Posts Tagged ‘privatisation’

Local Government: crucial and undervalued

Written By: - Date published: 12:27 am, July 11th, 2020 - 4 comments

On the day of the council vote, we organised for the effected Citi-Ops workers to sit in the public gallery in the Council rooms wearing their High Viz’s and work gear. I was one of three speakers for the union, expressing opposition to axing these jobs. The Council debated the issue for about 30 minutes. Those councillors in favour of making the workers redundant argued that they should not interfere with management decisions. Those against the decision felt that management did not have the mandate to make this decision. The vote ended up being 7-7, so Green Party Mayor Celia Wade-Brown used her casting vote to uphold management’s decision to outsource these workers jobs. The Citi Operations staff were sitting in the room, so Celia and the councillors were looking at these workers as they made them redundant.

They got bailed out and we got sold out

Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, September 15th, 2018 - 56 comments

Ros Wynne Jones in the Daily Mirror excoriates the excesses of the Banking system and wonders why the rest of us tolerate bankers’ behaviour.

Liberalism Uber Alles

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, June 13th, 2018 - 32 comments

If the political class think liberalism has failed, then why is it that the process of killing off NZ Post is approaching completion?

Sale of Key’s old house a powerful symbol

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, November 25th, 2016 - 11 comments

English admits that the government has done a poor job of maintaining state houses, and uses it as an excuse for privatisation – its by design. The attempted sale in Christchurch, incuding Key’s childhood home, is a powerful symbol of the way this government likes pulling up the ladder that they used behind them.

Nat state house selloff in tatters

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, November 23rd, 2016 - 24 comments

Another fail in National’s plan to sell off state houses is good news for those of us who believe that it is the government’s responsibility to take care of society’s most vulnerable.

Nats push stupidest education plan ever

Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, August 23rd, 2016 - 218 comments

It’s not April 1st, so I’m forced to conclude that this is a genuine announcement: Students to learn online from home instead of at school under major education reform.

Flogging off Kiwibank

Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, March 31st, 2016 - 67 comments

Flogging off Kiwibank is not an option.

Selling state houses to Australia

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, June 28th, 2015 - 20 comments

English needs to explain why the government can’t find NZ buyers for their “social housing” plans. The Nats to explain how selling state houses helps a single family in need.

De Boni on privatising mental health

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, June 5th, 2015 - 26 comments

A superb piece by Dita De Boni on the Nats’ plans to privatise mental health. See also (and sign!) Labour’s open letter opposing the “social bonds” scheme.

National’s social housing policy in action

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, April 9th, 2015 - 14 comments

For those who are wondering how National’s “social housing” policy is going to work in practice, The Herald today has a piece that gives a pretty fair idea.

Questions on Key’s housing sell-off

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, January 30th, 2015 - 71 comments

Key’s state house asset sale policy doesn’t make sense at any level, and the questions are piling up…

Oppose the housing sell off!

Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 4 comments

A last-minute, urgent appeal from Phil Twyford – oppose the sell off of state houses – today!

Social housing providers

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, November 12th, 2014 - 46 comments

Is Key planning to flog off state houses at half price to a liquor company?

Effects of privatised power

Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, November 11th, 2014 - 120 comments

The entirely predictable effects of privatising much of our electricity generation capacity are arriving thick and fast.

Tell the police, New Zealand has been robbed …

Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, April 17th, 2014 - 72 comments

Genesis Energy’s shares have been sold at a price well below their value.  And despite considerable demand from local mum and dad investors one in four of the shares has been sold to overseas institutions.

Mighty Big Gamble on Mighty Big Gift

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 19 comments

Hey John, how much public money are you going to pay the wealthy to “buy” our assets? (And how just desperate are you…?)

Market not impressed with $30 Million payout

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, August 9th, 2013 - 89 comments

Yesterday John Key gave $30 Million of tax payer’s money to Rio Tinto in order to prop up its electricity deal with Meridian – and thus to prop up his privatisation ideology. Mighty River Power shares took a hit. Smart investors getting out?

Another $30 Million to prop up Meridian sale

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, August 8th, 2013 - 55 comments

John Key just spent another $30 Million of tax payer’s money to prop up his privatisation ideology.

Meridian sale panic

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, July 5th, 2013 - 46 comments

The Nats must be panicking about the prospects for the sale of Meridian – because they’re resorting to extraordinary tactics.

Christchurch schools for sale

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, June 4th, 2013 - 17 comments

Recently closed Christchurch schools, which according to the Nats don’t have the student base and/or are too quake damaged to keep running, are going to be sold off for purposes including – charter schools.

The wheels are falling off

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 28th, 2013 - 60 comments

The Nats have tried to do too much too soon, and now the wheels are obviously falling off their sad “flagship” privatisation programme.

MRP sale fail numbers

Written By: - Date published: 6:03 am, May 9th, 2013 - 194 comments

Here are the numbers that sum up the MRP sale fail – foremost among them the $1,000 that the government has spent per Kiwi investor attracted.

Asset sales petition has more work to do

Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, May 7th, 2013 - 143 comments

Breaking – The asset sales referendum petition has collected 292,000 valid signatures. It needs 16,500 more (about another 5%) to reach the threshold. The Keep Our Assets Coalition has 2 months to get the remainder – and says it will get them…

Rio Tinto ups the ante

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, April 2nd, 2013 - 166 comments

Our “let’s make a deal” PM is outclassed on this one. I actually have some sympathy this time, the government is between a rock and a hard place. But while most of us worry about Southland, I suspect the Nats’ concerns will be a little closer to home…

Body on Mighty River

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, February 22nd, 2013 - 14 comments

body-on-mighty-river300

Judicial review of water ownership rejected

Written By: - Date published: 9:53 pm, December 11th, 2012 - 17 comments

A win for the Nats, a loss for the country. The Maori Council’s request for a judicial review of water rights has been rejected.

Mighty River sale on hold

Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, October 23rd, 2012 - 28 comments

As expected, the High Court advised today that the government should hold off sale of Mighty River Power. The government is complying.

Asset sales grind on

Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, October 15th, 2012 - 37 comments

Amidst all the current scandal and chaos, the Nats’ privatisation agenda grinds on.

Harawira’s arrest

Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, October 12th, 2012 - 70 comments

On any other morning Hone Harawira’s arrest would be the big political news story of the day.

Maori unity and aspirations

Written By: - Date published: 7:24 am, September 14th, 2012 - 126 comments

Yesterday’s national hui on water rights has resulted in the best possible outcome for Maori, a decision to present a unified front in the face of National’s divide and rule tactics.

Water rights hui

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, September 6th, 2012 - 115 comments

It’s easy to see why Key has forbidden National MPs from attending the national water rights hui – he’s playing divide and rule with Maori. More difficult to understand is the Maori Party’s craven decision to stay away. Hone Harawira condemns them in the strongest possible language.

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