Some babies are more special than others
This week Labour’s bid to get an extension to Paid Parental Leave (PPL) is likely to be stopped in its tracks by a veto from Bill English. For all the wrong reasons.
Setting the Agenda
Political analysis and commentary shaping the progressive debate in Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on power, policy, and accountability.
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The Refugee Quota Compromise
The decision to raise the quota to 1000 refugees per year from the current 750 does nothing to redress the three decades of no increase to our refugee quota. It is a token gesture designed to mollify proponents for more resettlement and to be able to tell the general population that the government is “doing something”.
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“It’s Time To Stop Pretending” – A Response To Some Of The Reactions To The Orlando Pulse Massacre
There are many different and gradiated responses to the recent tragedy in Orlando. Some are coherent and desirable (for instance,…
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Turning Away, Or Drifting Towards? A Response to Bishop Patrick Dunn
ACCORDING TO PATRICK DUNN, the Catholic Bishop of Auckland, his church is haemorrhaging “New Zealand-born” and “New Zealand-bred” followers. He calls this Pakeha turning away from the church “Kiwi Drift”. Its effects, says the Bishop, have been masked by the recent influx of thousands of Catholic migrants.
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Flying the Red-Green Banner of Resistance
At the moment, the public sees the National-Maori Party-Dunne-ACT coalition, and understand it. But one thing that voters want to know is; what would an alternative to a National-led government look like?
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Meeting the UK Labour shadow chancellor – a socialist leader of working class
The ban on zero-hour contracts in NZ attracted real interest from the UK media and an invitation for Unite Union representatives to speak to the growing campaign against these employment agreements in that country.
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EXCLUSIVE: China trying to force their version of TPPA on us now!
If you were breathing a sigh of relief that the TPPA may fall to the vagaries of US politics – perhaps the only good thing to come out of either a Clinton or Trump win, if they actually do as they say – I have bad news.
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Housing ‘distribution crisis’ a symptom of inequality
He’s famous only for being the son of someone famous, laying claims to authenticity because his parents both once lived in state houses (lucky them), and using the same inane comments as his dad “at the end of the day”; this week, mainstream media’s focus on celebrity went to new lows. And that’s saying something!
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No refuge
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 recognises the Palestinian people’s inalienable right of return. Today there are over five million Palestinian refugees eligible for UNRWA protection.
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Success for National Govt – new bank opens!
Nothing quite spells “success” like a new Food Bank opening in a community near you.