Politics

El presidente Patrick Lee-Lo

Spouting his union-friendly lines following a group hug with his mates at the SFWU, Paddy’s describing the enormous increase in pay of 35c an hour for his BSC members’ workers as a “sensible and workable” resolution. Sounds like a win.

Paddy’s union mates are chuffed that they’ve tucked more dosh out of BSC member companies as they are nothing but capitalist pigs out to oppress the working class.

But here’s the rub for El Presidente. The BSC is controlled by large foreign cleaning companies who dislike disturbances to the apple cart – and that’s exactly what’s coming down the line in the form of Simon Bridges changes to Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act.

No wonder he’s hitting out at the Government as the BSC tries to protect these overseas companies from Government moves to introduce a fairer and more even playing field – a notion scum bag unions shudder with fear at the very thought of.  Read more »

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Peter Dunne has failed to understand the simplicity of Jami-lee Ross’ bill restoring the status quo before the Employment Relation Act 2000.

He said he would not be backing National MP Jami-Lee Ross’s bill allowing employers to hire contract workers when their employees go on strike.

Mr Dunne said it was a step too far and he thought the right to strike was an important part of industrial law.

“I think this is really the Ports of Auckland Bill, frankly. And while I understand the motivation behind it, I think it’s too big of a sledgehammer to deal with this specific issue.

“I think that there will be people who will misuse it, and I think that’s detrimental.”  Read more »

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After the SkyCity box hypocrisy of his Labour MPs David Shearer’s been busy explaining his party’s position on the convention centre this week.

On BFM he explained how it wasn’t the new gaming tables Labour are upset about – because the Asian high rollers use those.

It’s all the pokie problem gamblers from west and south Auckland that need to be saved from themselves.

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MarcWills commented on the Greens visiting Hamilton Jet

Any one notice the irony in Dr Norman of the Green Party visiting and singing the praises of a company that:

* Manufactures a product with a HUGE carbon footprint (jet propulsion)
* Uses materials which rely on LOTS of mining (iron ore and bauxite)
* Manufactures products which use petroleum products sourced from deep-sea drilling
* Uses materials which are manufactured using LOTS of coal (high quality steel)

These (amongst others you can easily imagine) will all be subjected to one of the over 100 listed practices and procedures which are listed to be BANNED by said Green Party if they are ever let near the Government benches.

I can’t imagine what Hamilton Jet were thinking by giving a platform to their policies.

 

You would think if this was going to be your stake in the ground, your flag ship policy to go into the election with you would get your narrative correct.

On the one hand we have David Shearer exclaiming that in the last year alone, as manufacturing has recovered, that 17,000 jobs were lost.

Labour leader David Shearer said Key was in denial about the state of the manufacturing industry.

More than 17,000 jobs had been lost in the sector in the last year and manufactured exports outside the primary sector had fallen by 17 per cent in real terms since 2008, he said.  Read more »

I was watching 3News last night and saw the coverage of the Manufactured Manufacturing Crisis report.

Apparently Winston didn’t want to pose for a photo with Russel Norman and David Shearer after spending the whole day snuggling up next to them.

Winston’s back to his old tricks.  Just like the baubles of office (cough).  Read more »

Winston Peters does it all the time, David Shearer gave it a go with a private members bill, and botched it badly – but KPMG’s actually done the numbers.

The Asian takeover conspiracy appears to be as corrupt as the politicians that peddle it.

It’s not the Asians buying up in New Zealand – it’s worse than that – it’s the bloody Australians…

A survey by accounting firm KPMG has found Chinese investors account for much less of direct foreign investment in New Zealand than the headlines suggest.

KPMG has analysed trends in direct foreign investment into the country by reviewing the approvals by the Overseas Investment Office between July 2010 and December 2012.  Read more »

Mike Hosking isn’t one to mince words, and this morning he doesn’t at all in discussing the Green/Labour bloc “manufacturing crisis”.

Officially it’s called ‘Manufacturing: The New Consensus’. It’s the opposition’s results into their inquiry into the “crisis” in manufacturing.

It carries an optimistic, if not slightly predictable, note by suggesting the true potential of manufacturing could be unleashed if a certain series of broad based polices were followed. Those policies just happen to be the policies of the people who commissioned the report. Polices like regulating the dollar, tax incentives, control of markets like electricity and a procurement programme that favours locally made products.  Read more »

Loyal readers will know I’m a huge fan of keeping David Shearer as Labour Leader in perpetuity.