A new petition to Parliament urges the Government to direct Super Fund to stop its investments in Jewish only settlements in the Occupied Palestine as soon as practicably possible- and to inquire into whether any other such investments exist.
The recent release of Statistics New Zealand figures showing the levels of foreign investment in New Zealand properties confirmed biases for many. I’m not a fan of globalisation, or investor capitalism, per se, but I do have an expectation that facts will inform policy and that liberal citizens and politicians will avoid racist dog whistles misleading attention away from real causes of inequality and injustice.
Housing Minister Phil Twyford is right to lay the blame squarely with the former National government and in particular with its Housing Minister Paula Bennett. Her attempts to distance herself from this debacle are in tatters after this Mediawatch report in the weekend.
Bennett is revealed as the loathsome liar she is.
Very interesting research out of Massey University this week to show that the 2012 Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act has barely reduced trading hours, led to huge legal challenges to local alcohol policies and has not apparently done much to reduce alcohol-related harm (which is the object of the Act).
Simon Bridges either embarks upon an internal cultural reformation of civility and generates policy that challenges party status quo and aims to pull a middle class who will be dizzy from petrol price cost increases, mortgage hikes and a public service that isn’t helping over to a milder less angry National Party or he just waits until Judith slides her knife into his back to the cheering of National Party members.
The right don’t know which narrative to run with, Jacinda is either a powderpuff lightweight full of meaningless star dust or she is the lipsticked face of grim totalitarianism.
Mix this media contempt for the poor with many middle class landowners who now have tenants in their precious investment portfolios and the fear of a loss of capital gains mixed with neoliberal cultural disgust at self failure for being poor in the first place, and you had all the self interested ingredients and momentum for hysteria to take over.
The simple truth is that oil is an extinct industry and we have no choice but to end it, climate change is a reality not even Hooton can spin. That this environmental truth met with a Governments marketing strategy to regain the narrative shouldn’t surprise anyone.
It must be dawning on Labour that Jacinda’s inclusivity is only going to get them so far. Grant bent over backwards with this budget to prove Labour will serve our corporate overlords well and not spook the horses, yet business hasn’t reciprocated and are still throwing tantrums.
1362 is a lot lower than the 3000 National should have been aiming for and is proof positive that Jacinda can reach deep into National Party territory.