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The stupidest idea this Government has had yet

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:15 am, June 1st, 2015 - 92 comments

One News has reported that the Government is on the verge of introducing Social Bonds whereby investors in social services will be rewarded if targets are met.

Budget gives with one hand and takes with the other

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:49 am, May 22nd, 2015 - 188 comments

An increase to the base rate of benefits is welcome, but it comes with nasty fishhooks. As the Nats are forced to address leftie / progressive issues – a capital gains tax, Auckland housing, poverty – we the people need to keep the pressure on.

Budget 2015 – A reactive budget

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 6:30 am, May 21st, 2015 - 161 comments

A panicked response to the Auckland property crisis. A welcome (albeit inadequate) adjustment to benefit rates. Public pressure is forcing action on the Left’s political agenda. Still no surplus, and no one believes the projected one next year. A reactive budget – there is no vision.

Poverty and the budget

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:37 am, May 18th, 2015 - 13 comments

The levels of poverty and inequality in NZ are a disgrace. Apparently the budget is to “arrest the decline”, but we have heard such promises again and again from Key.

Jon Stewart on Fox News on the poor

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:06 am, May 16th, 2015 - 18 comments

Unbelievable.

Dear NZ Labour. Listen up.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 12th, 2015 - 48 comments

For the sake of reference – Nye Bevan was a Labour mp and the architect of the British NHS. Michael Sheen’s speech was a defense of that institution, but the underpinning message is, well…

The state housing sell-off

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, May 8th, 2015 - 7 comments

If National were serious about their “social housing” spin they would place restrictions on the use and resale of these houses. Without such protections its just another privatisation of public assets.

Government cuts emergency dental loans for beneficiaries

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:00 am, May 5th, 2015 - 38 comments

Over the past few years the amount WINZ has lent to beneficiaries for emergency dental work has been slashed. Update: Seems to have been an error- OIA chaos in the Ministry of Social Development

A Friend first, and a Boss second, probably an Entertainer third.

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 1:56 pm, April 26th, 2015 - 44 comments

“I’m a friendly guy that likes to interact with the public. I do like to have a bit of a laugh and I’m probably the most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had.”

John Key’s week has turned from drama to farce. David Brent looks good next to this clown.

Welcome to Wealth Gap Tower

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:52 pm, April 24th, 2015 - 452 comments

A great illustration of the gap between money-rich and money-poor in NZ.

Deborah Russell: does New Zealand actually have a capital gains tax?

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 2:00 pm, April 17th, 2015 - 65 comments

A guest post by Deborah Russell responding to Government claims that we already have a capital gains tax on the sale of land.

National’s social housing policy in action

Written By: notices and features - 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.

Restaurant Brands to end zero hour contracts

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:36 am, April 9th, 2015 - 15 comments

Unite has achieved a significant victory by persuading Restaurant Brands to do away with zero hour contracts and to guarantee minimum working hours for staff.

Dollar Parity

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:19 am, April 7th, 2015 - 309 comments

As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests. No such luck in Aotearoa …

Trends in America

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:45 am, April 6th, 2015 - 29 comments

Here’s some slow Monday reading to ponder, on political trends in America.

California drought

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:40 am, April 3rd, 2015 - 47 comments

The California drought gives us a case study in how the effects of climate change are going to play out.

Generous welfare makes people more likely to want to work

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:36 am, April 2nd, 2015 - 49 comments

Evidence on levels of welfare and willingness to work suggests that yet another nasty right-wing myth is wrong. Reality and its well known liberal bias strikes again.

The rich want to hide their wealth because of kidnap threats

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:30 am, March 22nd, 2015 - 173 comments

The Liberal National Party Coalition in Australia want to overturn a requirement for corporations with a turnover of $100 million to disclose tax information on the grounds that kidnapping will occur even though the rich’s ostentatiousness is plain to see without the information being published. And in America it has been estimated that Wall Street’s bonus pool is twice the amount paid to full time American employees living on the minimum wage.

Feed the Kids

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 4:16 pm, March 17th, 2015 - 45 comments

Harawira / Turei’s Feed the Kids bill is up ~~tomorrow~~ today in Parliament…

Are you saving to buy a house?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:22 am, March 13th, 2015 - 164 comments

Are you saving to buy a house? Are you saving more than $1000 a week? If not, you are going backwards.

Anti TPPA Rallies this Saturday

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:00 pm, March 6th, 2015 - 11 comments

For details of protest action nearest to you check out the itsourfuture website.

Expect more zero-hours crisis cases

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:15 am, March 5th, 2015 - 8 comments

Today is not a good day for workers. Employment law changes that take effect today weaken workers’ rights and will result in more cases of zero-hour contract “excesses”. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway has been doing good work on this issue (sign the petition). In contrast National’s position now appears confused, with Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse acknowledging problems even as today’s changes make matters worse.

Nats getting squeamish on zero hour contracts

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:14 am, March 4th, 2015 - 61 comments

Zero hour contracts are the logical end point of National’s agenda for employment legislation. But last night Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse promised legislation to “prohibit the worst excesses”. “Excesses” in the free market – who would have thought?

Spock was a socialist

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:01 am, March 1st, 2015 - 23 comments

If you analyse the many things said by Spock you would come to the conclusion that he was a strong progressive.

Politician salary rises and the minimum wage increase

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:30 am, February 27th, 2015 - 106 comments

John Key has yet again asked the Remuneration Authority to limit the increase in MPs pay. And yet again they have said that the law required them to make the decision they did. So MPs get a hefty raise at the same time that the minimum wage is raised slightly. And the media report Key’s comments sympathetically. He is the Prime Minister. If anyone can change the law he is the person best placed.