Metiria Turei and the debate on poverty and inequality

By John Minto  /  August 14, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  13 Comments

Poverty and inequality are topics our two main political parties would prefer not to talk about. It was their political decisions in the 1980s and 1990s which led directly and predictably to poverty for beneficiaries and low-income families and their political decisions which have maintained and entrenched it since.

A vile media pack forced Metiria out

By John Minto  /  August 11, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  13 Comments

I’m utterly dismayed that Metiria Turei has been forced out of the co-leadership of the Greens by a vile media pack determined to seize the opportunity of Metiria’s personal struggle to drive down the Greens.

Jacinda washed her hands

By John Minto  /  August 7, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  25 Comments

I’m sceptical we will see any significant policy differences from a Jacinda Ardern-led Labour Party compared to what we have seen in the past 30 years. Will it be about beneficiaries, the working poor, eradicating child poverty, the living wage and housing for all? I don’t think so.

Labour’s last throw of the neo-liberal dice

By John Minto  /  August 2, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  48 Comments

It will be interesting to see if Jacinda Ardern can breathe some life into Labour’s neo-liberal corpse.

Have you seen any stolen avocados?

By John Minto  /  July 31, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  7 Comments

My question here is why is the theft of employer-owned property (the avocados) treated so differently to the theft of wages from workers? Why can stealing avocadoes get you a prison sentence of up to 10 years but stealing wages from workers gets barely a slap on the wrist?

Who pays more tax – the super-wealthy or beneficiaries?

By John Minto  /  July 24, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  4 Comments

Wealth is not created from thin air. It is made from manipulating the wealth created by working people. In other words, you and I and every person living in New Zealand has been fleeced $1,489 more this past year so these bloodsuckers can build a bigger pile of unearned income. And they don’t pay tax on it.

Te Ture Whenua bill withdrawn – a victory for those who learn from history

By John Minto  /  July 11, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  2 Comments

Alongside bribery, corruption and outright theft of Maori land, the forced payments of rates and dog taxes by local authorities in the past has left Maori dispossessed of land and economic development opportunities.

The potential for another round of capitalist theft of Maori land has activists up in arms and their pressure has won the day so far.

Who are the bidders for 2,500 Christchurch state houses? Hold your noses…

By John Minto  /  July 3, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  23 Comments

Amy Adams, our most propertied MP and ironically the “Minister for Social Housing”, announced last week that three consortia had been selected to bid for the homes built by our parents and grandparents.

Break out the champagne! City Care victory

By John Minto  /  June 26, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  3 Comments

After a two-year battle KOA was successful in not only stopping the sale of the council works company City Care but also in pressuring the council to restore the company to the strategic assets list.

Christchurch council helps National’s social vandalism

By John Minto  /  June 19, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  4 Comments

It is deeply disappointing to see the Christchurch City Council lining up to help the government sell 2,500 state houses in Christchurch.

What does the Corbyn result in the UK mean for New Zealand?

By John Minto  /  June 12, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  42 Comments

New Zealand’s Labour Party is a neo-liberal, free market party with policies to match. If NZ Labour wins in September then income inequality and wealth inequality will continue to increase while the rest of us struggle to add that extra lining to the pockets of the idle rich.

Why do we give knighthoods to losers?

By John Minto  /  June 6, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  26 Comments

What has that man done to deserve a knighthood? Was it the pulling of ponytails? Was it the flag referendum? Was it the lies about mass surveillance? Was it the hundreds of thousands of our kids he left in poverty? Was it the failure of the housing market? Was it the exponential rise in electricity prices? Was it for running down the public health system? Was it for underfunding education? Was it for screwing the poor?

A reality check on the budget

By John Minto  /  May 29, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  12 Comments

The simple truth is that the bulk of high wage and salary earners, low-wage employers and parasitic landlords are National Party supporters. This is their budget.

Gerry Brownlee’s new “kith and kin”

By John Minto  /  May 5, 2017  /  John Minto, Most Recent Blogs, Setting The Agenda  /  41 Comments

In one of his first acts as Foreign Minister he has written to Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to get our diplomatic relations “back on track” after Israel withdrew its ambassador to New Zealand last December following our co-sponsoring of a security council resolution which condemned Israel for continuing to build Jewish-only settlements on Palestinian land.