Search Results

  1. Good poll for Shearer

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 6:28 am, March 22nd, 2013 -  36 comments
    Categories: david shearer, labour, polls
    Tags:

    The latest Herald Digipoll is mixed news for the left, but good news personally for David Shearer. Even John Armstrong is cautiously impressed…

  2. Mondayising win!

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 12:04 pm, March 12th, 2013 -  40 comments
    Categories: economy, employment, labour
    Tags: , , , ,

    The Bill to Mondayise holidays seems certain to progress. A nice win for David Clark and for Labour, and an all too rare example of MMP working as it should.

  3. Poverty Watch 22

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:25 am, March 9th, 2013 -  3 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, our final look at the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and I’ll suggest some conclusions that can be drawn.

  4. Strategic blunder

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:20 am, March 6th, 2013 -  40 comments
    Categories: energy, national, Privatisation, sustainability
    Tags: , , ,

    Amidst the froth of predatory “excitement” about the sale of our power generation assets, it was refreshing to read in The Herald yesterday a single lone voice who was thinking long term.

  5. Poverty Watch 21

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 11:18 am, March 2nd, 2013 -  13 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, more from the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and the British government’s maneuverings on the definition of poverty…

  6. Derisory minimum wage

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 10:42 am, February 27th, 2013 -  90 comments
    Categories: class war, national, poverty, wages
    Tags:

    The minimum wage should be at least $15 per hour. A living wage is estimated at $18.40 per hour. So what have the Nats done? Raised the minimum wage by $0.25 per hour to $13.75. It’s a derisory increase. Even their own supporters think so.

  7. Room left for Greens in Labour reshuffle

    Written By:  James Henderson -  Date published: 8:35 am, February 26th, 2013 -  49 comments
    Categories: election 2014, greens, labour
    Tags:

    I think the Labour reshuffle is quite clever in how it signals the portfolios that its willing to give to the Greens and encourages them to set about being lead opposition spokespeople on those topics. Sure, the reshuffle has some weird stuff in it – ChCh Earthquake spokesperson a backbencher!, 6 ex-staffers in the top 10, Mallard’s ‘demotion’ that isn’t. But there’s some smarts there too.

  8. Labour Reshuffle

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 1:49 pm, February 25th, 2013 -  211 comments
    Categories: labour
    Tags:

    Shearer announced his reshuffle at 1pm today

  9. Back to basics

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 12:24 pm, February 24th, 2013 -  15 comments
    Categories: education, national, schools
    Tags: , , ,

    Looks like we’re in for another round of nonsense in mathematics education from a bunch of politicians who know more about their own prejudices than they do about teaching and learning.

  10. ACT speaks its branes

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:01 pm, February 23rd, 2013 -  71 comments
    Categories: act
    Tags: , ,

    According to ex-leader Rodney Hyde’s address to the ACT conference ACT hates the poor, hates Maori, and hates the unions. As far as I can tell this is not a joke. But clearly ACT is.

  11. Poverty Watch 20

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:17 am, February 23rd, 2013 -  11 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, more from the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and poverty in Christchurch…

  12. Forgotten Christchurch

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:00 am, February 22nd, 2013 -  22 comments
    Categories: disaster, john key, national
    Tags: ,

    Today is the second anniversary of the most destructive of the Christchurch earthquakes. Condolences to the friends and families of the dead. Greetings to all who lived through it and remember. Commiserations to those who have been forgotten by this government…

  13. Bully Camps not the “Answer” for youth

    Written By:  Helen Kelly -  Date published: 6:34 pm, February 21st, 2013 -  61 comments
    Categories: paula bennett
    Tags: , ,

    Boot camps by their nature are bully camps.  I know some young people enjoy the test of their physical skills but for those that don’t, they work by psychological pressure.  I haven’t read the text book that says kids thrive being shouted at, marched about the place and having their heads shaved, and what are we teaching them about the State?  That we accept bullying?  That the Government reserve the right to humiliate you?

  14. Species of Kiwi

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 7:24 pm, February 16th, 2013 -  67 comments
    Categories: class, Deep stuff
    Tags: , ,

    There have been various Kiwi taxonomies – attempts to label and describe social types in NZ. In comments Ad proposed this interesting one, highlighting the tensions created by inequality. Thanks for permission to post it…

  15. Poverty Watch 17

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:08 am, February 2nd, 2013 -  7 comments
    Categories: national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, the Children’s Social Health Monitor 2012 Update Report, and will the Maori Party act on their words?

  16. Opposition speeches & ‘Roads of Madness’

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 12:05 pm, January 30th, 2013 -  54 comments
    Categories: assets, class war, Environment, greens, hone harawira, housing, mana, Maori Issues, Metiria Turei, nz first, poverty, public transport, same old national, winston peters
    Tags:

    Debates on the PM’s statement to the House show that this do-nothing government needs to go.  Plenty of good ideas from opposition MPs. An excellent speech by Genter against Joyce’s ‘Roads of Madness’ & for public transport.

  17. The Feral Rich Are Destroying Our Civilised Society

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 3:27 pm, January 29th, 2013 -  87 comments
    Categories: capitalism, class war
    Tags: , ,

    Reprinted with permission, from Dave Kennedy (bsprout) at Local Bodies.

  18. States of it – Turei and Shearer

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 2:35 pm, January 27th, 2013 -  93 comments
    Categories: david shearer, greens, labour, Metiria Turei
    Tags:

    Metiria Turei and David Shearer have today given their State of the Planet and State of the Nation speeches respectively. There’s a lot of commonality, which is good. A critique of the government is solidifying and it’s centred on jobs, housing, and the environment. The Greens’ policy agenda looks heftier than Labour’s but both are heading the right way.

  19. And now from the real Labour Party…

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 9:54 pm, January 26th, 2013 -  143 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags:

    It’s been a good few days. Ratana on Thursday and Friday, and Young Labour Summer School today and tomorrow. And then there is David Shearer’s speech to come on Sunday, at the end of the Summer School.

  20. Annette Sykes: a future MP?

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 8:30 am, January 25th, 2013 -  23 comments
    Categories: assets, class war, disaster, Environment, mana, Maori Issues, Maori seats, national/act government, treaty settlements, unemployment
    Tags: ,

    Mana Party president, Annette Sykes could become an MP in the next election.  The future of the Maori Party is in doubt.  Hone Harawira is considering a Mana-Maori Party merger.  Sykes is committed to left wing values, social justice, Maori land & water rights, and social & economic justice for Maori.

  21. Ear treatment cuts another attack on the poor

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 3:58 pm, January 15th, 2013 -  27 comments
    Categories: child welfare, class war, health, national
    Tags: , , ,

    The Nats want to cut the budget for surgery to install grommets, a technique for treating persistent ear infection (especially in children). Naturally those most effected by this ill-considered move will be children from poor families.

  22. Upcoming talk on Canadian student uprising

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 3:44 pm, January 11th, 2013 -  6 comments
    Categories: activism, campaigning, capitalism, class war, colonialism, community democracy, Conservation, energy, Environment, jobs, Left, Mining, music, notices
    Tags: ,

    This Sunday hip hop artist and political activist Darius Mirshahi will be speaking in Auckland about the political situation in Canada and how the left are organising to resist Neo-Liberalism. Later he will be performing material which has lead to attention from Glen Beck and the Canadian police.

  23. The year in review

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 4:58 pm, December 31st, 2012 -  68 comments
    Categories: national/act government, political parties
    Tags:

    Most of the years in review I’ve seen in the couple of weeks have concentrated on gossip and rating individual MPs. Most of what matters not a jot outside the beltway. What matters is how the parties are doing in terms of progressing or thwarting the government’s policy agenda – how’s the government doing at governing? – and how polling is shaping up for 2014.

  24. John Key’s Summer

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 8:53 am, December 22nd, 2012 -  131 comments
    Categories: education, Judith Collins, Minister for Overseas Holidays, national, trade
    Tags: ,

    While John Key spends the summer in Hawaii, he will need to make some decisions about the future of his cabinet.  Parata’s future is poised in the balance, and he is looking to move Tim Groser on later next year.

  25. Hone in the House

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 7:30 am, December 15th, 2012 -  75 comments
    Categories: class war, hone harawira, mana-party, Maori Issues, maori party, pasifika, poverty, workers' rights
    Tags:

    Mana has established a clear identity, as shown in Hone’s adjournment speech.  Based in practice and activism. For all people, especially those on low incomes.  A voice for Maori, Pasifika people and children. The Maori Party’s future is in question. What’s the future for Mana and Hone?

  26. A country to love: a country to fight for

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:07 am, December 13th, 2012 -  59 comments
    Categories: child welfare, class war, Economy, greens, labour, mana, Metiria Turei, news, poverty, quality of life
    Tags:

    Key’s government and his MSM cheerleaders, lead the country backwards to increasing inequalities. It’s been a year of the battle of the men.  Yesterday, Metiria spoke of an inclusive country to collaboratively fight for, and Jacinda Ardern spoke passionately for children in poverty.

  27. Advocacy activism in precarious times

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 5:31 pm, December 11th, 2012 -  25 comments
    Categories: activism, benefits, child welfare, greens, labour, mana, Maori Issues, pasifika, unemployment, wages, welfare
    Tags: , , , ,

    In these troubling times, it was uplifting to see the flax-roots, practical and collaborative action at the Onehunga Recession Busting rally for beneficiaries today.  Volunteers in front of the WINZ office in Onehunga Mall, are giving support and assistance to those most in need.

  28. Ministers in a Lab/Green govt

    Written By:  James Henderson -  Date published: 7:32 am, December 4th, 2012 -  143 comments
    Categories: election 2014, greens, labour
    Tags:

    Paddy Gower looked fit to burst with excitement over ‘Greens and Labour fighting over Finance portfolio‘ last night. Of course, the actual quote not so exciting – just Russel Norman saying it was one portfolio that would be the subject of negotiations in the formation of a Lab/Green govt. But it does raise a valid question – who would be ministers in a Lab/Green govt?

  29. My Dad the bowler

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 10:46 am, November 26th, 2012 -  21 comments
    Categories: democratic participation, families
    Tags:

    My father remembers Labour Party meetings in our local town hall through the 70’s and 80’s. Staunchly Labour, Dad had many rousing discussions at the local pub with men of varied political persuasions – most of whom were his good friends. A heated debate on a Thursday night would often melt nicely into a friendly roll up at bowls on a Saturday.

  30. Public service broadcasting and politics

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:15 am, November 25th, 2012 -  24 comments
    Categories: broadcasting, democratic participation, Maori Issues, Politics, tv
    Tags: , , , , , ,

    Public service broadcasting and commercial TV cover politics in different ways.  Will Sky TV’s new public service channel, Face, (incorporating some ex-Stratos/Triangle shows), do it the commercial or PSB way? What will be the impact on NZ’s political journalism?

  31. Poverty Watch 13

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:28 am, November 24th, 2012 -  24 comments
    Categories: labour, national, poverty
    Tags:

    Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, while National sits on its hands, Labour set out a policy that addresses poverty, housing and health…

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