National | Jotup

Governors may make good presidents − unless they become 'imperial governors' like DeSantis

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

In fact, a 2016 Gallup Poll found that almost 74% of people say that governing a state provides excellent or good preparation for someone to be an effective president.

Key Points:

In fact, a 2016 Gallup Poll found that almost 74% of people say that governing a state provides excellent or good preparation for someone to be an effective president.
But as the former executive director of the National Governors Association for 27 years, I have worked with well over 300 governors.
During that time I have been part of many conversations with governors regarding other governors running for president.

A dominant position

That experience often creates a false impression that what they did in their states they can do for the nation.
These are not exactly issues important to citizens of most other states and thus not useful as a foundation for a presidential campaign.
This is clearly reflected in a recent New York Times poll of Republicans, where only 17% supported an anti-woke campaign, while 65% supported a law-and-order campaign.

Significant power

Governors traditionally have more constitutional and legal powers than do presidents, particularly in terms of budgets and in cases of emergency.
Often, I heard these comments during discussions with governors at National Governors Association meetings.
Similarly, many governors can cut previously enacted state budgets by up to 5% without consent from the legislature.
Governors also typically have more power than presidents during emergencies.

Political prominence

Governors often are the dominant political force in their states.
They particularly tend to overshadow the legislative and judicial branches – which significantly limit the power of the president at the federal level.
Governors dominate the legislature, in part, because state lawmakers tend to have very few staff to help them – if any at all.
In addition, most state legislators are part time and may only be in session a few weeks per year.

A matter of timing

The last governor that I remember who reached imperial status was Scott Walker, Wisconsin’s governor from 2011 to 2019.
He ran for president in 2016 but withdrew after only two months because of his poor showing in the polls.
This year, in addition to DeSantis, five other former or current governors have declared they are running for president.
But most of them are not imperial governors nor at risk of becoming one.
In addition, many in his party believe he would have had difficulty in his bid for reelection.

Taxing questions: is National glossing over the likely cost of administering its new ‘revenue measures'?

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Proposing to alleviate the financial pain of this “squeezed middle”, it may be key to determining who forms the next government.

Key Points:

Proposing to alleviate the financial pain of this “squeezed middle”, it may be key to determining who forms the next government.
Just what these might cost to set up and administer may be a missing element of the picture.
As the tax policy makes clear, short-term concerns about the cost of living trump longer-term considerations about climate change.

Revenue neutral means new taxes

To ensure the package is revenue neutral, four new taxes will be introduced.
If the policy is aimed at those who vote, then three of the new taxes are aimed at shifting the tax burden to those who cannot vote.
A second stream of revenue will come from a tax on offshore gambling.
Generally, two of the new proposals appear to gloss over the massive IT costs that tend to accompany new taxes.

Safeguarding the ‘un-squeezed top’

What the package does not do is engage with the problem of tax-free wealth.
Just this week the International Monetary Fund once again urged New Zealand to introduce a comprehensive capital gains tax.
National’s package favours “the un-squeezed top” by reinstating tax deductions for rental properties, reducing the brightline test to two years, and leaving capital gains untaxed.
Read more:
How to read the political polls: 10 things you need to know ahead of the NZ election
And the bottom?

Financial education has its limits – if we want New Zealanders to be better with money, we need to start at home

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Monday, August 28, 2023

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But despite having the financial literacy to know better, Monday could still sometimes begin with a trip to the bank to ask for an overdraft extension.

Key Points:

But despite having the financial literacy to know better, Monday could still sometimes begin with a trip to the bank to ask for an overdraft extension.
So it was encouraging to hear that financial education has become a political talking point ahead of this year’s election.
Both Labour and National are promising to deliver compulsory financial literacy classes as part of the school curriculum.
Labour’s proposed financial literacy programme would include the basics of budgeting, financial concepts and how to be good with money.

Education, borrowing and debt

Much like the earlier study, the researchers found borrowing behaviour was more difficult to change with formal education than saving behaviour.
But even when examining the impact of financial education on short-term behaviour, researchers found it was difficult to influence how people handled debt.
Compulsory financial education did not improve the likelihood of getting into debt, or the likelihood of defaulting on loans.

Home and financial knowledge

Parents’ education and their financial sophistication – whether they have stocks, for example – have been shown to affect their offspring’s financial literacy.
Women are also found to have lower financial confidence, even when they have the right knowledge.
In a New Zealand study of over 1,200 young people aged 14 and 15, the age of the first financial discussion between parent and child was found to be an important influence on future financial knowledge, attitudes and intentions.

Children's early learning belongs in neighbourhood schools

Retrieved on:

Monday, August 28, 2023

Some important lessons pertain to effective ways provinces and territories can expand children’s and families’ access to early learning programs.

Key Points:

Some important lessons pertain to effective ways provinces and territories can expand children’s and families’ access to early learning programs.
Canada-wide early learning and child-care agreements established between the federal government and provinces or territories allow governments to be creative with increasing access.
Ample evidence points towards benefits and practical ways of offering high-quality early learning programs in schools quickly and efficiently.

Relying on school infrastructure

Creating more early years spaces

High-quality programs

Similar lessons were learned in many schools’ move to full-day kindergarten for five-year-olds, once unheard of but now enjoyed by all but three provinces in Canada.
As regions across Canada work to meet the expansion requirements outlined in the federal agreements, enrolment numbers for existing school-based programs for four-year-olds offer an attractive route toward creating more early years spaces.
Read more:
What to look for in a high-quality 'pre-primary' or junior kindergarten program
It is not just the rate of expansion that is impressive; so too is the quality of programs.

Short- and long-term benefits

High-quality early childhood education lowers special education rates and lessens the intensity of supports required for children with identified exceptionalities.
Families enjoy having all their children at one site, and can sometimes also rely on busing.

Return on investment, continuity of learning

A report from the Roosevelt Institute, a not-for-profit think tank in the United States, notes “studies of early care and education programs beginning at birth targeted to disadvantaged groups — such as children in low-income communities of color — have demonstrated significant improvements in their long-term education, health, and employment outcomes, leading economist James Heckman to estimate a 13 percent per year return on investment for similar programs.” New York’s pre-kindergarten program created 70,000 spaces in two years.
In Australia, efforts to align programs serving three- and four-year-olds with primary grades stress the significance of learning and teaching that smooths the transition for children and families and optimizes academic and developmental outcomes.

Early learning is early education

They need to know that their children are immersed in high-quality early learning and they do not want to be exhausted in their search for it.
Early learning is early education.
The federal government invested in children’s early learning and child-care because it finally accepted the wisdom of doing so — for children’s learning and development, for families’ well-being, for the economy and for communities optimal social outcomes.

Sexual harassment impacts university staff – our research shows how

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 24, 2023

There is increasing attention on the lack of progress around sexual harassment and assault on Australian university campuses.

Key Points:

There is increasing attention on the lack of progress around sexual harassment and assault on Australian university campuses.
Earlier this week, the National Tertiary Education Union launched a national survey of university staff experiences of workplace sexual harassment.
Our research on workplace sexual harassment in Australia sheds light on university staff experiences of harassment and the inadequacy of responses.

Our study

University staff experiences of workplace sexual harassment

This reflects the gendered nature of workplace sexual harassment.
Almost 80% of our respondents believed their gender contributed to the harassment, while 47% believed their age was a contributor.

Workplace sexual harassment is frequent and ongoing

Witnesses rarely intervene

Almost half (46%) said there were witnesses to their experience, with 18% noting four or more people had witnessed the incident.
Of those whose victimisation was witnessed, in only 15% of cases did a witness intervene.

The role of job security

Half of the university staff who responded to our survey felt their employment was insecure at the time they were sexually harassed.
Read more:
Australian unis could not function without casual staff: it is time to treat them as 'real' employees

A lack of consequences

Numerous victim-survivors said they were not aware of any consequences for the perpetrator.
But to manage their own safety or as a result of the impacts of the experience, they left the university.

What now?

We have a national plan with a target of eliminating gender-based violence in one generation.
Clare has appointed a working group to provide advice on how universities can “create safer campuses” for students and staff.
Peak body Universities Australia has also noted “much more is required of us collectively” when it comes to sexual harm on campuses.
Nicola Helps currently receives funding for family violence related research from the Victorian Government.

A very different country: the Intergenerational Report's picture of Australia in the 2060s

Retrieved on:

Thursday, August 24, 2023

The Australia of the 2060s will be very different from the one we know today. It will be older, with slower economic growth, a big “care” economy, and an export sector that is radically transformed due to the imperatives of climate change. The Intergenerational Report, released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, says five main forces will shape Australia’s economy over the coming four decades. They are:Average annual growth Population will also increase more slowly than previously – by an average of just 1.1% annually.

Key Points:

The Australia of the 2060s will be very different from the one we know today. It will be older, with slower economic growth, a big “care” economy, and an export sector that is radically transformed due to the imperatives of climate change. The Intergenerational Report, released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, says five main forces will shape Australia’s economy over the coming four decades. They are:

Average annual growth Population will also increase more slowly than previously – by an average of just 1.1% annually.
While the number of people 65 and over will double, Australia is still expected to have a younger population than most advanced countries.
With an ageing population, the rate of participation in the workforce is expected to fall gradually – from 66.6% to 63.8%.
With abundant wind, sun and open spaces Australia also has the potential to generate green energy more cheaply than many countries.
With abundant wind, sun and open spaces Australia also has the potential to generate green energy more cheaply than many countries.
"The best leaders can focus on more than one thing, more than one horizon, more than one set of opportunities.”

As ABC chair, Ita Buttrose stood up for the broadcaster's independence. It's time others did the same

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Ita Buttrose has announced she will not seek a second term as ABC chair, which means her term will expire in March 2024.

Key Points:

Ita Buttrose has announced she will not seek a second term as ABC chair, which means her term will expire in March 2024.
Four of the seven non-executive directors already there had been appointed outside the merit system by Mitch Fifield as minister for communication.
Buttrose herself put ABC independence at the centre of her commitments.
I will fight any attempts to muzzle the national broadcaster or interfere with its obligations to the Australian public.
He sued the ABC for defamation but the ABC defended it vigorously and he discontinued the action.
There have been many analyses of how nine years of Coalition government attacks demoralised the ABC.
But with Buttrose’s departure now on the horizon, it is time for others at the top to stand up.

Telemarketer Fees to Access the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry to Increase in FY 2024

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Tuesday, August 22, 2023

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The fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry will increase in FY 2024, which starts on October 1, 2023.

Key Points:

The fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry will increase in FY 2024, which starts on October 1, 2023.
Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the registry numbers.
The cost of accessing a single area code in the registry will be $78 in FY 2024, which is an increase of $3 from FY 2023.
The fee for accessing an additional area code for a half year will increase $1 from FY 2023, to $39.

Telemarketer Fees to Access the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry to Increase in FY 2024

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

The fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry will increase in FY 2024, which starts on October 1, 2023.

Key Points:

The fees for telemarketers accessing phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry will increase in FY 2024, which starts on October 1, 2023.
Telemarketers must subscribe each year for access to the registry numbers.
The cost of accessing a single area code in the registry will be $78 in FY 2024, which is an increase of $3 from FY 2023.
The fee for accessing an additional area code for a half year will increase $1 from FY 2023, to $39.

Slow train coming: only a genuine shift to rail will put NZ on track to reduce emissions

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

But at the heart of the debate lies an inconvenient truth about climate change: encouraging road transport while needing to reduce carbon emissions simply does not add up.

Key Points:

But at the heart of the debate lies an inconvenient truth about climate change: encouraging road transport while needing to reduce carbon emissions simply does not add up.
In the background sits the government’s Rail Plan, which sets out the “vision and priorities for rail over the next decade and beyond”.
But given the clear need for New Zealand’s transport policies to change, the planned improvements need to be on a fast track.

Light rail right next door

The government’s transport plans for Auckland do include light rail, but National has promised to scrap the scheme if elected.
Looking across the Tasman, however, there is good evidence that light rail should not be this contentious.
This is all part of a remarkable renaissance of light rail around the world.

The freight factor

While road freight grew steadily in the first two decades of this century, rail freight in 2021-2022 was the same as it was in 1999-2000.
But for many freight movements, using trucks rather than rail increases emissions by a factor of three.
If reducing freight emissions is the goal, shifting some from road to rail is a logical solution.

When’s the next train?

Clearly, roads need to be maintained, and New Zealand’s road network has to be made more resilient to adverse weather impacts.
But expanding road capacity at the expense of a more efficient rail system and improved public transport is a recipe for increasing emissions.
While road congestion in major cities is a problem, overseas experience tells us that more road capacity only increases vehicle use.