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Greek PM calls new election

Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, August 21st, 2015 - 51 comments

A bold move by an administration in an impossible position.

Dead Hands

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, August 20th, 2015 - 11 comments

Time worn patterns and predictable decisions.

Dom Post on TPP arrogance

Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, August 20th, 2015 - 32 comments

An unusually forthright anonymous editorial in the Dom Post yesterday – not comfortable reading for the Nats on the TPP.

Earth overshoot day

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, August 17th, 2015 - 22 comments

August 13th was Earth Overshoot Day. We have already consumed what the Earth can sustainably produce in a year, for the rest of this year we are consuming “ecological capital”. This can’t go on. But it is a problem that our current political and economic systems cannot solve.

Zero by 50

Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, August 9th, 2015 - 139 comments

In Copenhagen, our government committed itself, and by extension, us “To hold the increase in global temperature below two degrees Celsius and to take actions to meet this objective, consistent with the science and on the basis of equity”

And yet…

250 to 300 Job Losses at Unitec in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, August 8th, 2015 - 84 comments

Under Unitec’s new vision students will be known as Customers. Student services will be outsourced (overseas)

Aspiration statement
To be a world leader in contemporary applied learning and an agent of positive economic and social change
.

# Talleyban

Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, August 4th, 2015 - 47 comments

Talleys have fired the first shots in National’s new class war. You can stand with the AFFCO workers and reject the Tories new anti-union law. Boycott Talleys. Make a stand for your fellow Kiwis.

The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income

Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, August 2nd, 2015 - 127 comments

A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.

A thinking opposition

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, August 1st, 2015 - 56 comments

So the news on Labour’s first paper from its “Future of Work” Commission revolves around “ex-Labour member” Phil Quin noticing some missing quote marks and National making gleeful diversions from it. But of course what is actually important is the content.

The Future of…Jobs?

Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, August 1st, 2015 - 78 comments

A relevant and real “Future of Work Commission” needs to be centred on building creativity, increasing collectivity, dealing with climate change and achieving fossil fuel transition.

Shut up and take your medicine

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 31st, 2015 - 26 comments

As commentators and dairy industry insiders warn of TPP disaster, the Nats’ message to we the people is shut up and take our medicine – oh and by the way the price just went up.

John Key – Snake Oil Salesman

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, July 30th, 2015 - 42 comments

John Key has tried to suggest that we have nothing to worry about planned changes to Pharmac caused by TPP.  But a recent further release by Wikileaks on the effects of the Trans Pacific Partnership on State Owned Enterprises makes you wonder if the implications of TPP on Pharmac are as limited as he says.

We’re going to sign a rubbish deal

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, July 30th, 2015 - 106 comments

We’re not making progress on dairy in the TPP negotiations, but the smart money reckons we’re going to sign anyway.

Update: Read what a real journalist has to say on the current state of negotiations.

Giving away the shop for nothing

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, July 29th, 2015 - 144 comments

We are giving away the shop and we don’t know what if anything we will get in terms of dairy access yet. Our negotiators have signaled that they are weak. And even if we get what we want it is probably worth bugger all anyway.

The great Chinese sharemarket selldown

Written By: - Date published: 11:48 am, July 28th, 2015 - 70 comments

The Chinese Stock market sell off has started again a couple of weeks after rather desperate measure were put in place.  The question has to be what will the Government do now?

National’s week from hell

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, July 26th, 2015 - 43 comments

This was the week from hell for National when they experienced the Serco fiasco, news that they responded to a suggestion they close a failing Charter School by giving it more money, the Judicial spanking of their undermining of the Problem Gambling Foundation and the ruling that their legislation removing the rights of some prisoners to vote was a breach of the country’s human rights.

Andrew Little: TPPA no way …

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, July 24th, 2015 - 180 comments

Andrew Little has outlined five bottom lines that have to be met before Labour will support the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.  These include protecting Pharmac, no investor state dispute resolution procedure, New Zealand retains the right to restrict land sales to overseas entities, the Treaty of Waitangi is upheld and there are meaningful gains for farmers in tariff reductions and market access.

Auckland house prices – the good ol’ days ’05

Written By: - Date published: 7:14 am, July 17th, 2015 - 58 comments

Home ownership rates have been crashing since the 1990’s. Auckland house prices have been classed as “seriously unaffordable” since 2006 or earlier. The answer is to make sure that houses are no longer considered a financial asset for capital gains.

GFC 2 in the oven: trillion dollar bailouts

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, July 10th, 2015 - 26 comments

Trillion dollar bank bail outs, interest rate apartheid and GREXIT. The ingredients for GFC 2 and another round of shock capitalism are quietly simmering. Graphic is of what US$1B looks like in printed notes.

Slash Greek debt now!

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 8th, 2015 - 222 comments

Europe must agree to slashing Greece’s debt so that economic growth can begin again. Germany should understand this better than most.

Common People; Yanis Varoufakis is all Class.

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, July 7th, 2015 - 81 comments

The Greek Finance minister has unexpectedly quit. He had already said he would resign if the referendum was lost; nobody expected that he would go after such a stunning win. But it was the strategically correct thing to do. Why can’t some of the veterans in the NZ Labour Party take the hint?

An idea that could catch on

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, July 6th, 2015 - 51 comments

banks-rubbish

The Greek referendum

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 am, July 6th, 2015 - 302 comments

Update: the No vote is predicted to win a resounding victory with 61% support of the total valid vote.

Toil and Trouble.

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, July 5th, 2015 - 46 comments

In the hope of some informed comment…

Greece – damned if they do

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 124 comments

Secret documents seen by The Guardian describe just how bad things will be for Greece if they accept the demands of the IMF / “troika”.

New Powers to Ministers to screw Iwi

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, July 2nd, 2015 - 25 comments

The Social Housing Reform (Transaction Mandate) Bill allows designated Ministers to sell off state houses. Currently Housing New Zealand has no such power. Interestingly however this Government could introduce a Bill with criteria to enable sales to be signed off by the CE of Housing New Zealand but instead they are seeking that power for themselves. But within it there is a fishhook for iwi. UPDATE: comment from Turei and response from Bennett

Greece defaults

Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, July 1st, 2015 - 179 comments

As the last Global Financial Crisis taught us, we’re in for another round of protecting the banks and letting the people suffer.

Greece and the Euro crisis

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, June 30th, 2015 - 162 comments

The invisible hand of the market is busy punching itself in the face today. Some observations on Greece and the Euro crisis, from the factual to the fun, courtesy of Twitter this morning.

Youth rates and youth employment

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, June 29th, 2015 - 43 comments

Remember how National’s youth rates were going to raise levels of youth employment? Turns out not so much.

Inequality – Treasury report

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, June 29th, 2015 - 22 comments

Last week Treasury came out with a detailed and interesting report, Inequality in New Zealand 1983/84 to 2013/14. It is no surprise to find that the last Labour government acted to reduce inequality, the current National government has acted to increase it.

Older white men paid double young ethnic women

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, June 28th, 2015 - 166 comments

That’s not my headline. That’s Stuff’s business section’s headline.