Category: Others

New Zealand Vol.23 (2020 Election)


A better visual breakdown of the 2020 election results | @TheSpinoffTV
New Zealand’s New Parliament Turns Red: The 2020 Election Results At A Glance | @ScoopNZ,@ConversationEDU
Your complete guide to NZ Election 2020 | @policy_nz


New Zealand Vol.22 (2020 Election)


https://twitter.com/USPoliticsPoll/status/1317528647272681474


Free papers, reports, et al. Vol.50 (paper.li February – June 2019)


The New Zealand Orator – June 29, 2019
Agribusiness Media – May 3, 2019


Pinned tweets, etc.

UK Vol.129 (Post-EUref #Brexit Vol.47: Bank of England)
Ireland Vol.44 (Brexit)
UK Vol.126 (Post-EUref #Brexit Vol.44)

For the United States, you can search by putting each state’s name or “US Policy Changes” into the search box.

For European Union, you can check out
http://worldsolutions.work/tag/eu/ .

For Brexit, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., you can search by putting each of these words into the search box, or check out categories and tags.


Seafood Vol.2 (Cod, Herring, Skipjack tuna, Swordfish)

Seafood11 world commoditiesSeafood10 UK Cod HerringSeafood9 EU UKSeafood13 Greenland exportSeafood14 skipjack-tunaSeafood12 swordfish infographic


https://twitter.com/Luthercare/status/1103322690591559680


https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/661891692778360832


https://twitter.com/RestaurantBrace/status/1089974849710276609


https://twitter.com/Russia/status/682215811604430850


Free papers, reports, et al. Vol.49 (paper.li January 2018 – January 2019 Vol.2)


Free papers, reports, et al. Vol.48 (paper.li January 2018 – January 2019 Vol.1)


New Zealand Vol.14 (Ardern administration)

Here are tweets on the new administration, et al. Excerpts are on our own.


https://twitter.com/HelenClarkNZ/status/923148024729260033


Ministerial List for Announcement (for appointment on 26 October 2017) [PDF]


… Last Thursday’s announcement by Winston Peters heralded a new government: a formal coalition between Labour and New Zealand First, supported on confidence-and-supply by the Green Party. …
Ministers outside Cabinet are members of Cabinet committees. Almost all matters for Cabinet are first deliberated in Cabinet committees, before going to Cabinet for ultimate decision. And sometimes Cabinet will also delegate the power to act directly to a Cabinet committee.
Ministers outside Cabinet also regularly attend Cabinet itself for matters relevant to their portfolios. Strictly speaking, ministers outside Cabinet (and parliamentary under-secretaries too) only attend Cabinet at the prerogative of Prime Ministers. But the practice has been that ministers outside Cabinet routinely attend when their matters are up for Cabinet decision, as well as sometimes for other matters of interest to their portfolios.
Thus, the designation of minister outside Cabinet is a bit of smoke and mirrors, perhaps even a misnomer. …
… New Zealand First ministers will not be free to switch hats in order criticise the government outside their portfolios. In other words, dissent is expected to be rare and negotiated on a case-by-case basis.　…
… Green Party ministers will only be bound to support decisions within their respective portfolios, as well as being obliged to vote for matters that raise matters of confidence-and-supply. … Green Party ministers will have more freedom to express their distinctive views and won’t be as tightly bound to publicly back Cabinet decisions. …


New Zealand Vol.13 (Coalition)

Here are articles & tweets on the coalition, et al. Excerpts are on our own.

How the Labour-NZ First-Greens deal compares to previous coalitions (10/21/2017) | Andy Fyers @NZStuff

Who’s in, who’s out? Labour announces Cabinet, ministerial line up (20/10/2017) | @nzherald

Jacinda Ardern: ‘Capitalism has failed New Zealanders’ (10/22/2017) | @australian

Jacinda Ardern is New Zealand’s Next Prime Minister – Winston Peters swings to the Left, saying the country voted for change. (10/19/2017) | Tess McClure @VICE

Winston’s Choice: Jacinda Ardern poised to become prime minister (10/19/2017) | @robhosking @TheNBR
…
– Greens 8 MPs will support the Labour-NZF coalition on confidence and supply
…
– Mr Peters says finance minister is off the table


… Peter Thiel became a citizen of New Zealand, indulging in equal parts his Lord Of The Rings fantasies and bunker style apocalypticism… “New Zealand will grow in size…will quickly become the glory land, and ultimately become one of the safest areas in the entire world.”
The centre-left coalition government, led by Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party, is torn between the past glories of social democracy and a geographical exceptionalism that indulges equal parts ahistoric romantic notions of New Zealand and dread. …
… John Key crafted a unique brand of Third Way Toryism that was relaxed on social issues and augmented its old money and farming base with the so-called “aspirational” middle class drunk on a mid-oughts style property boom. …
… yet it lacks a natural coalition partner. …
Labour’s approach was far more Trudeau than Corbyn, running a likeable personality, Gen Xer and talented candidate with talk of, “values,” and, “positivity,” with a mantra of “Let’s Do This!” There are certainly some policies that would make an American leftist ecstatic…
… Our largest city, Auckland, combines the low density housing of San Francisco, the sprawl of Los Angeles, and a lack of infrastructure and public transport. …
… The party insists this is not racist while also circulating real estate documents highlighting the “Chinese sounding names” of buyers and using Australia’s moral abomination of a migration model as a means to attack the National party government from the right. …
… In the shadow of Trump and the rising fascist right across Europe, Labour is spurning internationalism for a “left” politics that sees its job as portioning out a dwindling social surplus. Labour thinks they are clever here but their modest left politics cannot beat back the demons of nationalism or the darker vision of Thiel and the global super-rich…
… Peters is a skillful politician, economic nationalist, and populist capable of destabilizing the political calculus between National and Labour. … Like a lot of far-right wing political figures in the West, he is obsessed with central bank policy, having railed against monetarism and Chicago economics for as long as I can remember.
Labour’s failure to go even half-Corbyn may create political space for New Zealand First should Peters upstage Labour on the economy, effectively locking in Labour’s anti-immigrant gambit into a new consensus. …


WINNERS
Anyone with a car
Farmers
First Home Buyers
Humanity
The Greens
LOSERS
Existing Home Owners
Economy
All of us
ACT
Everybody who’s freaking out

Jacinda Ardern commits to 100-day plan, with one exception (20/10/2017) | Anna Bracewell-Worrall @NewshubNZ
… Ms Ardern wouldn’t confirm which of Labour’s priorities had changed during negotiations with NZ First and the Greens, but said the 100-day plan remains broadly the same. …
Labour’s first 100-days plan
…
– Pass the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill, requiring all rentals to be warm and dry
– Ban overseas speculators from buying existing houses
– Issue an instruction to Housing New Zealand to stop the state house sell-off
– Begin work to establish the Affordable Housing Authority and begin the KiwiBuild programme
– Legislate to pass the Families Package, including the Winter Fuel Payment, Best Start and increases to Paid Parental Leave, to take effect from July 1, 2018
…
– Resume contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund to help safeguard the provision of universal superannuation at age 65
– Introduce legislation to set a child poverty reduction target and to change the Public Finance Act, so the Budget reports progress on reducing child poverty
– Increase the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour, to take effect from April 1, 2018, and introduce legislation to improve fairness in the workplace
…
– Set the zero carbon emissions goal and begin setting up the independent Climate Commission

NZ First gets four posts in Cabinet and one undersecretary as Jacinda Ardern leads new coalition government (19/10/2017) | @1NewsNZ

New Zealand PM-elect Jacinda Ardern focuses on final touches of coalition deal (19/10/2017) | CHARLOTTE GREENFIELD @globeandmail

@jacindaardern

Jacinda Ardern | @guardian

#JacindaArdern | @GlblCtzn

https://twitter.com/waikato/status/921113337940779009

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: The world reacts (20/10/2017) | Matt Burrows @NewshubNZ

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Sudden Star, Gets Set to Govern (10/20/2017) | CHARLOTTE GRAHAM @nytimes

New Zealand Labour’s Jacinda Ardern To Be Next Prime Minister (19/10/2017) | Luke Cooper @HuffPostAU

Jacinda Ardern picks Labour, Greens, NZ First cabinet (10/20/2017) | @australian

Jacinda Ardern to become NZ prime minister following coalition announcement (10/19/2017) | Richard Shaw (@MasseyUni) @ConversationEDU

Meet Jacinda Ardern, 37, New Zealand’s Next Prime Minister (10/19/2017) | @laurelwamsley @npr

Meet NZ’s new Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern clinches victory giving hope to progressives everywhere (10/18/2017) | smelly pirate @dailykos

New Zealand’s most powerful young woman is now Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (10/19/2017) | @reuters @theheraldsun
… Those plans contrast with French President Macron’s announcement that he would look into opening migrant processing centres in Libya, to avoid a dangerous trip for asylum seekers across the Mediterranean Sea.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, meanwhile, has positioned himself as an alternative figure to U.S. President Donald Trump by touting Canadian immigration as a success story. …
New Zealand’s annual net migration of 72,300 is at record levels in a country of just 4.7 million people, ahead of both Britain and the United States on a per capita basis. …
… “Our concern is that our immigration settings haven’t been dynamic enough to differentiate between the skills gap that might exist in regional New Zealand that doesn’t exist in Auckland,” …
Her conservative rival dismissed Ardern’s appeal as “stardust”, claiming she would squander the economic gains achieved under National. …

New Zealand just elected its youngest prime minister in 150 years (20/10/2017) | Ashitha Nagesh @MetroUK

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern left Mormon church to support LGBT rights (22/10/2017) | Lydia Smith @independent


… Peters is 72 and not expected to contest the next election as leader, but he clearly wants the party he created in 1993 to outlast him. By hitching his team to a new government with a young leader, Peters clearly believes there will be a greater long-term electoral dividend than simply backing a fourth and likely final term for National. …


… New Zealand First leader Winston Peters split from the National party in 1993 to form his party in opposition to National’s neoliberal economics. …


https://twitter.com/NewsroomNZ/status/921262253428690945

New Zealand election: Jacinda Ardern’s campaign rollercoaster ride (24/09/2017) | Josh Bavas @radioaustralia
… Associate Professor Grant Duncan from Auckland’s Massey University said it was a well-seized opportunity. “She assured the New Zealand public that our relationship with Australia is a solid one and it’s never going to be questioned,” …
“I’m not willing to do politics as usual ? I do bring a different approach, I favour being able to collaborate where I can.” …

Have Recruiter Salaries Stagnated? (08/31/2017) | JONATHAN RICE @NZRice

Taking stock of Jacinda Ardern’s stocktake (08/02/2017) | Sam Sachdeva @NewsroomNZ

“I have no intention to be a career politician” – Jacinda Ardern (Voice; 02/08/2017) | @RadioNZLIVE


California Vol.2


Central Asia Vol.3

Uzbekistan

cf. Uzbekistan country profile (12/14/2016) | @BBC   Uzbekistan: Economy | @ADB_HQ   Uzbekistan | @StateDept   Uzbekistan | Observatory of Economic Complexity @MIT   Trains in Uzbekistan    UZBEKISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN: A TALE OF TWO TRANSITION PATHS? (PDF; 2004) | Asad Alam and Arup Banerji @WorldBank   Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan Deploy Troops In Dispute Over Border Mountain (3/23/2016) | @pragpete @RFERL   Public health risk assessment and interventions – Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (PDF; June 2010) | @WHO   Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan map (PDF) | @FAO   Uzbekistan, Tajikistan Flights Loom, And Prices Soar (2/1/2017) | Kamila Ibragimova @EurasiaNet   Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan | @WWF   Uzbekistan’s View of Security in Afghanistan After 2014 (PDF) | Matthew Stein @ Foreign Military Studies Office   Uzbek Railways awarded new Afghan operations and maintenance contract (3/22/2015) | @andrew_grantham   Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran Combined Tour 23 days | @NasrinInfo

(Excerpts are on our own.)

Brothers Again: Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan – Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana. (3/24/2017) | Catherine Putz @Diplomat_APAC   … Nazarbayev, a long-time proponent of regional integration initiatives, never quite found a receptive partner in Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov. … Nazarbayev said that the two leaders would sign 75 contracts worth nearly $1 billion at a Kazakh-Uzbek business forum on March 23. … Uzbekistan has the population advantage, with more than 30 million to Kazakhstan’s 17 million; but Kazakhstan has had the economic advantage with a GDP of $184.4 billion in 2015, to Uzbekistan’s $66.7 billion. …

Dammed or Damned: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Wrestle Over Water-Energy Nexus (4/2/2013) | Shavkat Kasymov @WorldPolicy   … Tajikistan consumes an average of 39,000 barrels a day, mostly from Uzbekistan… A main point of contention is a controversial hydroelectric project, the Rogun Dam, in the works since the 1960s. The project has been advertised by Tajik leaders as a path to energy and economic independence, but Uzbeks claim it will stop their share of the flow of the Vakhsh River, a resource that is crucial to its cotton monocrop economy. … The bulk of it is consumed by the Tadaz aluminum plant, a major source of revenues for the state budget. …

Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Trade Relations Strengthened (1/3/2017) | @TOLOnews   … “When we import goods from Pakistan, it takes nineteen days, but when we import from Uzbekistan, it takes nine days,” said Rasa. …construction materials will be imported from Uzbekistan and that Uzbek companies will invest in road construction, bridges and railways in the country. …

Uzbekistan, key to Afghan war drawdown, to ban foreign military bases (8/30/2012) | Abdujalil Abdurasulov @csmonitor   … When Pakistan closed the main NATO supply route in November, the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a route that relies on Uzbekistan, took up the slack – about 75 percent of all non-lethal cargo was shipped through the NDN supply route mostly via Uzbekistan. … Uzbekistan is trying to send a message to Russia and its neighbors that Tashkent is not going to make a U-turn and host US bases on its territory. … Tashkent-based political analyst Farkhod Tolipov says Uzbekistan’s ban is in an effort to prevent militarization in the region. “Any new base will only lead to a geopolitical competition.” …

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan: Staying Away (PDF) | S. Frederick Starr @SilkRoadStudies   … Uzbekistan has the region’s largest military force and Turkmenistan one of the smallest. And Uzbekistan inherited from Soviet times the largest establishment of heavy industry, while Turkmenistan began with the smallest. … No sooner did the Uzbeks arrive in Central Asia in the thirteenth century than they began settling in the region’s ancient cities, with their capital at Bukhara. … In gestures directed against what they openly call Russian colonialism, both Latinized their alphabets (the only states in the region to do so) and have marginalized the Russian language. … With respect to Turkmenistan, it can push Iran to seize the initiative in supplying Pakistan and India with gas; create access problems at Turkmenistan’s expanded Black Sea port of Turkmenbashi… Russia can easily invent and apply other restrictions to prevent Uzbek goods such as fruits and vegetables from entering its market. Considering that Russian-Uzbek bilateral trade reached $7 billion in 2013… Russia has already begun to play the “water and electricity card” against both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. …Kambarata hydropower plant and effectively controls the Toktogul reservoir and power plant, both in Kyrgyzstan. …democratization and human rights. … Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are the main bellwethers for stability and instability in Central Asia as a whole. …they value their trade with Russia, which for each country is valued at approximately $7 billion per annum. …unclear whether Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, too, will be drawn into the Eurasian Economic Union, remain outliers constantly under pressure from Moscow, or become beacons of sovereignty, self-determination, coordination and cooperation in the region…


Easter 2017

Here are articles on Easter. Excerpts are on our own.

The Economics Of Easter (4/12/2017) | Rutger Bloemenkarr @The_MarketMogul   … According to @NRFnews’s annual Easter Spending Survey, which surveyed 7411 American customers about their Easter Sunday plans at the beginning of March, the total amount that is expected to be spent in the US is $18.4bn in 2017, which is approximately $152 dollar a person. This is considered to be the highest amount in 14 years, up by about 6% compared to 2016. …consumers are expected to spend $5.8bn on food, $3.3bn on clothes, $2.9bn on gifts, $2.6bn on candy, $1.2bn on flowers, $1.1bn on decorations, and $788mn on greeting cards. … The majority of Americans, about 58% to precise, visit discount stores to purchase their gift of preference, while the remainder visit department stores (46%), local stores (26%), or online stores (27%). … Almost two out of three Americans (61%) will visit their family and/or friends for Easter, 57% will cook a holiday-oriented meal, a majority visit church (52%), and a small portion go to a restaurant (17%). Additionally, more than one-third of the consumers surveyed (35%) are expected to have a so-called Easter egg hunt. Lastly, 16%…  According to @smallbiztrends…

Easter in Canada | @dgreetings   … – Eggs are forbidden during Lent but after fasting they are consumed mixed with maple syrup. Also special Easter passion plays and songs are performed at the major theatres and community halls of the major cities of Canada.    – A typical Canadian Easter is characterized by its mouthwatering and sumptuous recipes of ‘Maple Baked Beans’, ‘Potatoes Nicoise’, ‘Cape Breton Scones’ and apple tart. Thus, Easter in Canada is an event worth enjoying for its wide festive activities.

The Easter Egg Hunt, the Economy and the New Game (6/4/2015) | @LearntSchool @HuffPostUK   … @charliehoehn,@FreeRangeHumans,@ajjuliani …

Britain to benefit from 1.8 per cent boost to economy this Easter:  BRITAIN’S economy will grow by 1.8 per cent this year according to upgraded forecasts from the EY ITEM Club, thanks to a recovery in global trade. (9/4/2017) | Geoff Ho @Daily_Express    Easter: Quarter of UK Christians do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, survey reveals (11/4/2017)     Irish business owners urged to be vigilant this Easter (13/4/2017) | Robert McHugh @BusinessWorldIE

Canberra’s experts divided over economics of Easter holidays (10/4/2017) | @DavidTuckwell3 @The_RiotACT   … According to @CBRBusiness, the territory’s top business lobby, the effect can be negative as public holidays mean penalty rates, and penalty rates mean unemployment. “Generally speaking, penalty rates on public holidays make businesses think staying open on a public holiday is just not viable,”… “Some businesses – particularly small businesses – look at their cost of operation compared to potential income and think it’s not commercially viable to open.” … “The problem with this entire penalty rates debate is the ‘fallacy of composition’,” says @MattGrudnoff, an economist at @TheAusInstitute, a left-leaning think tank based in Civic. … According to Professor Phil Lewis, an economist at @UniCanberra, there are both moral and economic considerations to keep in mind. “If you have a public holiday, employers who pay the award will be obliged to pay $45 an hour for a person on the lowest wage. …some businesses will stay open, especially family-owned businesses, as family members won’t demand penalty rate…

Retailers baffled by Easter trading laws (11/4/2017) | Matthew Theunissen @nzherald   … A recent law change gave local councils the authority to permit Easter Sunday trading and 25 mostly smaller councils have so far taken up the option. … Five councils have continued with the the ban while all major centres are yet to reach decisions. Shops which open in the restricted areas risk a prosecution and $1000 fine. … There are exemptions to the Easter trading laws, and some of them are quite unusual. Dunedin’s Carnegie Centre has an exemption to sell arts, crafts, children’s toys and books on Easter Sunday. “Toys and books sold only while performances happening on the mezzanine floor,”… In Nelson, crafts can be sold “whenever Founders Park is open”. @nelsoncitynz has been approached for clarification on whether this means any shop can sell crafts while the park is open, or only shops within the park. A clearer definition of “crafts” was also sought from the council. … Other exemptions include dairies, service stations, takeaways, bars, restaurants and cafes, duty-free stores and shops providing services rather than selling goods, such as a hairdresser. … The industry had fought hard to get the exemption and Odering could not understand why it didn’t include Friday, too. … Since 1992, Odering said the his business had paid in excess of $20,000 in fines, Department of Labour Fees and court costs because they had refused to shut shop over Easter. @RetailNZ spokesman… @MBIEgovtnz data shows that prosecutions for shops illegally opening over Easter steadily declined from 63 in 2006, to 34 in 2008, 28 in 2010, 25 in 2012, 0 in 2014 and 3 in 2016. …

Easter to bring a million foreign tourists to Netherlands (4/13/2017) | Janene Pieters   About 950 thousand foreign tourists will spend Easter weekend in the Netherlands, according to calculations by @NBTC. “It is expected to be very busy”, a spokesperson said to @NOS. “In comparison with last year, we expect 100 thousand more tourists.” Most foreign visitors come from Germany, about 600 thousand. And over 200 thousand Belgians are expected to visit this weekend. …increasing since 2009… Last year 15.8 million foreigners visited our country. This can partly be attributed to the recovering economy in Europe and America. And due to the weak euro, it is relatively cheap for non-euro countries to visit the Netherlands on holiday. The threat of terrorist attacks in European cities such as Paris and Brussels also…

Norwegian Easter Traditions   … In old times, people would climb mountains on Easter Sunday morn to watch the sunrise as they thought the sun danced with joy for the resurrection of Christ.  It is suggested that this could have started the Norwegian habit of ‘going up the mounatins’ at Easter time.  This day was also a day to predict the weather for the Summer.  If it was a good day then the Summer would be good too.  If there was frost the night before the Sunday then the Summer would come late.  For some reason, the Bunad is not worn during Easter. Easter Sunday breakfast is a grand affair.  Anything and everything is put on the table, cured meats and especially eggs – boiled, scrambled, fried, (and even fish eggs!), you name it.  The boiled eggs are often dyed or painted before eating.  Traditionally the Winter stores are low from the long Winter, so there is not much cooking or baking, especially compared to Christmas time.  However, egg dishes are in abundance, especially when there has been a lot of egg decorating with lots of leftover whites and yolks.  Pancakes are also a popular treat at Easter. … The Easter egg hunt is a common tradition around the world and in Norway children look for a brightly decorated paper eggshell filled with small lollies.  The eggs used to be real chicken eggs…

Easter | @denmarkdotdk   …most Danes regard Easter as a holiday. A national survey in 2000 showed that 48% of the Danes attached particular importance to the family spending time together during Easter and 37% regarded it as a holiday; only 10% mentioned ‘attending Church’ and ‘the Christian message’ as the main feature of Easter. … Many homes and shops are decorated for Easter in green and yellow, especially with new-leaved branches and daffodils. The main symbol of Easter is still the egg. The eggs used for decoration may be ordinary hen’s eggs which have been blown out and coloured or they may be imitation eggs or various kinds of sugar and chocolate eggs. Other decorations include small artificial hens and chickens and gradually also the Easter hare, which formerly was almost exclusively common in the areas by the German border. There is a unique Danish Easter tradition, viz. the custom of sending teaser letters. In the weeks before Easter especially children cut out elaborate letters, on which they write a so-called teaser verse. The letter is anonymous, but signed with a number of dots corresponding to the number of letters in the sender’s name, so that the recipient has a chance of guessing who sent it. The pledge is a chocolate Easter egg redeemed at Easter. The letter is accompanied by a snowdrop, which is regarded as the first flower of the year. …

Easter in Sweden (4/12/2017) | @Sweden_Belgrade   …most people celebrate it at home with their families and relatives. … Nowadays, eggs are a favourite accompaniment to the dish of pickled herring that is the centrepiece of most Swedes’ Easter meals. And few associate the omnipresent birch twigs − nowadays decorated with brightly coloured feathers − with the suffering of Christ. Easter has its own rituals. Children dress up as Easter witches; clad in discarded clothes, gaily coloured headscarves and red-painted cheeks, they go from house to house in the neighbourhood and present the occupants with paintings and drawings in the hope of getting sweets in return. Having consumed all these sweets, they are then given Easter eggs filled with yet more. … A traditional Easter lunch is likely to consist of different varieties of pickled herring, cured salmon and Jansson’s Temptation (potato, onion and pickled anchovies baked in cream). … At dinner, people eat roast lamb with potato gratin and asparagus, or some other suitable side dish.


Caucasus Vol.1 (Armenia)

cf. Stuck with each other: A Russian ally rues its dependence upon Moscow (3/20/2015) | @TheEconomist    Armenia’s Russia problem (12/13/2016) | CHRISTINA GATHMAN @thehill (@IntelTrak)

Support to the Armenia-Turkey Normalisation Process: Stage Two | @Armenia_Turkey    Armenia and Turkey: From normalization to reconciliation (2/24/2015) | Andrew Moffatt, Fiona Hill, and Kemal Kirişci @BrookingsFP

The potential and obstacles to Armenia-Iran strategic relations (3/16/2016) | Eduard Abrahamyan, The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center    Christian Armenia and Islamic Iran: An unusual partnership explained (1/14/2013) | HAROUT HARRY SEMERDJIAN @thehill … Its border with an often unstable Georgia remains open to the North as well as a tiny 22-mile Southern border with Iran – termed as a “lifeline” for the culturally-rich yet resource-poor country of 3 million. …northern Iran is inhabited by over 15 million Azeris (double the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan), driving Iran’s concern of a potential… Two seats in the Iranian Parliament are appointed for Armenian representation and northern Iran, once a part of several Armenian kingdoms… Russia remains Armenia’s strategic ally and Armenia has very warm and developing relations with the United States and the EU. …the United States should assist Armenian integration in regional economic and transportation projects and to energize U.S.-Armenia economic relations via a bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. …

The world’s first Christian country? (4/6/2017) | Amanda Proença Santos & Rodolfo Contreras @BBC (via @ARAMAC_DC)

https://twitter.com/SupportArmenia/status/850904469466382336


Africa Vol.6 (South Africa)

cf. An economy for the 99% | @Nina_Kirsten @KPMG_SA   UK and South Africa Relations post Brexit (w Video; 3/13/2017) | @MatterConcern (@SABCNewsOnline interview with the outgoing British High Commissioner to South Africa)

SouthAfrica_WorldSolutions


New Zealand Vol.9 (Marlborough, Nelson&Tasman)

Updated in May 2020.

Marlborough


@MarlboroughNZ
@MarlDistCouncil


https://twitter.com/USAmbNZ/status/1055244283328909312

Nelson – Tasman


Marlborough | @PureNewZealand  
Nelson – Tasman | @NewZealandNow  
Nelson Airport
@tasmandc
@nelsoncitynz
@NelsonMuseumNZ
@NMIT


https://twitter.com/NewZealandTrips/status/1184133145622278147
https://twitter.com/PureNewZealand/status/862428979805827072


Central Asia Vol.2

Kazakhstan

cf. Why are Russians Leaving Kazakhstan?   A quarter-century later… Ethnic Kazakhs…now represent nearly 70 percent… …the Kazakhstani government’s broader struggles at retaining the country’s ethnic minorities… …putatively Russophobic sentiments in Kazakhstan could incur a response from an expansionist Moscow…

Political map    The Migration Landscape of Kazakhstan’s Uyghur: A Historical Perspective    Kazakhs striving to prove Genghis Khan descent   Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Economic Relations Make Progress    Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: Competitors, Strategic Partners or Eternal Friends?    Delimitation of state border of independent Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan.


Africa Vol..5 (Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar)

Tanzania

Mozambique

Madagascar


New Zealand Vol.8 (West Coast, Canterbury)

Updated in May 2020.

West Coast


@WestpowerNZ
https://twitter.com/PureNewZealand/status/958438757157429248

Canterbury


@CECCTheChamber
@Christchurch_NZ
@ChristchurchCC
@CHC_Airport
@ChchArtGallery
@AraCanterbury
@PressNewsroom
@WaitakiDC


https://twitter.com/RM_JFSeed/status/1095193060583997440


LatAm Vol.6 (Peru, Ecuador)


New Zealand Vol.7 (Southland, Otago)

Updated in May 2020.

South Island

Southland


@Southland_NZ
@sit_nz


https://twitter.com/NWT_NZ/status/1260382582140624896

Otago


@OtagoRC
@OtagoCDEM
@DOCcoastalotago
@OtagoMuseum
@Lovedunedin
@DnCityCouncil
@OSMDunedin
@PureQueenstown
@QueenstownLakes
@CromwellNZ
https://twitter.com/PureNewZealand/status/1211723663671738368


Central Asia Vol.1

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

cf. Xinjiang | @iaunrc @IndianaUniv   KYRGYZ IN CHINA: HISTORY AND CULTURE | @FactsAndDetails   TIBET AND THE UNITED STATES (PDF; 2000) | A. Tom Grunfeld @SUNYEmpireState #EALAC @ColumbiaHum   Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan look to boost energy, trade ties (1/7/2017) | Zafar Bhutta @etribune   Pakistan, Tajikistan discuss rail link (11/24/2016) | AMIN AHMED @dawn_com   India, Kyrgyzstan sign six agreements (12/20/2016) | @ians_india @IndianExpress   India – Tajikistan Relations (PDF; 2016) | @IndianDiplomacy   TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN | @TheStudyofWar


LatAm Vol.5 (Guyana, Suriname & French Guiana)


US Presidential Election 2016 Vol.5 (articles on policies)

Here are just a part of articles concerning the two candidates’ policies. Excerpts are on our own.

2016 US elections Scenario One: A new female face in the White House but same old gridlock in Washington | Michael Moran @Control_Risks
…while Clinton is not the economic nationalist that her rival Trump is, her presidency marks the end of an era in which Democratic presidents championed free trade accords. With Republicans, too, now unwilling to make the case for free trade publicly, January 2017 in effect ends the post-war era of US leadership on global trade liberalization.
Clinton presidency in nine lines…
Clinton presses new rules on the financial services sector, proposing a follow-on to the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reforms aimed at preventing further consolidation in the banking industry, imposing a ‘risk fee’ on large financial institutions, imposing new capital and reporting requirements on broker-dealers and examining the break-up of systemically significant banking institutions after new, vigorous stress testing.

2016 US elections Scenario Two: Trump wins | Michael Moran @Control_Risks
…Trump, without need to consult Congress, could use executive powers to repeal a host of Obama-era regulatory schema in the financial services, energy, mining and corporate sectors. With Congress, he would seek to push through a modified austerity plan that includes sweeping cuts of the public sector workforce, the elimination of the federal departments of Labour, Energy and Education, and steep cuts in corporate and individual tax rates. @OxfordEconomics, our macroeconomic joint venture partner, reckons Trump’s plan would lead to a major shortfall in government revenue…
In keeping with his campaign promises, Trump would launch new complaints against China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that amount to ultimatums, and would impose new tariffs on China, Mexico and other low-wage nations. He would have the ability to withdraw the US from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but again, will use that threat to demand changes in the terms of trade that add to the cost of items imported from Mexico. The resulting retaliatory incentives would threaten a general downturn in global growth. …

Analyzing the 2016 election: Insights from 12 @MIT scholars | @MIT_SHASS

Surreal Politics: How Anxiety About Race, Gender and Inequality is Shaping the 2016 Presidential Campaign (w Video) | Dean Brady, Prof @JackGlaserPhD, Prof Sarah Anzia & @_jonathanstein @GoldmanSchool @uctelevision

Bill Clinton is right about ‘crazy’ Obamacare | @johnrgraham @FraserInstitute

What could we expect in terms of foreign policy from Pres Trump or Pres Clinton? Watch @stephenWalt assessment | @carnegiecouncil

The Superpower Cyber War and the US Elections | @GabiSiboni & David Siman-Tov @INSSIsrael @CSS_Zurich

Russia-US cyber tensions show the true threat of cyberwar | Petr Bohacek @risk_insights

Challenges for the Next President: The Crisis with Russia | @HarvardIOP

Trump and the Pope: ‘I’ vs. ‘We’ Visions | E. J. Dionne & Catherine Brekus @HarvardDivinity

The Next Four Years: The Middle East | @MikeatPrinceton & @brosehuber @WilsonSchool

Admiral @stavridisj: The Iran Paradox | @Time

Syria in Crisis: A Secondary Thought | @aronlund

The 2016 presidential campaign and the crisis of US foreign policy (w PDF) | @LowyInstitute

Refugees, Immigrants, and the Polarization of American Foreign Policy | A. TREVOR THRALL @CatoInstitute

Michael Mandelbaum on US Foreign Policy | @DavidAndelman @OUPPolitics @WorldPolicy

NAFTA’s Economic Impact | James McBride & Mohammed Aly Sergie @CFR_org

Trumping Trade (w PDF) | @SMerler @Bruegel_org
– What’s at stake: Trade is a central topic in the US presidential campaign, with both candidates expressing some degree of criticism about past trade policy. But while Hillary Clinton’s position could be described as a cautious scepticism, Donald Trump’s trade plans are more openly protectionist. His proposals include high tariffs on imports, renegotiating trade agreements and possibly US withdrawal from the WTO. After the first presidential debate, we review economists’ reactions and their assessment of Trumps trade policies.

Trump’s outdated trade policy | @clingendael83

Germany Prepares for Possible President Trump | @holger_stark & @schultchristoph @SPIEGELONLINE

TRUMP’S MUSE ON U.S. TRADE WITH CHINA | @adamdavidson @newyorker

Possible Presidents and their Possible Justices (PDF) | Lee Epstein, Andrew D. Martin & Kevin Quinn

Must America become more like Scandinavia? A long-read Q&A with @stanveuger | @JimPethokoukis @AEI

Xi Jinping might delay call on a successor, defying script | @ChuBailiang @TT_Features

Nuke or No Nuke? Japan’s Long Dilemma | Yo-Jung Chen‏ @Diplomat_APAC

WHY WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT TRUMP-CLINTON TRADE BASHING: NAOMI LAKRITZ FOR INSIDE POLICY | @MLInstitute

Donald Trump and the Implications for Australia | Michael Clarke & @anthonyricketts @WorldPolicy

Hillary Clinton and the Implications for Australia | Michael Clarke & @anthonyricketts @WorldPolicy

Why is Trump better than Clinton for Arabs? | Mamdouh AlMuhaini @AlArabiya_Eng
…he may turn out to be better than the polished but somewhat artificial Hillary Clinton.
In order to see Trump in the right perspective, it is important to understand the answers to three questions: Why do Americans hate him or, to be more specific, why is the American media united against him? Why is Trump resorting to this controversial method that shocks us? Finally, and most importantly, what is the impact of Trump’s policies on our region? …
…Hence we find many Americans – due to their hatred of Trump – turning into “political Salafists” and dreaming about a glorious past. It is also an elitist and arrogant attitude because the president must be a good orator, mobilizing the masses during crisis situations and making them laugh on light-hearted occasions. …
…Trump presents himself as a horse – or a bull if you like – a wild new horse that was not affected by politicians’ corruption in Washington. He refuses to be controlled and used for their interests. He represents a new persona that was not trained but yet can change the lack of action and break the inertia in the US capital and its politicians who have been corrupted by money and interests.
With this dynamic uncontrollable character, Trump has been able to break old traditions and touch the heart of the white middle class Americans that were forgotten, during the past eight years, when a black president was in power. …
…Famous thinker Samuel Huntington wrote an oft-quoted article before his death, in which he warned about the Latin invasion of America. Huntington called for the imposition of conditions that would push the Latin community to be integrated into American society, including the need to learn English and believe in Protestant values, which has characterized the American spirit since the beginning.
It would be stupid to believe that Trump did not understand this predicament and did not know how to cleverly exploit it, even though his words make us laugh. Trump says these sentences includes special symbols and codes. When he said that he would imprison Hillary, he was not naïve; he wanted to say that he will help the weak and the marginalized and would waive the immunity of the corrupt political class, in order to ensure justice.
… What is more important than the above-mentioned factors is Trump’s Middle East policy in comparison to Hillary’s approach. In the most important two areas, Trump seems much better than Hillary. He rejects the Iranian nuclear deal, which is strongly supported by Hillary, and strongly criticizes political Islam, which is also backed by the Democratic candidate (Clinton believes that the Muslim Brotherhood can tame the monster of terrorism and provide a new alternative that is more moderate).
Trump has threatened Iran in Syria and has repeatedly criticized the nuclear agreement, stressing that it is a failed agreement. He pointed out that the sanctions would have overwhelmed the regime in Tehran. He was right when he criticized political Islam saying that it was a source of terrorism. This is a valid point that we (Arabs) understand more than others do. …

Why the U.S. President Needs a Council of Historians | Graham Allison & @nfergus @TheAtlantic
…“almost no administration’s leading figures know the history of what we have done in the Middle East.” Neither do they know the history of the region itself. In 2003, to take one example, when President George W. Bush chose to topple Saddam Hussein, he did not appear to fully appreciate either the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims or the significance of the fact that Saddam’s regime was led by a Sunni minority that had suppressed the Shiite majority. He failed to heed warnings that the predictable consequence of his actions would be a Shiite-dominated Baghdad beholden to the Shiite champion in the Middle East—Iran.
The problem is by no means limited to the Middle East or to Bush. President Obama’s inattention to the deep historical relationship between Russia and Ukraine led him to underestimate the risks of closer ties between Ukraine and Europe. “I don’t really even need George Kennan right now,” President Obama told The New Yorker for a January 2014 article, referring to the great Cold War–era diplomat and historian. By March, Russia had annexed Crimea. …
…We believe it is time for a new and rigorous “applied history”—an attempt to illuminate current challenges and choices by analyzing precedents and historical analogues. We not only want to see applied history incorporated into the Executive Office of the President, alongside economic expertise; we also want to see it developed as a discipline in its own right at American universities, beginning at our own. When people refer to “applied history” today, they are typically referring to training for archivists, museum curators, and the like. We have in mind a different sort of applied history, one that follows in the tradition of the modern historian Ernest May and the political scientist Richard Neustadt. Their 1986 book, Thinking in Time, provides the foundation on which we intend to build. …

The U.S. Vice President and Foreign Policy | @MastersJR @CFR_org


Australia Vol.4 (Coalition – Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal National Party of Queensland, National Party of Australia, Country Liberal Party (NT) – 2016 Election Policies)

Here is the manifesto of the ruling coalition (@LiberalAus, @LNPQLD, @The_Nationals & Country Liberals) in July 2016. Excerpts are on our own.

[More Jobs and Growth through Increased Trade and Investment]
KEY COMMITMENTS
… Up to 10,000 new jobs are expected to be created in the financial services sector alone by 2030. In the first year of operation, our agreements with Korea and Japan delivered real benefits for the agricultural sector: the value of Australian exports of fresh beef to Japan increased by 22 per cent to just over $1 billion; exports of bottled wine to Korea increased 53 per cent; and China’s imports of fresh Australian lobster between January and March were triple those of 12 months ago.
Australia’s economy will be $24 billion larger by 2035 because of the Coalition’s free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea. The free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea are forecast to create some 7,900 jobs this year and over 14,500 jobs in 2020. …
We will continue to drive job growth through trade and investment by:
– delivering a company tax cut for Australia’s small businesses
– establishing a single window for all export documentation
– implementing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
– negotiating free trade agreements with India, Indonesia, the European Union, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and Pacific Island countries under PACER Plus, as well as pursuing new trade opportunities, including in the Indo-Pacific region.
– connecting businesses with export markets
– establishing a Professional Services Mutual Recognition Unit
– actioning the recently released ‘National Strategy for International Education 2025’ and the marketing plan ‘Australian International Education 2025’
– securing access for local exporters to the multi-billion dollar government procurement markets of 45 economies by joining the WTO Government Procurement Agreement

THE CHOICE
… Labor had six years to conclude these agreements and achieved little. The Coalition’s three free trade agreements will add billions in additional income year-on-year and thousands of additional jobs. Real wages will be higher. …
Labor closed Australia’s live animal trade overnight, damaging our reputation as a reliable supplier of quality agricultural produce.
Labor let free trade agreement negotiations languish while our exporters lost market share to our competitors. …
Labor damaged our reputation as an investment destination when it introduced the mining and carbon taxes. The Coalition abolished the mining and carbon taxes. Under Labor, the number of unemployed increased by 200,000, productivity declined by 0.7 per cent per year, working days lost to strikes doubled, and business red tape increased.
Labor’s policies threaten the successful transition to the new economy, through damaging tax changes that will cut existing property values, a 50 per cent increase in Capital Gains Tax that will hurt investment, and refusal to support re-establishing the ABCC.
Bill Shorten has promised around $60 billion worth of additional spending on top of what is currently in the Budget, leaving a massive black hole in Labor’s books. …

[Support Innovative New Businesses and Jobs]
KEY COMMITMENTS
… The Coalition has a strong record supporting innovation and startup businesses, investing around $10 billion a year on innovation, science and research.
We are also delivering a $1.1 billion National Innovation and Science Agenda to boost innovation in Australia.
As part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, the Coalition has delivered tax incentives for investors in innovative startup businesses. These tax incentives make it easier for startup businesses to raise the funding they need to hire new employees and grow their business into new markets. …
The Coalition will continue to support Australia’s startup businesses by investing $23 million to:
– increase the number of startup incubators and accelerators in Australia
– support the expansion of existing high-performing incubators and accelerators
– attract ‘experts in residence’ to provide specialist advice to startup businesses …

[Smart Cities]
KEY COMMITMENTS
Australia’s cities are home to the majority of our population and responsible for more than 80 per cent of national economic output. Liveable, accessible cities with clean environments are now essential economic assets.
In the knowledge economy, people are our greatest resource, and smart cities put people first. The Coalition will innovate with smart policy, smart investment and smart technology to ensure our cities are more liveable, more productive, and more prosperous.
Our cities are at the frontline of action on climate change. That is why the Coalition will establish an investment fund to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency technology in cities through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
These investments will drive new jobs and enterprise, reducing greenhouse emissions while making our cities more resilient, liveable and putting downward pressure on energy bills.
Projects must demonstrate value for money and earn a financial return for taxpayers.
Financial returns will be reinvested in new projects, creating a sustainable pool of funding with an annual investment target of up to $100 million each year.
The Coalition will also establish a $50 million competitive Smart Cities Program for local governments to collaborate and apply innovative technology-based approaches to improve the liveability of cities and their suburbs. …

[a Safe and Prosperous Australia]
KEY COMMITMENTS
The Government is strengthening Australia’s national security and enhancing our prosperity after years of mismanagement by Labor.
Our economic diplomacy strategy is delivering real benefits to Australian businesses and our economy and is generating jobs.
The Coalition’s emphasis on consultation and mutual respect is building trust in Australia as a reliable partner of choice in the Indo-Pacific region.
We are broadening and deepening our bilateral relationships with key strategic and economic partners including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore and Indonesia.
We are keeping Australians safe from terrorism by cancelling the passports of foreign fighters, making it an offence for Australians to enter declared terrorist-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq and working closely with regional friends and partners.
We are refocusing Australia’s diplomatic, trade and development efforts on our region.
We are delivering a sustainable, effective and affordable aid program that helps developing countries reduce poverty and promote sustainable economic growth, giving priority to women and girls, education, health and aid-for-trade.
The Government’s student overseas study program, the New Colombo Plan, is supporting Australian university students to study and undertake internships in more than 35 countries in our region. This is building a generation of future Australian leaders with deeper understanding of our region and relationships to last a lifetime.
The Coalition’s foreign policy prepares Australia for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century by:
– expanding Australia’s overseas diplomatic presence
– boosting Australia’s crisis response capability
– establishing regional health security partnerships
– supporting a Pacific Women Mentoring Programme
– developing a contemporary foreign policy strategy that builds on our achievements and focuses on 21st century challenges and opportunities

[a Stronger Agriculture Sector]
KEY COMMITMENTS
A strong agriculture sector will boost Australia’s productivity, jobs and exports.
The Coalition has delivered a $4 billion Agriculture White Paper that will support jobs growth in our regions, drive export opportunities for agricultural businesses, and encourage investment to ensure Australia remains a globally competitive agriculture producer.
We are delivering significant commitments to the agriculture sector, including a $200 million increase in biosecurity funding, $190 million for rural research and development for profit, $100 million for pest and weed management, a $2.5 billion concessional loan programme for farmers, and a $500 million National Water Infrastructure Fund to provide future water security for our farmers.
Australian agriculture is stronger under the Coalition.
The Coalition will continue to support jobs and growth in the agriculture sector by:
– delivering a $2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility to support major water infrastructure projects over 10 years
– building the Rookwood Weir, upgrading the Macalister Irrigation District and laying the south-west Loddon pipeline
– investing $20 million to help eradicate invasive pests through Invasive Animals Solutions
– encouraging investment by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation in agriculture
– committing $8.3 million to complete implementation of the Livestock Export Global Assurance programme
– providing $1.2 million to boost research and development for thoroughbred breeders
– delivering $4 million to establish a Northern Australian rice industry
– establishing a Regional Investment Corporation
– providing $4 million to support Casino Beef Week and ensure the Beef Australia 2018 event occurs in Rockhampton
– investing $2 million to establish a commodity milk price index
– developing leadership capacity in agricultural industries
– providing $1.8 million in additional funding for the Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities programme
– creating centres of excellence in agriculture

THE CHOICE
… When in government, Labor short-changed Australia’s agricultural sector, costing jobs and investment opportunities.
Labor cut funding to Australian agriculture by $2.1 billion.
Labor’s panicked reaction to an ABC TV programme devastated the Northern Australian cattle industry.
Labor’s super trawler fiasco damaged Australia’s reputation as a trade partner.

[Jobs and Growth in Regional Australia]
KEY COMMITMENTS
Regional Australia is critical to Australia’s economic prosperity and is home to around one third of Australia’s population.
Regional Australia accounts for around 65 per cent of Australia’s export earnings by value and is a major source of domestic and international tourism. 45 cents in every tourism dollar is spent in regional Australia.
Regional communities are benefitting from the Coalition’s economic plan.
Our export trade deals have made it easier for regional businesses to export to Asia and our tax cuts for small business are creating new job opportunities.
Regional communities are an attractive place to live and invest.
They have a strong culture of innovation, offer diverse employment options, and attract the skills and talent needed to build successful businesses.
While the opportunities for regional Australia have never been greater, the Coalition recognises that some regions have been impacted by the slowdown in mining, falling commodity prices and changes to the manufacturing sector.
The Coalition will boost jobs, investment and growth in regional Australia.
We will establish a $200 million Regional Jobs and Investment package to deliver regional jobs and growth.
The Regional Jobs and Investment package will incentivise local businesses to invest and employ, enable regional communities to upgrade local infrastructure and deliver new skills and training programmes.
The package will be delivered in partnership with local communities.
Community leaders and local experts will be engaged to assess the needs of regional communities and develop local investment plans covering the following three areas:
– Business innovation grants
– Local infrastructure
– Skills and training programmes
The package will support regional communities to diversify their economies, create new export opportunities and help boost regional jobs.
The Coalition will contribute $200 million to the Regional Jobs and Investment package and will leverage a further $200 million in matched funding. Individual regions will be able to access up to $30 million in funding.
Our commitment will boost confidence, jobs, investment, and growth in regional Australia.

THE CHOICE
… Labor’s policies will fail to deliver jobs and opportunities for regional Australia.

[A Stronger Economy and Balanced Budget]
KEY COMMITMENTS
The Coalition’s policies are fully costed and we will deliver an improvement to the Budget bottom line.
Our responsible and transparent approach to fiscally sound policy means that, compared to the Budget bottom-line in the Pre-Election Fiscal and Economic Outlook (PEFO), we will deliver a net improvement of $1.1 billion over the next four years.
By contrast, Labor worsens the PEFO results by $16.5 billion over the four years, despite increasing taxes.
Only the Coalition has a credible, fully-costed economic plan that will deliver jobs, promote economic growth, and deliver a secure future for Australian families.
Our economic plan is seeing results. Since the start of the election campaign several updates to economic indicators have been released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
– latest growth figures show Australia’s economy grew at more than 3 per cent over the last year
– our economy is growing faster than the US, UK, Canada and well above the OECD average
– export volumes and trade balance improved in April
– the current account balance strengthened in March
– household consumption remained solid, growing at 0.7 per cent through the March quarter and 3 per cent over the year
– the number of employed Australians has increased by 225,000 over the year to May 2016 and more than 460,000 jobs have been created since the Coalition came to government
– the unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent, down from its peak of 6.3 per cent in July 2015
– consumer confidence as measured by the Westpac Index remains elevated at a level of 102.2 in June – above the 10 year average and nearly 7 points above the confidence level a year ago
– business conditions and business confidence as indicated in the respected NAB survey remain positive and the AIG Performance of Services Index is stabilising
– our credit rating remains stable at the top level of Triple-A
The Coalition’s fiscally responsible and transparent approach to policy will mean lower taxes for families and businesses, greater certainty and stability, and more opportunities for job and real wage growth.
Our approach guarantees the protection of Medicare and funding for health, education and infrastructure.

THE CHOICE
The Coalition has a strong economic record and a plan to continue to grow our economy in order to provide jobs into the future.
The Coalition inherited a Budget in chaos from the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years.
Living within our means is a key part of our National Economic Plan.
Unlike Labor, all our policies are fully funded.
This means we guarantee the protection of Medicare and funding for health, education and infrastructure.
Labor have rejected this commitment. They are instead raising taxes and at the same time make the Budget deficit worse over the next four years.
Under Labor, the deficit will be $16.5 billion higher than under the Coalition.
This means Labor will be borrowing an average of $11 million more than the Coalition each and every day over the next four years.
Three eminent economists have confirmed Labor will put Australia’s AAA credit rating at greater risk.
This is simply not fair to Australia’s youth.
High levels of debt shift the burden of paying for services Australian’s enjoy today on to our children and our grandchildren.
It’s the same old Labor – higher spending, higher deficits, despite increased taxes and higher debt.

cf Federal Platform

aus-manifesto-coalition


Australia Vol.3 (Australian Labor Party’s 10 Year Plan for Australia’s Economy; AUSTRALIAN GREENS ELECTION PLATFORM 2016)

Here are the manifestos of a part of the current opposition parties (@AustralianLabor; @Greens) in July 2016. Excerpts are on our own.

—–AustralianLabor
[Nation-building infrastructure: jobs, road and rail]
Labor’s Positive Plan For Infrastructure
Labor’s Positive Plan For Aviation
Labor’s Positive Plan For Aviation

[Acting on climate change, protecting the environment]
Increased Energy Efficiency
PDF p.2  … Our Climate Change Action Plan provides a pathway for an orderly transition to a low pollution economy through six key elements:
1. Make Australia a Leading Renewable Energy Economy by ensuring that 50% of the nation’s electricity is sourced from renewable energy by 2030, providing the Clean Energy Finance Corporation with more certainty and more flexibility with less red tape and more technology options, and developing new community power projects.
2. Cleaner Power Generation by ensuring that the modernisation and diversification in Australia’s electricity generation from old heavy polluting coal fired power stations to modern clean energy is an orderly transition, with meaningful support for workers and communities.
3. Build Jobs and Industry by maximising the job opportunities from clean energy and clean technology, while also securing the future of critical Australian industries through a Strategic Industries Task Force. This will be supported by a Strategic Industries Reserve Fund of $300m to support the transition of key industries to 2020.
4. Cut Pollution through an Emissions Trading Scheme with access to international offsets, placing a legal cap on the emissions of large polluters through a cap and offsets scheme, while supporting industry by ensuring access to international carbon offsets.
5. Capture Carbon on the Land by reinvigorating the Carbon Farming Initiative to encourage carbon storage in agriculture, and taking decisive action to deal with broad scale land clearing.
6. Increased Energy Efficiency by doubling Australia’s national energy productivity by 2030 and implementing new emissions standards for motor vehicles to cut pollution on our roads.

[Budget repair that’s fair: a 10 year plan to strengthen the Australian economy]
Research and Development Investment Target
Positive Plan on Housing Affordability – Negative Gearing Reform
Labor’s Fiscal Plan

[Australia’s place in a changing world]
Defence Under Labor: A Safe, Secure and Independent Australia
… A Shorten Labor Government will ensure Australia retains a world-class defence force and innovative defence industry by:
– Implementing the funding goals of the 2016 Defence White Paper, including raising Defence funding to 2 per cent of GDP by 2020‑21.
– Building 12 Future Submarines in South Australia, and mandating that at least 70 per cent of the work is done in Australia.
– Maintaining Australia’s strategically vital naval shipbuilding industry by implementing a continuous build of surface warships and ending the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s practice of denying local shipyards the opportunity to compete for work.
– Continuing to strengthen defence cooperation with the United States, including by redressing the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s neglect of the US Force Posture Initiatives in Australia’s north.
– Reforming the means by which ADF pay and conditions are determined and putting an end to the Abbott-Turnbull Government’s cynical attempts to cut the pay and conditions of ADF personnel.
– Establishing an intergovernmental taskforce to develop a nationally consistent approach to perfluorinated chemical contamination at Defence and Commonwealth sites.

[Putting people first in every State and Territory]
Labor’s Positive Plan For WA
Labor’s Positive Plan For Tasmania
Labor’s Positive Plan For The Central Coast
Labor’s Positive Plan For Victoria
Labor’s Positive Plan For South Australia
Labor’s Positive Plan For the NT
Labor’s Positive Plan For Queensland
Labor’s Positive Plan For New South Wales

Labor’s Positive Policies For Agriculture And Regional Australia
{BOOSTING LOCAL JOBS THROUGH TRADE, EXPORTS AND INVESTMENT}
MAKING TRADE WORK FOR BUSINESS
– Tackle barriers to Australian exports
– Reduce red tape for exporters
– Facilitate trade in our region
IMPROVING MARKETING AND BRANDING
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE ON INVESTMENT
{RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION FOR BETTER PRODUCTIVITY}
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR BIOSECURITY
MANAGING YELLOW CRAZY ANTS
AUSTRALIAN TROPICAL MARINE AND AQUACULTURE CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PESTICIDES AND VETERINARY MEDICINES AUTHORITY
FOOD AND FIBRE INNOVATION
REGIONAL INNOVATION HUBS
{IMPROVING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE}
BETTER ROAD AND RAIL
A FIRST-CLASS NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK
IMPROVING MOBILE SERVICES
STRONGER PEST MANAGEMENT
{TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE}
{PRIORITY SECTORS}
FORESTRY
FISHERIES
WELFARE IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION

—–Greens
[ELECTION 2016: WHAT THE GREENS WILL DO FOR AUSTRALIA – Standing Up For What Matters]
ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING
A CONFIDENT AUSTRALIA
PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS PLACES
RENEWED DEMOCRACY
EQUALITY AND COMPASSION
NEW ECONOMY
GREENING THE BUDGET
p.47  THE GREENS REVENUE MEASURES INCLUDE:
– Removing tax free fuel and other perks for miners $24 billion
– Removing the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing $14 billion
– Progressive superannuation $10 billion
– Requiring efficiencies in defence spending $14 billion
– Putting a price on carbon pollution $16 billion
– Limiting debt loading by companies $2 billion
– Stopping the concealment and splitting of income by trusts $4 billion
– Opposing income tax cuts and asking more from high earners $9 billion