Polity: The truth about the gap between the rich and the rest

Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 61 comments
Categories: Economy, john key, national, same old national, spin, treasury, wages, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

polity_square_for_lynnRob Salmond points out how “careful” John Key was in his recent speech when looking at how National has been “helping” the people of NZ financially. He and his government have helped themselves and their affluent mates while screwing everyone else. It is pretty clear who has been getting the benefits – since 2010 just the households with at least a hundred thousand dollars income. The bigger the household income – the more National helps.

John Key – lying with numbers yet again.

Here’s John Key in his State of the Nation speech yesterday, talking up his record on inequality:

Household incomes have been rising faster than the cost of living, right across the board, and income inequality has been declining. Despite what our political opponents try to claim, it is simply not true that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

Well, let’s go to the tape.

SOURCE: TREASURY / STATS NEW ZEALAND

This chart plots changes in aggregate (nominal) taxable incomes in various income bands since National’s big tax switch in 2010. It also plots CPI inflation over the same period. Here is what is shows:

  • Top income earners (over $150,000 a year) have been creaming it, with their nominal incomes up 60% in just three years, increasing by over half even once inflation is taken into account.
  • The massive majority of the population earning under $100,000 a year have been virtually standing still. As a group, their nominal incomes have out-paced price rises by a meagre 0.9% per year.

And if you dig further to look at those earning under $50,000 a year, which is still most of the adult population, their incomes have not even kept pace with inflation. Their nominal incomes have risen by only 5.9% over three years, while prices have gone up 7.7%.

The wording of Key’s claim that he is tackling inequality in New Zealand is very, very careful. He is dancing on the head of a pin. And, as these figures show, any gains to everyday New Zealand families are wafer thin at best.1

New Zealanders know that National is misleading them. They know that National’s economy, fuelled by a global recovery, has delivered massive income gains to very high earners, and delivered next to nothing for everyone else. That drives inequality up, not down. And his own Treasury’s figures say so.

 

1.National can probably construct figures that show lower income earners coming out a couple of percent ahead of inflation after tax, using data I don’t have access to. But those same data will show high income earners creaming it even more than the 50% real gains shown here.

61 comments on “Polity: The truth about the gap between the rich and the rest ”

  1. srylands 1

    Interesting. Could you provide a link to the Treasury/Stats NZ data that is plotted in the chart? I can’t find it, and there is no reference in the Polity website.

  2. captain hook 2

    Dont bother with that. just check on the price of a 250ml carton of milk and see how much more it costs than it did when national first took office.
    This is a party of profiteers and scammers dressed up as reformers.

  3. geoff 3

    Do the CPI figures even take into account things like food?

    • Flip 3.1

      The CPI measures the changing price of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by New Zealand households.
      There are about 690 goods and services included in the basket. They are classified into 11 groups:
      food
      alcoholic beverages and tobacco
      clothing and footwear
      housing and household utilities
      household contents and services
      health
      transport
      communication
      recreation and culture
      education
      miscellaneous goods and services.
      The CPI has an index reference period of the June 2006 quarter (=1000).

      http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/tables/m1/

      Dec CPI 1188 . In other words prices have gone up 18.8% since 2006 or about 2.7% pa.

  4. srylands 4

    It would be interesting to see who has gained 60% in the >$150K group since 2010. But a couple of observations, assuming that the data is correct:

    1. There are not many taxpayers in this group – about 20,000

    http://www.ird.govt.nz/aboutir/external-stats/revenue-refunds/inc-dist-of-ind/

    2. Strong income growth in this grouop means strong growth in tax receipts. Low income earners pay zero net tax. We need strong income growth in high income earners to allow the Crown accounts to recover and to avoid austerity.

    3. Many of these people will be employers, and the income growth is a reflection of recovering business confidence and a strong manufacturing sector – i.e many of these people will be business owners creating jobs.

    If we had an economic recovery showing poor income growth at this end of the income distribution it would be bad news.

    I would like to see a companion chart showing the commensurate strong growth in tax receipts from this group since 2010. Perhaps you could find that and come back.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 4.1

      You have two options

      1. I’ll find your data. $100 per minute plus expenses and I get to call you “useless gimp”.

      2. Go find your own data, you useless gimp.

    • vto 4.2

      Yep, it gotta be good when the top of the pyramid gets bigger than the bottom………….. what a ride, man ……

    • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 4.3

      @ Srylands

      I think you are missing the point – I.e. how do the angles of the two top lines on that given chart – and the gap between them and the lowest line and it’s angle correlate with:

      “Household incomes have been rising faster than the cost of living, right across the board, and income inequality has been declining.”

      The chart doesn’t correlate with what Mr Key says – the chart indicates that the opposite of what Mr Key says is true.

      • McFlock 4.3.1

        spylands always misses the point – why do you think he’s always ducking and weaving.
        When he’s not on a forced absence, of course.

      • srylands 4.3.2

        “I think you are missing the point – I.e. how do the angles of the two top lines on that given chart – and the gap between them and the lowest line and it’s angle correlate [CUT]”

        Sorry I was not addressing your point. No it does not correlate. New Zealand is an expensive country to live in. It has high costs for most goods and services and for most people, low wages. Most people struggle. Things have got better for most people over the last couple of years but I agree that the gains are wafer thin. If you are on a benefit, you are facing severe hardship.

        • Tracey 4.3.2.1

          “Things have got better for most people over the last couple of years”

          define “most” and then post your evidence. Even if the poorer have some more money in their pocket than say, ten years ago, if the gap between them and the richest has grown, isn’t the PM lying?

        • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 4.3.2.2

          ” If you are on a benefit, you are facing severe hardship.” – Srylands

          …And according to Bill English that would be 43% of the population’s households:

          “The lowest-income 43 percent of households currently receive more in income support than they pay in income tax.”

          Link to Parliament transcript

    • lprent 4.4

      1. There are not many taxpayers in this group – about 20,000

      Are you really so much of a fuckwit munter that you missed the words “household income”. You are referring to and linked to individual income.

      Perhaps you should look up the number of households and numbers of people in households with more than >150k income. It is rather a lot >200k people would be my bet.

      Let me reiterate that you are evidently a fool. How can even a fuckwit like yourself be so out of touch that you could state such a stupid falsehood without thinking that something was wrong with your numbers.

      • srylands 4.4.1

        “This chart plots changes in aggregate (nominal) taxable incomes in various income bands”

        Where does it say that the chart plots household incomes?

        • lprent 4.4.1.1

          I said it it in the introduction and John Key said it in the speech that was quoted..

          “Household incomes have been rising faster…”

          Since the whole post was about that statement and the cost of living that he was comparing it to, I’d have thought it was pretty damn obvious. Not to mention that the tax numbers make it pretty obvious. The effective decrease in tax for the wealthy from 2009 and 2010 was a hell of a lot larger than a mere 60%

          • srylands 4.4.1.1.1

            The discussion in the sourced website suggests that the data is for INDIVIDUAL taxpayers.:

            “Here is what is shows:

            * Top income earners (over $150,000 a year) have been creaming it, with their nominal incomes up 60% in just three years, increasing by over half even once inflation is taken into account.
            * The massive majority of the population earning under $100,000 a year have been virtually standing still. As a group, their nominal incomes have out-paced price rises by a meagre 0.9% per year.”

            At best I would concede it is ambiguous whether the data is for households or individuals. It is not pretty damn obvious at all.

      • srylands 4.4.2

        “Are you really so much of a fuckwit munter that you missed the words “household income”. You are referring to and linked to individual income. ”

        I give up. You are just rude beyond belief.

      • srylands 4.4.3

        “Let me reiterate that you are evidently a fool. How can even a fuckwit like yourself … blah blah”

        Goodbye.

      • Flip 4.4.4

        48,020 earned >$150K in 2011 according to the numbers I used.

        They represented 1.45% of the income earning population and received 10.33% of taxable income.

        • McFlock 4.4.4.1

          sounds like they could do with a closer shearing job…

        • lprent 4.4.4.2

          Depends if it was a individual or a household income. I think you’re talking about individuals. For instance my household income well exceeds $150 but my income does not. Lyn earns quite a lot as well. The difference between my largish income and mine plus hers in Auckland means the difference between living well and living too close to the boundary. It is a lot cheaper to share a space with some one than it is is to live along (as I did for a long time).

          Been digging around the household incomes at the stats department surveys. I swear that they are good at concealing their figures.

        • lprent 4.4.4.3

          …and received 10.33% of taxable income.

          I think you meant paid. But that was merely income tax. As I keep saying, income tax is just one of the taxes. I’m on a pretty good income and income tax is just one part of my tax burden.

          I had a look at the ALL the tax I was paying last year. I don’t claim anything back on PAYE, but PAYE is currently about 22% of my income because of the banding of taxes. I’m on a reasonably high income.

          But as near as I can figure out I pay about 4.2% of nett income on ACC and rates (all of which are taxes). GST is about 11% of the nett income (financial costs don’t get taxed for GST). Excluding GST – petrol taxes are about 1.8% of nett. Alcohol taxes maybe 2% (I don’t drive a lot, but I do like wine and beer when I have time). There are probably some sundry sales taxes for other goods and services so call it 20% of my nett income. So something like 14.4% of my gross income.

          Ok – so 22% + 14.4% ~= 36.4% of gross.

          Now if you drop my income by half and assume that much of my other tax burden remains the same in dollar values (because my consumption doesn’t change that much – same fuel/rates/sales, variable expenditure on GST and ACC), it becomes

          15.4% of gross for income tax and (complicated figuring) 25.3% of gross ~= 40.7% of gross (Note that the total consumption drops by about 18% due to lack of disposable income)

          The effective effect in real dollar terms is that with half the gross income, I will pay about 56% of the total dollar taxes of my higher paid self. Remember that my half pay is just below the NZ average income for someone in paid employment and just above the median individual employed income.

          If I add 50% to my income and assume that my consumption costs remain much the same as my current income (ie I invest for capital value or outside NZ), then the numbers come out at 26.7% and (more complicated figuring) 9.7% ~= 36.4% of gross. Which of course means that if I spend more, I’d get pinged more – but I’d have to have a cocaine habit before I’d notice it. More likely I’d hire an accountant and drop the income tax levels – probably by buying properties.

          At higher income levels than that, the total tax burden as a percentage will drop markedly. But more importantly there are a hell of a lot of people below the median employed income who pay roughly the same non-income dollar values as those at the median. That is why the revenue for the government from income tax is only slightly less than the combined GST and “other” (mostly ACC and various services and sales taxes).
          http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/financialstatements/yearend/jun12/008.htm – see figure 6
          And rates are on top of that…

          Basically concentrating on income taxes as being the only taxes is a crock. Paying the bulk of the consumption taxes falls directly on those on lower incomes. Paying income taxes falls preferentially on those with higher incomes. The nett effect is that the taxation burden under this government as a percentage of income falls largely on those least able to pay it.

          Of course we could eliminate all tax lawyers and accountants, plus trusts. That would help to increase the amount of income tax paid. Or we could make the income tax system more progressive.

    • framu 4.5

      blah blah blah

      the bit your coveniently avoiding is that this top group you kneel down in front of have incomes rising staggeringly faster than the majority – thats the point

      all this talk of tax and job creation is bullshit and meaningless if theres only a small group reaping the rewards.

      ever stop a think that if everyone was earning more then everyone would be paying more tax

    • KJT 4.6

      “Low income earners pay zero net tax”.

      Forgotten about GST, User pays, petrol taxes etc, etc, again, Srylands?

      • Hayden 4.6.1

        He knows about taxes in Australia, where he lives.

        Anyway, how do low-income earners without children pay no nett income tax? The rebate for under $9880 was removed in 2012.

        • srylands 4.6.1.1

          Because they get more back through WFF and welfare payments than what they pay.

          The 6 per cent of individual taxpayers ver $100,000 a year, pay 37 per cent of total income tax.

          If you look at households, those earning over $150,000 a year pay 46 per cent of income tax.

          Households with incomes less than $60,000 per year pay zero net tax – indeed they get positive transfers. They pay $2.7 billion in income tax and receive $8.1 billion in transfers.

          http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more-progressive-tax-system-2010-changes

          • framu 4.6.1.1.1

            yeah but who wrote it… drum roll… bill english

            • Hayden 4.6.1.1.1.1

              Yep. You might as well say “Bill English and 2 solo mums pay zero net income tax” if you’re going to calculate it that way.

          • Colonial Viper 4.6.1.1.2

            Well, lets increase incomes at the bottom end then, they’ll be quite happy to start being net tax payers, and you can be happy with that too.

          • KJT 4.6.1.1.3

            Like they only pay income tax? FIFY.

            Forgotten also, The average farmer pays about $1800 in tax!

          • Hayden 4.6.1.1.4

            You don’t get Working for Families without children. There’s kind of a hint in the name.

      • srylands 4.6.2

        Even accounting for that they pay zero net tax

        • framu 4.6.2.1

          Interesting. Could you provide a link to the Treasury/Stats NZ data

          • Pasupial 4.6.2.1.1

            Framu

            Don’t bother wasting your time with that Aussie shill (my guess is one of the Crosby Textor stable called in to fluff-up ShonKey’s flaccid words). The useless gimp last year used to demand that NZ raise its GST rate to 15%; which demonstrates how much importance to place on his words.

        • Colonial Viper 4.6.2.2

          Just like hundreds of NZs richest people, I suppose.

      • lprent 4.6.3

        He does seem to get fixated on and only on income tax. I don’t know of any group who pays a zero net tax apart from some groups of beneficiaries with very limited other income. For anyone in work and on very low incomes, the income plus consumption plus sales taxes and rates (through rents or direct) tend to push their net personal tax up close to at least 40%. If they have kids then they get rebates on the smaller income tax portion.

        Taken as a whole, the bulk of the people below the average household incomes pay the bulk of all taxes collected because there are so many of them. On average if they aren’t getting WFF, they pay a similar total tax percentage to people with very high incomes because more of what they spend on is taxed.

        Curiously pontificating fools like srylands never seem to factor anything apart from income taxes into their fatuous bullshit. That is because they prefer to feel as if they are victims rather than uncaring parasites.

        • KJT 4.6.3.1

          The “zero net tax” was a common piece of right wing lying with statistics a while back. The parrot has just returned.

          Of course, you have to ignore every other tax, and Government charges, apart from income tax, to make it look true.

    • aerobubble 4.7

      National raised GST.

      Look. You have businesses and they employ a quantity of the population. Now do you lower taxes and subsidize employment leaving most paying no tax, or do you raise income taxes (as many on the argue implicitly demand when they alert us to how so worthless so many citizens are in not paying tax). No. But its worse, as you raise employment there’s more competition for them and more consumers, that means more chance you National voter will lose their shirt when some upstart moves into their sector. Then add to the mix a shrinking workforce as boomers retire, and of course what would you expect from Key but to start drooling over education to keep from having a debate about the economy. How wonderful for the opposition that his dead ended approach to education is getting the backs up of his base, who worry that not only will the workforce shrink, but the kids coming out of the schools will be box like in their education, if, a big if, the tail has been dealt to. Which is unlikely since more inequality just put more barriers in the way of kids not less (school zones will mean more inequality in education).

      So National are a bunch of loonies. Its not about tax, debt can be washed out by inflation, because the dumb National voter seems to think its a victory to have less taxes, its not. Its the accountancy equation, you can cut into reserves (public services, assets) but it will show up on the other side of the equation as a higher cost to business (unhealthier employees, poorer educated…).

      The question is what is our goal, more efficient society and so economy, or more efficient economy at the expense of society, environment, resources, etc.

    • Tracey 4.8

      are you saying that the gap between the rich and poor has not become wider because there are only “about 20,000” earning over 150K (your 1)?

      are you saying that because we need growth of income in the 20,000 that it’s ok for the PM to pretend the gap between rich and poor is not getting wider (your 2)?

      Could you indicate when the current state of affairs which is not “bad news” will translate to a closing of the gap between rich and poor? Please feel free to post evidence from the past 40 years to show how when the top “about 20,000” earn more than $150k the gap between the rich and poor shrinks?

      Perhaps you could come back with that, which will address the author’s post, that Mr Key is being economical with the truth by claiming the gap between rich and poor has not grown under his government.

      To remind you, the Pm claims “it is simply not true that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.”

    • Mike S 4.9

      “Low income earners pay zero net tax.”

      How do you figure that one? I’m on a low income and I definitely pay income tax. So what bullshit have you included to come up with “net tax”?

      • lprent 4.9.1

        The idiot assumes that everyone has children and/or is on a benefit.
        Then he ignores all other taxes apart from income tax.

  5. KJT 6

    Not to mention a great many skilled people who were on the equivalent of 100k plus before 84, who are now on a lot less. My main qualification/job in NZ 40% less, adjusting for inflation, than in 84.

    The reason why so many of us went overseas.

  6. Colonial Viper 7

    At a guess, 60% of full time workers earn $50K or less a year. They’ve all been going backwards.

    An economy of the rich, by the rich, for the rich.

    • aerobubble 7.1

      It has been argued that people believe that the rich should get given a freer ride because,
      i.) they will be also rich and so feather the nest,
      ii.) that the wealthy will go else where and we will all be poorer,
      iii.) that wealth trickles down.
      Now we are now finding out that,
      i.) that only a fool would believe they have a chance of joining the 0.01%,
      ii.) the 0.01% don’t want more wealth, they can’t tell the difference between 12 and 13 billion, and well it will suck when the majority rise up and tak it all back, why not just stay rich…
      iii.) that the wealthy are not replaceable, which given how many also ran’s there are in industry…
      iv.) that wealth trickles down, oops, no actually the trickle down was the remainder after the minion class carry off all the fees and charges. The minion class are people who get rich by getting in the middle and undermining the wealth of both sides.
      v.) that it destroys not only families, society, culture, but environments, ecology, resources…
      vi.) worse, the growth of the last thirty years had little to do with the neo-liberals, the gush of cheap high density middle eastern oil and the relaxing of finance was implemented by both side of politics, its just the media whores who claimed it was the conservative revolution that did it, those conservative revolutionaries then set up themselves as being anti-govt lovers of liberty, except they lived in government and have overseen the greatest loss of liberty in recent memory.

      It must suck to be one of those Tory voters who have been supporting stupid all this time.

    • Will@Welly 7.2

      Colonial Viper + 1
      aerobubble – ii) – “the 0.01% don’t want more wealth, they can’t tell the difference between 12 and 13 billion, and well it will suck up when the majority rise up and take it all back, why not just stay rich………….”
      The thing is areobubble, greed is a powerful weapon. And even if an a rich individual isn’t personally greedy, those looking after the finances often are, so they want to inflate the returns, so they get a better return themselves. I think it’s at around $10 million that you start to lose perspective – personally I wouldn’t know.
      Oh, the trickle-down theory of wealth in a neo-liberal society, we soon realized that was just a myth, about the sametime as the wholesale redundancies started, as businesses started to close or retrench.

      • Colonial Viper 7.2.1

        Look at the middle class department stores like Macys and JC Penney dying in the USA, shuttering stores and laying off thousands, matching the dying of the American middle class.

      • aerobubble 7.2.2

        I disagree, yeah for sure peope inflate their value, rig the system, but here’s the thing, if you show them it actually makes them worse off, makes them a expose minority who look stupid rather than the genius minion class. Ah, but wait, that would mean you would have to admit that your
        defeatism, that greed is always with us, meaning that someone will always replace the greedy who get a clue. No, the only way surely to combat the greed is to expose it for how inefficient, counter productive and small minded it is.

        I found many many people who cheered tories on to be quite simplistic, as if they didn’t know how the money was made. We just have to break that notion, that simple mind adherence to dogma says they are sheep more than they are foxes. And when the masses start demanding higher progressive taxes, that wealth is not a right but a responsibility, then we might have a chance to save the planet.

        • Will@Welly 7.2.2.1

          aerobubble – so many in middle-management, and upwards have been “taught”/indoctrinated that greed is good and that is what they should aspire too. As I said, some “rich” people aren’t necessarily greedy, they have either inherited or acquired their wealth, but those working for them see the only way they will get rich is to grow that wealth.
          Many going to university today go expressly with the intention of getting a job that will make them “rich”, not what they can do with their qualifications. Our Government is obsessed with getting people into jobs that will directly “grow the pie”, and make them rich.
          Peter Jackson/Sam Morgan left school and went into jobs, which in today’s scheme of things would see them labeled as “failures”. That’s not a personal criticism of either man. But given the criteria laid out by Steven Joyce and John Key, they were “failures”.
          And even old Bob Jones will not contemplate their mantra – he refuses to employ people MBA’s. As rich as the bugger is, he refuses to grease up to those slime balls. He still believes in hard work. Could you imagine Key ever getting into a boxing ring? Nah – too f**king pretty.
          You’re never going to get everyone to agree that there needs to be an even distribution of income and wealth, but if we can get the pollys to start addressing it, then there’s a start. Saving a planet – well, you’ve got a complete different mindset there. Cunliffe still can see the drift.

          • aerobubble 7.2.2.1.1

            Tell people saving the world is good won’t change their minds, but tell them that better environments increase their house price… …its all about understanding the message.
            For a long time Greens believe Corporations were evil, though right, they stop engaging with them, but in order to change the world they need to make CEOs sweat. CEO sweat when they look like they are off the pace, out of touch with the market, and Greens do that by
            showing the market how short term greed wipes out value. The biggest story around is Energy and the black stuff is only going to get more expensive, by emphasizing this, and then
            expanding on how the growth of the last thirty years was misdirected, channeled into the
            friends of the right by big media, who never earnt it because the growth was going to happen anyway, and leftwing governments were going to loosen finance (and did like Labour in NZ) anyway. The problem was the debate about government was shut down, i.e. what is its purpose was submerged in a cult of greed, government was evil, taxes were too high, etc.
            It may not make people blood boil, to hear that 85 people own half the world, but it will if you
            tell them that wealth was handed over to those 85 by policies of Tory governments supporting the minion class who want to get rich not by growing the economy but by
            shuffling private paper around.

  7. dave 8

    cold hard facts just get in the way in keys world of bankers fraud and lies.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T11:15:17+00:00