From the graph it looks as though house prices are rising much faster than rents and wages. This ought be acting as a disincentive to investing in rental properties, though falling interest rates, and the prospects for capital gain, may be offsetting this effect to some extent.
Id suggest the (tax free) capital gain is well and truely offsetting it….if the investors even bother to rent the property….especially when the TD rate barely registers.
When my wife and I purchased our house, about forty years ago, interest rates were high – typically around 20 % or so – and property prices were low. Our property is now "worth" around six or seven times what we paid for it.
It may well be that the present situation in the housing market is something of an aberration, and that in a less dysfunctional market, where there was no great shortage of houses, interest rates would be more of a determinant of prices than the prospect of capital gain.
I believe that the fourth Labour government’s biggest blunder was the abolition of land taxes.
As Brian Easton notes the growth in house prices can be largely linked to the availability of liquidity (credit) and in a borderless (financial) world that liquidity is highly mobile…that is not to say that there will not be be other factors but their impact is marginal.
And it is worth noting that central banks dont set interest rates in national isolation (unless in crisis) but rather in relative terms to global trends with multiple tradeoffs considered
Plentiful credit will probably give rise to low interest rates, but the latter are more visible. People will invest when they see that interest rates are low. They may also "jump on the bandwagon" when they see house prices rising, but something has to be driving those prices in the first place.
Starmers donors are probably more than happy with his, erm, achievements, or lack thereof…Centrists do, after all, seem to have a taste for rubbing the publics faces in piles of ashes ..and if TS is anything to go by ..the public have learnt to love said ashes with a vengeance…
The problem is, all the way through the Unitary Plan consultation, council planners said that intensification would be ensured to be of good design because of the Auckland Design Manual which would inform designers and developers of the design aspects they would need to include.
At the final hour, the Auckland Design Manual was de-coupled from the Unitary Plan, when councillors were persuaded to vote to not make it compulsory to refer to it during the consent process. Cr Mike Lee was vilified for voting against this decision by those who framed it as "against intensification" – but IIRC he worked on the Auckland Design Manual and would have known how much of the promised quality was contained within.
Good design was promised to be an integral part of intensification. Unfortunately, it was not ensured by the ratified Unitary Plan. That said, for me, function precedes aesthetics in built form, but the good designer should be able to achieve both. Since ugliness is subjective, what really matters is whether is it fit for purpose, and well-built. Given my priorities that new housing design should be sustainable, healthy and build community in order to be fit for purpose, I would guess that the majority of housing intensification would be below that bar.
(Ruawai Road in my childhood neighbourhood, was a typical 1/4 acre section, old state housing type development. It is close walking distance from the Sylvia Park shopping/commercial/residential development, and therefore a minute or so from the Mt Wellington exit on the Southern motorway. Good place for well designed intensification.)
A question for all those people who thought that throwing $250 million dollars of New Zealand taxpayers and Auckland ratepayers money into the America's Cup.
What do you say when the Team "New Zealand" are proposing to go overseas with the cup if they win it and get a good offer from somewhere overseas?
Are you like me when I say that I am not at all surprised and that it is exactly what I would have expected? Why did we give them any more of the money that could have gone into actually doing something useful for New Zealand.
I would say that the MBIE and Auckland Council officials who wrote those contracts between ETNZ and ACE should front up as part of the after-Cup reviews.
Equally, ETNZ generated a high risk and difficult design that was too expensive for all but four teams. So if ETNZ loses, our version of the Cup is doomed anyway. It's international capital that is as flighty as film production capital – and that's saying something.
Worth remembering that Auckland in particular has done exceedingly well out of the Cup over time though.
Auckland Council has paid the great majority of Auckland's upgrades across the whole waterfront.
Just for the AC36 infrastructure, government and Council went 50-50. We won't see the full economic impact report until well after the Cup is finished. Drafting of that report is already underway by MBIE so we can all see the evidence of whether it was worthwhile or not.
But the first truth is, neither Auckland nor central government can handle a major global sporting fixture on their own: they need each other.
And with Christchurch still without a stadium for the foreseeable future, the second truth is:
it's only ever Auckland that is going to host global-scale sporting events in New Zealand (with the regions providing side fixtures).
So if New Zealand wins big sporting bids, it's going to be between Auckland and the government, forever.
True that, the boaties and their check writers, the high polloi of NZ, and our useless suits they truly are soaking in it, our tax payers money that is. For no benefit to anyone but themselves really. 🙂 Everyone else in NZ has to work for a living, lest they end up in an unaffordable ditch.
Heck if we just had the money to increase the base benefits of the unemployment and other beneficiaries. Oh, right…..austerity!
You just have no idea about the nature of subsidy. Some more than others. Our biggest national subsidy is to retired people and the sick. After that it's children.
But just to focus on the America's Cup for a bit, and what that public subsidy pays for.
Just on the marine infrastructure alone there were 130 people working on that for three years.
On Wynyard Point infrastructure another 50.
On the Hyatt Hotel on the Waterfront overlooking the Cup action, another 120. More on other associated buildings.
On the Quay Street works at peak there were 90 people.
On the first two stages of City Rail Link over five years, just in construction alone rather than office staff, there were on average 120 people working there.
In Americas Cup Events there are over 50. In the ETNZ team alone there are over 60.
You'd have to ask ATEED and Callaghan Innovation how many have been hired in yacht design and component fabrication, but from last time easily 120 attributable positions.
Then there's the superyacht servicing. Down somewhat as expected, but still substantial if you go down there and see everyone at work.
You can go and ask all those constructors whether they feel like they're the "hoi polloi", but you may find their dominant languages are Samoan, Te Reo, Tagalog, and Tongan.
You are not the only one working for your money, and it's just your standard chippie whining that makes you think your work is more superior to those in construction.
My work is not subsidised. 🙂 It's not even tourism related – its just that i have moved to an area where many have invested in that particular business type. Firstly. Secondly if you think it is whinging when i ask that the government spends money on people that are losing their lifely hoods, their income streams and as Graeme mentioned yesterday are stuck in leases for businesses that are dead swimming in the water, then i am happy to continue whinging. After all, if we can lift our people out of abject poverty, who knows, that might actually trickle down in the local economies, reduces a bit of stress and violence and make everywhere a bit nice for all.
But as i said before, any type of subsidies to any type of industry usually results in jobs. You approve of the jobs created by the subsidies to this particular industry, but as others have said – if they can't survive without this subsidy, or if they can't pull their business of without these subsidies are they then even valid?
Subsidize a learning facility and you will hire teachers. Subsidize a hotel and they will hire front of house and cleaners. Subsidize a yacht race for the super rich and they build themselves fancy boats with a few jobs created in boat building. All the same.
As far as your numbers in regards to the current excellent boat race for the rich paid for by the poor, yeah, nah,
The government invested $136.5m, Auckland Council $113m. Most of the money has gone into infrastructure, with about $40m from the government funding going into the event itself.
In 2017 when the funds were committed, up to 26,000 overseas visitors were expected to pump up to $1b into the economy. But fewer than 500 have been let through the border, mostly connected with the racing boats.
….
“Covid has really taken out one of the great economic benefits of this event, which was the large number of super yachts that were going to come down here, spend money, get refits done,” says Niall.
In marina revenue alone there’s a drop of about $3m of pre-Covid estimates.
No Ad, this is just something that you approve of. And of the resulting tourism of course must then be tourism that is acceptable, right?
Agree. The event does seem to have fallen a bit flat. I suspect that’s down to a combination of one sided racing, no international tourists and all the incomplete construction all along Quay St. Wouldn’t be too sad to see the cup go offshore next time.
New Zealand is a highly sought destination, now even more so. If marketeers and events organisers cannot work with that to make it work then they should be looking at a change of job.
The highly sought destination for super-rich yacht owners is the Mediterranean, with the Bahamas at a pinch. We are too far away and our weather too unreliable for luxury.
Musk is a jerk. This idea happens to be better than the cave submarine, but it seems about as thoroughly thought out. His comments add no credibility to any position.
He didn't invent the concept of a carbon tax, did he.
Dude was just spouting off other folks' ideas, as usual.
Musk makes more money of selling carbon credits to polluters then selling ev cars. SO maybe his interest is really in getting a carbon tax up – for the poor of course who can not afford a tesla or even a cheaper model. So that would force people to buy a car that they may can not afford – surely tesla and the other car companies are happy to help you with finance, in order to avoid the tax. And for the ev car they sell you on credit, they will be able to sell their carbon credits to some polluter somewhere. Aint' capitalism grand?
But got a wee bit more to add and if anyone within the NZ Labour Party can you please inform Megan Woods & Michael Woodhouse as these people haven’t got the bloody decency to reply back or there staffers don’t give shit at what is currently to Pacific Aerospace in Hamilton and its workers.
This is truly a real tragic story which has only come to light over the 3 or 4 days now, is the Chinese owners are now liquidating NZ’s last remaining Aircraft Construction & design Company which produces some very unique and niche aircraft for the world & the Sth Pacific Region. This sale to the Chinese even pissed off the Australian MFAT, AusAID & the ADF (RAAF) as they were buying a number of Aircraft for the Sth Pacific countries for Military & Civilian use.
Rumour has it within NZ & Australia Aviation circles is that the Chinese have Asset Strip the Company in order to avoid its obligations to the NZ Foreign Investment Broad and its promises to the then National Government under Donkey & Bling that won’t move its design office and construction of Aircraft to China.
Have tired to raise this issue with Megan Woods and Michael Woodhouse but typical NZ Labour Party Middle Class toff’s or their staffers appear they don’t give a toss about NZ losing highly skilled manufacturing jobs in the STEM area and Export Dollars for NZ.
Pacific Aerospace is owned 50:50 by Pacific Aerospace Group and BAIC International (Hong Kong), according to Companies Office records. BAIC is a Chinese government-owned company which in 2016 had annual revenue of US$56 billion ($77b).
On November 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping and New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key witnessed the signing of two important agreements between BAIC Group and Pacific Aerospace Limited (“PAL”). BAIC will acquire a stake in PAL and the two companies will set up a joint venture called Beijing Pan Pacific Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.
No re-funds but you’ll receive a voucher for a future gig. I didn’t lose any money but my investment options have narrowed. The P/E ratio of the market leader is unrealistic so don’t buy into the hype.
Have tired to raise this issue with Megan Woods and Michael Woodhouse but typical NZ Labour Party Middle Class toff’s or their staffers appear they don’t give a toss about NZ losing highly skilled manufacturing jobs in the STEM area and Export Dollars for NZ.
Don't be surprised Scud if Megan Woods and Michael Woodhouse (did you mean Labour's Michael Wood?) have not seen your submission which I assume was in writing. Either that, or they are dismissing your concerns.
In the distant past I tried to alert certain officials and a politician or two to a serious situation involving unlawful and criminal political activity which targeted and undermined numerous people. They blocked (metaphorically speaking) their ears and as a result a couple of criminals got clean away with some pretty serious crimes.
People in high places – and the police – tend to believe they are superior to the rest of us and will often treat us with disdain. Sometimes it can be because the claims are beyond their sphere of knowledge and understanding so they choose to disregard them.
It can also be because they deem some people or organisations as collateral damage which can't be helped because they don't want to get offside with the perpetrators. That might be the problem in your case.
I agree about the tohungas – did a workshop with one the other day – healthy stuff, and somewhat Jungian I thought.
But our academia have been to some extent the architects of their own misfortune in the same way the press have been – abandoning their standards in pursuit of a fugitive popularity with their imagined customers.
You teach Chomskyan syntax and post-modern litcrit and only jellyfish will respect you after.
Personally, I find the Jungian angle and approach very useful and I would have thought that it has much in common with Māori concepts and ways of thinking.
Academics are/were as much a victim of neo-liberal influences and thinking as the rest of society, of which they are an inextricable part, of course. To be noticed, to make promotion, to attract funding, to attract students, et cetera, requires outputs AKA publications. The requirement to publish – publish or perish – influences the academic work and the cycle is closed. Very much a market approach to academic research and endeavour; collegiality suffers and competition is rife in a zero-sum cynical game of professional survival. So-called excellence is rewarded. Unsurprisingly, Academic institutions are run as corporations. Younger academics have little choice but to play the game and tick the mandatory boxes thereby ensuring (professional) compliance and stability of the system and institution. In other words, they’re screwed.
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Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
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Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
Read it and weep…..an excellent summary of the current housing bubble and the lack of effective mitigation.
https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/the-sources-of-house-price-inflation
From the graph it looks as though house prices are rising much faster than rents and wages. This ought be acting as a disincentive to investing in rental properties, though falling interest rates, and the prospects for capital gain, may be offsetting this effect to some extent.
[Fixed typo in e-mail address]
Id suggest the (tax free) capital gain is well and truely offsetting it….if the investors even bother to rent the property….especially when the TD rate barely registers.
When my wife and I purchased our house, about forty years ago, interest rates were high – typically around 20 % or so – and property prices were low. Our property is now "worth" around six or seven times what we paid for it.
It may well be that the present situation in the housing market is something of an aberration, and that in a less dysfunctional market, where there was no great shortage of houses, interest rates would be more of a determinant of prices than the prospect of capital gain.
I believe that the fourth Labour government’s biggest blunder was the abolition of land taxes.
[Fixed typo in e-mail address again]
[Fixed typo in e-mail address again]
Sorry. However I have now fixed the problem at my end.
No worries and thanks.
As Brian Easton notes the growth in house prices can be largely linked to the availability of liquidity (credit) and in a borderless (financial) world that liquidity is highly mobile…that is not to say that there will not be be other factors but their impact is marginal.
And it is worth noting that central banks dont set interest rates in national isolation (unless in crisis) but rather in relative terms to global trends with multiple tradeoffs considered
Plentiful credit will probably give rise to low interest rates, but the latter are more visible. People will invest when they see that interest rates are low. They may also "jump on the bandwagon" when they see house prices rising, but something has to be driving those prices in the first place.
Further proof, if any is needed, that we are no less racist, nor "Less Genocidal" than out Australian cousins…
Stuff really are on a roll with the "Truth and Reconciliation" ..so nice to see some actual journalism ..
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/our-truth/300208816/our-truth-t-mtou-pono-the-new-zealanders-and-the-genocide
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2021/02/our-truth-history-aotearoa-new-zealand/#pukekohe-segregation
I'm hoping this new interest in journalism can eventually extend to broader inequality and "worker' issues …though I'm not holding my breath.
University College of London 1 – 0 Israeli Psy-Ops
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/stunning-victory-for-reason-as-academics-at-university-college-london-reject-the-ihra-definition/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=today-on-the-jvl-blog-newsletter-total-articles-for-you_1
Will Keir Sturmer notice? Maybe once he's completed the purge.
Sturmer ist kaput already. He squats on a pile of ashes.
Starmers donors are probably more than happy with his, erm, achievements, or lack thereof…Centrists do, after all, seem to have a taste for rubbing the publics faces in piles of ashes ..and if TS is anything to go by ..the public have learnt to love said ashes with a vengeance…
I doubt that the TS commentariat is a cross-section of its readership or of “the public”. However, we tend to ‘see’ things that confirm our thoughts.
I think these townhouses look fine. Certainly better than some of the design of the last 7 decades.
Can't see what the fuss is about. Oh, wait, Nimbyism:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mt-wellington-townhouses-on-ruawai-road-raising-questions-about-auckland-councils-commitment-to-quality-design/F2OA7RZ227ESO7X6ONQC6EE6E4/
I wish they showed what the surrounding houses look like.
Google Earth
I wish they showed what google earth looked like.
https://goo.gl/maps/EWh7rr7tqj1Loxsy6
What the hell are they doing in their kitchens? Putting cheap wine in flash bottles?
The problem is, all the way through the Unitary Plan consultation, council planners said that intensification would be ensured to be of good design because of the Auckland Design Manual which would inform designers and developers of the design aspects they would need to include.
At the final hour, the Auckland Design Manual was de-coupled from the Unitary Plan, when councillors were persuaded to vote to not make it compulsory to refer to it during the consent process. Cr Mike Lee was vilified for voting against this decision by those who framed it as "against intensification" – but IIRC he worked on the Auckland Design Manual and would have known how much of the promised quality was contained within.
Good design was promised to be an integral part of intensification. Unfortunately, it was not ensured by the ratified Unitary Plan. That said, for me, function precedes aesthetics in built form, but the good designer should be able to achieve both. Since ugliness is subjective, what really matters is whether is it fit for purpose, and well-built. Given my priorities that new housing design should be sustainable, healthy and build community in order to be fit for purpose, I would guess that the majority of housing intensification would be below that bar.
(Ruawai Road in my childhood neighbourhood, was a typical 1/4 acre section, old state housing type development. It is close walking distance from the Sylvia Park shopping/commercial/residential development, and therefore a minute or so from the Mt Wellington exit on the Southern motorway. Good place for well designed intensification.)
A question for all those people who thought that throwing $250 million dollars of New Zealand taxpayers and Auckland ratepayers money into the America's Cup.
What do you say when the Team "New Zealand" are proposing to go overseas with the cup if they win it and get a good offer from somewhere overseas?
Are you like me when I say that I am not at all surprised and that it is exactly what I would have expected? Why did we give them any more of the money that could have gone into actually doing something useful for New Zealand.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/americas-cup-team-new-zealand-holding-next-regatta-overseas-would-be-a-slap-in-the-face/OMUFZWZOFWUDJTRT6UWDF7D7OY/
I would say that the MBIE and Auckland Council officials who wrote those contracts between ETNZ and ACE should front up as part of the after-Cup reviews.
Equally, ETNZ generated a high risk and difficult design that was too expensive for all but four teams. So if ETNZ loses, our version of the Cup is doomed anyway. It's international capital that is as flighty as film production capital – and that's saying something.
Worth remembering that Auckland in particular has done exceedingly well out of the Cup over time though.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/americas-cup
Well if auckland does ok, surely that will then trickle down to the rest of NZ? ]
Maybe the Cup should be paid for by the rate payers and businesses of Auckland, rather then by the NZ tax payer.
Auckland Council has paid the great majority of Auckland's upgrades across the whole waterfront.
Just for the AC36 infrastructure, government and Council went 50-50. We won't see the full economic impact report until well after the Cup is finished. Drafting of that report is already underway by MBIE so we can all see the evidence of whether it was worthwhile or not.
But the first truth is, neither Auckland nor central government can handle a major global sporting fixture on their own: they need each other.
And with Christchurch still without a stadium for the foreseeable future, the second truth is:
it's only ever Auckland that is going to host global-scale sporting events in New Zealand (with the regions providing side fixtures).
So if New Zealand wins big sporting bids, it's going to be between Auckland and the government, forever.
It's not just stadiums. The 2015 Rugby World Cup planning showed what a key part in hosting large events is played by accommodation.
ah, i see then, some industries subsidies are good. even if they benefit only the very few and trickles down to almost no one.
Most subsidies are pretty narrow in impact. I know you have figured this out already.
You’ve probably started to figure out that this government has massive subsidies over almost every industry that we have.
You will also have figured out that New Zealand is currently the highest-subsidised economy in the developed world.
So relax, you’re soaking in it.
sadly no, i have to work for my money.
True that, the boaties and their check writers, the high polloi of NZ, and our useless suits they truly are soaking in it, our tax payers money that is. For no benefit to anyone but themselves really. 🙂 Everyone else in NZ has to work for a living, lest they end up in an unaffordable ditch.
Heck if we just had the money to increase the base benefits of the unemployment and other beneficiaries. Oh, right…..austerity!
You just have no idea about the nature of subsidy. Some more than others. Our biggest national subsidy is to retired people and the sick. After that it's children.
But just to focus on the America's Cup for a bit, and what that public subsidy pays for.
Just on the marine infrastructure alone there were 130 people working on that for three years.
On Wynyard Point infrastructure another 50.
On the Hyatt Hotel on the Waterfront overlooking the Cup action, another 120. More on other associated buildings.
On the Quay Street works at peak there were 90 people.
On the first two stages of City Rail Link over five years, just in construction alone rather than office staff, there were on average 120 people working there.
In Americas Cup Events there are over 50. In the ETNZ team alone there are over 60.
You'd have to ask ATEED and Callaghan Innovation how many have been hired in yacht design and component fabrication, but from last time easily 120 attributable positions.
Then there's the superyacht servicing. Down somewhat as expected, but still substantial if you go down there and see everyone at work.
You can go and ask all those constructors whether they feel like they're the "hoi polloi", but you may find their dominant languages are Samoan, Te Reo, Tagalog, and Tongan.
You are not the only one working for your money, and it's just your standard chippie whining that makes you think your work is more superior to those in construction.
A generous assessment costs those jobs at half a million each….and a good proportion will have been minimum wage
Event subsidies build permanent infrastructure, not just temporary jobs. And construction jobs are not minimum wage.
However I agree event-related subsidies are often a poor use of public funds. How many fricking stadiums do we really need?
My work is not subsidised. 🙂 It's not even tourism related – its just that i have moved to an area where many have invested in that particular business type. Firstly. Secondly if you think it is whinging when i ask that the government spends money on people that are losing their lifely hoods, their income streams and as Graeme mentioned yesterday are stuck in leases for businesses that are dead swimming in the water, then i am happy to continue whinging. After all, if we can lift our people out of abject poverty, who knows, that might actually trickle down in the local economies, reduces a bit of stress and violence and make everywhere a bit nice for all.
But as i said before, any type of subsidies to any type of industry usually results in jobs. You approve of the jobs created by the subsidies to this particular industry, but as others have said – if they can't survive without this subsidy, or if they can't pull their business of without these subsidies are they then even valid?
Subsidize a learning facility and you will hire teachers. Subsidize a hotel and they will hire front of house and cleaners. Subsidize a yacht race for the super rich and they build themselves fancy boats with a few jobs created in boat building. All the same.
As far as your numbers in regards to the current excellent boat race for the rich paid for by the poor, yeah, nah,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-detail/300225358/the-detail-the-big-money-behind-the-americas-cup#:~:text=JASON%20DORDAY%2FStuff-,More%20than%20%24250%20million%20in%20public%20funds%20from%20Auckland%20Council,compares%20to%20previous%20America's%20Cups.
No Ad, this is just something that you approve of. And of the resulting tourism of course must then be tourism that is acceptable, right?
personally, I was never a fan, even when people were buying the socks.
It does seem to have fallen particularly flat this time, though. I guess "yacht race then court case" doesn't draw the crowds like it used to.
Clearly Auckland needs a waterfront courtroom.
Underwater.
Agree. The event does seem to have fallen a bit flat. I suspect that’s down to a combination of one sided racing, no international tourists and all the incomplete construction all along Quay St. Wouldn’t be too sad to see the cup go offshore next time.
New Zealand is a highly sought destination, now even more so. If marketeers and events organisers cannot work with that to make it work then they should be looking at a change of job.
The highly sought destination for super-rich yacht owners is the Mediterranean, with the Bahamas at a pinch. We are too far away and our weather too unreliable for luxury.
Wrong ‘market’. I was thinking more of the market that Stephen Colbert is catering for.
What market would that be?
white collar, masked, working from home, hoping not to lose their jobs?
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/12/elon-musk-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-with-a-carbon-tax.html
Musk reckons a carbon tax is the way forward
Another tax he won't be paying.
Did you read it?? Doesn't sound like it .
Got to better than an ets,anyone who thinks that will work is a moron .
Musk is a jerk. This idea happens to be better than the cave submarine, but it seems about as thoroughly thought out. His comments add no credibility to any position.
He didn't invent the concept of a carbon tax, did he.
Dude was just spouting off other folks' ideas, as usual.
Musk makes more money of selling carbon credits to polluters then selling ev cars. SO maybe his interest is really in getting a carbon tax up – for the poor of course who can not afford a tesla or even a cheaper model. So that would force people to buy a car that they may can not afford – surely tesla and the other car companies are happy to help you with finance, in order to avoid the tax. And for the ev car they sell you on credit, they will be able to sell their carbon credits to some polluter somewhere. Aint' capitalism grand?
If you read the article you'll see he suggests a rebate scheme for those less well off.
Yes but he has a huge following (no I'm not a muskateer ) so if he repeats a good idea that's a good thing.
Offset against the bullshit he repeats, probably not.
Hi everyone, I posted this comment late Thursday night, when most were probably sleeping.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11-02-2021/#comment-1778500
But got a wee bit more to add and if anyone within the NZ Labour Party can you please inform Megan Woods & Michael Woodhouse as these people haven’t got the bloody decency to reply back or there staffers don’t give shit at what is currently to Pacific Aerospace in Hamilton and its workers.
This is truly a real tragic story which has only come to light over the 3 or 4 days now, is the Chinese owners are now liquidating NZ’s last remaining Aircraft Construction & design Company which produces some very unique and niche aircraft for the world & the Sth Pacific Region. This sale to the Chinese even pissed off the Australian MFAT, AusAID & the ADF (RAAF) as they were buying a number of Aircraft for the Sth Pacific countries for Military & Civilian use.
Rumour has it within NZ & Australia Aviation circles is that the Chinese have Asset Strip the Company in order to avoid its obligations to the NZ Foreign Investment Broad and its promises to the then National Government under Donkey & Bling that won’t move its design office and construction of Aircraft to China.
Have tired to raise this issue with Megan Woods and Michael Woodhouse but typical NZ Labour Party Middle Class toff’s or their staffers appear they don’t give a toss about NZ losing highly skilled manufacturing jobs in the STEM area and Export Dollars for NZ.
Chinese owners?
Seems mostly Chinese owned Pacific Aerospace has been up to some dodgy shit.
https://twitter.com/anne_mariebrady/status/1287897686264315904
Pacific Aerospace is owned 50:50 by Pacific Aerospace Group and BAIC International (Hong Kong), according to Companies Office records. BAIC is a Chinese government-owned company which in 2016 had annual revenue of US$56 billion ($77b).
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/kiwi-planemakers-staff-waiting-for-takeoff/ONFQP7B35YTVW7ZSA73BRPGEMY/
On November 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping and New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key witnessed the signing of two important agreements between BAIC Group and Pacific Aerospace Limited (“PAL”). BAIC will acquire a stake in PAL and the two companies will set up a joint venture called Beijing Pan Pacific Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd.
http://www.baicintl.com/html/2014/company_news_1201/110.html
Ta
I asked because I read this piece in Stuff yesterday and it did not mention Chinese ownership at all!? Maybe a genuine oversight or sloppy reporting …
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/124231074/hamilton-aircraft-maker-pacific-aerospace-tells-caa-its-insolvent
The surest way to get a reply out of an MP is to cc the shadow minister of that portfolio. Makes them a bit hostile though.
Sir John’s fingerprints are all over it by the looks of it.
So much trouble NZ would've avoided if they'd convicted him for the Equiticorp ripoff 🙁 .
Let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s keep moving
Easy for you to say – I want my money back.
No re-funds but you’ll receive a voucher for a future gig. I didn’t lose any money but my investment options have narrowed. The P/E ratio of the market leader is unrealistic so don’t buy into the hype.
You surely aren't going to blame "CULLEN, The Honourable Sir Michael John, KNZM" are you?
He is a pretty shady character by some accounts but I didn't expect you to admit it.
I admit that you are a dodgy character, semantically speaking. Can you change your type font?
Don't be surprised Scud if Megan Woods and Michael Woodhouse (did you mean Labour's Michael Wood?) have not seen your submission which I assume was in writing. Either that, or they are dismissing your concerns.
In the distant past I tried to alert certain officials and a politician or two to a serious situation involving unlawful and criminal political activity which targeted and undermined numerous people. They blocked (metaphorically speaking) their ears and as a result a couple of criminals got clean away with some pretty serious crimes.
People in high places – and the police – tend to believe they are superior to the rest of us and will often treat us with disdain. Sometimes it can be because the claims are beyond their sphere of knowledge and understanding so they choose to disregard them.
It can also be because they deem some people or organisations as collateral damage which can't be helped because they don't want to get offside with the perpetrators. That might be the problem in your case.
A good opinion piece by Nick Agar, professor of ethics at Victoria University of Wellington/Te Herenga Waka:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/124225868/we-need-humanities-teaching-thats-about-the-future-not-buried-in-the-past
I agree about the tohungas – did a workshop with one the other day – healthy stuff, and somewhat Jungian I thought.
But our academia have been to some extent the architects of their own misfortune in the same way the press have been – abandoning their standards in pursuit of a fugitive popularity with their imagined customers.
You teach Chomskyan syntax and post-modern litcrit and only jellyfish will respect you after.
Personally, I find the Jungian angle and approach very useful and I would have thought that it has much in common with Māori concepts and ways of thinking.
Academics are/were as much a victim of neo-liberal influences and thinking as the rest of society, of which they are an inextricable part, of course. To be noticed, to make promotion, to attract funding, to attract students, et cetera, requires outputs AKA publications. The requirement to publish – publish or perish – influences the academic work and the cycle is closed. Very much a market approach to academic research and endeavour; collegiality suffers and competition is rife in a zero-sum cynical game of professional survival. So-called excellence is rewarded. Unsurprisingly, Academic institutions are run as corporations. Younger academics have little choice but to play the game and tick the mandatory boxes thereby ensuring (professional) compliance and stability of the system and institution. In other words, they’re screwed.