must “expunge” Europe’s crisis of confidence. “The time for muddling through is over,” the Prime Minister said. “Substantial and comprehensive reforms must be put in place – nothing less.”
In issuing its Great Depression warning, the IMF referred to the work of economist John Maynard Keynes, who showed that when everyone tried to lift their savings simultaneously, the total savings in the economy fell because there was not enough demand for goods and services.
In issuing its Great Depression warning, the IMF referred to the work of economist John Maynard Keynes, who showed that when everyone tried to lift their savings simultaneously, the total savings in the economy fell because there was not enough demand for goods and services.
“The overarching risk is of a global paradox of thrift as households, firms and governments around the world reduce demand,” the IMF said. “Downside risks have increased and are severe.”
French and German banks are completely overleveraged due to their casino risk taking and would fall over in a heartbeat.
In essence what is happening now is that the political leaders of the PIIGS are no longer working on behalf of their people, they have been induced to work on behalf of the international banking cartel.
That’d be the best thing that they could do. Just declare all external debt null and void and drop the Euro. The “negotiations” are just attempts to save a few people from losing some money due to their own bad decisions.
When you loan out money you’re taking the risk that not going to get it back.
First they can do is net off all the liabilities, payments and interest charges between the different countries. That immediately destroys about 30% of the debt.
But if these countries just defaulted , hell what would be better if all default what happens??? NO think about it what really happens??? Nothing. The sun still rises and sets the baker still bakes Planes still fly there will be chaos as the materialistic banker type will scream and wriggle and try to regain their previous positions to hopefully no avail. And the only ones hurt are the one who caused the pain. The Bankers.
Well that fantasy land here they’ll call out the army to protect their pile.
The most critical thing governments must do in the event of a massive debt default and subsequent banking failure is to take over the utility operations of all banking transaction systems.
This will allow normal day to day economic transactions to still occur.
Wages still need to be paid into bank accounts. ATMs still need to be refilled. EFTPOS and credit card transactions still need to be processed nightly. Bill payments for power, rates and taxes made. In the modern day internet banking systems also need to be maintained.
In other words, in the short term the utility banking functions which allow the real economy to function day to day must experience continuity of operation.
This will buy time for us to distance ourselves from the globalised financial system (which simultaneously disempowers the banksters who all want centralised global control). And all the bullshit securities and (false) asset trading side of the banks are split off and quietly incinerated, and quite a few banksters put away for long prison terms.
National’s Kiwisaver “policy” is a complete joke. Here’s why:
1. It’s all predicated on returning to surplus in 2014-2015. That is almost certainly not going to happen. This is how to promise something that you know is never going to happen and take the thunder out of the oppositions PR.
2. They’re expecting to enrol 275,000 people permanently into the scheme. The current adoption rate of kiwisaver suggests that by 2014-2015, approximately that many people would have joined the scheme anyway.
3. If they’re wrong and more people stay in than expected, their economic projections are screwed.
4. Enrolling everyone, setting up wage redirection, and then having most people opt-out again is a huge bureaucracy make-work scheme.
5. If they paid the $1,000 kickstart spread over 5 years at $200 year, with the requirement that you must have made some contributions in the same year to qualify for that year’s allocation, they would both cut the total contribution required and spread it out over more years. A guy from the savings working group says that with these changes they could easily start the program this year without causing much stress on the budget.
Triple downgrade just round the corner, milk prices dropping like a stone, PM blatantly lying and obvious bogus email cover-up, govt twiddled thumbs as birds are slaughtered….
Good old “independent” press, not even pretending any more. Unabashed gangster pimps and whores to their paymasters. Cucified Hels for signing a painting for charity, pack-raped Winnie for an alleged minor fib, now protecting their boy with non-stop spin, flim-flam and rah-rah.
Know the enemy and ignore it. Leaflets, tweets, the net, the street.
One of the more interesting aspects of OWS are the growing number of the 1% who are in support of change. This is either a well co-ordinated manipulation of the message or perhaps there really are some rich folk with a heart. I think most of us will agree it is the latter.
The inequalities faced by Māori are obvious when the facts are noted. Facts around income and workforce participation show Māori disadvantage and that translates into more financial difficulties after retirement. It is not just that many Māori struggle to save, there is less opportunity to save and cultural responsibilities for older Māori also have a financial cost not borne by others. Add in lower life expectancy and the unfairness of treating Māori as a sub-group of the general population is obvious.
I blame Government – todays and yesterdays, because the Treaty, specifically Article 2 and 3, have not been actualised and even today tangata whenua and their situation are not considered. The beginnings of a solution to this issue must be a reduction in the retirement age for Māori. This would alieviate the financial stressors for kaumātua and lead to a resurgence of marae activity which would be positive for the Māori Nation and the country as a whole.
You should be interested in the UnitedFuture approach which addresses this.
“60 to 70 choice on superannuation – New Zealanders should be able to take superannuation at reduced rates down to 60 or increasingly enhanced rates if they hold off until between 66 and 70”
Awesome that you agree with me pete – well done. Although I am not talking about reduced rates and whilst I have sympathy for all people nearing retirement, the inequality that Māori face is quite specific.
It would have to be at reduced rates, but that doesn’t mean reduced benefits. If someone’s life expetancy was, say, 70 then 10 years super at a reduced rate adds up to a lot more than 5 years at a higher rate.
You need to look at the total likely to be received, not the rate.
People with diabetes have a life expectancy 10-12 years shorter than the norm. So if someone with diabetes retires at 65 they have a retirement expectancy of something like 5 years, compared to the norm of 15+ years.
Why shouldn’t they be able to chose to retire earlier at a lower rate so they get, say, 10 years retirement?
easier? fairer? to who pete? ‘everyone’ you say but the facts don’t support that view, not even slightly. The same choices are not there or do you dispute the facts, because if you don’t then are you are implying it’s just tough and tangata whenua suffering disadvantage and facing inequality can just eat it – maybe for some that is easier, I feel sorry for those people, they lack empathy and are the cause of most of this worlds problems. Isn’t equality worth taking a solid stance for pete and if not, what is?
Those in their forties will retire after the bulge, yet will be at their
height of earning income paying for the boomer retired. They
will of course inherit a glut of care homes and other age
infrastructure. So where’s the fairness? Well there isn’t any.
We can’t manage retirement on the basis of what people pay
or paid. We need to give everyone the same basic level,
reward those who saved (for obvious reasons we need people
to save), and stop this when we set the retirement age thing.
The old will need to work longer because their decile
have most of the jobs now, most of the population, but
likewise we have to insure the stragglers get by too.
But those in their forties and younger will not need to
work longer because the population spread would have
rebalanced as the boomer are decimated by attrition.
wow Pete, So you can see into the future and tell us when someone is going to die? You really are the Messiah we have awaited all these years. The actuaries must be knocking on your door daily.
( I always thought the Messiah’s name in the second coming would be more …you know… inspiring , Brian first time round, now it’s Pete ?)
We have an ageing population and a baby boomer bulge. In 15 years time current levels of support will be unsustainable. So what do we do? Do we:
1. Increase retirement age
2. Decrease entitlements
3. Means test it
4. Put our head in the sand and not worry about it because some future government will have to deal with it.
And before you cite your policy I note it is cost neutral so will not address affordability issues.
EDIT: I see that other aspects of UF policy will actually make Superannuation MORE expensive and benefit the wealthy.
We don’t have a retirement age. We have an age that people can receive National Super from, quite different. Many people work much longer, some can’t work that long but can’t “retire” on a pension.
Before we can put up the entitlement age – which incidentally if it’s done without any other changes, as per Marsman’s point will make it even worse for those who have worked hard manually or have lower life expectancies due to ethnic or medical reasons – we need to get retirement savings working.
“Kiwisaver should be made compulsory but we cannot afford to wait until 2015 or when we get back into surplus to do it, said UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne.”
What will you do to make Superannuation affordable. And why if you want to get retirement savings working did the coiffured one vote for a budget that stuffed up the Cullen Fund and severely handicapped Kiwisaver?
Pete you are right about that as i for one do not understand Confidence and Supply agreements because in case you have not noticed we are meant to have MMP , not defacto FPP.
Over the years I have had long battles trying to get the difference into thick skulled robots like yourself and there is not enough hours left before the election to try again.
Political convention and self protection have made our MMP a twisted perversion of what it could have been.
The referendum is looming and the pressure is being put on people to throw out MMP
before we have even experienced a single MMP government.
And you Petey do not understand “answer the feckin question”.
Stop prevaricating and going off on tangents and answer the question.
We have an ageing population and a baby boomer bulge. In 15 years time current levels of support will be unsustainable. So what do we do? Do we:
1. Increase retirement age
2. Decrease entitlements
3. Means test it
4. Put our head in the sand and not worry about it because some future government will have to deal with it.
Here are my thoughts on a possible solution to the superannuation problem. They are just thoughts…no costing or anything as i wouldnt know where to begin with that….but what do you think?
SUPERANNUATION IDEA:
To help with the cost of the climbing retirement population here are some thoughts on how we could reduce the cost to the taxpayer in the long run and also create a better savings culture among New Zealanders.
Making it compulsory for people to save for retirement (Kiwisaver?) from the moment they are 18 years old. Also, gradually phase out the current super scheme as follows:
Have a law that states that super payments are ALWAYS guaranteed to be at least 67% (or whatever it currently is) of the average wage (or whatever it is benchmarked against). But that the government only makes up the difference.
How they get this is done as follows:
When they reach retirement, their total super that they have saved via Kiwisaver (or another scheme) is divided out over how many years the average person is meant to live. I.e. if the retirement age is 65, and the life expectancy is 85 then you get 20 years. Thus, the amount they have saved is divided by 20. Then whatever the difference is between what that amount works out to be and what 67% of average wage is, the government meets to ensure they are getting the average. (for instance if they saved enough, that when divided out of 20 years equaled $200 a week, but the benchmark of 67% of average wage is $300 a week….then the government makes up the $100 difference only. If on the other hand they have saved enough, that when divided over 20 years is $350 a week, and the benchmark 67% is $300… then the government doesn’t pay anything towards superannuation)
If they live longer than the 20 years, then the government starts paying the full amount of super.
If they die before all the money is paid out that they saved, the government gives the money to the family or to the persons estate.
Also, if they choose not to retire at 65 (or whatever the retirement age is at the time) they will not stop contributing to Kiwisaver (or another scheme) until they retire and they will not get government super until they stop working.
Obviously this is aimed at starting for everyone that turns 18 from the time such a policy would come in. However that does not mean it could not be adapted using the same above mentioned principles for people who are already 18 or over and who may even be close to retirement now, if they have some form of super scheme at present.
Clearly none of this is costed and it is just my humble idea.
Can you imagine the interesting conversations the Minister of Finance will be having with Treasury officials in 50 years time trying to find a solution to the unfunded liability caused by people living too damn long. Wait for the word ‘carousel’ to be tossed in…
I’ve already said what I think (I agree with United Future policy on this). And I repeat – there is no retirement age.
Pure semantics. Do you want me to say “the age at which National Superannuation payments commence” instead?
1. Give people a choice at what age they get entitlement from 60-70.
Does not address the issue. The change is cost neutral.
2. Make Kiwisaver compulsory so people have their own retirement savings.
You mean that you are going to abolish super and make savings compulsory? Good luck in selling that. But what will you do about the baby boomers who retire in the next 15 years? Or do you propose to make the cuts in the near future?
Interesting – I agree with you that changes would be over decades. But 15 years is when the crunch hits.
Well as Pete pointed out there is no ‘retirement age’ – you can retire any time you want. You want super for Maori earlier than anyone else. But super is not timebound and it is not dependent on work status – you get it till you die even if you are working (with abatements or high tax isn’t it or did Winston get rid of that?). So if I declared myself Maori at 55, I could gain 10 years of extra super and might still live till 80 mumble. And I can do that unhindered because Maori is a matter of self definition. I’s is what I says I’s is. Nice scam you are enabling.
That’s why it needs to be a universal choice – anyone can choose to start getting super sooner or later depending on their circumstances and preferences.
It wouldn’t work if you start trying to select some groups for preferential treatment, too complex and too open to manipulation. And it discriminates – if you choose Maori do you also choose PI? What qualifies as PI – Taiwanee? Japanese? And that’s not fair on non-Maori who have worked physically har all their lives and their bodies won’t last until 65 – or 67, or 70. And it’s not fair on those with expectancy shortening medical conditions like diabetes.
damn you were doing so well pete and then you go and drop the ball. Why are you dillydallying now – the whole point of the original comment was about the inequality for tangata whenua and a small, almost token way, that could be remedied for older Māori nearing retirement. Your plaintive, “it’s not fair… it discriminates” frankly sickens me.
The point is they can’t be caught out, because there is nothing wrong being done – I mean if Christian Cullen and Tony Brown can be Maori All Blacks then why can’t I retire early? I must be as Maori as they are. The ones who probably won’t do it will be the racists who want nothing to do with Maoris on principle (which ironically means they won’t be scum…).
The only way you can avoid it happening is by defining who a ‘real Maori’ is. Good luck with that one.
you seem to be arguing… nothing. As you said ‘nothing wrong being done’ but I think you get to your main point a bit later, don’t you.
If you are Māori and could be in the Māori All Blacks then good oh. If not, so what?
the ones who on principle want nothing to do with Māori are scum – they are delusional and pathetic but I suppose one could quibble about the definition of scum – which dictionary? which authority? hmmm such a tough decision.
If you can’t see that the fundamental flaw in your proposal is that it is just free money for anyone who asks, no qualifications needed, then you need to go and think a bit harder
another drongo day athe dompost. front page has a hybrid bike thing with no exhaust and the reporter having orgasms at this thing designed to break the law. What is this fascination with noise?
Everywhere you go there is some drongo making a noise. I gues they just compenating for havinga small penis. National said they would get rid of noise and drngos on the roads but hey are creeping back again.
Yeah pretty much he’s just a dick, plus no matter what he says you can tell it gets to him and makes him play worse. So of course the crowd will keep doing it.
complete and utter drivel, why waste your time and ours posting such crap
In his entire career i have heard many people mention many things about ‘that man’, mostly unprintable.
the only people i have ever heard mention his race as a contributing factor in the derision he attracts are people in the media,
on a related tech subject…
(have tried to send this to email a few times but never get an answer)
I still cannot post from android ,
‘enter name’ ok, press next
‘enter email address’ ok, press next
goes to ‘enter site info’ and that is as far as it goes,
i do not have a site to enter. Is there any way to bypass this step?
… are you trying from the “contact us” screen? If your browser is not supported the screen may be prefaced by a note advising you to send via the .com address supplied
the standard comes up “blurry” more times than not in safari for iPad
In the mobile version or standard version on the mobile? (Switch is at the bottom of the page). In haven’t booted up a windoze box to run iTunes to do the upgrade myself yet.
National promised to create 170,000 jobs in the 2010 budget and failed to deliver. In fact unemployment has increased by around 57,000 since National took over. They then made the same promise to create 170,000 jobs in the 2011 budget…
as it is a requirement for all public protest actions, including marches, to co-ordinate with the Police for issues of public safety, will exercising your rights to free speech also warrant a fee?
A drug addict kicks their habit, taken up to stay awake on onerous
long trunking jobs, and their pusher drops their bong into the truck
and tips off a ex-police officer.
A management who doesn’t random test for, or offer drug testing
so saving the company money rehiring, or testing cabs routinely
for burn marks etc.
Creates an injustice. Where the lawful truthful actions of an
employee inevitable loose them their jobs. Had they lawyered
up, had a lawyer mate or family member, like so many
middle class pakeha families, he;d still have his job.
Welcome to the rule of law. Not.
But worse. Many French and America soldiers died from
a truck bomber in Lebanon, a bomber flawed but likely an
honest man frustrated living in an emerging nation of law????
When honest men lose we are all less safe.
Managers have a duty to their investors and that means
retaining, with routine drug testing, their workers. This
did not happen.
Maybe a link to an article would help make your point?
Because at the moment all I’m getting from your comment is some sort of incoherent arguement for routine drug testing, which I will file along with your enthusiasm for implementing Team America World Police and giving all the cops guns to usher in a new era of peace.
And why is it that you can construct sentences when asking a tech question but default to babble when you are commenting politically?
Sorry the tech question was someone elses, your babble is it seems a consistent feature.
Aerobubble I would really like to understand you so please hook me up with some links to the events that you are commenting on so I can decipher the point you are trying to make.
rnz pod cast on law about case where a trunk driver was sacked when they told the truth
at the outset and at the time had done nothing wrong. the glee of the law expert at
this case which does a disservice to a civil society given the truck driver do drugs to
stay awake, and are also unlikely to dob their dealer in.
Whenever National and Act attack Labour you know Labour is doing something that workers will like and employers/owners/shareholders will hate because it loses them profit. There is such a thing as egalitarian behaviour which gives a fair profit and a fair wage and a fair lifestyle for all New Zealanders. That is not what NACT want. They want the power, the money, the resources and the control over the other 90% of New Zealanders.
My problem with the National party is they reward bad management practice,
the best economy is the widest and broadest economy, yet National target
only the few to be winners and everyone else is poor from it. But worse,
now even the winners that National are targetting with their legislative
largesse are suffering from National incompetence. How exactly does a
business owner make profits when their customers have little discretional
spending? And I’m not just talking in S.Auckland, I’m talking on the
streets of London and NY. National are completely out of touch not only
with the global economy, but with Epsom voters who loaded up on debt
to get into Grammar zone.
This week Prime Minister John Key defended the country’s investment in the World Cup, saying it was “$39 million well spent”.
???
Budget blowouts have pushed public spending on the Rugby World Cup well above $200 million – without counting $555 million in stadium upgrades and $39 million in direct losses from hosting the tournament.
But we’re saved…
But the economic returns are also starting to arrive, including an extra $4.4 million in tourist spending on Paymark eftpos systems during the tournament’s penultimate weekend.
Yep, we’re going to get almost $5m in extra tourist spending for our almost $800m in spending…
/wanders off to be physically sick at the thought of this rort we had forced upon us for the amusement of a minority of us.
No wonder we’re being encouraged now to go for the Olympics – they’ve realised that we love giving money to foreigners – in imports, in investment returns, in sending our best and brightest to Australia…
A small loss with the RWC, a much bigger loss with the Olympics – yay say the circling scavengers. – come and get it says John Key. You don’t want the energy companies? Then take the Ports of Auckland and the airport and our water infrastructure – I’m not staying either, says Key. I just came to pack up the assets and send em back to my place.
By itself, a 2% decline year after year—while sounding mild—would send our growth-based economy into a tailspin. As detailed in a previous post, across-the-board efficiency improvements cannot tread water against a rate as high as 2% per year. As we’ll see next, the Energy Trap just makes things worse.
According to a study of the largest 811 oilfields conducted in early 2008 by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), the average rate of field decline is 4.5% per year. The IEA stated in November 2008 that an analysis of 800 oilfields showed the decline in oil production to be 6.7% a year, and that this would grow to 8.6% in 2030.
Between now and 2020. I think that there is a roughly 10% chance that net available oil exports* will manage to supply enough cheap oil to OECD countries to sustain net economic growth per capita over the next ten years.
And I think that there is a 90% chance that it will not.
*This seems like an awkward contrived measure, but it takes into account the fact that many major oil producers, even growing ones, are keeping more and more of their yearly production to satisfy internal use, which means it is not available for trade on the world market.
Enjoyed this Bill Maher interview on OWS vs teabaggers and religion – really liked that he realised his wealth was mere fluke instead of the tired I worked my arse off to get where I am:
Felix – why for gods sake did you encourage Pete G?
Stirring is for a non – bond martini.
Surely The Standard has enough comments without Petes special blend of 2 parts sanctimonious & holier- than -thou, 3 parts drivel, and 5 parts of nothing at all?
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Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, Newsroom-$, Politik-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 9, 2025 thru Sat, March 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
The Government dominated the political agenda this week with its two-day conference pitching all manner of public infrastructure projects for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest in our political economy this week: The Government ploughed ahead with offers of PPPs to pension fund managers ...
You know that it's a snake eat snake worldWe slither and serpentine throughWe all took a bite, and six thousand years laterThese apples getting harder to chewSongwriters: Shawn Mavrides.“Please be Jack Tame”, I thought when I saw it was Seymour appearing on Q&A. I’d had a guts full of the ...
So here we are at the wedding of Alexandra Vincent Martelli and David Seymour.Look at all the happy prosperous guests! How proud Nick Mowbray looks of the gift he has made of a mountain of crap plastic toys stuffed into a Cybertruck.How they drink, how they laugh, how they mug ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is waste heat from industrial activity the reason the planet is warming? Waste heat’s contribution to global warming is a small fraction of ...
Some continue to defend David Seymour on school lunches, sidestepping his errors to say:“Well the parents should pack their lunch” and/or “Kids should be grateful for free food.”One of these people is the sitting Prime Minister.So I put together a quick list of why complaint is not only appropriate - ...
“Bugger the pollsters!”WHEN EVERYBODY LIVED in villages, and every village had a graveyard, the expression “whistling past the graveyard” made more sense. Even so, it’s hard to describe the Coalition Government’s response to the latest Taxpayers’ Union/Curia Research poll any better. Regardless of whether they wanted to go there, or ...
Prof Jane Kelsey examines what the ACT party and the NZ Initiative are up to as they seek to impose on the country their hardline, right wing, neoliberal ideology. A progressive government elected in 2026 would have a huge job putting Humpty Dumpty together again and rebuilding a state that ...
See I try to make a differenceBut the heads of the high keep turning awayThere ain't no useWhen the world that you love has goneOoh, gotta make a changeSongwriters: Arapekanga Adams-Tamatea / Brad Kora / Hiriini Kora / Joel Shadbolt.Aotearoa for Sale.This week saw the much-heralded and somewhat alarming sight ...
Here’s my selection1 of scoops, breaking news, news, analyses, deep-dives, features, interviews, Op-Eds, editorials and cartoons from around Aotearoa’s political economy on housing, climate and poverty from RNZ, 1News, The Post-$2, The Press−$, Newsroom3, NZ Herald, Stuff, BusinessDesk-$, NBR-$, Reuters, FT-$, WSJ-$, Bloomberg-$, New York Times-$, The Atlantic-$, The Economist-$ ...
By international standards the New Zealand healthcare system appears satisfactory – certainly no worse generally than average. Yet it is undergoing another redisorganisation.While doing some unrelated work, I came across some international data on the healthcare sector which seemed to contradict my – and the conventional wisdom’s – view of ...
When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he knew that he was upending Europe’s security order. But this was more of a tactical gambit than a calculated strategy ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Over the last year, I’ve been warning about Luxon’s pitch to privatise our public assets.He had told reporters in October that nothing was off the cards:Schools, hospitals, prisons, and ...
When ASPI’s Cyclone Tracy: 50 Years On was published last year, it wasn’t just a historical reflection; it was a warning. Just months later, we are already watching history repeat itself. We need to bake ...
1. Why was school lunch provider The Libelle Group in the news this week?a. Grand Winner in Pie of The Yearb. Scored a record 108% on YELP c. Bought by Oravida d. Went into liquidation2. What did our Prime Minister offer prospective investors at his infrastructure investment jamboree?a. The Libelle ...
South Korea has suspended new downloads of DeepSeek, and it was were right to do so. Chinese tech firms operate under the shadow of state influence, misusing data for surveillance and geopolitical advantage. Any country ...
Previous big infrastructure PPPs such as Transmission Gully were fiendishly complicated to negotiate, generated massive litigation and were eventually rewritten anyway. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesLong stories shortest: The Government’s international investment conference ignores the facts that PPPs cost twice as much as vanilla debt-funded public infrastructure, often take ...
Woolworths has proposed a major restructure of its New Zealand store operating model, leaving workers worried their hours and pay could be cut. Public servants are being asked how productive their office is, how much they use AI, and whether they’re overloaded with meetings as part of a “census”. An ...
Robert Kaplan’s book Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis paints a portrait of civilisation in flux. Drawing insights from history, literature and art, he examines the effect of modern technology, globalisation and urbanisation on ...
Sexuality - Strong and warm and wild and freeSexuality - Your laws do not apply to meSexuality - Don't threaten me with miserySexuality - I demand equalitySong: Billy Bragg.First, thank you to everyone who took part in yesterday’s survey. Some questions worked better than others, but I found them interesting, ...
Hi,I just got back from a week in Japan thanks to the power of cheap flights and years of accumulated credit card points.The last time I was in Japan the government held a press conference saying they might take legal action against me and Netflix, so there was a little ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including Donald Trump’s wrecking of the post-WW II political landscape; andHealth Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Lisa ...
Hi,I just got back from a short trip to Japan, mostly spending time in Tokyo.I haven’t been there since we shot Dark Tourist back in 2017 — and that landed us in a bit of hot water with the Japanese government.I am glad to report I was not thrown into ...
I’ve been on Substack for almost 8 months now.It’s been good in terms of the many great individuals that populate its space. So much variety and intelligence and humour and depth.I joined because someone suggested I should ‘start a Substack,’ whatever that meant.So I did.Turning on payments seemed like the ...
Open access notables Would Adding the Anthropocene to the Geologic Time Scale Matter?, McCarthy et al., AGU Advances:The extraordinary fossil fuel-driven outburst of consumption and production since the mid-twentieth century has fundamentally altered the way the Earth System works. Although humans have impacted their environment for millennia, justification for ...
Australia should buy equipment to cheaply and temporarily convert military transport aircraft into waterbombers. On current planning, the Australian Defence Force will have a total of 34 Chinook helicopters and Hercules airlifters. They should be ...
Indonesia’s government has slashed its counterterrorism (CT) budgets, despite the persistent and evolving threat of violent extremism. Australia can support regional CT efforts by filling this funding void. Reducing funding to the National Counterterrorism Agency ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Resource Management (Prohibition on Extraction of Freshwater for On-selling) Amendment Bill (Debbie Ngarewa-Packer) The bill does exactly what it says on the label, and would effectively end the rapacious water-bottling industry ...
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...
Foreign aid is being slashed across the Global North, nowhere more so than in the United States. Within his first month back in the White House, President Donald Trump dismantled the US Agency for International ...
Nicola Willis has proposed new procurement rules that unions say will lead to pay cuts for already low-paid workers in cleaning, catering and security services that are contracted by government. The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill passed its third reading with support from all the opposition parties and NZ ...
Most KP readers will not know that I was a jazz DJ in Chicago and Washington DC while in grad school in the early and mid 1980s. In DC I joined WPFW as a grave shift host, then a morning drive show host (a show called Sui Generis, both for ...
Long stories shortest: The IMF says a capital gains tax or land tax would improve real economic growth and fix the budget. GDP is set to be smaller by 2026 than it was in 2023. Compass is flying in school lunches from Australia. 53% of National voters say the new ...
Last year in October I wrote “Where’s The Opposition?”. I was exasperated at the relative quiet of the Green Party, Labour and Te Pati Māori (TPM), as the National led Coalition ticked off a full bingo card of the Atlas Network playbook.1To be fair, TPM helped to energise one of ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkGood data visualizations can help make climate change more visceral and understandable. Back in 2016 Ed Hawkins published a “climate spiral” graph that ended up being pretty iconic – it was shown at the opening ceremony of the Olympics that year – and ...
An agreement to end the war in Ukraine could transform Russia’s relations with North Korea. Moscow is unlikely to reduce its cooperation with Pyongyang to pre-2022 levels, but it may become more selective about areas ...
This week, the Government is hosting a grand event aimed at trying to interest big foreign capital players in financing capital works in New Zealand, particularly its big rural motorway programme. Financing vs funding: a quick explainer The key word in the sentence above is financing. It is important ...
In a month’s time, the Right Honourable Winston Peters will be celebrating his 80th birthday. Good for him. On the evidence though, his current war on “wokeness” looks like an old man’s cranky complaint that the ancient virtues of grit and know-how are sadly lacking in the youth of today. ...
As noted, early March has been about moving house, and I have had little chance to partake in all things internet. But now that everything is more or less sorted, I can finally give a belated report on my visit to the annual Regent Booksale (28th February and 1st March). ...
Information operations Australia has banned cybersecurity software Kaspersky from government use because of risks of espionage, foreign interference and sabotage. The Department of Home Affairs said use of Kaspersky products posed an unacceptable security ...
The StrategistBy Linus Cohen, Astrid Young and Alice Wai
One of the best understood tropes of screen drama is the scene where the beloved family dog is barking incessantly and cannot be calmed. Finally, somebody asks: What is it, girl? Has someone fallen down a well? Is there trouble at the old John Key place?One is reminded of this ...
The ’ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia, plays a significant role in the global cocaine trade and is deeply entrenched in Australia, influencing the cocaine trade and engaging in a variety of illicit activities. A range of ...
In the US, the Trump regime is busy imposing tariffs on its neighbours and allies, then revoking them, then reimposing them, permanently poisoning relations with Canada and Mexico. Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on agricultural goods, which will affect Aotearoa's exports. National's response? To grovel for an exemption, ...
Troy Bowker’s Caniwi Capital’s Desmond Gittings, former TradeMe and Warehouse executive Simon West, former anonymous right wing blogger / Labour attacker & now NZ On Air Board member / Waitangi Tribunal member Philip Crump, Canadian billionaire Jim Grenon who used to run vaccine critical, Treaty of Waitangi critical, and trans-rights ...
The free school lunch program was one of Labour's few actual achievements in government. Decent food, made locally, providing local employment. So naturally, National had to get rid of it. Their replacement - run by Compass, a multinational which had already been thrown out of our hospitals for producing inedible ...
New draft government procurement guidelines will remove living wage protections for thousands of low-paid workers in Aotearoa New Zealand, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. “The Minister of Finance Nicola Willis has proposed a new rule saying that the Living Wage no longer needs to be paid in ...
The Trump administration’s effort to divide Russia from China is doomed to fail. This means that the United States is destroying security relationships based on a delusion. To succeed, Russia would need to overcome more ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down Hūhana Lyndon’s member’s Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of Māori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrick’s member’s bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Government’s new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that National’s priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te Pāti Māori’s official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te Pāti Māori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus Whānau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , Whānau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa Māori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brown’s move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morning’s announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the country’s essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ targets. “This Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as ‘wellness providers’ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...
Te Pāti Māori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking Māori rights. “Regardless of the reason for ...
Police Minister Mark Mitchell is avoiding accountability by refusing to answer key questions in the House as his Government faces criticism over their dangerous citizen’s arrest policy, firearm reform, and broken promises to recruit more police. ...
The number of building consents issued under this Government continues to spiral, taking a toll on the infrastructure sector, tradies, and future generations of Kiwi homeowners. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to rule out joining the AUKUS military pact in any capacity following the scenes in the White House over the weekend. ...
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s plan to disestablish Resource Teachers of Māori (RTM) roles, a move that takes another swing at kaupapa Māori education. ...
The Government’s levies announcement is a step in the right direction, but they must be upfront about who will pay its new infrastructure levies and ensure that first-home buyers are protected from hidden costs. ...
The Government’s levies announcement is a step in the right direction, but they must be upfront about who will pay its new infrastructure levies and ensure that first-home buyers are protected from hidden costs. ...
After months of mana whenua protecting their wāhi tapu, the Green Party welcomes the pause of works at Lake Rotokākahi and calls for the Rotorua Lakes Council to work constructively with Tūhourangi and Ngāti Tumatawera on the pathway forward. ...
New Zealand First continues to bring balance, experience, and commonsense to Government. This week we've made progress on many of our promises to New Zealand.Winston representing New ZealandWinston Peters is overseas this week, with stops across the Middle East and North Asia. Winston's stops include Saudi Arabia, the ...
Green Party Co-Leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...
At this year's State of the Planet address, Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick announced the party’s plans to deliver a Green Budget this year to offer an alternative vision to the Government’s trickle-down economics and austerity politics. ...
There may be a lot of acronyms, but caring for an electric vehicle, and getting the most out of it, can be very simple.You’ve brought home a shiny new treat. It’s got two darling little ears, four rubbery feet, multiple glowing eyes and oh! – no tail at the ...
A new report suggests a focus on export industries will provide the best opportunity for growth in an expanding Māori economy.The Māori economy is at a turning point, with rapid growth, a diversifying asset base and untapped export potential creating new opportunities. But despite nearly doubling in five years ...
“If Brooke van Velden is genuine when she calls for an evidence-based approach to this issue, then she must support a full ban on engineered stone products,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff. ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a ‘broke’ volunteer and former policy adviser explains how he gets by. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Man. Age: 31. Ethnicity: Mixed ethnicity. Role: Unemployed (ex-policy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Randall Wayth, SKA-Low Senior Commissioning Scientist and Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy, Curtin University The first image from an early working version of the SKA-Low telescope, showing around 85 galaxies.SKAO Part of the world’s biggest mega-science facility – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Galyna Piskorska, Associate Professor, Faculty of Journalism, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University (Ukraine) and Honorary Principal Fellow at the Advanced Centre for Journalism, The University of Melbourne Three years into Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, Ukrainian journalists are facing enormously difficult challenges to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeannie Marie Paterson, Professor of Law (consumer protections and credit law), The University of Melbourne Late last week, corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) issued a warning to lenders that provide high-fee small-amount loans – known as payday lenders ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marc C-Scott, Associate Professor of Screen Media | Deputy Associate Dean of Learning & Teaching, Victoria University Shutterstock This month marks a decade since Netflix – the world’s most influential and widely subscribed streaming service – launched in Australia. Since ...
Around 70% of New Zealanders find their homes too hot at least some of the time in summer. Those in townhouses are suffering much more than most, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A summer of broiling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Retail Academic Researcher, PhD Candidate & Sessional Academic, University of Sydney non c/Shutterstock New Zealand’s concentrated supermarket sector is back in the spotlight after Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was open to offering “VIP treatment” to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University Lightspring/Shutterstock Imagine a world where bacteria, typically feared for causing disease, are turned into powerful weapons against cancer. That’s exactly what some scientists are working on. And they are beginning to unravel ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary K. Waite, Professor Emeritus, Early Modern European History, University of New Brunswick In this etching from Dutch theologian Lambertus Hortensius’ 1614 book ‘Van den oproer der weder-dooperen,’ Anabaptists warn the residents of Amsterdam of the coming vengeance of Christ in 1535. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Allyn Dale, Director of the MA in Climate and Society program at the Columbia Climate School, Columbia University After the devastating 1994 genocide, Rwandans returning from the violence established homes and began farming where they could find land. Since then, ...
It started with a hug.On the steps of Hyderabad House in Delhi, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon leaned in first. Once Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced his new friend, the pair walked the flag-adorned lawn, and Luxon patted Modi on the back one, two, three, four times. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title ...
Whangārei District Council reaffirmed its defiance of the government’s fluoridation order on Monday, despite mounting costs, legal threats and a bitterly divided chamber.Whangārei District Council (WDC) spent Monday afternoon in what may be one of the most chaotic and heated council meetings in recent memory. After months of defiance ...
Media strategist, advisor and author Kevin Chesters joins Duncan Greive for a deep dive into advertising, creativity and the demise of the monoculture ahead of his appearance at AXIS Speaks in Tāmaki Makaurau. Kevin Chesters has 30 years of experience leading strategy on both agency and client sides, serving ...
Two months into US President Donald Trump’s presidency, leaders around the world are picking their battle strategies: butter him up, or speak truth to power?To date, New Zealand has largely steered clear entirely, treading a careful line. Earlier this month, Winston Peters fired Phil Goff from his position as High ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 18 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Mark Forman’s exemplary new biography, Tony Fomison: Life Of The Artist, has been published after 12 years of research and writing – and over those long years I’ve diligently answered Mark’s emails on his subject. Between 1985–1989, I was Tony Fomison’s friend/gofer/lackey/ Sancho Panza/Sundance Kid/Boswell/Baldrick.I look back on my time ...
Seven people have died on the Wellington waterfront since 2006. What should be done about it? In 2021, 30-year-old Sandy Calkin died in Wellington Harbour after a night drinking with friends in the city centre. A coroner’s report into Calkin’s death, released last week, confirmed the cause of death was ...
Professor David McGiffin knows his trade. A top Australian heart-lung researcher and a retired head of cardiothoracic and transplant surgery at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, McGiffin has seen huge advances in his field over a long and distinguished career.Listen to the podcast But one thing that remains unsolved ...
Comment: Russia’s four-yearly training exercises have become genuinely dangerous events The post Putin’s dangerous war games appeared first on Newsroom. ...
MediaRoom column: A wider play for the Herald owner is possible; Plus, machines take over the Herald site. And a new media trust survey. The post Will a white knight ride to the Herald’s rescue? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Themiya Nanayakkara, Lead Astronomer at the James Webb Australian Data Centre, Swinburne University of Technology The Big Wheel alongside some of its neighbours. Weichen Wang et al. (2025) Deep observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed an exceptionally ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has won facetime and favour with global heavyweight Narendra Modi on a frenetic full day in India, where both pledged greater military cooperation. ...
Roy Morgan puts NATs further ahead
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1110/S00311/new-zealands-national-led-govts-winning-lead-increases.htm
7% undecided in the poll. Interesting that they released that.
Roy Morgan is bouncing up and down and I still think that people will not contemplate change until closer to the elections.
The poll was taken mostly pre Rena and before Key’s lies about S&P was publicised. The next batch will be the most interesting.
Yes Mikey, keep hope alive. Its always the next batch the most interesting.
Why are you supporting a Government which is asset stripping our country for the benefit of foreign banksters and financiers?
Sorry, I thought we were talking about polls?
well done sweetd, good of you to admit that the reality of our political situation is not represented in the polls
Actually no Freedom….what I was commenting on is the reality of a weak labour party, and when all else has failed there is always hope……….hope that the polls may change……….hope that labour may be resurgent this election……….keep hope alive.
The polls are our reality, they have framed the narative are are the talking point.
why are you assuming everything deriding polling is about Labour?
This is not a Labour Party site and that is made implicity clear in the ‘about’
Yes, the people will see Phil Goff mucking in and will realise that Phil Goff is a man of the people and will flock around him and cast the National party out of office
More likely they’ll just view votes as slightly preferable to torches and pitchforks.
So, bidders for the Crafar farms, those Chinese folks, are now up for money laundering and bribery charges – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10760101
But it’s OK, no National party involvement, except squeaky clean Michael Jones, one of Keys social buddies is being dragged into the mire!
Interesting how Michael Jones name keeps popping up around dodgy business dealings. Jenny Shipley was linked with this group to from memory.
And that loyal kiwi job creator sir M Fay underbids for them and goes on the PR charm offensive that he’s got NZ’s interests at heart (again) as the offer is rejected …..tui moment.
I think you are correct Craig G .E. I’m sure Shipley went to China with the Wongs. what a greedy cunning woman ,and is she not recieving a huge amounts of taxpayers money thanks to Brownlee . the more I see of Tories and their ilk the more I wonder how they can con the public time and time again . It just beats me!.
Petain, Laval and Quisling were hanged. The likes of Shipley should remember that…
You are a nasty piece of work millsy – taking lessons from Campbell Larsen ?
I seem remember reading worse from the right.
And besides, to some poeple, patriotism means more than cheering for some rugby team.
At what point in NZ did our collective outlook on life become underpinned by sociopathy?
Why are our national tales of overcoming struggle used as clubs to beat our young into silence and submission?
When the same amount of effort goes into perpetuating problems as that which would solve them, why chose abuse as default?
At what point does a guy figure that buying a new suit, car, house, boat or swimming pool, is a better option than learning to be a happy person and better lover?
If he knows he’s unhappy, why not change, rather than abuse those around him for lack of personal responsibility?
If happiness and sadness have the same value to him, why not finally discover what human life really is, instead of engineering the next iphone app?
This is what happens when you have dried blueberries from Bolivia on your porridge. They must have been grown next to coca plants.
I’m guessing the Lange/Douglas government?
Followed up with extra helpings of Prebble, Caygill, Bradford and Richardson.
No arguements there
IMF warns against early returns to Budget Surplus (which is the Nats plan)
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/severe-risks-in-culture-of-thrift-imf-warning/story-e6frg6so-1226170147423
I wonder if Bill English has ever heard of Schelling’s book ‘Micromotives and Macrobehavior‘?
From your link, Peter:
The IMF is complicit in creating the overwhelming banking debt/interest burden faced by sovereign nations today.
Here’s a question Would it be so bad if the so called PIGS just told the IMF and World bank to go screw??? I mean Argentina did it years ago.
French and German banks are completely overleveraged due to their casino risk taking and would fall over in a heartbeat.
In essence what is happening now is that the political leaders of the PIIGS are no longer working on behalf of their people, they have been induced to work on behalf of the international banking cartel.
That’d be the best thing that they could do. Just declare all external debt null and void and drop the Euro. The “negotiations” are just attempts to save a few people from losing some money due to their own bad decisions.
When you loan out money you’re taking the risk that not going to get it back.
First they can do is net off all the liabilities, payments and interest charges between the different countries. That immediately destroys about 30% of the debt.
But if these countries just defaulted , hell what would be better if all default what happens??? NO think about it what really happens??? Nothing. The sun still rises and sets the baker still bakes Planes still fly there will be chaos as the materialistic banker type will scream and wriggle and try to regain their previous positions to hopefully no avail. And the only ones hurt are the one who caused the pain. The Bankers.
Well that fantasy land here they’ll call out the army to protect their pile.
The most critical thing governments must do in the event of a massive debt default and subsequent banking failure is to take over the utility operations of all banking transaction systems.
This will allow normal day to day economic transactions to still occur.
Wages still need to be paid into bank accounts. ATMs still need to be refilled. EFTPOS and credit card transactions still need to be processed nightly. Bill payments for power, rates and taxes made. In the modern day internet banking systems also need to be maintained.
In other words, in the short term the utility banking functions which allow the real economy to function day to day must experience continuity of operation.
This will buy time for us to distance ourselves from the globalised financial system (which simultaneously disempowers the banksters who all want centralised global control). And all the bullshit securities and (false) asset trading side of the banks are split off and quietly incinerated, and quite a few banksters put away for long prison terms.
Plus mega debt moratoria/debt jubilees…
National’s Kiwisaver “policy” is a complete joke. Here’s why:
1. It’s all predicated on returning to surplus in 2014-2015. That is almost certainly not going to happen. This is how to promise something that you know is never going to happen and take the thunder out of the oppositions PR.
2. They’re expecting to enrol 275,000 people permanently into the scheme. The current adoption rate of kiwisaver suggests that by 2014-2015, approximately that many people would have joined the scheme anyway.
3. If they’re wrong and more people stay in than expected, their economic projections are screwed.
4. Enrolling everyone, setting up wage redirection, and then having most people opt-out again is a huge bureaucracy make-work scheme.
5. If they paid the $1,000 kickstart spread over 5 years at $200 year, with the requirement that you must have made some contributions in the same year to qualify for that year’s allocation, they would both cut the total contribution required and spread it out over more years. A guy from the savings working group says that with these changes they could easily start the program this year without causing much stress on the budget.
National’s Kiwisaver announcement was the lead story in the print edition of The Press today.
Labour’s workplace policy announcements were featured in a small article in the ‘lost’ perceptual area in the top left corner on page 8.
National brought forward their 2014 Kiwisaver policy but didn’t change inplementation dates.
It also was a news item on ONE News before the Labour policy…not sure which one was reporte first on 3NEWS.
The Nats used the policy announcment to try and steal the lime light from Labours announcemnet. Finally the election proper is getting underway.
Triple downgrade just round the corner, milk prices dropping like a stone, PM blatantly lying and obvious bogus email cover-up, govt twiddled thumbs as birds are slaughtered….
Good old “independent” press, not even pretending any more. Unabashed gangster pimps and whores to their paymasters. Cucified Hels for signing a painting for charity, pack-raped Winnie for an alleged minor fib, now protecting their boy with non-stop spin, flim-flam and rah-rah.
Know the enemy and ignore it. Leaflets, tweets, the net, the street.
One of the more interesting aspects of OWS are the growing number of the 1% who are in support of change. This is either a well co-ordinated manipulation of the message or perhaps there really are some rich folk with a heart. I think most of us will agree it is the latter.
here is one example
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread765539/pg1
for those interested i have laid out a case for the lowering of the retirement age for Māori.
http://mars2earth.blogspot.com/2011/10/lower-maori-retirement-age.html
The inequalities faced by Māori are obvious when the facts are noted. Facts around income and workforce participation show Māori disadvantage and that translates into more financial difficulties after retirement. It is not just that many Māori struggle to save, there is less opportunity to save and cultural responsibilities for older Māori also have a financial cost not borne by others. Add in lower life expectancy and the unfairness of treating Māori as a sub-group of the general population is obvious.
I blame Government – todays and yesterdays, because the Treaty, specifically Article 2 and 3, have not been actualised and even today tangata whenua and their situation are not considered. The beginnings of a solution to this issue must be a reduction in the retirement age for Māori. This would alieviate the financial stressors for kaumātua and lead to a resurgence of marae activity which would be positive for the Māori Nation and the country as a whole.
You should be interested in the UnitedFuture approach which addresses this.
“60 to 70 choice on superannuation – New Zealanders should be able to take superannuation at reduced rates down to 60 or increasingly enhanced rates if they hold off until between 66 and 70”
http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz/superannuation-policy-launch-dunne-unveils/
Awesome that you agree with me pete – well done. Although I am not talking about reduced rates and whilst I have sympathy for all people nearing retirement, the inequality that Māori face is quite specific.
It would have to be at reduced rates, but that doesn’t mean reduced benefits. If someone’s life expetancy was, say, 70 then 10 years super at a reduced rate adds up to a lot more than 5 years at a higher rate.
You need to look at the total likely to be received, not the rate.
“You need to look at the total likely to be received, not the rate.”
People pay today’s power bill and grocery shop with today’s money, not the total they may have received after 10 years.
Better with a reduced rate than none.
People with diabetes have a life expectancy 10-12 years shorter than the norm. So if someone with diabetes retires at 65 they have a retirement expectancy of something like 5 years, compared to the norm of 15+ years.
Why shouldn’t they be able to chose to retire earlier at a lower rate so they get, say, 10 years retirement?
They can still choose 65 if they want to.
Why don’t we just let them retire 10 to 12 years earlier so that they can enjoy the same retirement as everyone else?
Choose your entitlement age with a friendly doctor’s certificate?
It’s far easier – and more fair – to have a universal system that provides the same choices for everyone.
Easiest option is not necessarily the best or fairest option.
For those who die years younger than others, especially.
easier? fairer? to who pete? ‘everyone’ you say but the facts don’t support that view, not even slightly. The same choices are not there or do you dispute the facts, because if you don’t then are you are implying it’s just tough and tangata whenua suffering disadvantage and facing inequality can just eat it – maybe for some that is easier, I feel sorry for those people, they lack empathy and are the cause of most of this worlds problems. Isn’t equality worth taking a solid stance for pete and if not, what is?
Those in their forties will retire after the bulge, yet will be at their
height of earning income paying for the boomer retired. They
will of course inherit a glut of care homes and other age
infrastructure. So where’s the fairness? Well there isn’t any.
We can’t manage retirement on the basis of what people pay
or paid. We need to give everyone the same basic level,
reward those who saved (for obvious reasons we need people
to save), and stop this when we set the retirement age thing.
The old will need to work longer because their decile
have most of the jobs now, most of the population, but
likewise we have to insure the stragglers get by too.
But those in their forties and younger will not need to
work longer because the population spread would have
rebalanced as the boomer are decimated by attrition.
wow Pete, So you can see into the future and tell us when someone is going to die? You really are the Messiah we have awaited all these years. The actuaries must be knocking on your door daily.
( I always thought the Messiah’s name in the second coming would be more …you know… inspiring , Brian first time round, now it’s Pete ?)
Here is a toughie for you Petey boy.
We have an ageing population and a baby boomer bulge. In 15 years time current levels of support will be unsustainable. So what do we do? Do we:
1. Increase retirement age
2. Decrease entitlements
3. Means test it
4. Put our head in the sand and not worry about it because some future government will have to deal with it.
And before you cite your policy I note it is cost neutral so will not address affordability issues.
EDIT: I see that other aspects of UF policy will actually make Superannuation MORE expensive and benefit the wealthy.
We don’t have a retirement age. We have an age that people can receive National Super from, quite different. Many people work much longer, some can’t work that long but can’t “retire” on a pension.
Before we can put up the entitlement age – which incidentally if it’s done without any other changes, as per Marsman’s point will make it even worse for those who have worked hard manually or have lower life expectancies due to ethnic or medical reasons – we need to get retirement savings working.
“Kiwisaver should be made compulsory but we cannot afford to wait until 2015 or when we get back into surplus to do it, said UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne.”
http://www.unitedfuture.org.nz/national-not-going-far-enough-on-kiwisaver/
Bzzzt Petey. You did not answer the question.
What will you do to make Superannuation affordable. And why if you want to get retirement savings working did the coiffured one vote for a budget that stuffed up the Cullen Fund and severely handicapped Kiwisaver?
Peter Dunne in a nutshell: Don’t like my principals? I have others.
You don’t understand Confidence and Supply agreements?
Same as UnitedFuture had with the Clark/Cullen government. Standard for a coalition arrangement.
Pete you are right about that as i for one do not understand Confidence and Supply agreements because in case you have not noticed we are meant to have MMP , not defacto FPP.
Over the years I have had long battles trying to get the difference into thick skulled robots like yourself and there is not enough hours left before the election to try again.
Political convention and self protection have made our MMP a twisted perversion of what it could have been.
The referendum is looming and the pressure is being put on people to throw out MMP
before we have even experienced a single MMP government.
And you Petey do not understand “answer the feckin question”.
Stop prevaricating and going off on tangents and answer the question.
We have an ageing population and a baby boomer bulge. In 15 years time current levels of support will be unsustainable. So what do we do? Do we:
1. Increase retirement age
2. Decrease entitlements
3. Means test it
4. Put our head in the sand and not worry about it because some future government will have to deal with it.
I’ve already said what I think (I agree with United Future policy on this).
And I repeat – there is no retirement age.
1. Give people a choice at what age they get entitlement from 60-70.
2. Make Kiwisaver compulsory so people have their own retirement savings.
Just increasing the entitlement age disadvantages some sectors even more than they are disadvantaged now.
Means testing isn’t fair and creates huge complications.
HI Mickey
Here are my thoughts on a possible solution to the superannuation problem. They are just thoughts…no costing or anything as i wouldnt know where to begin with that….but what do you think?
SUPERANNUATION IDEA:
To help with the cost of the climbing retirement population here are some thoughts on how we could reduce the cost to the taxpayer in the long run and also create a better savings culture among New Zealanders.
Making it compulsory for people to save for retirement (Kiwisaver?) from the moment they are 18 years old. Also, gradually phase out the current super scheme as follows:
Have a law that states that super payments are ALWAYS guaranteed to be at least 67% (or whatever it currently is) of the average wage (or whatever it is benchmarked against). But that the government only makes up the difference.
How they get this is done as follows:
When they reach retirement, their total super that they have saved via Kiwisaver (or another scheme) is divided out over how many years the average person is meant to live. I.e. if the retirement age is 65, and the life expectancy is 85 then you get 20 years. Thus, the amount they have saved is divided by 20. Then whatever the difference is between what that amount works out to be and what 67% of average wage is, the government meets to ensure they are getting the average. (for instance if they saved enough, that when divided out of 20 years equaled $200 a week, but the benchmark of 67% of average wage is $300 a week….then the government makes up the $100 difference only. If on the other hand they have saved enough, that when divided over 20 years is $350 a week, and the benchmark 67% is $300… then the government doesn’t pay anything towards superannuation)
If they live longer than the 20 years, then the government starts paying the full amount of super.
If they die before all the money is paid out that they saved, the government gives the money to the family or to the persons estate.
Also, if they choose not to retire at 65 (or whatever the retirement age is at the time) they will not stop contributing to Kiwisaver (or another scheme) until they retire and they will not get government super until they stop working.
Obviously this is aimed at starting for everyone that turns 18 from the time such a policy would come in. However that does not mean it could not be adapted using the same above mentioned principles for people who are already 18 or over and who may even be close to retirement now, if they have some form of super scheme at present.
Clearly none of this is costed and it is just my humble idea.
Can you imagine the interesting conversations the Minister of Finance will be having with Treasury officials in 50 years time trying to find a solution to the unfunded liability caused by people living too damn long. Wait for the word ‘carousel’ to be tossed in…
Petey baby
I’ve already said what I think (I agree with United Future policy on this).
And I repeat – there is no retirement age.
Pure semantics. Do you want me to say “the age at which National Superannuation payments commence” instead?
1. Give people a choice at what age they get entitlement from 60-70.
Does not address the issue. The change is cost neutral.
2. Make Kiwisaver compulsory so people have their own retirement savings.
You mean that you are going to abolish super and make savings compulsory? Good luck in selling that. But what will you do about the baby boomers who retire in the next 15 years? Or do you propose to make the cuts in the near future?
Interesting – I agree with you that changes would be over decades. But 15 years is when the crunch hits.
‘Maori’ is self defined – there is no objective test. Won’t the risk be we all define ourselves as Maori as we get close to retirement age?
not sure how you are going to unless you think life expectancy for everyone should decrease
Well as Pete pointed out there is no ‘retirement age’ – you can retire any time you want. You want super for Maori earlier than anyone else. But super is not timebound and it is not dependent on work status – you get it till you die even if you are working (with abatements or high tax isn’t it or did Winston get rid of that?). So if I declared myself Maori at 55, I could gain 10 years of extra super and might still live till 80 mumble. And I can do that unhindered because Maori is a matter of self definition. I’s is what I says I’s is. Nice scam you are enabling.
That’s why it needs to be a universal choice – anyone can choose to start getting super sooner or later depending on their circumstances and preferences.
It wouldn’t work if you start trying to select some groups for preferential treatment, too complex and too open to manipulation. And it discriminates – if you choose Maori do you also choose PI? What qualifies as PI – Taiwanee? Japanese? And that’s not fair on non-Maori who have worked physically har all their lives and their bodies won’t last until 65 – or 67, or 70. And it’s not fair on those with expectancy shortening medical conditions like diabetes.
damn you were doing so well pete and then you go and drop the ball. Why are you dillydallying now – the whole point of the original comment was about the inequality for tangata whenua and a small, almost token way, that could be remedied for older Māori nearing retirement. Your plaintive, “it’s not fair… it discriminates” frankly sickens me.
yes there may be scum who would do that – so what? Do you think they wouldn’t get caught out and put on the news?
The point is they can’t be caught out, because there is nothing wrong being done – I mean if Christian Cullen and Tony Brown can be Maori All Blacks then why can’t I retire early? I must be as Maori as they are. The ones who probably won’t do it will be the racists who want nothing to do with Maoris on principle (which ironically means they won’t be scum…).
The only way you can avoid it happening is by defining who a ‘real Maori’ is. Good luck with that one.
you seem to be arguing… nothing. As you said ‘nothing wrong being done’ but I think you get to your main point a bit later, don’t you.
If you are Māori and could be in the Māori All Blacks then good oh. If not, so what?
the ones who on principle want nothing to do with Māori are scum – they are delusional and pathetic but I suppose one could quibble about the definition of scum – which dictionary? which authority? hmmm such a tough decision.
Marty
If you can’t see that the fundamental flaw in your proposal is that it is just free money for anyone who asks, no qualifications needed, then you need to go and think a bit harder
insider, your fundamental flaw isn’t my fundamental flaw – but it’s fun to practice against 101 derailing, so thanks for that.
Another angle of OWS you may not have caught up with
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049976/Banks-country-refuse-let-customers-close-accounts-protest.html
arrested for trying to close a bank account, any of the RW cheerleaders care to defend that action
Mary poppins – that is a classic scene in that movie!
another drongo day athe dompost. front page has a hybrid bike thing with no exhaust and the reporter having orgasms at this thing designed to break the law. What is this fascination with noise?
Everywhere you go there is some drongo making a noise. I gues they just compenating for havinga small penis. National said they would get rid of noise and drngos on the roads but hey are creeping back again.
randal.
Nicely said but the corporate press has an important role to play in keeping the masses distracted and entertained, and supporting dysfuntion.
To expect anything different from a corporate shill is to be deluded.
Can you spot the difference – (clue – in one one of the he really minces his words)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=flizcv-NcOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKtmlN7ILsY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLGnE7Ga7z8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHJb1DB42rg&feature=player_embedded
Is Quade Cooper a victim of racism?
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-they-hate-quade.html
Maybe hes just a git?
Yeah pretty much he’s just a dick, plus no matter what he says you can tell it gets to him and makes him play worse. So of course the crowd will keep doing it.
complete and utter drivel, why waste your time and ours posting such crap
In his entire career i have heard many people mention many things about ‘that man’, mostly unprintable.
the only people i have ever heard mention his race as a contributing factor in the derision he attracts are people in the media,
Here’s another shining example of PM John Key’s benevolence:
Dying man turned away at Parliament
Again every poll has shown that National can either govern alone or with one coilation partner. the election is as good as over.
Hey mate in that case why don’t you do us all a favour and stay home on Nov 26?
Cool I might.
Yo Lynn,
Ever since iOS 5 update, the standard comes up “blurry” more times than not in safari for iPad.
Just letting you know…
TB
on a related tech subject…
(have tried to send this to email a few times but never get an answer)
I still cannot post from android ,
‘enter name’ ok, press next
‘enter email address’ ok, press next
goes to ‘enter site info’ and that is as far as it goes,
i do not have a site to enter. Is there any way to bypass this step?
anyone have a suggestion?
… are you trying from the “contact us” screen? If your browser is not supported the screen may be prefaced by a note advising you to send via the .com address supplied
Wow that is odd. I presume that it is asking the questions.
I don’t have an android so I can’t even check what the mobile version does. It is running completely on the WPTouch plugin
Best work around I can think of is to login – then at least those questions won’t get asked for comments.
I have had the same problem Baron. I usually quit Safari completely and relaunch and it works again.
Safari is a dog – nothing but trouble with it of late
the standard comes up “blurry” more times than not in safari for iPad
In the mobile version or standard version on the mobile? (Switch is at the bottom of the page). In haven’t booted up a windoze box to run iTunes to do the upgrade myself yet.
National’s Election Hoarding’s 6
National promised to create 170,000 jobs in the 2010 budget and failed to deliver. In fact unemployment has increased by around 57,000 since National took over. They then made the same promise to create 170,000 jobs in the 2011 budget…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/5810565/Police-mull-charging-for-big-events
as it is a requirement for all public protest actions, including marches, to co-ordinate with the Police for issues of public safety, will exercising your rights to free speech also warrant a fee?
We are a nation of law? No!
A drug addict kicks their habit, taken up to stay awake on onerous
long trunking jobs, and their pusher drops their bong into the truck
and tips off a ex-police officer.
A management who doesn’t random test for, or offer drug testing
so saving the company money rehiring, or testing cabs routinely
for burn marks etc.
Creates an injustice. Where the lawful truthful actions of an
employee inevitable loose them their jobs. Had they lawyered
up, had a lawyer mate or family member, like so many
middle class pakeha families, he;d still have his job.
Welcome to the rule of law. Not.
But worse. Many French and America soldiers died from
a truck bomber in Lebanon, a bomber flawed but likely an
honest man frustrated living in an emerging nation of law????
When honest men lose we are all less safe.
Managers have a duty to their investors and that means
retaining, with routine drug testing, their workers. This
did not happen.
Maybe a link to an article would help make your point?
Because at the moment all I’m getting from your comment is some sort of incoherent arguement for routine drug testing, which I will file along with your enthusiasm for implementing Team America World Police and giving all the cops guns to usher in a new era of peace.
And why is it that you can construct sentences when asking a tech question but default to babble when you are commenting politically?
Sorry the tech question was someone elses, your babble is it seems a consistent feature.
Aerobubble I would really like to understand you so please hook me up with some links to the events that you are commenting on so I can decipher the point you are trying to make.
rnz pod cast on law about case where a trunk driver was sacked when they told the truth
at the outset and at the time had done nothing wrong. the glee of the law expert at
this case which does a disservice to a civil society given the truck driver do drugs to
stay awake, and are also unlikely to dob their dealer in.
Whenever National and Act attack Labour you know Labour is doing something that workers will like and employers/owners/shareholders will hate because it loses them profit. There is such a thing as egalitarian behaviour which gives a fair profit and a fair wage and a fair lifestyle for all New Zealanders. That is not what NACT want. They want the power, the money, the resources and the control over the other 90% of New Zealanders.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1110/S00316/labour-launches-attack-on-small-businesses-act.htm
There is nothing remotely Kiwi’ish about that thinking. That’s just greed imported from places like America.
My problem with the National party is they reward bad management practice,
the best economy is the widest and broadest economy, yet National target
only the few to be winners and everyone else is poor from it. But worse,
now even the winners that National are targetting with their legislative
largesse are suffering from National incompetence. How exactly does a
business owner make profits when their customers have little discretional
spending? And I’m not just talking in S.Auckland, I’m talking on the
streets of London and NY. National are completely out of touch not only
with the global economy, but with Epsom voters who loaded up on debt
to get into Grammar zone.
Big bang shoved a whole lot of energy into energy states, seems it even powered
up angular momentum so the universe is lefty.
Given faster than light particles are now possible, yeah right, don’t physicists
know distance is a classical concept.
So that makes faster than light lefty particles???
The universe is lefty? Isn’t it all relative?
Rugby world cup a disaster for tax payers and rate payers
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/local-government/news/article.cfm?c_id=250&objectid=10760088
Screw that social housing and services for those in hardship, none of that stuff is as important as circus games.
???
But we’re saved…
Yep, we’re going to get almost $5m in extra tourist spending for our almost $800m in spending…
/wanders off to be physically sick at the thought of this rort we had forced upon us for the amusement of a minority of us.
No wonder we’re being encouraged now to go for the Olympics – they’ve realised that we love giving money to foreigners – in imports, in investment returns, in sending our best and brightest to Australia…
A small loss with the RWC, a much bigger loss with the Olympics – yay say the circling scavengers. – come and get it says John Key. You don’t want the energy companies? Then take the Ports of Auckland and the airport and our water infrastructure – I’m not staying either, says Key. I just came to pack up the assets and send em back to my place.
Manawatu gorge road closed yet again until Christmas.
Surely this road was of greater “National Significance” than a holiday highway to Wellsford?
The Energy Trap
Long but well worth the read.
Peak Oil
Oops.
Outfits like the IEA are counting on a massive ramp up of unconventional oil sources and new fields to make up for that shortfall.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D9-JNTtRKgs/TNqSZgT_-EI/AAAAAAAABag/3M5sNJlG61Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-11-10+at+7.36.37+AM.png
No, I know, its never going to happen.
To be fair CV it might happen, but we will need to prepare to accept that more and more of the world’s coastline is going to be destroyed by oil.
Tauranga will be a walk in the park …
Between now and 2020. I think that there is a roughly 10% chance that net available oil exports* will manage to supply enough cheap oil to OECD countries to sustain net economic growth per capita over the next ten years.
And I think that there is a 90% chance that it will not.
*This seems like an awkward contrived measure, but it takes into account the fact that many major oil producers, even growing ones, are keeping more and more of their yearly production to satisfy internal use, which means it is not available for trade on the world market.
Remember remember, the fifth of November
Activist bank depositors and “Bank Transfer Day”.
http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-10-18/why-i%E2%80%99m-sad-about-leaving-bank-america
I hope that works. People will get a real live example of how corrupt the financial system is.
Enjoyed this Bill Maher interview on OWS vs teabaggers and religion – really liked that he realised his wealth was mere fluke instead of the tired I worked my arse off to get where I am:
Felix – why for gods sake did you encourage Pete G?
Stirring is for a non – bond martini.
Surely The Standard has enough comments without Petes special blend of 2 parts sanctimonious & holier- than -thou, 3 parts drivel, and 5 parts of nothing at all?
The Greek people will not accept their sovereignty being stolen by the International Bankster Occupiers
Biggest national strikes ever.
http://rt.com/news/greeks-strike-protest-biggest-163/