Foreign buyers estimated at 29%

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, August 25th, 2016 - 75 comments
Categories: capital gains, Economy, housing, national, overseas investment, spin - Tags: , , , ,

Most of the media has reported the Government’s “3%” spin on the extent of residential property purchases in NZ going to foreign buyers pretty uncritically. There have been honourable exceptions, and yesterday property editor Anne Gibson in The Herald joined them:

Foreigners buying 29pc of homes, not 3pc – lawyer

Foreigners are buying 29 per cent of New Zealand residential properties, not the low 3 per cent reported in official state data, a lawyer says.

Mary Anne Shanahan, a New Lynn-based conveyancing lawyer, expressed annoyance at interpretation of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) data which shows extremely low transaction numbers for foreigners.

At the beginning of this month, LINZ released data showing that from April 1 to June 30, overseas residents bought 1749 out of the 57,678 homes sold in New Zealand. That amounts to 3 per cent of total sales over the three-month period – a similar level to the previous quarter.

But Shanahan said people had failed to add in foreigners here on work or student visas. Those people had not been classified foreigners yet they clearly were, she said, because they are not New Zealand residents.

LINZ revealed that foreigners on work and student visas bought more than 8000 properties they intended to occupy and a further 4707 properties they did not intend to occupy. That significantly boosted the numbers of foreigners buying here to about 29 per cent, Shanahan calculated.

She blamed the media and the Government for failing to examine the data closely enough and interpret it correctly.

“The New Zealand Herald has in its editorial quoted the 3 per cent number with the indication that those of us who know the number to be higher are xenophobic. This issue needs to be raised. …

Read on for more in The Herald.

75 comments on “Foreign buyers estimated at 29% ”

  1. Lanthanide 1

    Even this figure is wrong.

    The 3% figure is accounting for “tax residency” only.

    The 29% figure here is based on people having the right to live in NZ, being on a valid work or study visa. However this further question is only supposed to be answered by non-citizens, however some citizens have answered the question instead of replying n/a meaning the figures are overstated (why LINZ didn’t have enough information to simply correct this data themselves I don’t know).

    Is someone on a work visa, who intends to permanently immigrate to NZ, really a foreigner?

    • Sabine 1.1

      yes, until they have permanent residence you are considered a foreigner by any institutions in NZ, be it migration, police, winz, hospitals etc etc etc.

      I .e. i was for two years on a working visa aka a foreigner on a temporary visa.
      then i was for two years on a returning resident visa – still a temporary bisa
      then i got on my permanent visa – and bingo presto now i was a ‘permanent resident’ with a funny accent who for some still is a foreigner learning to be a kiwi.

      But fact is that if you are on a temporary visa such as a work visa / student visa the moment you leave NZ during the validity of your visa you loose that visa, and need to re-apply and you need to have your visa sorted before re-entering the country. That makes you a foreigner.

      • Craig H 1.1.1

        That’s not entirely true – holders of work visas of 2+ years duration have access to the public health system, as do any of their dependents* in NZ. Likewise, primary and secondary students who are student visa holders on the basis of being dependent children of work visa holders are considered domestic students for the purposes of funding and school enrolments.

        *dependent here means partner or children on appropriate partnership, visitor or student visas.

        Partners and dependent children of NZ residents and citizens also have the above rights if they don’t yet have residence themselves and are in NZ on temporary visas.

        NZ has some reciprocal health arrangements with Australia and the UK, so their citizens and residents may have some access while visiting here depending on the situation (mainly emergency care). ACC does not generally differentiate between different visas and the right to be in NZ, so will cover foreigners in most situations.

        Also, the Immigration Act 1987 has been replaced by the Immigration Act 2009, so a lot of the terminology has changed (permits are gone and totally replaced by visas), and how Residence Class visas work is a bit different to the old system. Resident Visas and Permanent Resident Visas are both Residence Class Visas as defined by the Immigration Act 2009, so anything that refers to permanent residence usually means a Residence Class Visa, both of which convey the right to live and work in NZ indefinitely.

        Some legislation requires that a person holds residence for a certain length of time to access some forms of support e.g. 2 years to get a benefit, 3 years to get a Student Loan. On the other hand, access to Kiwisaver, public health and subsidised tertiary fees are immediate.

        Modern visas are usually issued with multiple entries, particularly work and student visas (visitor visas can be, but that will depend on category and duration and where they were issued), so the need to reapply every time someone leaves NZ is diminished.

    • Nic the NZer 1.2

      They are not classified citizens until they apply for and complete citizenship proceedings. We don’t measure intention because expectations are often as not inaccurate and that doesn’t give you any coherent sample (peoples time period for becoming citizens would be wildly different, for example). Why muddying up a coherent term into incoherrent nonsense which makes it meaningless to examine would be an improvement is beyond my understanding.

      “Is someone on a work visa, who intends to permanently immigrate to NZ, really a foreigner?”
      In brief, yes.

      • Lanthanide 1.2.1

        Not sure why you’re talking about citizenship all of a sudden, because I didn’t mention it or suggest anything about citizenship at all.

    • mickysavage 1.3

      Not sure Lanth. The collection of the data is managed by lawyers with access to the LINZ system.

      I am looking at the screen now.

      The data is entered by answering “Yes” or “No” to the questions and by inserting the date a paper copy of the statement is signed and if necessary the NZ IRD number.

      The questions include:

      “Are you or a member of your immediate family a New Zealand citizen or a holder of either a resident, work or student visa?”

      “If you are a buyer and you or a member of your immediate family hold a work or student visa, do you or a member of your immediate family intend living on the land?

      You can then decline to provide an IRD number if, amongst other reasons, the property is going to be your main home.

      The system does not break the data down into “citizens” verses others. It only measures if you are in the country legally and this is self reported.

      So anyone here on a visitor’s permit who buys a house do not need to give their IRD number if they intend to live in it. They can buy up multiple houses if they have a NZ IRD number.

      • dukeofurl 1.3.1

        I thought one of the primary reasons for IRD numbers was to catch the speculators who flick on with days or even months later for large profits.

        But seems like a big loophole if the out is ‘going to be main home’. As speculators will always say thats their ‘intention but they changed their mind’

        Everyone should be putting in an IRD number. If it does become their main home then of course nothing will come of it.

        The whole speculators tax has become a farce of no real effect.

        • TC 1.3.1.1

          As designed by national along with tax havens to enable the flow of funds to continue the ponzi scheme they created in residential property.

          Works in tandem with uber relaxed immigration criteria, i.e. have money then come on down we dont care about your character or background.

          • reason 1.3.1.1.1

            tax haven john has set us up to be as clean as the nats 100% clean river water …

            ‘It is estimated between $1.5 billion to $10 billion of dirty cash is laundered through New Zealand every year.”…

            “Auckland’s booming market is a known target for foreign criminals and local gangs.”https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/business/one-client-purchased-100m-worth-of-property-with-cash-kiwi-estates-used-to-house-money-laundering

            “Almost $8.5 billion worth of fishy transactions were reported to authorities in the past year, as New Zealand tries to rid itself of the stench of dirty money.

            That’s enough to buy at least 5,000 houses in Remuera, or almost every one in Rotorua. …..”

            “Whether the money is funnelled through a New Zealand shell company or into the booming Auckland property market, the purpose of this laundering is simple: to disguise the profits of crime as bona fide earnings so they can be spent with impunity.” …….

            “Despite this, the Government doesn’t appear to be in any rush to widen the anti-money laundering rules as originally envisaged in the 2009 legislation, to include lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and businesses that deal in high-value goods, such as auctioneers and bullion dealers……”http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11510931

            *******************************************

            Our Sub prime prime minister is as dirty as his 100% pure water ………

            His housing market is making honest working people sick …… and puts kids in cars.

  2. Colonial Viper 2

    No foreign buying of NZ land – NZ citizens and 100% NZ owned entities only; current foreign owners of NZ land have 10 years to divest.

    Foreigners may lease NZ land for a maximum term of 20 years.

    If this became Labour policy = Labour win 2017.

    • Keith 2.1

      100% agreed. Still the foreign donations, hidden of course, will flood Nationals coffers as a result, won’t they?

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1

        Indeed. Once in Govt however Labour can tighten up all the rules around foreign donations and private sector lobbyists.

        And campaigning on doing just that will also be a massive vote winner for Labour.

        These are the right things to do, they would be very popular, and would win Labour the election.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      If this became Labour policy = Labour win 2017.

      QFT

      This is something that the Left and Right don’t seem to get. We don’t actually want to sell our country to foreigners. Then there’s the simple fact that we don’t need foreign money to utilise our own resources and the belief inherent in capitalism that we do is damaging our society.

    • mary_a 2.3

      @ CV (2) … BINGO!

      Agree. The way it should be. Hope Labour has the common sense to see the general benefit of introducing such a good policy for next year.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.3.1

        Hope Labour has the common sense to see the general benefit of introducing such a good policy for next year.

        They don’t. They’re still holding on to the delusional belief that foreign ownership brings benefits:

        We’ll ban offshore buyers from the market unless they are willing to build a new home and add to the stock.

        I was there when he gave that speech. He nearly got a standing ovation for the first part and then he said unless and the whole place went quite. IMO, The Labour membership do not support foreign ownership.

    • Chooky 2.4

      +100 CV…sounds sensible to me

      but are foreign students deemed NZ citizens?…and therefore able to buy up NZ land/housing for their foreign families and friends? ( in which case this must also be stopped)

    • Chch_chiquita 2.5

      If they added to that an option for NZ residents to lease land from the govt for 99 years for a reasonable one off fee; when a property is sold the new buyer pays that same fee to the govt and the lease is renewed for 99 years. This will have a massive effect on land prices and people will have money to invest in improving their properties to higher standards.

    • Observer Tokoroa 2.6

      .
      CV – I agree with You.

      . Given that ordinary New Zealanders cannot afford to buy houses now or in the future, it would make good sense for Labour to announce a policy of divestment, coupled with a sunset lease arrangement for non New Zealand born residents and parents.

      Immigration should be put on hold immediately. Speculator sales totally banned. Why? Because it has made it impossible for ordinary new Zealanders to buy houses. Or even to rent them.

      The land, the Housing, the Infra Structure belongs to New Zealanders. Not to anyone else.

      The Maori Party does not want this of course. Nor does United Future. Neither does the Act Party. The National Party has totally shunned New Zealanders. Forced thousands of NZ people into homelessness. Shunted into it by our strange Paula.

      . I like good Policy CV.

    • Infused 2.7

      It’s funny, as I suspect a lot of National voters would agree with this policy, also.

    • srylands 2.8

      No.

      A “foreigner” who buys New Zealand land has to buy New Zealand dollars to do so. The person who sells the foreigner New Zealand dollars is paid in US dollars, Australian dollars, or Euros etc.. That foreign exchange can be used by New Zealanders to buy overseas assets. New Zealand’s net asset position does not change at all.

      Then there is the balance of payments problem. More restrictive rules on purchases by foreigners of land will by necessity mean greater foreign ownership of other assets (e.g. businesses). Are you happy with that?

      The direction of reform will be one of continued liberalisation of FDI restrictions. There is no alternative.

      If you want more houses, I suggest that you lobby the Government to allow the housing market to work, and to reform urban planning rules.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.8.1

        That foreign exchange can be used by New Zealanders to buy overseas assets.

        Not necessarily. Certainly not in China.

        New Zealand’s net asset position does not change at all.

        This is another lie of the RWNJ and economists. Money is nothing after all.

        Then there is the balance of payments problem. More restrictive rules on purchases by foreigners of land will by necessity mean greater foreign ownership of other assets (e.g. businesses).

        Logical fallacy: Non-sequitur.

        After all, they could just buy more of our products instead.

        And the balance of payments should be addressed by having the exchange rate determined by the amount of trade between countries. Importing more from a country drops the NZ$ in relation to that countries currency. Profits from NZ going to another country also drops the NZ$ in relation to that countries currency.

        The direction of reform will be one of continued liberalisation of FDI restrictions. There is no alternative.

        Banning foreign ownership seems like an alternative and one that far more viable and sustainable than selling off NZ to foreign owners.

        If you want more houses, I suggest that you lobby the Government to allow the housing market to work, and to reform urban planning rules.

        They’ve been trying that for about 30 years now. Time to accept that it simply doesn’t and never will work.

    • plumington 2.9

      Sounds like Winston Peters to me (lol)

      • Ross 2.9.1

        Nah it’s Roger Douglas. Only Douglas or a Douglas sycophant would say: “There is no alternative.” There are always alternatives but a defunct economist might be too lazy to think of any.

  3. Keith 3

    You cannot trust the National Party. Wait for the cover up on contaminated drinking water next.

    Nick Smith was, as per normal, thoroughly unconvincing right from the outset of this latest National Party big lie. He’s a shocker at it, but try as he might to sound outraged at those accusers of foreigners like Andrew Little, demanding apologies, it must have been bloody difficult fronting this total bullshit that anyone in the housing market knew to be false.

    Thing is who in the National Party decided on the ridiculous 3% number, was it focus grouping or was it one or some of the arrogant millionaire ministers and who thought that such a ridiculous lie or any lying from the government was acceptable to the NZ public.

    This latest lie designed to cover up what National always knew, that foreign speculators are doing great harm to genuine NZ citizens aspirations to buy a home, raises the question, why do National represent foreign speculators rather than Zealanders?

    • Ad 3.1

      +1

      And they will get caught out.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.2

      why do National represent foreign speculators rather than Zealanders?

      National are authoritarian and one aspect of authoritarians is that they kowtow to people who they think are richer and more powerful than they are. In this case, rich foreigners.

      Of course, they also think that NZ is small and insignificant and thus incapable of doing anything without being told how to do it by rich foreigners.

      • Wensleydale 3.2.1

        True. The only way to climb the greasy pole is by shameless brown-nosing, and National are masters at it. Anyone below you on the aforementioned pole, gets a size 9 to the face because they’re of no use to you in advancing your agenda.

      • Righty right 3.2.2

        Because there greedy selfish pack of traitors the whole rotten lot total scum of the earth and we need to removed asap

      • Mmmm, the closest thing we have to authoritarians in Parliament right now are New Zealand First. (That’s not to say that almost all parties don’t support the occassional authoritarian bill, like say Labour with the GCSB bill) ACT has gone back to largely being libertarians again now that Rodney Hide and Banks are gone, and while libertarians are terrible, about the one thing you can say for them is that they’re generally not authoritarians. National is at war between the classical Liberals that represent the current leadership and the Conservatives that are represented by, for example, Judith Collins.

        That said, it is correct to view National as corporatists first. That’s really the one thing the entire party agrees most of the time, it’s very rarely that they don’t toe the corporate line, and when they don’t it’s usually because they have a donor or constituency they can’t afford to lose. In fact, I think it’s the fact that National are corporatists that really explains why they’re so keen on unfettered international investment regardless of the consequences.

        The authoritarian tendencies of some of their core voters doesn’t have much to do with it.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.2.3.1

          Mmmm, the closest thing we have to authoritarians in Parliament right now are New Zealand First.

          National, Act and NZ1st are much of a muchness for authoritarianism. The difference is that NZ1st is centrist and National and Act are radical right-wing.

          ACT has gone back to largely being libertarians

          Scratch a libertarian and you will find an authoritarian. It’s in their delusional belief about property rights over-riding all other rights.

    • mary_a 3.3

      @ Keith (3) An excellent post. You conclude with the following relevant statement ….

      “This latest lie designed to cover up what National always knew, that foreign speculators are doing great harm to genuine NZ citizens aspirations to buy a home, raises the question, why do National represent foreign speculators rather than Zealanders?”

      Because this National government is a bunch of unmitigated, corrupt traitors! They are selling us out piece by piece, for as much as they can get! It’s called treason. Wealthy foreigners of a particular ethnicity are undoubtedly buying favours with government ministers I’d say!

  4. ianmac 4

    I can hear it now from Key, “Mary Anne Shanahan, a New Lynn-based conveyancing lawyer can give her opinion but I can find more credible experts who will disagree with her. She is probably one of those silly Green supporters who live in cuckoo land.”

    Be interesting how the Nats refute this. Well done Mary.

  5. Michelle 5

    Yes Keith agree we cant trust National they are so devious they are preparing to do major cover ups before the next election in housing, education, employment, health all these stats will be manipulated and massaged to show their policies have been successful when in fact the opposite has occurred.
    But we are not stupid we can see our country going down the toilet no matter how good the stats look.

    • Keith 5.1

      We lost over half a percent from the unemployed stats through very creative means and not a single unemployed person of that half percent got a job. It’s just like magic!

  6. save nz 6

    All I can say if that 2 – 3 years ago in Auckland you could buy a CBD studio apartment for under $200,000 and a 3 bedroom freehold house for $350,000 – $400,000. So the same people on student visas and ‘intending’ to migrate here, are competing for those same properties at the lower end of the market.

    There are also insane situations of places in Henderson that got sold 3 times in the same year and increased $70,000 each time, even though no work was done and they were often not even lived in. We actually do have a capital gains tax as well as the speculator tax in place and why IRD did not act is not clear.

    There should also be investigations into money laundering as some cultures have organised gangs, who could be using these students to buy properties on their behalf.

    The government need to stop foreign students and workers getting work visas and being able to buy a property here. Not until someone has permanent residency should they be able to buy a house and even then it should be closely monitored for third party money laundering.

    Immigration needs a big clean up. New migrants should also be targeted for tax checks to make sure they are aware of their tax obligations. IRD loves to target beneficiaries and ‘tradies’ for fraud, but what about the people who don’t speak english how the hell are they supposed to know their obligations and what happens if nobody is checking?

    Kiwis are being scammed.

    For 53% of homeless families in NZ, this is not just some paper issue, it is destroying their lives. Wasn’t WINZ going on about how they need more 1 and 2 bedroom state houses and there was not demand for family houses which is why they are selling them to Australian and Chinese billionaires?

    Everything National say, is a manipulated lie.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1

      Not until someone has permanent residency should they be able to buy a house

      Nope, shouldn’t be able to buy a house until they become a citizen.

      Everything National say, is a manipulated lie.

      QFT

      National has to lie because reality doesn’t match their ideological delusions.

      • Henry Filth 6.1.1

        And non-resident citizens?

        • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1

          If they’re not living in NZ then they also should not be able to own houses/businesses in NZ.

          • Stuart Munro 6.1.1.1.1

            Having worked abroad (and sadly not owned property at the time) I don’t think citizens should be forced to divest a single property. Plenty of folk I know took positions abroad to maintain a mortgage after NZ employment proved too volatile. If you could stabilise employment first it might be a different story.

            • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1.1.1

              I don’t think citizens should be forced to divest a single property.

              Why not?

              Offshore people owning resources in NZ is decreasing the resources available to NZers and thus causing poverty.

              • AmaKiwi

                +1

                Yes, forced divestiture for certain. Without that threat the land grab will only get worse.

              • Stuart Munro

                Why not? Because if I flee the Key failconomy to get a job so I don’t lose my house (and this is the only reason I’m leaving) you’ve just fucked me.

                • Draco T Bastard

                  Well, two things:

                  1. It would be your choice to leave knowing the rules
                  2. There would be some sort of timing to allow people to go on holidays and sabbaticals.

          • Henry Filth 6.1.1.1.2

            Thought you might say that. But best to check.

        • save nz 6.1.1.2

          Maybe non residents can own them once resident for 10 years for 10 years overseas or something like that. That way, NZ born citizens who might go overseas for work experience but still regard NZ as their birth place and place they will return to can buy, but those who just hop into NZ to buy a property as an investment and then don’t come back to live, can’t own here.

    • Craig H 6.2

      IRD doesn’t particularly target beneficiaries for anything, because for one thing, most of them are eligible for write-off of tax debt under hardship provisions in the Tax Administration Act 1994, so it would be work followed by writing off the debt, which is totally unproductive. IRD regularly writes off tax debt (including working for families debts) for beneficiaries, particularly around July/August after the Personal Tax Summaries are issued and IR3s received.

      A sizeable reason for targeting tradies and small hospo/retail is so that people who actually follow the rules are not being undercut by people who don’t.

      New migrants on work visas (and student visas with work rights) are given information with their visa approval letters about IRD and the need to obtain an IRD number and pay tax, and also the Labour Inspectorate and minimum employment provisions, and Immigration NZ also has resources in many foreign languages as well.

  7. Chch_chiquita 7

    “She blamed the media and the Government for failing to examine the data closely enough and interpret it correctly.”
    The govt never had any intention to examine the data closely nor to interpret it correctly. It suits their purpose and help them keep on lying and be believed by those who choose not to see.

    • Gangnam Style 7.1

      “She blamed the media … for failing to examine the data closely enough and interpret it correctly.” – Was telling for me, our media is so shallow, they are in a trance like cult believers.

  8. Reddelusion 8

    Even I agree with you guys here, 3pc is a nonsense

    • One Anonymous Bloke 8.1

      Yeah, but you’d rather have a government that lies to you than one you disagree with, so you’ll get over it.

  9. keith ross 9

    Keith’s wife. We were recently in the market. Buying a home with $10% down is near to impossible, eliminating many working kiwis from home ownership. At 10%, you may not buy a fixer-uper. It must be in perfect nic. I’m not even mentioning the endless paperwork, hoops that make it feel absolutely impossible. With some help, we raised our deposit to 20%, and all obstacles disappeared.

    The market is set up to sell to the wealthy, kiwis and overseas buyers. The gov’t wants to keep it that way, as they personally have many real estate investments. The average kiwi (for instance, my children’s teacher) just doesn’t have enough money to qualify! This is so wrong. She is the backbone of our society–teaching our children.

    I am not racist, by any means. I do not want to see kiwis sending rent checks enmasse to China and the US! Also, our kiwi grown food, on farms owned by aliens, is being sent overseas, with little contribution to the nation’s economics. We need taxes on second homes, more taxes on third homes, etc… Also, we must protect our land from being annexed by another country. Above all, we must protect the renewable resource or our farm land! I am an immigrant, my husband grew up here, I think my views are fair and in no way racist!

    • Lanthanide 9.1

      “At 10%, you may not buy a fixer-uper. It must be in perfect nic.”

      That’s pretty perverse. One of the problems with buying houses is that they’re “not productive assets”.

      But actually buying a house that is a fixer-upper, and then fixing it up and adding value, actually *is* a (somewhat) productive use of money. Much more so than bidding up the price of an already built house by $200k.

    • b waghorn 9.2

      Raising the deposit needed is all about protecting the banks , that’s all it’s achieved.

    • save nz 9.3

      +1 Keith Ross. Also with apartments for many years you needed a 30% deposit from banks which made them out of reach for first home buyers. Everything on the bank side is stacked against buyers with low deposits, and also the banks want never ending reports which stops poorer people being able to buy cheaper houses, which might have something that needs fixing in the building reports. Not to mention crazy stuff, like hard to get insurance for houses built before 1945 or that are in a historic zone (i.e. a villa). It’s a bloodbath out there and if you are a cash buyer with plenty of money those issues, just disappear. It is not an even playing field.

  10. DH 10

    Even the 29% is wrong, it would likely be higher than that. The report makes interesting reading for it’s language and discussion by the author(s). Can download it here;

    http://www.linz.govt.nz/system/files_force/media/doc/prs_property-transfers-tax-residency_report_2016_apr-jun.pdf

    It needs to be understood the report is not about the sale of properties. It’s about the transfer of property titles, of which many are not actual sales.

    The intro makes it clear;

    “Not just selling and buying property

    These statistics show property transfers. Transfers include buying and selling property, but also property that is transferred without a sale, for example, changes of trustee.

    The way these statistics are collected means we can’t distinguish between sales and transfers, or between individuals and trusts.”

    And…

    “We estimate that approximately half of transfers involve a residential sale.”

    All of the percentages quoted are calculated from the total and not the half or whatever portion makes up actual sales. That makes the data pretty much completely useless.

  11. mary_a 11

    It’s a miserable day here in Auckland. So husband and I decided to attend a property auction, just out of interest. We were neither bidders, nor vendors.

    Any Kiwi first home buyers would have been extremely disillusioned, because about 7/8 of attendees were of Asian extraction, communicating in their own language, obviously wealthy, bidding frantically, causing unrealistic exorbitant property prices to be reached! We witnessed what seemed to be a buy up of multiple properties by these bidders. We couldn’t believe it!

    Must be quite heartbreaking for Kiwi families, to realize they simply don’t stand a chance against this uncontrolled tide of foreign/non NZ citizen buying up property, for the sole purpose of making a hefty profit for themselves.

    Very few of the bidders seemed like NZers having returned from overseas, as constantly stated by John Key and Nick Smith! That is BS!

    Time to take the foreign/non citizen ownership of land seriously and give ordinary Kiwi families a chance to get a foot on the ladder of home ownership. Legislate and ban foreigners/non citizens (from any country) from owning property in NZ!

    Today’s experience for us was indeed an eye opener, seeing events first hand!

    • save nz 11.1

      +1 Mary_a. Nothing like seeing things for your own eyes.

      • mikes 11.1.1

        Yep. Anyone who wants proof should go to B@T’s weekly auction held every Tuesday at the greyhound racing track which is at the Manukau Sports Bowl. Call me racist or xenophobic as much as you like, it doesn’t change the facts.

    • ianmac 11.2

      Handy to have real life report thanks Mary. I imagine that the buyers would think it hilarious to be able to scoop up what must be real bargains “relatively” thinking. And perhaps they despise those Kiwi peasants.

    • Paul 11.3

      Have witnessed the same.

    • “Asian” isn’t a language. “Unrealistic prices” is an oxymoron – as the capitalists love to point out, the monetary value of a thing is precisely how much people are willing to pay for it.

      Many “Asian” people who speak “Asian” languages amongst themselves are members of Kiwi families. Many of them are even “ordinary”.

      I’m not at all enchanted with this kind of “I saw a bunch of Asians! Right there in public! Buying things with their Asian money!!!!” ancedata. It’s entirely possible to have a conversation about house prices (which would be inflated anyway because of *domestic* speculators) without blowing hard on the dogwhistle of racism.

      • Anne 11.4.1

        I’m not at all enchanted with this kind of “I saw a bunch of Asians! Right there in public! Buying things with their Asian money!!!!” ancedata… etc. etc.

        Get off your high horse Stephanie Rodgers! mary_a said no such thing in the manner you have inferred. I’ve followed her both here and at the Daily Blog and she has a good down to earth commonsense take on things.

        For someone who appears to have set herself up as a women’s role model… you do a grand job alienating some of us.

  12. AmaKiwi 12

    We will always lose the argument if we let our opponents define the question. That’s what’s happening here.

    The percent is irrelevant. This country belongs to us, the citizens. The citizens ALONE should decide this issue.

    Draw up a proposal. Put it to a binding referendum. End of question. If at some future date the citizens want to re-visit this question, put it to another referendum.

    That is democracy.

    A few dozen people sitting in a horseshoe shaped room in Wellington who got their jobs with bribes from foreigners, corporations, and trusts should be irrelevant. This country does NOT belong to them. It belongs to us, the citizens. Tell your MP. Don’t take “no” for an answer.

  13. Paul 13

    Attending an auction at Barfoots is one indicator of who is buying Auckland’s property.

    • whispering kate 13.1

      You don’t need a Barfoot Auction room, you just need to attend street auctions in areas that Chinese love to live in – its a no brainer, slowly one house by one house our street has become an annex of China, they are polite neighbours, quiet and friendly but they are not deserving Kiwi families who are living in these houses. The house next door looks like its going to be a ghost house, not lived in and a homeless family would just love to be able to move in. This Government is lying through its teeth about the housing stats for Auckland. The Chinese realtors are just rolling in it from all the commission they are getting. This is from seeing is believing.

      • Paul 13.1.1

        And the National and ACT parties are literally and metaphorically married to large Chinese money.
        Corrupt?
        New Zealand?

  14. johnm 14

    Another total NZ FU! That’s what you get with money is God and a money trader PM. I surrender, I’m defeated. Let me out of here for Fucks sake!

    • Paul 14.1

      Yes, New Zealand may be a beautiful country physically and have a lovely climate.
      However it’s political set up is very ugly. I’d be struggling to think of a country where the neoliberal poison has affected a people more than these blighted isles.

  15. dave 15

    what makes it worse is those buyers have access to unlimited capital at zero percent.money the average new zealander on the meager wages hasn’t got a chance and if you do manage to get one you have borrowed so much money you will never be able to pay the loan back given the precarious nature of work foreclosure is a real possibility at some point. and government is opening up kiwi saver funds to confiscation in the event of loan default .http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/83228941
    dirty money has caused new zealanders to buy homes at ridiculous asset to income ratios building up a debt bomb. the banks are getting ready for the bust kiwi saver open up for seizure and the open bank resolution policy all in place ready to go.
    the whole situation stinks we have every right to angry
    secure retirement gone house gone greedy wankers who caused this mess including JFK gone ,welcome to the brighter future

  16. Paul 16

    Look who is driving the really expensive Audis.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    5 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    6 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    8 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    10 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    11 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    13 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    16 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T08:21:21+00:00