Key: Treasury Papers Back Nats on Loan Costings - National Party Finance spokesman John Key says the Treasury costings released on Labour's last-minute student loans promise confirm National's worst fears. Features of the paper * Annual operating cost rises to $390m by third year, and to $500m after six years, and by 2019 will be $924m. * Impact on gross debt is a rise of $2.4 billion by third year, rising to $5.1 billion after six years, and rising to over $10 billion after only 11 years. * Overall student debt INCREASES under Labour's policy. See National - Treasury confirms National's fear on loans
Labour - Free early childhood education to be extended: Prime Minister Helen Clark and Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced more help for families and children, with a new policy that will extend 20 hours free early childhood education to all licensed teacher-led services from 2007. Also
Economists getting it wrong on student loans for years A report released today by Treasury forecasting the take-up of student loans following the introduction of the no-interest-while-studying policy shows just how inaccurate forecasting of behaviour can be, Education Minister Trevor Mallard said. ALSO:
Westpac To Mallard: Commentary Independent Of Other Bank Interests - We were disappointed to read Hon Trevor Mallards comments today regarding our Chief Economists analysis of the Labour Partys proposed policy regarding student loans. Westpac Economics provides economic analysis and commentary for a target audience of Westpac customers who are active in the financial markets. Issues that are covered are those that our economists consider are likely to have an economic or financial impact, including proposed fiscal policy. See... Westpac Responds To Education Minister's Comments ALSO:
Students Uncharacteristically Happy At Election Year Debt Pledge Prime Minister Helen Clark and Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the second of Labours key election pledges: no further interest will be charged for those with student loans who reside in New Zealand. Helen Clark said that this was a further important step in Labours policy to make tertiary education more affordable. See... Loan interest scrapped for students who stay in NZ Tertiary Sector Reaction:
Despite repeatedly stating that a key demand was an end to administrative detention, and that no partial offer would be accepted, an Israeli offer was yesterday accepted by the Higher Committee for the Hunger Strikers on behalf of the prisoners. Although Israel has agreed to release 19 prisoners from solitary confinement - several of whom have been in isolation for more than ten years - and to lift the ban on family visits for prisoners from Gaza, the agreement states only that administrative detention will not be ‘renewed’ automatically and that after six months, the prisoner must be released, or charged. Current administrative detainees will be released, or charged, at the end of their current sentence. (video by Julie Webb-Pullman - Nakba Vox-pops with Gazans)More>>
The gay marriage debate in New Jersey has gone national, with President Obama throwing his own hat in the ring with resounding approval for same-sex unions. Evangelicals are shuddering, and various pro-Obama supporters are shaking their heads. More>>
There is no U.S. troop withdrawal in 2014. We are ordinary Afghans wishing for peace, and we have eyes and ears and feelings of love and despair, so please read on.
The Washington Post, in reporting the recent signing of the "U.S. Afghan Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement", stated that U.S. trainers and Special Operations troops that remain beyond 2014 will live on Afghan bases.” More>>
"We did not choose this war. This war came to us on 9/11. We don't go looking for a fight. But when we see our homeland violated, when we see our fellow citizens killed, then we understand what we have to do."
These are the words that President Obama used on Tuesday to describe the Afghanistan war, but they would have been more appropriately said by any Afghan citizen. More>>
Steven Joyce happens to hold a set of portfolios central to the country’s economic planning and future direction. Joyce is the Minister of Economic Development, the Tertiary Education Minister and the Minister of Science and Technology. Theoretically, this should allow him to co-ordinate the government’s efforts in those three vital areas. Yet in his recent announcements on student loans, Joyce’s left hand did not appear to know what his right hand was doing. More>>
The fate of a group of Iranian dissidents in Iraq may seem trivial compared to the big issues on stage in the Middle East and other areas of the world. Since I became member of the Danish Parliament, I have tried to follow the situation in Iran and ... More>>
When civilizations start to die they go insane. Let the ice sheets in the Arctic melt. Let the temperatures rise. Let the air, soil and water be poisoned. Let the forests die. Let the seas be emptied of life. Let one useless war after another be ... More>>
The Egyptian people are demanding the return of their sovereignty. According to recent opinion surveys they believe it was partially ceded to Israel by the two post-Nasser dictators, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, at the behest of American administrations, ... More>>
Have we killed as many people as Hitler did? No, not in the same manner. But by sins of both commission (Iraqis bombed and shot, for example) and omission (children starving and suffering from preventable illness, for example) of course we have. And we have the potential to quite easily kill many more.
Westpac To Mallard: Commentary Independent Of Other Bank Interests - We were disappointed to read Hon Trevor Mallards comments today regarding our Chief Economists analysis of the Labour Partys proposed policy regarding student loans. Westpac Economics provides economic analysis and commentary for a target audience of Westpac customers who are active in the financial markets. Issues that are covered are those that our economists consider are likely to have an economic or financial impact, including proposed fiscal policy. See... Westpac Responds To Education Minister's Comments
Students Uncharacteristically Happy At Election Year Debt Pledge Prime Minister Helen Clark and Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the second of Labours key election pledges: no further interest will be charged for those with student loans who reside in New Zealand. Helen Clark said that this was a further important step in Labours policy to make tertiary education more affordable. See... Loan interest scrapped for students who stay in NZ
Binoy Kampmark: Getting On The Bus: Obama And Same Sex Marriage
The Afghan Peace Volunteers: An Afghan Okinawa
David Swanson and Leah Bolger: "We Did Not Choose This War" And Other Hypocrisies
Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Self-Defeating Plans For Universities
Jens Christian Lund: Why Should We Care About Fate Of Iranian Dissidents In Iraq?
Chris Hedges: The Implosion Of Capitalism
Franklin Lamb: Egypt Just Annulled Mubarak’s Natural Gas Giveaway
David Swanson: The Global War on Terror, in the original German
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