Open mike 20/07/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 20th, 2015 - 115 comments
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115 comments on “Open mike 20/07/2015 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    20 July 2015 at 7:18 am

    “Go back to bed America.”
    Bill Hicks quote is more relevant than ever when you what the media focus on.
    Just replace the words America for NZ.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11483578

    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oLp2dTHaEbs

  2. adam 2
    20 July 2015 at 7:46 am

    If you have the time – worth watching. Kurdish Women soldiers in training. Lots of little bits of information slip through – some great reporting.

    P.S you can’t support them – because that would make you a terrorist.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqI0a4VgEs8

  3. just saying 3
    20 July 2015 at 8:19 am

    Which is less bad for phone and broadband – Vodaphone or Slingshot?
    Or something else.
    I’ve got to make the changeover today.
    thanks

    • te reo putake 3.1
      20 July 2015 at 8:22 am

      If your mobile is with Vodafone, you’ll get a further discount on the bundle. Haven’t dealt with Slingshot, but I believe they are pretty popular, so I guess they must be providing a decent service.

    • tc 3.2
      20 July 2015 at 8:44 am

      Lesser of 2 evils would be slingshot Vodafone are simply the worst and still declining.

      Ultimately with mobile though it’s either on Spark or Voda regardless of who bills you as 2 degree only have CBD coverage with Spark having the better network which doesn’t say much for our brighter future.

    • David H 3.3
      20 July 2015 at 9:25 am

      I’m with Slingshot and they are good (pity about the Global roaming back down) Burt if you want to move mobile as well you can get a new phone on a 2 year contract. I get Unlimited Internet, 2 Cell Phones, and a Landline, with line insurance for a little under $40 a week. (Oh and their call centre is in NZ as well. Dunno about Vodafone But I hear they are getting worse.

    • ianmac 3.4
      20 July 2015 at 10:05 am

      Just switched from Vodafone to Spark for landline, fibre internet, and free landline national. $30 per month cheaper @ $69pm. Call service for Vodafone appalling. Long, long, long waits @1 hour plus.

      • tc 3.4.1
        20 July 2015 at 10:51 am

        That will get worse, Voda appear to be holding out for a grand sale, rumoured to be in the pipeline and further consolidating and already concentrated market.

        Stanners has presided over nearly a decade of under investment in the network and back end systems while dividends derived off NZ consumers flowed offshore.

        Spark now look pristine and effective up against them….that’s how bad it is.

        • infused 3.4.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 11:04 am

          yeah, voda is in bad shape. the merge from tcl was bad. They still have 5 different backend systems shit needs to be checked in.

          No new hardware/projects have been done since the merger.

          • ianmac 3.4.1.1.1
            20 July 2015 at 3:15 pm

            My cut off from Vodafone was 4 June. Their paper system does not match their technical system. Thus Vodafone thinks I am still their customer.

          • millsy 3.4.1.1.2
            20 July 2015 at 11:05 pm

            From VF’s POV an acceptable price for snaring the old NZR fibre network (that TC owned) as well as some other prime bits of telecomms infrastructure.

    • infused 3.5
      20 July 2015 at 10:51 am

      Vodafone by miles. Slightshot is ass.

    • McFlock 3.6
      20 July 2015 at 12:26 pm

      hmmm
      isn’t vodafone the company that had a market share of very close percentage to the proportion of NSA penetration into NZ traffic that the Snowden files revealed?

      lol just another thing to consider…

    • mary_a 3.7
      20 July 2015 at 12:29 pm

      @just saying – I have used both and neither worth recommending. Not consumer friendly at all. Among other things, Slingshot signed me up to their toll account, without my knowledge or consent and had the audacity to try to charge me for it! So it soon got the heave ho. Got no responses at all to issues with Vodafone, so that also got the push!

      Been with 2 Degrees for four years and no issues or complaints at all – well so far that is! Service seems to be customer friendly, not that I’ve had to use it much, because it has been all plain sailing to date. Web page easy to navigate too.

      • infused 3.7.1
        20 July 2015 at 12:47 pm

        Well if you don’t give a shit about customer service (I mean how many times do you really need to call them?) performance wise, voda is far better.

  4. Penny Bright 4
    20 July 2015 at 8:42 am

    FYI – apologies for the length – but this is REALLY important!

    20 July 2015

    MEDIA Alert! TPPA – Walk Away!

    Protest outside Auckland Uni – Monday 20 July 2015 1-5pm

    WHEN: Monday 20 July
    TIME: 1 -5 PM
    WHERE: Symonds St / Grafton Rd intersection – directly outside Auckland Uni.
    WHY? Because Auckland students are back and there are THOUSANDS of them!

    The FOCUS – NZ PM John Key is a shareholder in the Bank of America!

    (These Bank of America shares are NOT in a ‘blind trust’!)

    Whose ‘national interest’ is PM John Key serving?

    Is John Key working for US or the U$??

    READ IT FOR YOURSELF:

    http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/mpp/mps/fin-interests/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20151/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of

    “Register of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of Members of Parliament:
    Summary of annual returns as at 31 January 2015

    (Page 29)

    Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)

    2 Other companies and business entities

    Little Nell – property investment (Aspen, Colorado)

    Bank of America – banking ..”

    A LOT of people don’t know this, and it is, in my view, as an anti-corruption ‘Public Watchdog’ an arguably significant corrupt ‘conflict of interest’.

    Especially when the TPPA is closely tied together with TISA (Trade In Services Agreement), of which New Zealand is a member State, which has a particularly ‘scary’, secret agenda – “… because it aims to extend the model of liberalised and deregulated financial markets that brought us the global financial crisis…”

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11280883

    (NZ Herald 25 June 2014)

    “The story of the past week in terms of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement was not Prime Minister John Key’s visit to the White House.

    The more startling news is that our Government, with almost 50 other countries, is negotiating another secret deal in the shadows of the World Trade Organisation.

    They are calling to negotiate a Trade in Services Agreement (Tisa).

    It is part of a troika: along with the TPP and the deal the US is negotiating with the European Union, it aims to create a new set of global rules that are designed exclusively to serve commercial interests.

    This is no exaggeration. Last week US corporates held a launch for what they call Team Tisa. The co-chairs are Citigroup, Liberty Mutual, IBM, MetLife, UPS and Walmart.

    Leading members of Congress and the US Trade Representative were invited to speak.

    If we thought the TPP was secretive – background documents remain secret for four years after any deal is done – Tisa proponents want to keep their documents secret for five years.

    They aim to create an unrestricted global market for services, just as TPP is aimed at the Asia-Pacific. That means locking open the door to foreign corporations that dominate the world’s media, IT, finance, tourism, transport, healthcare, education sectors and more.

    They also want to make light-handed regulation the global norm. A standstill rule aims to freeze the existing level of regulation as the new bottom line.

    What Wikileaks posted was the draft chapter on financial services. We can assume it will be very similar to the TPP’s financial services chapter.

    This is especially scary, because it aims to extend the model of liberalised and deregulated financial markets that brought us the global financial crisis…”

    Remember Prime Minister John Key’s background?

    https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/john-key

    “….He was born in Auckland, New Zealand but moved to Christchurch, New Zealand when he was a child. He was educated at Burnside High School in Christchurch and then gained a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Canterbury.

    Mr Key launched his investment banking career in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.

    After 10 years in the New Zealand market he headed offshore, working in Singapore, London, and Sydney for US investment banking firm Merrill Lynch.

    During that time he was in charge of a number of business units, including global foreign exchange and European bond and derivative trading.

    In 1999, he was invited to join the Foreign Exchange Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and on two occasions undertook management studies at Harvard University in Boston.

    In 2001, he headed back to New Zealand to fulfil a long held ambition to stand for Parliament for the National Party. He first won the Helensville seat in 2002. Mr Key quickly rose through the ranks and was elected leader of the National Party on 27 November 2006. …”

    ______________________________________________________

    How ‘dodgy’ are derivatives?

    Seems dairy derivatives are doing well – pity about the real thing?

    https://www.nzx.com/markets/NZSX/securities/NZX/analysis

    “Soft commodities

    NZX’s Dairy Derivatives business continued its rapid growth trajectory in 2014 with the number of lots traded up 175% to 101,010.

    In recognition of the continued efforts to grow market participation and confidence, in September 2014 NZX’s Dairy Futures Market won Best New Agricultural Contract at the Futures & Options World (FOW) Awards for Asia.

    NZX CEO Tim Bennett commented: “Once they are established and liquid, derivatives markets are a very high revenue, low marginal cost businesses, generating significant upside over sustained periods.

    While development takes time, the long-term payback far exceeds the initial investment.

    We still have a long way to go.

    Mature derivatives contracts notionally trade a multiple of the related underlying commodity and NZX dairy derivatives only constitute notional trade of around 4% of the related physical market, highlighting the future potential.”

    Building on its success in milk powders, NZX launched a butter futures contract in December 2014, a global risk management tool that trades off the underlying price for unsalted butter on the GlobalDairyTrade auction platform. ..”

    _____________________________________________________________

    Is John Key working for the New Zealand people, New Zealand business – or foreign bankers?
    _________________________________________________________

    Time is short.

    TPPA: Chief Negotiators meet 24 -27 July
    TPPA: Ministers 28 – 31 July
    Parliament sits Tues 21 July.

    National are dropping in the polls…..

    In my view – it was FOCUSED and timely protest vs John Key in the 2 days before the Northland by-election that helped National lose that seat.
    ______________________________________________________________

    This is a video clip of the recent protest to that was held outside the office of Minister of Trade Time Groser on Thursday 16 July 2015.

    (You Tube clip – 5 minutes)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5ZNW_ahOME&feature=youtu.be

    Penny Bright

    • Gosman 4.1
      20 July 2015 at 1:30 pm

      You really have little idea about what derivatives actually are. Please tell me how a Futures contract for a Dairy product is somehow more dangerous than trading in the raw commodity itself?

      • McFlock 4.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 2:22 pm

        It’s an abstraction that increases trading volume and activity, which leads to greater chaotic volatility without a corresponding increase in the benefits of actually producing those goods.

        A bit like how global warming produces more extreme weather events (hurricanes, snowstorms, droughts), rather than just making Southland a nice subtropical climate. More activity in a chaotic system increases the chaos.

        • vto 4.1.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 2:26 pm

          +1.

          Imagine if all the energy of those money-traders actually got put into something useful…

          The world may have actually advanced somewhere the last few decades…… instead of going around in circles sniffing its own arsehole

  5. Skinny 5
    20 July 2015 at 8:52 am

    So Key and his cronies like to talk about “no one owns water.” Well I do feel for the local Hapu who get tapped by an Auckland firm;

    http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/hapu-angry-over-sale-poroti-spring-water-china

  6. Lanthanide 6
    20 July 2015 at 9:18 am

    The focus group results are in. Labour isn’t “racist”, they’re “desperate”: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/70361175/auckland-housing-data-using-surnames-a-desperate-measure–john-key

    • vto 6.1
      20 July 2015 at 9:23 am

      How does Key know the data is wrong when Key’s government doesn’t collect data?

      The lying slithering deceptive switch-eye snake that is john key ……..

      • Lanthanide 6.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 9:25 am

        He’s constructing the narrative for the large chunk of the public that still inexplicably trust him.

        I think this little line will cost him some trust and capital though; public sentiment is that Labour is right.

        • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 9:40 am

          Public sentiment relies on the public not knowing any of the facts or looking for simple answers pointing the finger ‘out there’. A $300K house in Auckland from 2000 is not $1.1M now *mainly* because of foreign Chinese money. (Although it may be, in small part)

          • Lanthanide 6.1.1.1.1
            20 July 2015 at 9:43 am

            Got any evidence of any houses that in 2000 were worth $300k now being worth $1.1M?

            I suspect it’s more like houses in 2000 that were worth $700k are now worth $1.1M, and houses that were $300k in 2000 are now worth $600k.

            • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1.1.1.1
              20 July 2015 at 11:53 am

              there are charts of stratfied CPI adjusted housing prices out there.

              • Lanthanide …
                20 July 2015 at 12:06 pm

                So you don’t have evidence of a house that cost $300k in 2000 now costing $1.1M in 2015.

                • te reo putake …
                  20 July 2015 at 12:41 pm

                  I don’t think CV is that far off, Lanth. The average Ak price was just over $300k in 2000 and sits well above $800k today and heading toward $900k within a couple of months. Even if it’s not $1.1 million today, it’s looking like it will be at some point this year or early next year. Plus, I understand there are now more than 30 Ak suburbs that average over a million so it’s entirely possible that some individual houses that were sold for $300k fifteen years ago are worth more than a million now. Location, location, location!

                  • Crashcart …
                    20 July 2015 at 1:40 pm

                    Agree we bought our house in Glenfield for $360K in 2005 and two years ago we had a valuation of just under $600K. It will have gone up a bit since then.

                    Of course that value is worth nothing unless you want to move out of Auckland. I would much rather see my house value drop back to closer to what we bought at and have a larger more diverse group of people buying houses then sit on massive capital gain that is in real terms worth very little. No I am not interested in using equity to become a landlord.

                  • Lanthanide …
                    20 July 2015 at 2:06 pm

                    My point is that CV just arbitrarily picked numbers out of the air and intimated as if it would be a majority, or at least very sizable portion of all houses that fit that particular profile.

                    I suspect it’d be less than 5% of Auckland houses that went from $300k to $1.1M (or thereabouts).

                    One thing to realise with averages is that they have a very long tail on the upside; an average of $800k for a house will be pulled up strongly by houses in the $2M+ price bracket; and same goes for the ~$300k average back at the start of the millennium.

                    If CV had said $300k -> $700-800k I wouldn’t have said anything.

                    • te reo putake …
                      20 July 2015 at 2:08 pm

                      Yep, fair points.

                    • Colonial Rawshark …
                      20 July 2015 at 2:49 pm

                      Barfoot said in March that 1/4 of its sales were for over $1M. I would say that a fair number of those would have been what were $300,000 houses in what used to be considered very middle of the road suburbs, 15 years ago.

                      But happy to accept that my numbers relay a common case 5% to 10% of sales, but not the majority of cases.

                    • Herodotus …
                      20 July 2015 at 8:12 pm

                      in 1999 to build a single level 195m2 house was about $750m2 (with building rebates from suppliers being kept by the building coy and not traded), on a 720m2 section cost $120k with a fall of 1.3m from front to back, total cost approx $275k including driveway, patio, fencing and grassed.
                      Building now in Auckland would be INXS of $2k/m2 add on water connection fee of $15k (in 1999 this was $750). and to buy such a section would cost in excessive of $600k(if you could locate one). Total cost well exceeding $1m. On such a section the building would be 2 level,3 car garaging, 4-5 bedrooms multi en-suit and exceeding 260m2. With a min asking price $1.6m.
                      Lanthaide in my local area developed over the 1990’s to early 2000’s all family homes would qualify as cost $300k-$400k to buy and now worth over $1m.

          • RedLogix 6.1.1.1.2
            20 July 2015 at 9:48 am

            That’s not wholly accurate either CV. We do know that most of the inflation between at least 2000 and 2009 occurred mainly because of excess bank credit in the local market.

            But while undersupply and inward migration back from Aus have been creating some pressure on the market in the past few years – we are in the middle of the most insane bubble of all time. And the RB to it’s horror has realised that all the simple levers at it’s command like interest rates, LVR ratios and bank reserves were not working.

            Why? Because a large portion of the cashed up buyers in the Auckland market are immune to them.

            • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1.1.2.1
              20 July 2015 at 11:52 am

              IMO people have recently realised that it is an insane bubble because we have finally after 15 years or so got to the “vertical wall” stage of the exponential curve. That is, most people tolerated houses doubling in price from $250K to $500K (people could still pretend that was affordable)…but the next doubling from $800K to $1.6M takes away all such pretense.

              As for the RB…yep, they have been left to try and cope with what has been going on as the neolib politicians of all colours have gone completely hands off laissez faire.

        • marty mars 6.1.1.2
          20 July 2015 at 9:49 am

          I can’t see key being worried as the high ground has been ceded now and as you say a large chunk of the public still trust him – somehow after all the bullshit he has spun over the years.

      • ianmac 6.1.2
        20 July 2015 at 10:15 am

        VTO my point exactly. How can you contradict an assertion without contrary data? To say we will be collecting data is to pre-judge the conclusion and Mr Tyford is just “inferring” the rates of purchasing.

    • Skinny 6.2
      20 July 2015 at 10:01 am

      Yeah I heard Key in a pasty interview with Paul Henry this morning trying to fudge their new data collection changes will give the required details. He was quick to point out that “most overseas buyer will be Kiwi’s living abroad and it will be hard to capture.

      Actually John if you made changes that give a detailed analysis of when, who are buying and where they are from shouldn’t be hard. So stop the smoke and mirrors and get on with it.

      • vto 6.2.1
        20 July 2015 at 10:08 am

        They are terrified of the reality true date would show…

        You only need a small swing in the number of buyers in a market to make a big difference. A change in the order of 5% is more than enough to swing things between rising and falling markjets

      • freedom 6.2.2
        20 July 2015 at 10:46 am

        Maybe the PM needs to check in with the Minister, or vice versa

        A spokesperson for Land Information Minister Louise Upston said last week no decisions had been taken about whether or when to release it and the information might not show what people wanted to know.

        “It’s worth bearing in mind that the information gathered for this new law change is going to be tax information. It will be the tax residence [of the buyer] as opposed to the country of residence of the buyer,” the spokesperson said.

        “It’s not a foreign buyers register at all. It will give us information but we don’t know if it will be made public.”

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11483627

    • infused 6.3
      20 July 2015 at 11:11 am

      Well it sure does smell like that. When you have NZF saying they had the data and decided there was no solid data there to release it, then it does seem desperate.

    • vto 7.1
      20 July 2015 at 9:57 am

      I must say, the Key family is brave in the way it steps out into the public spotlight on the back of their old man’s fame……….

      • Skinny 7.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 10:25 am

        I bet Max told his girlfriend “hey babe remember no wearing a ponytail around the old man…you know he has that umm problem.”

        ” Yeah like sure thing Maxi I know it’s not your fault ya dads a bit creepy.”

      • maui 7.1.2
        20 July 2015 at 10:39 am

        Ok, just watched the video and the PM does feature in it sporadically, almost as if it’s on purpose? That shows to me he endorses the video and I wonder if his son is being paid to make something like this…

        The motive seems pretty clear, play on our materialistic desires and show you can get the girl, get to go to Hawaii and have the lifestyle. All on one condition, you’ve got to do what the PM and son does and vote National.

      • maui 7.1.3
        20 July 2015 at 10:59 am

        Fuck’s sake this trashy, non-story is now not only on stuff, but nzherald, tvnz and tv3 websites too. Could you want better coverage??

    • ianmac 7.2
      20 July 2015 at 10:18 am

      That young lady looks as though she would benefit from a pie or two.

      • infused 7.2.1
        20 July 2015 at 11:19 am

        You’re probably just use to seeing everyone overweight.

        She could do with a deadlift or two.

    • infused 7.3
      20 July 2015 at 11:14 am

      Seems max has better PR than Little.

  8. Puckish Rogue 8
    20 July 2015 at 10:40 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11483559

    Wow just wow, the Herald were complicit in this dirty politics attack yet just a couple of days later they’re distancing themselves and cr**ping on Labour at the same time, the Herald really is quite a pice of work

    • Clean_power 8.1
      20 July 2015 at 10:58 am

      Grant Robertson is bidding his time before the next run for leader. The pundits, political commentators and press gallery are aflutter. It seems to be only a strong rumour at this time.

      • te reo putake 8.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 11:03 am

        Bullshit. Little is doing fine, there are no signs whatsoever of dissent in caucus and the party is generally happy with his leadership (and the marked improvement in the polls). If you want to troll, do it somewhere else.

      • maui 8.1.2
        20 July 2015 at 11:11 am

        Yep, makes total sense.. Your party has just surged 6% in the latest poll so time for a new leader.

        • Puckish Rogue 8.1.2.1
          20 July 2015 at 11:50 am

          and your leader is less popular than The Cunliffe

          • maui 8.1.2.1.1
            20 July 2015 at 12:15 pm

            As many have said already the popularity of the opposition leader doesn’t really matter at this stage, it’s the party percentage that does. Personally I would love to have seen Cunliffe still there, with the economy under a bit of stress like it is now I think he would do great job of putting hits on National. His passion and smarts are great attributes infront of the camera.

            • Colonial Rawshark 8.1.2.1.1.1
              20 July 2015 at 1:47 pm

              Agree 100%

            • Puckish Rogue 8.1.2.1.1.2
              20 July 2015 at 1:55 pm

              The Cunliffe was found wanting so we’ll see if Little Andy can do any better (though to be fair hes not the only one thats been soundly thrashed by John Key)

            • Hami Shearlie 8.1.2.1.1.3
              20 July 2015 at 4:54 pm

              Agree 110 percent about David Cunliffe!

    • Skinny 8.2
      20 July 2015 at 11:03 am

      What Claire’s copy and paste recap shows is she is a lite weight political reporter. The heading makes her look incompetent and rather cynical “Labour’s Gamble Doesn’t Pay Off In Polls.”

      Obviously not everyone would have been surveyed after the release, if anything probably prior, add plenty of people wouldn’t have been aware of the release, let alone formed an opinion as Andrew Little points out.

      Go sit in the media’s ‘clown seat’ till the next poll comes out Claire. Or better still take a permanent holiday.

      • John Shears 8.2.1
        20 July 2015 at 11:11 am

        Right on the button Skinny, I have sent her an email about the headline being out of order and misleading.

        • Puckish Rogue 8.2.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 11:28 am

          Whats of more interest to me is not Labours dog whistling but that the Herald worked in conjunction with Labour to attempt to embarrass the govt (and fair enough thats Labours job) yet within the space of a few days the Herald are trying to sink Labour on this

          Its a real bob each way kind of thing

          • maui 8.2.1.1.1
            20 July 2015 at 12:08 pm

            That’s supposedly the media’s role isn’t it or traditionally was, to keep the Government honest. Maybe the herald decided they would do some actual journalism by using a source from inside the industry about a regional problem that was given to them by the Opposition. Now they’re just defaulting back to attack the opposition party that doesn’t align with the interests of their advertisers.

            • Puckish Rogue 8.2.1.1.1.1
              20 July 2015 at 1:48 pm

              Well what gets me is the speed in which they’re willing to go into bat with Labour then turn around and dump on them, like it was only a couple of days

              • Ergo Robertina …
                20 July 2015 at 9:50 pm

                LOL . Nice concern trolling. Or maybe you’re just a conspiracy theorist.
                Remember that time John Armstrong called for Cunliffe to resign over the 11-year-old letter, and O’Sullivan the very next day said that was over-excited nonsense?
                The Trevett article is mild anyway, and seems a pretty standard kind of line for her to take.
                You’d have a better chance of getting a single editorial line out of Fairfax, by default because it’s so formulaic. Prefer the Herald any day to the Stakhanovite content creator mill.

        • Skinny 8.2.1.2
          20 July 2015 at 11:46 am

          It’s laughable that the property editor at the NZH takes up her political sub editors role by scribing an article today with a headline of “No Stamp Duty, Or Capital Gains Tax.” This being pitched to Hong Kong & Mainland Chinese investors. Also as you would expect, actively promoting Auckland property therd is one of the National Party’s property magnate donators, Mr Barfoot of B & T reale state.

          I guess when you donate 20 K to a political party in Government you can reasonably expect a return on that investment.

          http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11483627

  9. Sabine 9
    20 July 2015 at 11:05 am

    nothing to see here, life is good,
    better living for all
    rock star economy n such

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/70301032/Middle-class-poor-struggling-with-financial-stresses-report

    Quote: Families could have two “decent salaries” but still struggle due to living costs and child care costs.

    “People have to have two jobs to survive,” she said.

    “The only way you can do that is to have extended whanau helping you out because you can’t afford child care.”

    The high cost of living needed to be reduced and it was up to the Government to make changes, she said.

    “We need to get our housing, power and food costs down.

    “Everyone deserves to have a roof over their head, a job to go to, food on the table and enough money to take the family out once a month. That’s all people want.”

    According to the report, older couples, one or both being at least 50 years old, did well overall, rating highly on most indicators of wellbeing with 88 per cent satisfied with their standard of living.

    Though solo parents with children under 18 represented only 4.5 per cent of the familial population in Canterbury, nationally they are the most under pressure.

    This family type scored the lowest in adequate income, affordable housing, mental health and satisfaction at pay and work hours.

    About 75 per cent reported affordable housing problems.

  10. Sabine 10
    20 July 2015 at 11:09 am

    and nothing can be done about this either

    https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/28853880/banks-call-in-farmer-debt-as-prices-plunge/

    as long as they tighten their budget (maybe not feeding the cows? or the kids? or something) and they should make it. And if not, oh well that is just the market correcting itself

    Quote: “Falling dairy prices mean it will be a tight year for many farmers and they will need to budget carefully,” he said.

    Mr Guy said prices fluctuate every year and the fall in the exchange rate – the kiwi is now down to a six-year low of around US65 cents – was giving exporters confidence.

    “Farmers are in it for the long term, not just one year,” he said.

    “Other sectors like beef and horticulture are having record years which will help soften the impact in rural areas.”

    He says the longer term outlook for dairy is strong.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.1
      20 July 2015 at 2:46 pm

      The longer term outlook for dairy export is, essentially, non-existent. Every country in the world can produce their own dairy and will do so.

      This is actually true of all products which means that, as the world develops, trade will decrease.

        • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 8:02 pm

          And if that works they’ll do it again. Chances are, it’ll work.

        • Instauration 10.1.1.2
          20 July 2015 at 10:17 pm

          Can someone please explain why Fonterra is not supplying dairy product to the Russian market ?
          There is demand – and NZ is not on the exclusion list. At $4.20 all bets are “on” – so why not ?

          • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1.2.1
            20 July 2015 at 11:00 pm

            Probably have something to do with all the other restrictions that have been put in place on Russia and I doubt if NZ would do anything to upset the USA.

        • Instauration 10.1.1.3
          20 July 2015 at 10:54 pm

          I see the largest NZ dairy operation is comprised of 58 South Island farms, covering 18,000ha of land and 43,400 milking cows.
          The single Zhongding Dairy Farming and Russia’s Severny Bur enterprise is twice this size – and will supply 30% of the Russian cheese demand – exceeding the previous EU contribution of 25%.
          $ kg/mf is depressed – oversupply cos the Russian market is excluded from those others who offended Russia.
          Well, Murray from Waitui shouldn’t have to sell Gina’s heir-jewels cos Vicky Nuland had a cake moment.

  11. Sabine 11
    20 July 2015 at 11:12 am

    and if we view the world through the eyes of his customers, than we too will understand that all is well in the world.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11482710

    quote:

    In the year ending May 2015, 2.977 million international visitors arrived in this country, an increase of 7 per cent on the previous year with forecasts for this number to grow to 3.8 million by 2021.

    China and India will be the two drivers of this international growth. According to Tourism New Zealand, 309,792 visitors arrived from China in the year to May 2015, an increase of 29.3 per cent on the year previous, while India’s figures grew 28.9 per cent to 42,880.

    The future looks bright with two extra airlines (Air China and China Eastern) establishing year-round services, and while India does not have a direct service at present, it is only a matter of time. The World Tourism Organisation predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020. There are currently only 28 million passport holders in India.

    • Colonial Rawshark 11.1
      20 July 2015 at 11:58 am

      even more Chinese visiting – perhaps some might be interested in buying a holiday home or two here?

  12. Sabine 12
    20 July 2015 at 11:19 am

    and then this……

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11483627

    quote:
    New Zealand’s lack of overseas investment regulation is being promoted in Shanghai and Hong Kong to help sell apartments rising on the site of the country’s best-known record store.

    “NO stamp duties and property purchase tax, NO capital gains tax on residential property if sold after two years of holding,” Colliers International says advertising Queens Square, a 226-unit block promoted as on “the Nanjing Road of Auckland” and to rise on Real Groovy’s Queen St site near Karangahape Rd.

    This country’s liberal regime, unusual internationally, is being promoted in that ad for the block by New Zealand developer Robert Holden’s Conrad Properties.

    The new L-shaped block, to have 24 carparks and ground-level shops, is to rise at 438 Queen St and was designed by architect Colin Leuschke who says in a promotional video it will be on Auckland’s golden mile.

    quote:
    Events to promote the sale of units in the block were held this month at Shanghai’s New World Tower and at 300 Huaihai Rd in Hong Kong. The ad says the block could be completed by January 2018.

    Barfoot & Thompson is also marketing units as being in the Auckland Grammar zone, priced from $386,000.

    Agent Alastair Brown said top-priced larger units with carparks were going for $1.2 million. The block would have 226 units, 14 carparks and construction was yet to start.

    quote:
    A spokesperson for Land Information Minister Louise Upston said last week no decisions had been taken about whether or when to release it and the information might not show what people wanted to know.

    “It’s worth bearing in mind that the information gathered for this new law change is going to be tax information. It will be the tax residence [of the buyer] as opposed to the country of residence of the buyer,” the spokesperson said.

    “It’s not a foreign buyers register at all. It will give us information but we don’t know if it will be made public.”

  13. Puckish Rogue 13
    20 July 2015 at 11:48 am

    https://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/cullen-labour-govt-didnt-do-enough-2015071913

    Why do politicians wait until they’re out of parliament before they start being sensible

    • Lanthanide 13.1
      20 July 2015 at 12:13 pm

      Guess we can look forwards to Bill English saying in 2018 that in retrospect, they shouldn’t have cut taxes, and if they hadn’t, they may not have had a record 9 deficits in a row.

      • Puckish Rogue 13.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 12:50 pm

        Stranger things have happened

        • Lanthanide 13.1.1.1
          20 July 2015 at 1:59 pm

          Yeah, like when Bill English admitted in 2008 that actually Labour managed the crown accounts very well and they had saved for the rainy day that was the GFC. He left unspoken what a disaster it would have been if Brash had won 2005 and implemented the tax cuts he was campaigning on.

          Pity he went and blew all Labour’s careful work on tax cuts, eh?

          • Puckish Rogue 13.1.1.1.1
            20 July 2015 at 2:14 pm

            Shame Labour didn’t do anything about helping people in need when they had the opportunity instead leaving it to National to do

            • Draco T Bastard 13.1.1.1.1.1
              20 July 2015 at 2:52 pm

              National aren’t helping people in need – they’re gifting NZ to the rich.

            • Lanthanide 13.1.1.1.1.2
              20 July 2015 at 3:23 pm

              Yeah, Working For Families didn’t “[help anyone] in need”.

              Kiwisaver didn’t “[help anyone] in need” either. Nor did interest free student loans, or free doctor’s visits for under 5 year olds. Raising the minimum wage mustn’t have helped anyone either, unless you consider business owners “in need” of help?

              Better luck next time, PR?

              • Puckish Rogue …
                20 July 2015 at 3:59 pm

                I’m sure some on here would suggest that raising the benefit would have helped a lot more people in need than helping out the middle class

                • McFlock …
                  20 July 2015 at 4:10 pm

                  lol
                  So it helped people in need, just not enough of them. You’re sliding again.

                  Of course some people on here – even many or most – would suggest that raising the benefit would have helped more people (at least more people in greater need) than WFF did. But then many people here would be saying that from honest convictions that the government should help people, rather than your transparent desire to just stir shit here when you couldn’t care less about people in any level of need (except your own self interest).

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    20 July 2015 at 4:20 pm

                    The difference is though that i want each and every single person in NZ to as well as I have (or rather about to) or better whereas most on here want those that have done well to be brought down to an “acceptable” level

                    • McFlock …
                      20 July 2015 at 4:30 pm

                      I don’t think you do. Your behaviour here strongly indicates that you don’t give a damn about anyone other than yourself, and that politics for you is merely a “game” in which strong leaders get your fearspect and genuine concern for others is a weakness to be exploited.

                      Your professed concern for the welfare of “each and every single person in NZ” is at odds with the rest of your commenting history.

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  20 July 2015 at 4:11 pm

                  Except that it isn’t actually going to help anyone in need. The $25/week is a nice headline figure but it’s not what anyone’s going to get and there’s several claw backs that are actually going to make people worse off.

    • Clean_power 13.2
      20 July 2015 at 12:21 pm

      At least Sir Michael Cullen is honest.

    • Galeandra 13.3
      20 July 2015 at 1:33 pm

      @ 13
      Too many blinkered supporters like you, foppish one.

    • vto 13.4
      20 July 2015 at 2:22 pm

      So useless Michael Cullen has come out and agreed that there is a problem and that the Labour government he was part of should have done something …..

      f@&k Michael Cullen…

      I personally wrote to him early on in his time in office and put this exact issue to him. We exchanged a couple of communications on it.

      Bottom line: Cullen refused to acknowledge the problem, despite evidence I put to him that locals were being outbid by foreign speculators (American ones these were mostly).

      Cullen did exactly what Key English and Smith are doing now – being deceptive and avoiding the question.

      Cullen’s little credibility on this just got sacked imo

      bloody deceptive politicians – goes on even when they are retired it seems. Cullen is a Wanker on this

  14. aerobubble 14
    20 July 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Why is a prepay plan going to require a monthly fee? Are telcos taxing the poor by removing low cost no monthly fee mobiles, and if they are why can they call a monthly plan prepay. Thats wrong.

  15. Chooky 15
    20 July 2015 at 2:34 pm

    On the importance of getting in first with the framing…and burying the facts, driving the political issues and ‘morality’ and skewing political advantage against your adversaries:

    ‘Remembering MH17′

    http://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/310075-mh17-investigation-facts-figures/

    “Investigations into the downing of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine are still inconclusive or incomplete a year on from the tragedy. However, this has not stopped the West and their media from apportioning blames, without facts and figures to back up their claims. The search for justice for the families of those killed on MH17 continues.
    CrossTalking with Ray McGovern, Alexander Mercouris, and Patrick Henningsen.”

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    20 July 2015 at 2:57 pm

    Curbs favoured on marketing unhealthy food to children

    A HorizonPoll finds a large majority of New Zealand adults support government action on restricting unhealthy food marketing to children.

    The poll carried out in June this year, showed a majority of 73 percent in favour of Government action on restrictions.

    But we can pretty much guarantee that National will do absolutely nothing about this. Listening to the populace isn’t what National does.

    IMO, due to how manipulative advertising is it should be banned outright.

  17. Draco T Bastard 17
    20 July 2015 at 4:17 pm

    This is a must read:

    That is what it feels like to be a solo parent. One size fits all.

    I have an acquaintance who was surprised that my car had a rego and warrant because I’m a solo mum on the benefit. Another person assumes I sit around at home all day watching movies. Another assumes that the kids go to their father’s every second weekend so I can go out and party.

    People are confused that I don’t spend my benefit money on drugs and the pokies. People refuse to believe that I study full time to get a degree so I can make a better future for me and my children.

    Solo mothers on benefits are stigmatised, labelled, looked down upon. But not one size fits all, and Work and Income need to recognise this.

    Of course, it’s not that WINZ that needs to recognise that but our psychopathic government that’s out to punish people for being poor.

    • Charles 17.1
      20 July 2015 at 5:25 pm

      I’d like it a lot more if that solo mum, or anyone else didn’t have to justify their existence to fellate the egos of greedy sociopathic m’fuckers: Even if she didn’t have a car with Wof or rego, even if she wasn’t talented enough to study at a high level to become a lawyer or accountant, even if she eased her troubles by smoking or partying on alternate weekends, even if she was trying her best and failing at most things, she’s still a woman and a mother and a human being. So if the system allows no other choice but to buy in to the ass-pirant dream or be scapegoated and demonised by fat brainless cowards, then fuck the system and all who support it. It’s not like she impregnated herself.

      • greywarshark 17.1.1
        20 July 2015 at 5:54 pm

        And having a child is not an unnatural function for a woman. It should not have to be vouched for by a bloke. Give her the tools to raise the child well, then assistance to get training so she can have an individual skill in society when the child is old enough, and she can have the part-time hours needed. It is not hard to understand except for the religious-value-laden and the individualists who want to suck from society but not fuel it.

  18. greywarshark 18
    20 July 2015 at 4:20 pm

    A comment on Ireland’s situation circa 1924 from Countess Markievicz.

    All the small businesses here are heading for ruin, and the farmers are in a bad way. The list of bankrupts is something appalling. The list of highly paid officials for whom jobs are made by those at present in power, is daily increasing. To meet these expenses the old age pensioners have been docked 1/- per week of their pensions, as well as their bag of coal per fortnight. Taxes are awful, and food prices are daily rising and rents are wicked.

    Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

  19. marty mars 19
    20 July 2015 at 4:55 pm

    Jeepers no holds barred in this

    Thanks for the flattery, but I was very critical of Labour intentions and I thought I was bloody clear about it.

    I said that Phil Twyford was knowingly “straight-up scapegoating” Chinese New Zealanders and offshore Chinese alike and “fueling racial division in this country”. I said it was “cynical, reckless dogwhistling”.

    What part of this was ambiguous for you??? Did you think I meant “cynical, reckless, but ultimately well-intentioned dogwhistling”?

    Even after a week where Labour has been trying to take the “reverse racism” highground, trying to pretend that we didn’t blame Labour is a new delusional high, Rob.

    http://publicaddress.net/onpoint/dont-put-words-in-our-mouths-rob/

    This debate is robust and necessary – onya Keith

    • Bill 19.1
      20 July 2015 at 5:22 pm

      Excellent piece. Excellent comments in there too. Thanks for the link.

    • Colonial Rawshark 19.2
      20 July 2015 at 5:23 pm

      BOOOOOM

      (and my opinion of Rob Salmond falls another notch).

    • marty mars 19.3
      20 July 2015 at 5:30 pm

      you haters you – lol

      Yep it is hard to go past Keith and his analysis – in fact I don’t think I will go past it, I agree with it from whoa to go.

  20. Facetious 20
    20 July 2015 at 6:57 pm

    Amateur old journalist Soper getting a hiding for his piece on Key’son
    http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/opinion/the-soap-box-maxs-lifestyle-a-liability-for-key/

    • Gangnam Style 20.1
      20 July 2015 at 7:03 pm

      He’s usually a Key sycophant so quite a step for him, speaking his truth for a change, nice one Soper!

    • maui 20.2
      20 July 2015 at 7:17 pm

      It’s also at least the fifth major news organisation to post Max Key’s hawaiian holiday video on their website. Even Richie McCaw or Dan Carter would struggle to do that. There is no such thing as bad publicity I would think is the strategy.

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