Budget 2015 – Normalising Poverty
Workers on welfare will get an extra $25 a week. This is the “take home message” of Budget 2015. After promising a “boring Budget”, and downplaying any expectations of help for children in poverty, Bill English has delivered a substantial increase to the money struggling families will receive. Of course, there are strings attached. The […]
Protesting National’s Budget 2014
Students, workers, beneficiaries and activists gathered outside the Skycity Convention Centre to protest against the National government’s budget and its continuing war on the poor. Over 150 people turned out to voice their anger at National’s rule for the rich and the damage already done by the government. Chants such as ‘stop the war on […]
Nightmare on Wall Street: Capitalism and Horror…
Ghost stories and monster tales might be as old as time but the horror genre itself really only came into being alongside modern capitalism. Beginning with the 18th century gothic novel, and growing to include several distinct sub-genres, horror blends into fantasy, thriller and crime novels at one end and science fiction at the other. […]
Neoliberalism, resistance and the rise of the Far Right
Andrew Tait gave this talk to a forum on ‘Neoliberalism, Resistance and the Rise of the Far Right’ on behalf of the International Socialists in Christchurch on 3rd August. Ki te whare e tu nei, tena koeKi te marae e takoto nei, tena koeKi te takata whenua, Ngati Wheke, Koukourarata, Onuku, Wairewa, Taumutu, tena koutou, […]
What planet are Treasury officials from?
One of the most powerful parts of New Zealand’s government is the Treasury. When one looks through nearly any government document, there will be a part where the Treasury gives its ‘advice’ to the government. They are supposedly the ‘experts’ on the economy, the people who know exactly how to run the country, how to […]
Making Sense of Budget 2013
John Key, Bill English, and the bulk of the media have presented Budget 2013 as providing responsible economic management that will benefit all New Zealanders. There are sound reasons to reject this depiction. Media Coverage of the Budget Reading through the lengthy compilation of media commentary on the budget by Bryce Edwards and his research […]
Bill’s Budget is a Castle Made of Sand
On Radio Live last night, Duncan Garner was chortling with satisfaction at Bill English’s stewardship. His business guests were even more delighted. Andrew Patterson praised Bill English’s wisdom and prudence that had finally undone all the damage of the Clark Labour Government. In a pretty disgusting metaphor, Garner said Cameron Bagrie, the ANZ chief economist, […]
Māori money: A giant awakes?
Iwi corporates, estimated to be worth $37 billion in 2010, are changing the rules of New Zealand’s economy and politics. Māori capital has been criticised from the red-neck right as rent-seekers, from the left as an iwi aristocracy, and from within Māoridom itself. But in two major battles this year, Māoridom’s elite weighed in on […]
Against Austerity: from Athens to Aotearoa
There’s a stupid joke doing the rounds on the internet that says a German and a Greek are drinking at the bar. The Greek walks out, leaving the German to pay the bill. A more accurate joke would put a German, a Greek and a banker in the bar. The banker drinks the bar dry, […]
“Aotearoa is not for sale” – Auckland protests privatisation
[Cory Anderson was one of the thousands who joined the hikoi in Auckland last Saturday. Here is his report. On Friday the hikoi gathers at Wellington, marching from Te Papa from 10am. Students in We Are the University will be marching from VUW at 11.30 to join the main rally]Last Saturday, the movement against asset […]
