Thanks Paul Krugman (blog) and Josie Pagani (Radio NZ today)
Red Alert
Budget prediction
Posted by Darien Fenton on May 16th, 201245 more days to save TVNZ7
Posted by Clare Curran on May 16th, 2012
Last night in Auckland in a packed hall in Freemans Bay, speaker after speaker rose from the floor to speak passionately about how important it was to our nation to keep a public television service.
This was the first of seven public meetings being organised around the country by SaveTVNZ7, a group which formed last year to try to save TVNZ7 from being axed by the National Government on 30 June.
Meeting details:
Wellington – Monday May 21st, Wesley Church Hall, 75 Taranaki St 7-9pm
Nelson - Friday May 25th – Trafalgar Pavilion Hall 6-8pm
Christchurch – Monday May 28th (venue tbc)
Palmerston North – Tuesday 5th June Apologies Wednesday 6th June- All Saints Church Hall, cnr The Square & Church St
Dunedin – Thursday 7th June – Barnett Theatre – Otago University,
Hamilton – June 13th (venue tbc)
If you can, please attend a meeting in your town. If you want a meeting in your community contact myself or Myles Thomas, the SaveTVNZ7 organiser savetvnz7@gmail.com
The NZ Herald has video coverage here of last night’s event which began with pallbearers bringing in the coffin of TVNZ7. Worth a watch.
The death of public television will be at the National Govt’s hands.
The seventh last episode of Back Benches screens tonight on TVNZ7 at 9pm. If you’re in Wellington, go along and watch. Labour’s Grant Robertson will be speaking. There may be a visitation by the Goodnight Kiwi.
Let it be known everywhere
Posted by Darien Fenton on May 15th, 2012Last week, a couple of papers fell off the back of a truck which were of particular interest to Kiwi workers. They outlined the government’s changes to labour laws and gave the Department of Labour’s assessment and warnings about the consequences of the government’s changes.
I thought the Minister of Labour would get the hint that Labour knew more than she was telling when I asked her a question in the House last Wednesday. Then in my speech on Tau Henare’s strike ballot bill I outlined the stupidity of her government’s proposals in regard to pay reductions for partial strikes – and she was in the House listening.
So I was gobsmacked that when the papers were revealed in the Dompost, Kate Wilkinson suggested that I had made them up. Later that day, the government was forced to come clean and made the announcements I knew were coming.
The changes will systematically take apart our labour relations framework, part by part and clause by clause. Our employment law will still be called the Employment Relations Act, but the worst provisions of that most draconian of employment laws from the 1990’s, the Employment Contracts Act will replace much of it. They will do nothing to address the most volatile industrial relations environment we’ve seen in NZ in years, and will definitely do nothing to increase wages and provide decent work.
The government is couching their plans in the Crosby Textor language of “choice, balance, flexibility” and are described as “minor” by the PM John Key.
That’s rubbish. We’ve got a wages crisis in New Zealand and that’s because our employment relations system isn’t working to ensure fairness for working people. The government’s changes will make this worse.
Last week, when we were debating Tau Henare’s secret ballots for strikes bill (which has now passed and will soon become law), National Party MPs indulged themselves in an outburst of the “free at last” quote from Martin Luther King.
Well, that great man died in Memphis when he was attending a struggle for the right of public workers to have a union and to collectively bargain.
King declared : “Let it be known everywhere, that along with wages and all of the other securities that you are struggling for, you are also struggling for the right to organise and be recognised.” The key issues for the Memphis strikers were their demands that the City of Memphis grant collective bargaining rights and the collection of union fees.
I’m taking bets on how many National MPs stand up and quote Martin Luther King on collective bargaining and workers rights when these miserable changes come to the Parliament.
And let it be known everywhere : Labour will oppose these changes vigorously and determinedly.
Labour law under attack
Posted by Darien Fenton on May 15th, 2012There’s been some big announcements this week about labour law changes.
I’m on the road at present but as soon as I get to a computer I will have a lot to say.
Back Benches this week (only 7 more episodes left)
Posted by Clare Curran on May 14th, 2012THIS WEEK ON BACK BENCHES: Watch Wallace Chapman, Damian Christie, the Back Benches Panel and special guests discuss the week’s hottest topics!
CYBER-BULLIES: It used to be, if you were bullied at school, home could be a refuge. But now in the age of the internet—bullies can always be there simply with a click of a mouse. How can we reduce the harm caused by cyber-bullies? The law commission has several proposals but how many will or should we adopt? Do parents need to do more to protect their kids on the internet? Can they do more? And when the Chief Coroner talks—why aren’t we listening?
A REQUIRED SHOT: A new proposal under consideration for beneficiaries—immunise your children to get your benefit. As Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says, “We see immunisations as important so when you’re looking at those kinds of things, you question at what point should a social obligation be part of a requirement to get a benefit.” We’ve got shocking immunisation rates—so is this a good idea? Or benefit bashing? As always, prevention is cheaper than a cure so does compulsory immunisation make sense? By that argument then, why not require immunisation jabs for entry into schools?
LIVE pub politics from the Backbencher Pub: Wednesday, 16th of May. Our Panel: Green Party MP Holly Walker, Labour MP Grant Robertson, National MP Colin King, and New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin.
Motherhood
Posted by Clare Curran on May 13th, 2012Today is Mother’s Day. It’s a day to value our own mums, and the qualities of motherhood generally.
No matter what your background, your occupation, your age, your circumstances, this is a day when it’s good to pause and think about why mums are important. And to tell them.
This week, young mums have been in the spotlight. I believe that as a country we could do better to treat mothers of all ages and backgrounds with high respect. Nurturing the next generation, the teaching of values, the strength and stability of that primary bond. These are all things to be highly valued by our nation.
I worry that these values are being eroded.
On a personal note, at 10 to 7 this morning I received a text which read Happy Mother’s Day. God Bless.
It took me a while to work out who it was from. He was a constituent who had contacted me in desperation last August after being made redundant from Hillside. He had debts, four kids, his electricity was about to be cut off and his terminally ill wife was dependent on a respirator. It was a terribly sad story and I did what I could to help him. He now has another job and things are back on track. His text today made me cry.
There’s another day when we value our dads. But today I wish all the mums a happy mother’s day. Especially my own mum. She’s certainly not perfect and sometimes drives me mad, but she’s always been there for me and has been a moral compass throughout my life. In recent years she’s become more of a friend.
And thoughts to those who have lost their mum.
Happy Mother’s Day.
David Shearer Unplugged
Posted by Annette King on May 12th, 2012I had a great time on Thursday taking David Shearer to visit the wonderful electorate of Rongotai. Despite the weather, we had a great time meeting so many interesting people and visiting some amazing businesses. One of the highlights for David was getting a chance to have a play with one of Dave Gilberd’s beautiful hand-made guitars at Goldbeard Guitars in Owhiro Bay.
Nats axe TVNZ7. Meanwhile in Australia…
Posted by Clare Curran on May 12th, 2012$158.1 million extra has been announced this week for the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) will receive new funding to ensure that an estimated 10 million Australians in regional, rural and remote areas have access to improved ABC radio service.
The Aussie Govt contributes around $912 million a year to the ABC and around $200 million to SBS.
The Australians continue to invest in public broadcasting. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s only public broadcasting television channel TVNZ7 which costs $16 million a year to run will be axed on 30 June because this government doesn’t support it. Doesn’t put a value on it.
Go figure!
Support the campaign to Save TVNZ7 here and here
Read about the Australian boost to public broadcasting funding.
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced a range of measures to support Australia’s public broadcasters. The Government will provide an additional $158.1 million over five years to the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) in part to launch a new indigenous free-to-air television channel.
“In an increasingly multicultural society, the Australian Government recognises SBS as one of Australia’s most important institutions,” Senator Conroy said. “This represents the most significant funding boost SBS has ever had, and will ensure SBS can continue to provide a unique broadcasting service that includes comprehensive television, radio and online services.
“Like other broadcasters, SBS operates in a rapidly changing broadcasting landscape, which is being affected by the introduction of digital multi-channels, new digital platforms, and changing audience expectations. This additional funding will allow SBS to address its immediate financial pressures, adapt to the changing media environment and build or upgrade its technology capabilities.”
Free at last?
Posted by Darien Fenton on May 11th, 2012This week, National MPs indulged themselves with a bit of union bashing during their support for Tau Henare’s Employment Relations (Secret Relations Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bil.
The worst comments were from Tau Henare and other National MPs, who insisted on quoting Martin Luther King saying “Free at Last, Thank God Almighty we are Free at Last.”
How embarrassing to compare a petty little bill, that has nothing to do with freedom, freedom of choice, or more importantly, freedom of association with that great defender of civil rights and equality, Martin Luther King.
Tau Henare and his other acolytes, including Jami-Lee Ross, made speeches that would have made Bill Birch of the 1990s National Party proud.
The prejudice is awful. The consequences for New Zealand workers are dire when you add everything up.
This week, I found out a whole lot more about the government’s intention to roll back worker rights and collective bargaining. (I’ll have more to say on this).
The Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson, is due to make her annual junket to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva in June. So far, she’s been able to bask in some of the glory from the former Labour government and New Zealand’s place as a respected member of the ILO. We had moved on from the shame in the 1990s when a special Rappateur was sent to New Zealand to investigate NZ’s breaches of core labour standards. New Zealand were pariahs in the international labour community then, aligned with third world countries who think workers should be grateful to have jobs. We might be joining them again soon.
I am wondering how the Minister of Labour will justify Tau Henare’s bill, which on its own, is irrelevant in the scale of issues facing New Zealand workers, but in the bigger picture, will require an explanation of how her government’s changes to collective bargaining and strikes will help advance the rights of New Zealand working people and our place in the world.
Think about this : if the influence of unions is removed altogether in NZ, what will happen to wages, to standards, to fairness?
Would we still have a minimum wage? Would we have ever moved to four weeks annual leave?
Would there even be a discussion about health and safety?
Or are you willing to leave it up to the Tau Henares and Jami-lee Ross’s of the world?
TV 7. Not too much to ask
Posted by Clare Curran on May 10th, 2012
Today I released a private members bill to save TVNZ7. It goes into a ballot of members bills and has to be drawn to be debated. It would need the support of opposition parties across the House (including the Maori Party and Peter Dunne) in order to succeed.
It creates an independent broadcasting foundation to run the channel which would be renamed TV7. It would be funded by Television New Zealand at $14 million per year – although TVNZ would no longer run it – and would, as far as is practicable, share production facilities and back office services with other state-funded networks.
I reckon we have a right to expect TV that’s about us and tells our stories. So our kids grow up watching Kiwi programmes and not developing American accents. Programmes that become part of the fabric of our lives, whether they’re about dogs herding sheep, Kiwi comedians and satirists, good Kiwi documentaries and dramas and some investigative news. It need not all be Kiwi content. But it should be ours, with no commercials and something we can be proud of.
I’m not precious about what’s on our TV. But I think I, like many other people, want more choice. And I want a channel which is driven by values and not by the advertising dollar.
Public broadcasting everywhere plays an important educative and informative role and is considered an essential responsibility of the state to its citizens. It comes at a cost, but is seen as a cost that must be borne. New Zealand must not turn its back on this responsibility.
In Australia, the ABC network is an integral part of the media and people’s lives. It receives funding from the government of around $912 million a year. Australia’s SBS Channel which carries a small amount of advertising, receives more than $200 million a year. In that context $14 million isn’t much to ask.
TVNZ7 has cost around $16 million a year to run for the last 4 years. It’s watched by more than 1.4 million viewers a month. It has been run by TVNZ and has never been strongly marketed because TVNZ felt it wasn’t in its interests to do so.
On 30 June it will be axed because the National Government doesn’t want to continue funding it. Around the world the audiences for public broadcasting around the world are vast and diverse – they are not elite sections of the population. Most OECD countries ensure that citizens have access to at least one public television channel. They recognise that public television can contribute to a better informed society.
New Zealanders have a right to expect their government to put a value on public broadcasting.
Between now and the end of June there will be a series of public meetings around the country for people to say what they think about public broadcasting. I’ll post details of them tomorrow.
If my Bill gets drawn I hope it will receive broad support, and that MPs who support public broadcasting will vote to send it to a select committee. I reckon it’s worth it.
By The Numbers
Posted by David Clark on May 10th, 20125,000 - postgraduate, masters and PhD students who will lose their student allowances under changes the Government is making in this month’s Budget, according to Steven Joyce
310,000 - signatures needed to force a citizens initiated referendum on asset sales
941 - submissions to Labour’s ‘Show Us Your Cards, John’ campaign against the dodgy Sky City deal
50 – year low in annual average economic growth for any NZ government
2.5 - years on the clock before Key bows out
1 - million dollars on the sideshow that was Paula Bennett’s announcement of contraception for beneficiaries when the real story was the treasury figures which highlighted National’s economic failure
Lack of PPL Dragging us Down
Posted by Sue Moroney on May 10th, 2012Our lack of paid parental leave is holding us back from being the best place in the world to raise children.
This was confirmed by the “State of the World’s Mothers” report released this week by Save the Children.
Even though we were placed fourth in their 13th annual report, its clear that our low rate of PPL was a key reason we slumped to 19th place when rated on their breastfeeding policy scorecard.
The report shows that 88% of NZ babies were breastfed at some stage, but that by 3 months that fell to just 56% and the data wasnt even available for NZ babies aged 6 months.
It is also of concern that NZ rated just 25th/44 countires on Save the Chidren’s scorecard for children living in developed countries.
I want NZ to be the best place in the world to raise children. Extending paid parental leave is one practical way we can achieve this.
Let’s bring MORE Aussies here
Posted by Rino Tirikatene on May 10th, 2012Here’s an idea: let’s bring more Aussies to Aotearoa. Hear me out…
They’re our closest neighbours and best mates and through their sheer weight of numbers can help keep NZ tourism in the Black.
But while our Aussie mates might be taking advantage of a strong currency that hasn’t transferred to a similar pick-up in spending– that’s down 6% to $1500 a head.
Getting them to dig a bit deeper requires some strategic thinking.
For instance, we could let them win more Bledisloe tests in Auckland. What with Auckland’s dismal season, how hard could it be to engineer a loss at Eden Park for the good of our economy? Then they’d have to stay another (hotel) night because of a hua of a hangover.
Anything that will help our aussie mate spend a bit more ‘on the card’ is worth a try.
John Key might be Tourism Minister, but he’s promoting Australia as the golden country and Aussies as our wealthy trans-Tasman cuzzies. That doesn’t translate to more good Aussie coin for our hard-working tourism operators.
Labour is committed to marketing campaigns in key overseas and emerging markets but there should be a stronger focus on Australia.
1.17 million Aussies visited New Zealand last year. And there’s roughly 100,000 ‘Mozzies’ living over there, a big percentage of whom return home for annual holidays.
Let’s get more of those people over here. Then we can send them home with empty pockets and a heart full of aroha.
52 more days to save TVNZ7
Posted by Clare Curran on May 9th, 2012
There are eight more episodes of Back Benches left. Watch it tonight at 9pm.
On 30 June, unless the government changes its mind, or is forced to change its mind, TVNZ 7, our commercial free public broadcast TV Channel will be switched off.
Tell Craig Foss, the Minister of Broadcasting that it’s wrong. Send him an email craig.foss@parliament.govt.nz
Tell John Key john.key@parliament.govt.nz
Join the Save TVNZ7 facebook page. Sign their petition.
Write letters to your paper. Attend a public meeting in your town and city in the next few weeks. Save TVNZ 7 is setting up a series of public meetings to talk about why Public Service TV is so important to New Zealand. So far they have organised meetings in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin. They arelooking for people to help organise and publicise these meetings. They also want to setup meetings in other towns and cities around the country too. So if you’re able to help please email at savetvnz7@gmail.com
Join the facebook page here
Visit the website here
Answering questions on loans and allowances
Posted by Grant Robertson on May 8th, 2012I have been getting heaps of questions about Mr Joyce’s announcement last week. He does not seem of a mind to get into any details, so this is what I have been able to piece together. Feel free to get in contact with further questions. I have put quite a few in through the written question system where we have not been able to get other answers.
Is future eligibility going to be four years of allowances or 200 weeks?
Steven Joyce caused huge confusion last Thursday by talking about allowances stopping after four years. This was wrong. It is clear that the change he is proposing is to restrict allowances to 200 weeks. This would equate to five years of allowances for most undergraduate courses. This has acted as the default rate of allowances unless you were doing a “long course”. This includes most degrees, postgraduate and longer courses. If you were doing these courses you were eligible for another 50, 100 or more weeks worth of allowances depending on the length of the course. That is now gone.
If you have used up your 200 weeks already does this mean you will be ineligible for future allowances?
I asked Mr Joyce about a case such as this in Parliament today. He said the “final transitional arrangements will be confirmed in the Budget”, but he did go on to acknowledge that the example I gave (a real one) of a student who had used their 200 weeks already and was in the first year of a two year Masters programme would not be eligible for allowances next year.
How many people will be affected by the allowance changes?
Half an answer today as Mr Joyce admitted 4000 to 5000 postgraduate students would no longer be eligible for allowances. He did not give the number of those who would not get allowances because of the changes to parental income thresholds.
Can the government change the terms of student loan contracts that have already been signed to increase the repayment rate to 12% without the agreement of the borrower?
Sadly, yes. Clause 203 of the Student Loan Act says that the Act will override anything that is in a loan contract. The Act contains the repayment rate, but also has a clause 37(3) that says that if the rate is changed by regulation then that rate is deemed to be the rate rather than the one listed in the Act. So, basically the government can do anything it likes to a loan contract as long as it is in the Act. One small caveat is that, through Clause 20, they do have to inform borrowers of any changes to their loan contracts within seven months of the change. Let’s see if they manage that.
There have been a number of questions about limited full time students and how this effects them, which I am chasing up with the Minister. Will come back when I get the results.
As I said the other day I can not believe that Steven Joyce would make these announcements without more information being available. Its simply not fair on students, graduates and their families.
And…….
Posted by Trevor Mallard on May 8th, 2012If you think today’s National Board minutes leak was interesting – just wait until documents are tabled in the case Collins plans to take.
Explosive.
Nat Board has a no Lusk policy
Posted by Trevor Mallard on May 8th, 2012Every now and again infighting gets so bad in the Nats that some gems are delivered to me. In this case it is a set of their Board and Board committee minutes.
You can view these documents from the Audit Committee here, the Communications Committee here, and the Board here.
The Audit committee outs McCully and his organisation as being slow to pay their levy. And Hunua too though less relevant when it comes to National Party leaks.
The most interesting section relates to their unofficial trainer Simon Lusk. See some of his previous history including his involvement in Nat pre selections and the failed anti MMP campaign here.
Candidates College
Michael reported that he has had a discussion with those MPs that have had an involvement with Simon Lusk. He has let them know that it is not appropriate for any MPs to engage with any alternative Candidates’ School that is not sanctioned by the Party. He said that this has been understood by all.He noted that these discussions had given rise to further discussion about the Party’s Candidates College and the gap in content that it potentially has.
He reported that Simon Lusk is running a further meeting purportedly aimed at educating local body aspirants. This has led some in Caucus to ask where the Party is positioned with local Body politics particularly in Auckland. Some Caucus members feel that they should be involved in this training programme. Michael believes however that they should remain distant and will have that discussion with those MPs.
Update on Simon Lusk
Michael reported a disturbing discussion that he has had with Simon Lusk that highlighted his motivations and a very negative agenda for the Party.
It was agreed that light needs to be shed on these issues with key influencers within the Party.
It was further agreed that his agenda represents a serious risk to the Party and this issue will be followed up with a further meeting between the President and the Whip.
There is a bit further into the minutes that relates to a Hutt South strategy. I’m honoured.
This week on Back Benches
Posted by Trevor Mallard on May 8th, 2012FOR SALE: Last Friday, a hikoi of 5000 marched to Parliament to protest the Government’s plan to sell state assets. The vote in Parliament will be close. Which way will the small parties fall? Did the 2011 election give the Government have a mandate for a mixed ownership model? Was the prospect of asset sales not scary enough to voters? Why do we need to own these assets? Is privatisation a dirty word?
GIMME A LOAN: The zero budget has brought big changes to the student loan scheme. Students will have to pay back their loans more quickly. While access to student allowances is tightened. Are these changes unfair to the youth of NZ? Are the students of tomorrow paying the prices for the students of yesterday who haven’t paid their loans? The money will be reinvested in tertiary education—so isn’t this a good thing?
PLAYING POSSUM: Playing possum, the NZ drinking game, which has some Dunedin students boozing until they fall out of trees has made international headlines. So, perhaps a good sign we’ve got a bit of an issue with the drink? Here are some proposals from the Alcohol Reform Bill—split purchase age, sales ban between 4am-7am, and parental permission for under-18s to drink at a party. Will these changes do the trick? Do they go far enough? Or are we over-reacting to a few stupid apples who ruin the cider for the rest of us?
Live pub politics from the Backbencher Pub: Wednesday, 9th of May from 9:05pm and on TVNZ7.
The Panel: Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty, Labour MP Shane Jones, New Zealand First MP Brendan Horan and National MP Mark Mitchell.
The new PC
Posted by Clare Curran on May 7th, 2012Those who dismissively tell New Zealanders that they don’t need, and don’t deserve, public broadcasting.
This was today’s Christchurch Press editorial:
TVNZ7 was always something of an anomalous relic in broadcasting. It was established by TVNZ to run “public service” programmes, which generally means worthy programming which only a few people want to watch. In this context it turned out to mean a mildly liberal agenda of plenty of stuff about novelists, sculptors, painters and the like, some routine Leftish navel-gazing about the media and formless chit-chat on politics, and nothing to speak of on, for instance, finance, business or singing the virtues of, or even explaining, the economic system that dominates so much political discourse nowadays.
It begs the question; what are they afraid of from a free public broadcasting media service not driven by commercial interests, directed by an independent governing agency?
100% tax cuts ahead
Posted by David Clark on May 7th, 2012Today’s crash of Inland Revenue’s website highlights a wider IT vulnerability that must be addressed – urgently.
The IRDs current tax collection system was designed in the early nineties. It was effective for many years. But it has become increasingly obvious that patches applied over recent years are a failing stopgap. New Zealand needs real progress on a replacement system.
The Government has already written off millions of dollars after a failed attempt to rebuild the student loans component of the IRD online collection system. Since then no progress, only bad news. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the Government estimates a necessary IT rebuild of IRD’s whole tax collection structure will cost up to $1.5 billion dollars.
New Zealand is not unique in having a tax system. Adapting successful systems used elsewhere is the logical approach to replacing our ailing IT infrastructure. This problem has been on the horizon for some time. It beggars belief that the Government has not yet outlined a convincing plan or timeline for the development of overdue IT solutions.
Voluntary compliance with a transparent tax system is critical to the efficient and effective functioning of our society.
Businesses rely upon our tax collection system working properly when they put their GST returns in. They don’t have time to waste reentering data when systems go down. We cannot afford to risk the patience of those citizens who wish to comply with their civic duty.
And testing the patience of businesses is not all that is at stake here. Our hospitals and schools rely upon a trustworthy tax-collection system. The IRD must not be allowed to fail.
The Minister of Revenue has not put forward a credible timeline for the project, and it is becoming clear that the government is sitting on its hands whilst New Zealanders face the consequences of an IT time bomb.
Not good enough Minister.
