SQ Transp 2048

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  • Human Rights, Environment Obligations, and Ethical Investment: Aotearoa New Zealand is Going Down the Wrong Path

     Dr Robert Howell

    1 Introduction and Summary

    A considerable portion of the world’s investments are unethical in that they have inadequate regard for the welfare of people and/or the planet. They invest in companies that abuse workers’ or other stakeholders rights.  Their activities destroy our environment.  Very few companies are fully fossil-free, or operate within ecological boundaries.  One of the reasons for this is that the term ethical investing is defined by such unvalidated concepts as ESG, or responsible.

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  • Should the Reserve Bank target unemployment as well as inflation? Will the new government abolish the dual mandate?

    Back in 1989 – near the end of the fourth Labour government – the inflation-busting Reserve Bank Act was passed. Labour has shifted well away from the Rogernomics of that decade, and in 2021 Grant Robertson added maximum sustainable employment to the bank’s mandate - with the support of coalition partner NZ First.

    Our Reserve Bank joined a powerful grouping of central banks that have dual targets, including the US Federal Reserve, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank.

    Going into the 2023 election, National and Act committed to a return to the 1989 objective. Will they take us out of the mainstream and into a straitjacket rather than a life-jacket?  And how does it square with their stated aim of getting people off the dole and back to work?

    Coverage can be found here

  • The next three years – the job ahead for Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori

    The Fabians had a session on Nov 14th reflecting on the elections. Our panel of Simon Wilson, Senior Writer at NZ Herald, Bridie Witton, Stuff Press Gallery Reporter and Ollie Neas, freelance writer used the election results as a springboard to target some of the key issues for Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori as they head into opposition.

    Coverage can be found here

  • Rob Campbell on Pae Ora Health Reforms

    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Pae Ora health reforms with you.

    Since I was sacked by the Health Minister I have taken time to reflect on the experience and to make a considered assessment of what I learned in the process. My intention tonight is to share that with you, making the assumption that we share common ground in wanting to have an effective, efficient, excellent and equitable public health service.

    If anyone does not want that, I don’t really have anything useful to share with you.

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Building a Better Future - Craig Renney and Diana Russell - Jan 2023

Economist Craig Renney and policy analyst Diana Russell will present the CTU’s Alternative Economic Strategy to our first Fabian meeting of 2023. The Council of Trade Unions are in the middle of consulting with workers and organisations on their strategy. You will find a link to the document here. https://union.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AES-22-September-FINALweb.pdf “Building a Better Future” is their view of an economy that delivers for workers, and how this might be achieved. This includes making New Zealand the best country in the world to be a worker. NZ is already the best country in the world to be a business. The Prime Minister has said she wants NZ to be the best country to be a child. The CTU argues that in order for that vision to be realised we must first look after our workforce. The key design elements of the report revolve around 5 “missions” that they believe are central to a successful economic development pathway: 1. Economic equity 2. Delivering adequate housing and our infrastructure needs for the 21st Century 3. A Just Transition towards climate resilience 4. Decent work and greater work/life balance 5. Enabling the enduring wellbeing of New Zealand Each of these missions contains a policy proposal that they would like to discuss: 1. A National Investment Bank that delivers our central economic missions & a new state-owned default KiwiSaver provider to hold all default funds. 2. A Ministry of Green Works that delivers adequate housing, climate resilience, economic equity, decent work and a just transition 3. An energy revolution alongside a just transition (Industrial Revolution 5.0) 4. A Decent Work Act – to replace the Employment Relations Act. Pilot a four-day working week and ECE as right, progressively provided over time 5. Working with central government economic agencies to embed and build a genuine wellbeing approach to economic development They have three main questions they want to ask and get feedback: 1. What does a good economy look like for you? 2. What are your thoughts on the vision, direction and specifically the 5 missions? 3. What are your thoughts on their proposed solutions? Craig Renney - economist with the NZ Council of Trade Unions