roger douglas Archive

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  Right wrong on the youth minimum wage - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  There is a renewed push from the political right to reintroduce youth rates for the minimum wage.  ACT’s Roger Douglas is trying to blame the Green Party sponsored legislation that removed the ability of Government to set a lower rate of minimum wage for young people for today’s high youth unemployment.  ACT’s new Leader, Don [...] read more
  May 15, 2011 10:45 am - 30 Comments
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  Dodging Roger’s Bill - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Yesterday the National Party shot down Sir Roger Douglas’ dreams of returning New Zealand back to Victorian England by saying they will not support his Members’ Bill which would have re-introduced youth rates. It’s a rare piece of good news out of the Beehive, but let’s face it; the bill was a stupid idea to [...] read more
  March 18, 2010 12:51 pm - 12 Comments
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  Is Roger anti-youth? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Roger Douglas is a lucky man. He’s now got two Private Members Bill out of the ballot, with his latest Minimum Wage (Mitigation of Youth Unemployment) Amendment Bill, pity they’re both so terrible. You’ve got to ask though – is Roger anti-youth? His youth rate Bill would reverse Sue Bradford’s success from 46th Parliament to [...] read more
  February 25, 2010 9:57 am - 35 Comments
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  Members’ Bills – the good, the bad, and the ugly - by frog

  
  
  
  There were three Members’ Bills drawn from the ballot today. The good Bill is Green MP David Clendon’s Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill.  It gives effect to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s recommendations to ensure all electricity meters have functionality that enables them to automatically control loads and to talk to smart appliances. It [...] read more
  February 23, 2010 3:17 pm - 28 Comments
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  Why just youth, Kate? - by frog

  
  
  
  Roger Douglas and Kate Wilkinson speculated in Parliament yesterday on the reintroduction of youth rates. Following their reasoning, there would also be a discriminatory lower rate of minimum wage for Māori, and for New Zealanders of Pacific, Middle Eastern, Latin American and African ethnicity. There’s a term for that, and it’s not a nice one. read more
  February 11, 2010 3:11 pm - 68 Comments
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  It’s not winner take all - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a misconception in some corners of political coverage that this election is ‘winner takes all. For instance yesterday Deborah Coddington writes: If Key keeps on smiling through personal attacks – and reassuring New Zealanders that, under his watch, this country won’t go belly up – National might win the election. Which, in these crazy [...] read more
  September 22, 2008 9:28 am - 11 Comments
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  Outrageous impositions - by frog

  
  
  
   A member spotted this ad in a Hamilton newspaper to attend a lunch with Rodney Hide and Roger Douglas : The authorisation statement looks like a clever, if somewhat grumpy little dig by Act.  But the reality was that Act had to authorise electoral advertisements even before the Electoral Finance Act passed this year. Not [...] read more
  July 10, 2008 10:36 pm - 29 Comments
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  Russel’s maiden speech in Parliament - by frog

  
  
  
  You can read the transcript, or watch the video.  Here’s the first half: At Bastion Point in Auckland there is a memorial to Michael Joseph Savage. It is a simple concrete obelisk above his grave looking over the beautiful Waitemata Harbour and says at the base, ‘he loved his fellow men’. Savage, a fellow immigrant [...] read more
  July 3, 2008 4:16 pm - 26 Comments
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  Henry’s holiday - by frog

  
  
  
  You can imagine the disappointment around here at news that Breakfast TV’s Paul Henry won’t be on our morning airways for a few months. TVNZ isn’t naming who Henry’s fill in will be but sources suggest that, with no shortage of failed right wing politicians to choose from, Don Brash is a leading contender.  Roger Douglas [...] read more
  June 9, 2008 1:11 pm - 5 Comments
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  What proportion of proportionality does Key want? - by frog

  
  
  
  So, John Key wants a referendum on MMP but still ‘personally favours some proportionality in the voting system.’ “I personally would be surprised if we went back to first past the post.” So what proportion of proportionality does he want? A few seats somewhere near the back of the chamber where diversity of view can [...] read more
  May 18, 2008 1:54 pm - 44 Comments
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  Fitzsimons welcome but Douglas is not - by frog

  
  
  
  Could it be that John Key would prefer Jeanette to have a seat at the cabinet table over Roger Douglas? It would appear so. Last year Key made it clear that Jeanette was welcome, saying “It’s possible. We don’t want to pre-judge those things yet.” On Sunday, Key told the Dom Post that Douglas’ decision [...] read more
  March 18, 2008 12:36 pm - 13 Comments