Inequality: even Treasury cares…

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, February 16th, 2013 - 64 comments
Categories: equality, treasury - Tags:

There’s a book I’ve heard about that I’m hoping helps push the inequality awareness barrow a little further this year.

Inequality: A New Zealand Crisis by Max Rashbrooke is due out in May.  The ideas surrounding the inherent unhealthiness (social, but also actually physical & mental) is slowly (much slower than the UK) getting traction here.  The Living Wage campaign will no doubt feed into that as well.  I hope this book pushes things a bit further so we can start making sure that all parties present policies that are socially sustainable, rather than just about maximising GDP and minimising government debt.

Max seems to have been doing some good work – looking at how even Treasury is starting to think about inequity and things beyond GDP generally.

Treasury’s thinking would appear to need a bit more work, as they seems to equate equity with social mobility.  Social mobility is in itself a good thing, but having some people up high and some people down low is still injustice, even if they can switch places with their parents.  The greater point that increased mobility is always (so far) a consequence of improved inequality also seems to have escaped them – despite the obviousness that the wealthy will be able to afford better education, nutrition, societal participation and all those other lovely -tions that mean you’re far more likely to succeed in life.

But hey, it’s great to see that neo-liberal bulwark start to think a little outside the square…

64 comments on “Inequality: even Treasury cares… ”

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  1. RedLogix 1
    16 February 2013 at 9:42 am

    Great to see this being taken up by another professional writer here in New Zealand. Gordon Campbell has been a pretty reliable voice, but a book length work is specific to New Zealand is to be greatly welcomed.

    Another problem with the (Treasury) paper is that it gives an extremely biased account of why inequality has risen in New Zealand, discussing technological change and different household patterns, but not mentioning little things like lower taxes on the very wealthy and reduced benefits for the poorest. Nor does it mention the decline in union membership, which some overseas research suggests is responsible for up to one-third of rising inequality. The failure to even mention this factor is just staggering.

    My take is that there is has been a confluence of factors that have enabled this change. .. but the root cause was entirely political.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      16 February 2013 at 12:06 pm

      The root cause of the increasing poverty that we’ve seen over the last 30 years is the adoption by the politicians of an economic theory that put the wealthy ahead of everyone and everything else and that is also completely disconnected from reality.

    • Rogue Trooper 1.2
      16 February 2013 at 2:48 pm

      Entirely Political and Cultural (we have been our own worst enemies oddly enough, and it may be all over bahh the shouting from the rooftops)

  2. Colonial Viper 2
    16 February 2013 at 10:03 am

    But hey, it’s great to see that neo-liberal bulwark start to think a little outside the square…

    Don’t get too excited, this is probably just them discussion scenarios. Increasing social mobility probably came right after “managing the budget deficit after a hypthetical Martian invasion”.

  3. Afewknowthetruth 3
    16 February 2013 at 11:04 am

    Ben, I suggest you read The Easy Way. Then you would not keep posting idiotic things on this website.

    Oops, I forgot! The name of the game is to remain uniformed: that way you can don’t have to deal with any of the real issues, and keep babbling on.

    [Ben Clark: 1 week ban for self-martyrdom. Pointless abuse of authors, no attempt to argue your point.]

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      16 February 2013 at 11:30 am

      The name of the game is to remain uniformed

      Funny typo.

      Don’t be too tough on Ben (and others). They’re not used to having to think of every thing, even taxation and social security policies, in terms of the end of growth, climate disruption and energy depletion.

      [Ben Clark: don’t encourage AFKTT CV. And don’t misrepresent my views – there’s nothing in this post on my views on GDP growth beyond my pleasure that Treasury is looking beyond that; and my failing to mention climate change in a post doesn’t mean I’m unaware of it or its effects. Unless you think greater inequality will help our climate change problem?]

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1
        16 February 2013 at 11:46 am

        Also, I bitch about the size of Auckland and the craziness of fitting 30% of the population in 0.3% of NZ’s land area.

        Just try and operate a city like Auckland on only half or a third of the diesel and petrol of today. That’s happening in the next 20 years.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1
          16 February 2013 at 12:14 pm

          I think that was actually one of the better outcomes of the award system. As everyone was paid close to the same amount for the same job no matter where they worked it allowed and encouraged more dispersion in the population.

      • Rogue Trooper 3.1.2
        16 February 2013 at 2:49 pm

        why? some of us do.

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.3
        17 February 2013 at 1:01 am

        And don’t misrepresent my views – there’s nothing in this post on my views on GDP growth beyond my pleasure that Treasury is looking beyond that; and my failing to mention climate change in a post doesn’t mean I’m unaware of it or its effects. Unless you think greater inequality will help our climate change problem?

        Hi Ben, I wasn’t complaining about your post not mentioning climate change every paragraph. (That’s a Jenny approach and one that I dislike as being both repetitive and unproductive).

        If you actually do have a cohesive thinking framework around the end of economic growth, energy depletion and climate change, then I apologise for suggesting otherwise.

        From my way of thinking, congratulating Treasury on taking a step outside the neoliberal box, misses the point that they remain frighteningly silent (or ignorant, or both) on the challenges facing NZ now and in the next 20 years.

  4. Draco T Bastard 4
    16 February 2013 at 12:00 pm

    But hey, it’s great to see that neo-liberal bulwark start to think a little outside the square…

    Well, I suppose even economists can start to realise that their ideological theory is disconnected from reality if the facts start to hit them hard enough.

  5. bad12 5
    16 February 2013 at 12:43 pm

    Yes it is nice to see that Treasury has an inkling about economic inequality, perhaps sensing a ‘change’ in the wind Treasury are attempting to remain relevant,

    For it’s own survival,(not that i am overly enthused about that prospect), capitalism must find the means to redistribute a larger part of it’s profits directly to those in society who possess the least and such a means must constantly identify and provide the mechanism of such delivery on an ongoing basis…

  6. tracey 6
    16 February 2013 at 2:08 pm

    our current system assumes the wealthy will share their wealth. when the top 100 earners pay little or no tax we know the assumption is fallacious.

    couple that with the notion that a billionaire who gives away 100m in pursuit of a knighthood is more generous than the minimum wager who gives 500 bucks a year to charity then what chance we

  7. Maggie May 7
    16 February 2013 at 2:46 pm

    John Key wants inequality.

    I think Nationals plan is to have a pool of uneducated factory workers receiving low wages.

    • Rogue Trooper 7.1
      16 February 2013 at 2:50 pm

      nice photo

    • Blue 7.2
      16 February 2013 at 5:57 pm

      We have that now. The reason that uneducated factory workers receive low wages is because……. they’re “uneducated”, have low skills and perform menial low skill tasks.

    • Colonial Viper 7.3
      16 February 2013 at 6:00 pm

      The market doesn’t care for anyone who can’t make big bucks for capitalist owners.

  8. Mary 8
    16 February 2013 at 3:18 pm

    I remember reading a Treasury report that said “life on a benefit is hard” and then went on to recommend axing a whole stack of benefits and allowances.

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      16 February 2013 at 3:22 pm

      Well, they wouldn’t want people to think that they didn’t have a social conscience.

  9. Peter 9
    16 February 2013 at 4:53 pm

    If a 20 year old earns $15 an hour and work for 40 years and manages to save 10% of their income all their working life at 5% interest they will have $400,000 or so in savings assuming no tax. If a 20 year old wins $1,000,000 without saving any additional cash during their life they would have a gross amount of some $7,000,000 after 40 years. If 30 something Trevor, the luck Lotto winner, saves $20,000,000 of his $26,000,000 he will “retire” at 60 with $89,000,000 assuming no tax.

    If we tax the interest earned over these years the 20 year old would pay something like $29,000 in tax. The millionaire about 1.9 million and Trev pays about 20 million.

    Is this unfair? Is it unequal? Who has made the greatest contribution to society?

    • Blue 9.1
      17 February 2013 at 12:18 pm

      Tax doesn’t measure contribution to society, only income. Contribution is based on perception and perspective. A wealthy business owner over 40 years will employ, probably hundreds of people, is his contribution less than those he employs? Your use of a Lotto win scenario is fascile.

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1
        17 February 2013 at 12:56 pm

        Tax doesn’t measure contribution to society, only income.

        Wrong. Parasitic income and parasitic profits are huge drains on the wider society.

        A wealthy business owner over 40 years will employ, probably hundreds of people, is his contribution less than those he employs?

        He will also have made tens of millions of dollars from his enterprise, after tax. He benefitted the most from society, and should therefore certainly pay the most for that benefit.

      • Peter 9.1.2
        17 February 2013 at 1:55 pm

        Equality and equity are also based on perspective and perception. What’s your perspective?

        Tax is a function of income If you are paying taxes used for the collective good surely it is a measure of contribution to society?

        Lotto is used just to provide a starting point.

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.2.1
          17 February 2013 at 2:03 pm

          Tax is a function of income

          In NZ it should also be a function of wealth 😉

        • McFlock 9.1.2.2
          17 February 2013 at 2:12 pm

          “Tax is a function of income If you are paying taxes used for the collective good surely it is a measure of contribution to society?”

          Tax is a proportion of income.
          The source of that income might be positive or negative to the rest of society.
          Take the Meth producer who earns $3mil/ year. The damage caused by their income source would be greater than the social services funded by the tax on the laundered revenue.

          Similarly, a nun who teaches all her life and owns nothing would pay very little tax. But who makes the biggest contribution?

          Money does not equal worth.

  10. Ad 10
    16 February 2013 at 5:15 pm

    In my coarse view New Zealand now has a set of lives and subcultures that increasingly do not intersect.

    1. The Shareholders
    Those earning over $150,000 per person, with multiple properties and regular trips, who glide over the world and who can be seen in Life and Leisure magazine. Most likely found in Matakana, North Shore, Remuera, and Palm Beach. Or retiring to Cornwall. Frightfully fit, or at least vain.

    2. The Educated bourgeoise property owners.
    Have degrees, salaries, as much mobility as they could wish for, live in inner, East, and Auckland and North Shore and North Auckland, plus the few remaining in Maori Hill, Karori, Khandallah. Best calibrated by the quality of their landscaping and age of their car. Retiring to Wanaka, Arrowtown, Queenstown, Tauranga, and Gold Coast. With standard “economic conservative and moral liberal” values, at least deep into the evening.

    3. The Rural Conservative
    Live in smaller towns, highly sensitive to commodity and dollar-cross shifts. A decreasing strata found in Balclutha, Gore, Hawkes Bay, Bay of PLenty, Waikato, Masterton, and Kerkeri.

    4. The Outsiders
    The strata who live in the black or grey economies, often rural in Northland or North Island East Coast, bumping along the bottom, living from cash job to cash job with no thought for mobility. Often found in the urban-rural villages such as Waikato Heads, Ahipara, Houhora, deep forested enclaves, Golden Bay, and Coromandel village.

    5. The Unstable
    Those one injury or one bad payday away from bankruptcy or credit card default, under incredible daily stress. Found everywhere one cares not to look, but particularly in places such as Mataura, Manurewa, Avondale, Dunedin South, the far north. And out of rural slums, around Kawerau and other dying towns, in all the jails, often out of inchoate desperation or damage to one’s own life.

    6. The Old Poor
    In rest homes of dubious quality, particularly in Auckland’s west, Tauranga, Dunedin’s periphery, utterly beholden to the state’s largesse, quickly draining through their equity if they had any, sustained within incredible solitude and resultant institutionalised neuroses. Often with one partner dead. Have Readers’ Digests in their toilets for reading.

    7. The Old Doughty
    Those who had retired, kept their house, garden towards daily self-sufficiency through a lifetime of frugality, bump along on the NZSuper reasonably, whose parents and they themselves instilled astonishing discipline in to their daily lives, and who have dedicated this same ethic to their children, who have largely left the country. Still bottle their own fruit. Often retired public servants from a bygone age, such as teachers.

    8. The Immigrant Family
    A relentless telic drive to redemption through work that enables at least one of their children to gain
    mobility to at least one of the classes above, keeping at bay the shame of ever returning to the origin country, but largely sustaining multiple jobs, if they get them, on close to minimum wage. Whose children gain some of this drive in turn, or fall into and out of the underworld.

    9. Highly mobile Greeny Liberals
    Found generally in Grey Lynn, Titirangi, Aro Valley, and a few in Ponsonby. The have huge expectations, great hope in the redemptive capacity of New Zealand’s musical digital, and visual arts, and buy everything possible at farmers markets. Subscribe to Good Magazine. Have some intersection with the Outsiders if they are individual contractors to the creative sector.

    You can see by the way I have framed them which cultures are in the ascendant, which in the decline. The census will show this mobility in stark relief. Each one of those is a kind of politics; each crudely drawn. We know who we are, who has been missed out.

    The normative direction to the original post is: who do we want more of? What kind of people are we becoming? Do we like it? Can we really do anything about it?

    For me the deeper questions are along: does MMP and fractal democratic representation simply ameliorate splitter capitalism? Would FPP make mobility-from-poverty and mobility-from-middleclass more stark?

    And after that: is our political system now so weak in its instruments that fewer and fewer will be able to change their strata?

    • karol 10.1
      16 February 2013 at 5:25 pm

      Oh. Interesting, but I must be “The Invisible” – don’t see myself in any of those categories…. maybe a bit of several.

    • r0b 10.2
      16 February 2013 at 5:48 pm

      Interesting Ad. Can I put that up as a guest post tomorrow?

      • Ad 10.2.1
        16 February 2013 at 6:47 pm

        Yes. Add an intro and some links to your inequality stuff as well please; my intent was to broaden out your discussion from straight vertical income calibrations to this kinds of lives we see ourselves within, and how inequality might matter to all of them. One of Treasury’s core missions is to make us all wealthier. But “wealthier” might express itself in different realms and definitions of personal freedom and generative activity.

      • Afewknowthetruth 10.2.2
        16 February 2013 at 10:57 pm

        Apparently several regions of NZ no longer exist, one of them being a prime driver of the NZ economy.

        Just goes to show how little most people know or think.

    • xtasy 10.3
      16 February 2013 at 11:13 pm

      Excellent comment!

    • xtasy 10.4
      16 February 2013 at 11:15 pm

      I am not sure, but I seem to miss the most hated underlings in the country now, being the most discriminated against, the horrible, ghastly, inhuman and untouchable “beneficiaries”, am I right or wrong here?

  11. tracey 11
    16 February 2013 at 6:54 pm

    Infused, reading is a skill. Thanks to those posting the link and reading my entire comment

  12. xtasy 12
    16 February 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Hi Ben, thanks for another post here.

    I am by the way still waiting for some replies from you to some points I made in your earlier post under:

    http://thestandard.org.nz/wrong-wrong-wrong/

    And I am also still waiting for some further explanations from Annette King re the Labour housing plans and policies, which I asked a long time ago, same as answers from dear old David, the Shearer, that is, re welfare, the “sickness beneficiary roof-painter”, and even from Darian Fenton, who paid us a visit not so long ago, commenting on one or two things but also leaving most of us in the dark on what Labour now really stands for.

    Are you now defending Treasury for some odd remarks or comments – one of them may have made or put into a report?

    So apart from that, is Labour then committed to make the “living wage” part of its program now, or is this just another opportunistic bit of jumping on the bandwagon, to get some publicity and “sexy” political appeal?

    We all like a more egalitarian society, and I know Labour would like to increase the minimum wage and do a few other bits.

    But apart from that, is Labour committed to do this, to reverse the draconian, unjust welfare reforms that Bennett and Nats are pushing through, are you going to increase benefits also, so that beneficiaries are not forced to start chewing off the soles of their shoes and rims of hats, to fill stomaches?

    • Ben Clark 12.1
      17 February 2013 at 12:00 am

      Hi xtasy,
      I don’t think i’m particularly “defending” treasury, just pleased if they can think beyond GDP growth. I’d personally like it if they vetted all policies for social & environmental sustainability, rather than just “fiscal responsibility”.

      I know David Shearer has been championing the Living Wage from as soon as he became leader, so this is no flash in the pan.

      As far as Labour’s policies, they are in flux as they are every time between elections. The 2011 manifesto stands until superceded. I cannot speak for the leadership, as I’m not part of them – I’m not an MP and I don’t even live in Wellington.
      But I certainly know that they’re unhappy about National’s beneficiary attacks and legislation and have been fighting it. They certainly don’t envisage being a National-lite on beneficiary attacks and legislation. They do want to get people into work – you may have noticed the unemployment figures, there are a lot of people out there who want work who can’t find any currently. We certainly shouldn’t be worrying about forcing the unwell etc into work currently when there are sooo many desperate for work who can’t get jobs. (National’s obsession with this I cannot understand).
      Personally I think the UK situation you mentioned in the other post (sorry missed your later comment) is abominable – the outsourcing to private firms of forcing the unwell into work has not just resulted in terrible corruption but was morally wrong. And yes, introduced by UK Labour (if sped up by the Tories). But UK Labour is not NZ Labour, and I can’t imagine a similar scheme being put in by Labour here.
      So I’m not quite sure of what your worry is.

      On one other issue you’ve raised – reversing Ruthanasia’s nasty benefit cuts in 1991 – I’d love to see that, but don’t know Labour’s policy on this. I know most members would like to see that – it usually comes down to political sellability I understand… which is not to say what’s right, but what’s reality. One could have a long argument about both sides of that, but I’m not going to…

      Good night…

      • xtasy 12.1.1
        17 February 2013 at 12:05 am

        Ben – thanks for your response.

        Not being an MP or in the close circles up there in the Wellington Labour caucus and elite, that seems to allow you to speak a bit more freely. I welcome that.

        I continue to be cautious with Labour, as speeches by Ardern and others have been far too vague for me, despite of “criticism” uttered.

        I will watch this space with great interest.

        Have a good night also!

        X

      • felixviper 12.1.2
        17 February 2013 at 12:35 am

        “On one other issue you’ve raised – reversing Ruthanasia’s nasty benefit cuts in 1991 – I’d love to see that, but don’t know Labour’s policy on this.”

        Seriously Ben, you don’t know? Neither do I, but those nine years in govt and subsequent 4 years in opposition with narry a whisper, a nudge or a wink in that direction gives us both a fair idea, I reckon.

        • xtasy 12.1.2.1
          17 February 2013 at 12:41 am

          “I know most members would like to see that – it usually comes down to political sellability I understand… which is not to say what’s right, but what’s reality.”

          Ben did not respond to my challenge in the other thread, that Labour should not let the media get away with misinforming the public. And I even argued that Labour (as the caucus and leader are at present) may even find it convenient to have the media influence the public as they do.

          NO answers, no reason given to challenge the media, just more alignment with “mainstream talk”, dictated by “mainstream media”, really.

          It is NOT a good sign at all, Felix.

      • Colonial Viper 12.1.3
        17 February 2013 at 12:38 am

        I think Mary over the last couple of weeks has consistently raised pertinent issues relating to Labour’s right wing benefit changes e.g.

        Many have been asking Labour what its position on social security is now for almost five years, including whether it regrets abolishing the special benefit in 2004 and introducing certain aspects of its Social Security Amendment Act 2007. To date no Labour MP has answered any of these questions. The old adage about how a government treats its poor still holds good today. Labour’s track record on welfare since 1999 and its silence on its current policy has turned a lot of people away from Labour, and quite rightly so.

        http://thestandard.org.nz/living-together/#comment-583820

        I know most members would like to see that – it usually comes down to political sellability I understand…

        Ben I believe that this is the kind of comment which makes people cynical about Labour, and also demonstrates that the majority of politicians and political thinkers aren’t the leaders that they fancy themselves as being, they are followers. I’m going to go so far as to amend your comment to be more complete; feel free to dispute this change if you think it’s incorrect:

        I know most members would like to see that – it usually comes down to political sellability to the right wing Main Stream Media and comfortable middle class swing voters I understand…

        • karol 12.1.3.1
          17 February 2013 at 7:31 am

          CV amendment:

          I know most members would like to see that – it usually comes down to political sellability to the right wing Main Stream Media and comfortable middle class swing voters I understand…

          That’s how I see it, CV. And I also think it’s part of the reason (if not the main reason) so many people have given up voting, with a large proportion of them being Labour voters in the past.

          It’s time that the parliamentary wing of Labour started engaging directly with the whole specturm of potential voters instead of talking to them via the MSM filter, and middle class aspirations.

      • xtasy 12.1.4
        17 February 2013 at 2:25 am

        Ben, one day you will understand, you will see our point, and you may well join us, to lead this country into the right direction. I cannot see it now, but it may well happen. Good night X

      • Draco T Bastard 12.1.5
        17 February 2013 at 8:54 am

        …which is not to say what’s right, but what’s reality.

        Then it has to be sold as being both right and reality. And that means pointing out that we can afford it and that all those that oppose it just want to keep NZ down. None of this compromise BS that leads us to even more deprivation and inequality.

      • Blue 12.1.6
        17 February 2013 at 12:22 pm

        ” reversing Ruthanasia’s nasty benefit cuts in 1991 ” FFS Ben, Labour had 9 years to do that and it never crossed their minds once, because they tacitly agreed with it, but didn’t have the courage to say as much.

        • Colonial Viper 12.1.6.1
          17 February 2013 at 12:33 pm

          According to Mary Labour also cancelled the Special Benefit in 2004, and introduced a raft of changes in their social welfare amendment legislation in 2007 forcing beneficiaries to jump through many more hoops to keep their benefits.

          I’m not familiar with the detail of those above events, but they both sound pretty shit.

        • Descendant Of Sssmith 12.1.6.2
          17 February 2013 at 2:23 pm

          Nah it crossed their minds. They made a conscious and very deliberate decision not to do it.
          They did reverse the super cuts however.

          Cost wasn’t the deciding factor either because it would have been cheaper to put it back on benefits than on super.

          Concern for the poorest wasn’t a factor either cause beneficiaries were poorer than super annuitants.

          That sort of leaves vote chasing and political expediency.

  13. xtasy 13
    17 February 2013 at 12:47 am

    “I know David Shearer has been championing the Living Wage from as soon as he became leader, so this is no flash in the pan.”

    That is what “Ben” just commented.

    Now when Shearer became leader of Labour, I remember well, the “living wage” was considered by many to be around $ 16 an hour, as unions also thought.

    Now that could well mean, Shearer may stick with that, and that level, so that means, his view of the “living wage” is rather at $ 16 an hour, than what the advocates for an increase are NOW proposing ($18.40).

    It pays to watch and read every word carefully, to read between the lines and dissect comments.

    So yes, Shearer will be in favour of increasing the minimum or living wage to that, as that is what he said already years ago, where $ 15 an hour was asked. Nobody would argue with that, but I doubt that Shearer will support close to $ 19 an hour.

    On that I would even agree with Shearer, as such a hike would create real issues in the economy, but at least Shearer should be honest about it, same as Labour members commenting here.

    Clearly they continue to dodge the real questions, issues and asked for answers!

    • Colonial Viper 13.1
      17 February 2013 at 12:52 pm

      That is what “Ben” just commented.

      NB Ben Clark is known on The Standard as MP David Clark’s brother.

  14. Descendant Of Sssmith 14
    17 February 2013 at 8:11 am

    Remember too there was another nasty little cut in there as well – applying the lower youth rate up to the age of 24.

    All basic benefit rates should be the same and should be the same as NZS.

    There’s no justification for differences in rates based on age.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1
      17 February 2013 at 2:25 pm

      What year did this youth rate age change come into effect?

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 14.1.1
        17 February 2013 at 4:13 pm

        1992 NZ yearbook still shows for want of a better word adult rate at age 20, 1993 yearbook shows that adult rate now kicked in at 25.

        I’d think it was part of the 1991 changes with maybe a kick in at the start of a tax year maybe.

        Yearbook is light on details.

  15. RedBaronCV 15
    17 February 2013 at 9:44 am

    There are parts of the 1991 cutting scenario that are not strictly benefits, that could be reversed, I would have thought without too much political outcry..

    Prior to 1991, child maintenance was paid over to people who claimed the DPB so they received both lots of money. Post 1991 the state took any payments for child support and offset this against the DPB. At best the state has picked up about $75m a year and all of that has come from children.
    Normal Nact attitude of pounding women and children.

    If they went for “pass thr”, handing money over that is collected from paying parents, maybe at a 75% rate rising to 100% this creates some incentive for receiving parents to chase down those who are hiding funds and not paying sufficent. The downside is the judiciary who see the DPB as an excuse for relieving him from paying for his kids.

    Should this money if passed thr’ be used to abate the benefit (as it’s tax paid does it gross up?) I’m not sure how funds like this are currently treated.

  16. Descendant Of Sssmith 16
    17 February 2013 at 12:45 pm

    Child Support replaced two schemes LPC which was compulsory when one parent was getting DPB and maintenance which was a voluntary agreement or I think at times court decided decision on maintenance.

    LPC was to help pay for the cost of the benefit.

    My understanding is that if the benefit abates to a rate that is lower than the child support then the difference should be paid to the parent with the children.

    What I don’t know is how IRD does this or whether things like arrears not paid would be collected first.

    I do know my ex brother in law can build a house and go overseas but doesn’t pay a cent in child support – it’s great to have family trusts ain’t it

    • RedBaronCV 16.1
      17 February 2013 at 2:47 pm

      Hey DoSS.
      I went away and had a slightly better look:

      Yes if the child support exceeds the benefit then the extra is paid over and the number of people who receive extra “drum roll” is 3. out of 100,000.

      While I wasn’t dealing with all the detail, but in 1991 the old liable parent act seemed to be a farce that wasn’t enforced. Most seemed to be getting some form of agreed or court ordered maintenance ( not really labeled as either spousal or child) which was retained whether they worked or were on a benefit.
      This was the money the CS Act took over from and diverted to government coffers in the case of a benefit recipient.
      The courts in a series of dreadful decisions, there was plenty of comment at the time, ignored the scope of the Act ” an act to support a minimum amount of child support payable” .and made it effectively the only amount payable.

      As to your bro in law, the bene bludger, lots of us have one of those. The IRD have the specific power to chase stuff in family trusts but they don’t use it. They spend most of their time arguing that people don’t have to pay.

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 16.1.1
        17 February 2013 at 4:22 pm

        My memory was that all sole parents on a benefit had LPC collected. In the 80’s you pretty much had to get a note from a lawyer plus a visiting Dsw worker to your home to get DPB.

        Fathers were also more likely to be known. I would think most people got hit for LPC. Some of course might only be paying it now as they go on NZS as with their maintenance payments.

        I was talking to a 62 year old women recently who was most surprised that she is now getting what she should have got 40 years ago. Not worth much now but she thinks it must be annoying him tremendously to have to pay it.

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    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    2 hours ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 hours ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    9 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    11 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    12 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    12 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    13 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    14 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    15 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    17 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
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  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
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  • Judicial appointments announced
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    8 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
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  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
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  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
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  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
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  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
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  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
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  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
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  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
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  • Government backing mussel spat project
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  • Government focused on getting people into work
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  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
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  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
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  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
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  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
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  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
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  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
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  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
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    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
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  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
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  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
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  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
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    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
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  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
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    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
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  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
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    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
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  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
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  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
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  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
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  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
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    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
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  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
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  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
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  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
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