Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Ideology for Evidence

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  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    More precisely ...

    Now wouldn't that be a turn up for their books! There seems to be a blip with every blop from this Government.Blip, blop,flip, flop,clip clop. Oh look it's a donkey, riddin by Brownlee with Wilkinson in his rear! albeit a smokescreen in the first place.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • ScottY,

    Derek Cheng attempts a balanced report.

    Interesting to read how similar laws in other countries have had no noticeable effect on unemployment. I must have missed that bit in Key's speech.

    Evidence is for sissies

    And socialists.

    How does this improve productivity, exactly? Appears pretty counter-productive to me.

    That's because you're looking at this completely the wrong way. Our PM has special powers you Muggles cannot begin to understand.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report Reply

  • Alec Morgan,

    PM Key not known for his love of detail in public is now dissing meatworkers, surely one of the most unpleasant occupations, and their alleged sick leave habits. Fer chrissakes a Prime Minister on about Monday/Friday syndrome.

    Hopefully the Natz have made a tactical blunder by moving the 90 day no work rights threshold beyond SME sites whose owners are the true supporters.

    Tokerau Beach • Since Nov 2006 • 124 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    In unrelated business news - Talleys bids to takeover Affco

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Yes they can. We used to give 3 warnings(all could be issued at 48 hour intervals if behaviour continued to warrant warning. then we could dismiss with the weeks wages (they were paid weekly) + 6% annual leave.

    Labour's law was one that gave sufficient power to business that it was considered reasonable by the business community in 2000, after their noisy summer of discontent. One of the reasons why National's 90 day probation period was originally applied to small businesses, is because there were plenty who were getting frustrated by their inability to follow due process - and leaving themselves open to dismissal suits.

    It was a law designed to cover for employer incompetence. Larger enterprises have no such weak excuse. If they're not employing someone (either in-house or out) in some capacity to deal with such matters, then they're pretty poorly run in the first place.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    PM Key not known for his love of detail in public is now dissing meatworkers, surely one of the most unpleasant occupations, and their alleged sick leave habits. Fer chrissakes a Prime Minister on about Monday/Friday syndrome.

    I think National's support among working class voters will take a hit in the next week. I wouldn't have a clue whether it's a small one or slightly larger.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I think National's support among working class voters will take a hit in the next week. I wouldn't have a clue whether it's a small one or slightly larger.

    Especially if WorkChoices was anything to go by for John Howard. Big time.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    What this looks like is an attack on the use of sick leave. "If you're not dying, you'd better be at work." This is directly contrary to evidence that it's better not to have unwell people at work, in order to get them back to peak-productivity faster and reduce the risk of cross-infection.
    How does this improve productivity, exactly? Appears pretty counter-productive to me.

    Damn straight!

    What will happen with the next Flu pandemic - or lesser outbreak - lotsa sick people in the staff room - here's hoping The Masque of The Red Death visits the Poe-Faced managers...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Hah!

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Especially if WorkChoices was anything to go by for John Howard. Big time.

    Yeah, but that came with a convergence of factors that combined to portray the government as "out of touch", and magnified the impact. Had it been early in the term, with a still lukewarm media, things might have been different.

    I do think that once you take the gloss off there's potential for disappointment, and that the difference between expectations and perceived reality is the key factor in political disaffection, and so this might generate some of that. It will come down to whether the perception management (to put in the brutally cynical terms that this Government seems to operate under) is sufficient, and whether the public sees this as an aberation or part of a pattern.

    I don't think that in and of itself it will cause a large impact on the polls, but I could be wrong! Like their mining decision, it certainly increases the risks for the Government however.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    PASers be ribbin'.

    My immediate reference for that line is from hip-hop; "haters be hatin", "players be playin", "ballers be ballin", etc. Can't stop what comes natural.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I don't think that in and of itself it will cause a large impact on the polls, but I could be wrong! Like their mining decision, it certainly increases the risks for the Government however.

    And the National Standards, ECan, and possibly Treasury getting its GST predictions wrong.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    and possibly Treasury getting its GST predictions wrong

    Que? Haven't heard about that one.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Que? Haven't heard about that one.

    To be precise, if the GST hike isn't as revenue-neutral as first thought, and turns out in practice to be a Clayton's Community Charge.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    want to spend my life with a grill like U...

    PASers be ribbin'.

    would that be like SPAre ribbins?
    - fresh from th' grill - finger lickin' good!
    - or the biblical girl from the rib cage...


    Teachers keep on teachin'...

    My immediate reference for that line is from hip-hop; "haters be hatin", "players be playin", "ballers be ballin", etc.

    I'm thinkin' further back than hip-hop...
    I'm thinkin' Stevie Wonder and some later
    blind folk too..

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    To be precise, if the GST hike isn't as revenue-neutral as first thought, and turns out in practice to be a Clayton's Community Charge.

    The pain will eventuate, but come from an unidentified source, then. I'd guess that manifests as low level general discontent, rather than sharp turns of opinion.

    NZ politics continues to be interesting, if for all the wrong reasons.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    In unrelated business news - Talleys bids to takeover Affco

    If that's unrelated, I'm a banana.

    I for one have no desire do eat meat that's been butchered by ill, infectious, workers, The Jungle style.

    I wonder if the UK supermarkets will be as keen to buy it when they and their customers find out.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    I believe as we speak the American Democratic Party are rethinking how best to employ a nation. I think we should watch them closely because this stale "productivity" drive , based on scarcity and reduction is just a circle to a shrinking pedestrian economy.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The same shrivelled thinking Bill English displayed at the end of the 90s. You know a fool by their lack of learning.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    I found it telling, and tragic, that NZ defines a high-income household as "those with an income of $60,000 or more". So we've got a PM who says that $50,000 is the average wage, but an official definition of high-income household as only 20% greater than that.
    That's pathetic. If $60k is high-income, we're not just a low-wage economy we're a no-wage economy!

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    And as a friend who resides in Aus has just inadvertently pointed out, $60k is below our top tax bracket!

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    More uncritically parroted bullshit from the Herald.

    Mr English said his Government had sought to address this challenge "by way of a substantial tax reform programme, a multi-billion dollar infrastructure programme, sorting out the Government's finances which were left in a mess, improving skills and education, and cutting red tape".

    Uh huh. "Improving skills and education" by cutting funding to them.

    "Left in a mess" is not how most would describe the paid down government debt that allowed this country to escape the fate of others during the global financial collapse - and left room for English to blow the bank borrowing for tax cuts for the richest New Zealanders.

    When will editors and journalists stop letting cynical and unambitious politicians and business "leaders" bleat that this country is afflicted with red tape when for a long time now we have rated in the top handful of easiest business environments in the world?

    Not hard to fact check such utterances rather than breathlessly rushing them to print - but that could clash with the ideology a tad. Might also require some basic competence.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Sacha, don't forget that we're overtaxed and that's affecting productivity, as well as making it hard to retain talent. Never mind that we've got the second-lowest tax burden in the OECD, and despite B'linglish slashing them further we're right on the verge of having more people emigrate than immigrate. The net gain was 70 in June. Cutting taxes was going to stop the brain-drain and make us a destination for the global highly-mobile workforce, wannit?

    Just while we're on the topic of breathless recital of right-wing articles-of-faith, of course.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    From the story above.

    On current trends the prospect of New Zealand losing more people from migration, rather than gaining them as is usually the case, "is very real", ANZ said. "This does not augur well for the housing market and domestic spending."

    I hate how "well" in the housing market is the price of houses going up and up and up and up. If the price of computers was doing the same (say), we'd say that the market was sick and needed intervention.

    On the upside, if enough people leave, I might be able to come back and buy a house eventually.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Although since "well" in New Zealand is defined by the politicians, the banks, and well-off pundits, it isn't surprising that our wellness indicators are skewed.

    They all benefit from an inflationary housing market.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

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