Blood sucking leeches blame young for blood supply crisis

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 118 comments
Categories: housing, making shit up, spin, uncategorized, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Want to see the most bizarre, idiotic and self centred analysis of the housing crisis in Aotearoa ever presented?

Here it is.  From Eva Corlett at Radio New Zealand:

Property Investors Federation’s executive officer Sharon Cullwick argued while property investors may not be helping the housing supply problem, they aren’t hindering it.

But she said first home buyers are, when it comes to purchasing rentals off the market.

“If a first home buyer purchases a property that was a rental property, then you’ll need another house to house the extra people living in that rental house.”

“So every time a first home buyer buys a house – even though it’s great they are getting into the market – it actually makes the housing crisis worse,” she said.”

Pesky young people buying houses so they have somewhere to live are creating the housing crisis?  Not blood sucking landlords who are wanting to provide the same houses to otherwise first home buyers but at a rate so that in the long term makes the young persons poorer and the landlords richer?  Clearly their definition of “housing crisis” is anything that makes it more difficult for landlords to continue to amass wealth, not anything that makes it more difficult for people to live in affordable housing.

Low interest rates are a contributor to the problem and the housing market is currently booming.  I suspect that the Government will have to move on Loan Value ratios in the near future.

118 comments on “Blood sucking leeches blame young for blood supply crisis ”

  1. It's that good old entitlement mentality.

  2. Andre 2

    Seems pretty clear we've below the threshold where lowering interest rates stimulates useful activity, but we're in an area where further lowering rates actually promotes harmful crap.

    Government and the Reserve Bank now need to be looking seriously at other tools, of which LVR is just one.

    • bwaghorn 2.1

      Its fucking ridiculous, this government has fucked housing more than key did letting the R B lower rates without slapping a huge lvr on investors. Ardern should hang her head in shame .

      • Tricledrown 2.1.1

        The Economy was in dire straits when the LVR was taken off.

        Now the housing market has got out of control expect the lvr to be reintroduced.

        One good thing is it creating plenty of jobs as house building repairs and extensions is going great guns.

        So a double edged sword the profitability of the residential property market is pushing the number of builds up.

  3. Patricia Bremner 3

    Yes, investors need to be required to have a larger deposit than a first home buyer, and no deposit if building a new home to live in. Investors should be encouraged to build somehow.

    • Rae 3.1

      If you want to build a rental portfolio, then do just that, build it, I say

      • RedLogix 3.1.1

        Which is precisely what we did do when we started. We either built new or massively renovated. And I'd like to do more, but the costs are now out of control and the numbers just don't stack up anymore.

        I was reliably informed that 20 years ago around 15% of all new builds with one big group builder were investors doing just what you suggest. I'd be surprised if that was the case anymore.

        And the contrast with Australia is just appalling. This last weekend we looked at some new show homes here in Brisbane. A$630,000 gets you a brand new single level 4 bed home, built to a standard that makes your eyes water. Here in NZ the equivalent would be at least double.

    • Tricledrown 3.2

      That was the case when the lvr was on.

      New builds weren't subject to the lvr and foreign investors were not stopped from new builds of apartment blocks.

      Which is smart as any new build adds to the total plus keeps jobs rich construction going at a time when other industries are struggling.

      • Sacha 3.2.1

        Construction is not 'jobs rich' compared with many other sectors. They use expensive machinery to displace humans.

        • Tricledrown 3.2.1.1

          Sacha I work in the building industry house construction is jobs rich.otherwise housing would be cheap.

        • Tricledrown 3.2.1.2

          Sacha while machinery does more work houses are more complicated as is construction.

          From start to finish from the roading sewage and services to the section.

          Surveyors

          Architect

          Engineer

          Local govt inspectors bureaucracy

          GNS engineers

          Insurance

          Diggers/ truck drivers

          Plumbing

          Drain layer builder

          Plasterers

          Brickies

          Roofers

          Glaciers

          Joiners

          Painters

          Gibstoppers

          Carpet installers

          Tiles

          Concrete placers

          Plumbers electricians

          Quantity surveyors

          Project managers

          Draughtsmen and women.

          Labourers

          And down stream workers

          Sacha I doubt you would find another industry that's so jobs rich

          Don't forget the likes of shower manufacturers.

          Gibboard manufacturers

          Roofing Iron

          Taps

          Timber and trusses

          Aluminium windows

          Insulation

          Down stream jobs mostly NZ manufactured.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.2.1.3

          You do realise that most industries use machinery to cut down the number of people employed right?

          Its pretty much what's been driving productivity and diversification in the economy ever since the industrial revolution.

          We really don't want jobs rich industries as they seriously curtail what we, as a nation, can do and leaves us vulnerable to trade shocks.

          • Sacha 3.2.1.3.1

            Yes. Boost our screen and IT industries, which can actually earn export revenue as well.

    • Tricledrown 3.3

      Banks don't lend on New builds that's what Labours kiwibuild was supposed to solve lending money till the building is complete so the banks have something to lend against.

      That scheme failed for a couple of reasons the rapid increase in building costs and a massive shortage of Tradies to build these affordable houses.

      So the upshot is that builders preferred to work on more profitable less risky up market houses.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.3.1

        and a massive shortage of Tradies to build these affordable houses.

        Figured that would be a major problem when they announced it. They mentioned supporting factories to pre-build houses but I was of the opinion that it wouldn't be enough.

        What's needed is machinery that will print a house in a day and only needs a few people to set it up, one person to watch it as it prints and then a few people pack it down ready for the next day.

        And 3D printed houses are really starting to come into their own now:

        3D printing is changing many industries around the world. The construction industry, especially for domestic premises, is no exception.

        Here are 7 interesting examples of proposed and in development tiny 3D printed housing projects from around the world.

        Unfortunately, Labour didn't seem to realise the need to use 21st century technology for Kiwibuild and just planned on using 20th century technology with poor standards.

  4. Kay 4

    I'm sure I was one of many who wanted to scream (or do worse), at this self-entitled tone deaf twat while listening to her whining this morning.

    I'll never be a home owner, I was never going to be Personally, I want the State to be my landlord because for permanent renters it's the only form of secure housing with any hope of setting down roots because the 'market' simply will not provide that option.

    Said twat above was right about one thing that we sort of all know anyway- more homes needed. But start with State homes. Much as I love my private rental (it ticks a lot of boxes, including safety criteria for me to live independently), I will happily give it up for the guarantee of a secure long term home, thus freeing up a flat for the private market which would make twat very happy, I'm sure.

    • veutoviper 4.1

      Kay, off topic but thought about you in particular – and several otheres on TS – when I saw this recrutiment ad on Health Navigator a day or so ago.

      https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/h/health-consumer-advisory-service-recruitment/

      In short the Health Consumer Advisory Service( HCAS) set up in 2015 after a successful bid to the Ministry of Health "works to increase the inclusion of consumer advisors into health service design and planning at local, regional and national levels. Consumer advisors are people living with long-term conditions or disabilities. We need to make sure our team is diverse to be able to speak from personal experience when advising clients."

      They are currently looking for three new part time advisers tp jpoin their team as per the ad- the prime requirement being lived experience with a long term health condition or disability.

      i know a degree of cynicism is likely (!) but thought I would bring it to attention here and even if TS readers are not interested themselves, they may know others who might be interested and pass it on to them.

      Please excuse any spelling errors etc but currently recovering from najor eye surgery (trabulecotomy) a few days ago and can only see and read through a blurry mst.

      Sorry MS being off topic but wanted to catch Kay’s attention .

    • lprent 4.2

      But start with State homes.

      That is my opinion as well. Kiwibuild relied on doing it with private builds and we all know how that turned out.

      In the meantime Kaingora Ora aka HousingNZ has reversed the precipitous decline in their managed state rental stock.

      https://kaingaora.govt.nz/publications/housing-statistics/housing-statistics-archive/
      https://kaingaora.govt.nz/assets/Publications/Managed-stock/Managed-Stock-June-2020-National-Summary.pdf

      That dropped by ~4500 under National, and have raised it ~2500 in the past three years.

      As importantly, the mix is changing with strong rises in single bedroom properties suitable for the increasing trend towards people and couples living on their own, and 4 bedroom places to stop some of the family group over crowding that has been going on. No rise in 3 bedroom houses because they have a lot of them and less families needing them.

      So go with the option that has been working. Just get the state and community groups to build where and what the private market won't.

      Besides, pushing money into public housing the way we have done it works. As a big customer, it allows the government to set price, quality and production requirements to what the economy needs rather than what the property developers prefer. It sets the bar on rentals prices as they become a larger player in the rental market.

      It also eventually provides the right kind of housing stock – up to standard with few frills when eventually a tenant can buy it and bring it into the private market . Just as my grandparents did back in the 1960s.

      Old housing corp houses are sought after around Auckland for purchasing by property entrants for a good reason. They're solid and usually reasonably maintained. Which is more than I can say about many of the private market rental properties I've been in, and you don't get moved on all of the time.

      The only reason that I eventually brought an apartment was because I got the rental accommodation sold under me 3 times in 2 years. Apart from the pain in the arse to me and my cats, each time I had to reconnect my ISDN lines at an expense (in the 1990s) of close to $1k in disconnect and reconnect costs.

      I'd point out that in my block of 60 apartments there are 3 housing corp apartments. Sure in the last 22 years there are some issues with them. But generally they're way less of problem than some of the other regular issues. They're less of an issue than the some of the more explosive breakups between young couples. Or the trust 'kids' (often in their 30s or older) where the family has brought an apartment to house them so they aren't underfoot with their interesting problems at home.

      Community living – it is quiet and peaceful most of the time because the neighbours frankly couldn't give a shit about their neighbours apart from a vague politeness because there aren't many kids. But soap operas tend to be somewhat more obvious.

      • Pat 4.2.1

        All reasonable observations but requires an ongoing commitment to a state building programme….and as we know from the past 30 years experience there is no such commitment.

        There is no advantage to allowing state housing to be bought by tenants IF there is no replacement programme, nor is here any benefit to the community if there is an unannounced population growth strategy without providing the required infrastructure…everything is easy in hindsight, the real questions are how do we get from where we were to where we need to be…and where are we going anyway?

        The housing solution is easy….if you ignore the implications of enacting it.

  5. Phil 5

    Honestly, fuck this bullshit form the PIF. First home buyers are ex-renters, so while they might in theory take one house out of the rental market, they're also reducing demand for rental properties by one house… meaning no change to the housing crisis at all.

    • AB 5.1

      Yep – which I was yelling at the radio. Unless of course they are living with their parents, in a caravan park, on the street, or have just come home from a Covid-infested country. The first and last of these may be significantly large numbers. But this just makes what the PIF are saying even more appalling – because they are saying the problem is people looking to escape these circumstances.

    • Visubversa 5.2

      Absolutely, not all first home buyers are living rent free at Mum and Dad's place while they build a deposit. Most have been renting, saving $$$$ – sometimes by doing 2 jobs etc. The flat they move out of to live in their home, goes back on the rental market.

  6. PsyclingLeft.Always 6

    “Blood sucking leaches blame young for blood supply crisis ”

    Well this guy is on Record….so not him. No sirree…

    Mr Thiel said: "I want to publicly tell you that I'm not a vampire. On the record, I am not a vampire."

    https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/peter-thiel-vampire-donald-trump-life-extension-blood-transfusion-ambrosia-palantir-a8614061.html

    But really….all those neolibs/libertarians/landlords who promised a Bright Future. Well they werent lying. It was Their Future. Fight Back !

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 6.1

      HOW did we get here?

      'Landlords have backed Auckland property investor Ron Goodwin who says they should not to be "too kind" because tenants take advantage.

      Mr Goodwin, 74, has 37 properties in Auckland and Waikato generating $14,500 a week in rent.'

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/18m-landlord-who-owns-37-properties-dont-be-too-kind-to-your-tenants/H46F7RKYH34YOER63ASZVHDKWQ/

      And wtf?

      'A former Harcourts property manager in South Auckland has blown the whistle on an emergency housing scheme where a group of landlords were paid up to $3000 a week by the taxpayer for "marginal to uninhabitable" private rentals. '

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/landlords-paid-3k-a-week-by-government

      As Ive said befor….New Government? You better get with the Trade Training…ON THE JOB ! Flat Pack Houses whatever…Stop Landlords rorting our Future !

      • RedLogix 6.1.1

        Yes I read that Herald article. Sadly he is right, the horrid truth is that the nicer you are to tenants the more they try to take advantage. In the end it's simply better to use professional managers.

        Right now we are dealing with a low-life who has kicked his own mother (and two grandchildren) out of the house she had been renting perfectly well for over a year. Now she and the two small kids have been forced into a crappy 'housebus' somewhere, and she is being forced to continue to pay the rent.

        He's thrown all her furniture and grand kids stuff onto the lawn to rot in the rain. He's keeps a dangerous dog, is vile and aggressive to the neighbours and the manager, who reports that from what she can see the house is being wrecked.

        HNZ won't take him as he's been evicted by them twice, and no private landlord will touch him as he cannot produce any references.

        But as long as the legitimate tenant claims that he's 'family' there may not be a lot we can do. This is going to be interesting.

        • Ad 6.1.1.1

          OMG Red. I think I've been generally luckier than that.

        • lprent 6.1.1.2

          Yeah there are definitely a few bloody awful tenants. My parents had a few in their properties. I had one when I rented out my apartment while we were producing a doco and were renting ourselves to get more working space.

          The problem is that there are some bloody awful landlords as well. I've had a couple of those too. Because of the potential power imbalance the tenancy tribunal and legislation is steadily tilting to protecting tenants.

          What is probably required is that the tenancy tribunal needs to be able to hire investigators to actually eyeball the on the ground problems and abbreviate the interminable process for both problems.

          • Tricledrown 6.1.1.2.1

            L prent creating enough supply would make it much better for tenants.

            Affordable housing ie micro homes prefabs need to be speed up to drive down demand.

            When Kiwi bank was started the big 4 Banks were charging ridiculous fees ,overnight account fees were dropped back to reasonable prices. They have stayed down and gone lower due to competition.

            The housing market needs that sort of a shake up.

            Land and infrastructure are hard to bring prices down and the govt could step in and help fund this area to make enough available.

            National had a plan to do what they did in Canterbury but Christchurch is surrounded by flat land which was easy to develop with a $66 billion insurance payout.

            No massive payout is on the cards so the Reserve Bank should print money to fund affordable new houses apartments only.

            The reserve bank gave the banks $60 billion at 1/4% interest rates to keep them afloat that money has ended up in the housing market adding to inflation in the housing market.

            The banks profitability would be far worse if not for the housing and property market.

            Just shows how fragile the free market is without corporate welfare.

        • Wensleydale 6.1.1.3

          People like that really need to suffer some sort of terrible 'accident'.

    • george.com 6.2

      I think the term 'blood sucking leaches' is off the mark bring levelled against all housing investors. Some will be, yes. Likewise not all tenants are angels, some are drop kicks. I think it's a batter approach to drop the emotive tags and hyperbolic language, reserve that level of odium for people who have shown they warrant it, like Trump. Here's my framing of things – everyone creates demand when they bid for a house, be it first home buyers or investors. One segment is not solely to blame. As for people buying up housing for investment, I support financial levers which dis-incentivise people seeing housing as a cash cow. We have the 5 year bright line test on speculation, that's good. Long term investors where they make a capital gain, tax the gain. A dollar earned is a dollar earned, tax it. That will not in itself drive investors from the market, unless they are solely focused on the capital gain perhaps, but it will mean they pay a fair share on any financial windfall.

  7. Ad 7

    I am now getting multiple friends call me looking to stay at my place to get them through some crisis or other. There's a list backing through to mid next year already.

    I'm sure the leafy streets of Titirangi will cope, but it's sure hitting home.

  8. Adrian 8

    Cullwick ,whether you agree or not is only stating a fact, a young first home buyer is on probability moving from a multi occupied residence, either Mum and Dads or a flat full of others to something which will initially at least, house less people than where they have been. Thats true, but how big the problem is, is another question.
    Blood-Sucking-Leaches is also a bit unfair, by definition anybody selling any needed service fits that description.

    Building more houses is the answer, but what sort of houses? It seems that the ones needed are the sort that only Government can justify building, buying a 1-2 million dollar house to rent to a family or a bunch of Uni students is economic suicide. Even at $1000 rent a week , given the costs of owning a renter it is a long time to wait for rents to catch up to holding costs

    Better to stick an empty house tax on those properties that are being held simply for windfall profits.

    I wouldn't mind betting that NZFirst were the handbrake on any hint of such a policy that had been posited in the last three years.

    • Muttonbird 8.1

      This government will rightly get butchered in 2023 if they don't make serious progress on housing affordability and volatility.

      I hear the line 'just build more houses' a lot with no thought as to the infrastructure required to move people to and from work.

      Like it or not, developers and residents of new suburbs must pay in part for their own wider infrastructure. There seems no model for this. Bond schemes etc have been floated but nothing standard and robust has been developed.

      Get onto it, Jacinda.

      • Craig H 8.1.1

        How do you define housing affordability? I.e. which measure/indicator?

      • lprent 8.1.2

        That really is the key. However that will require that some of the fiscal handcuffs that central government maintains get removed.

        Plus speaking as a tax/rate payer who has to carry the risk associated with bonds, I'd prefer that they spent capital on older existing infrastructure increasing its capacity.

        That is way cheaper in overall cost than extending sewerage, water, data, electrical, and transport systems. It also means that land isn't being made unproductive with nothing more than a singularly unproductive macMansion dropped on it and most of the upfront costs for getting it there being charged to existing tax and rate payers.

        As far as I am concerned, if property developers want to build on new land – then they need to pay for or make strong contributions to the complete supporting infrastructure up front, so that the real cost gets added into the price. None of this nonsense about it being developed with bonds and paid for with 'future rates'. The reality is that the rates in the new areas would need to be massively higher for that to happen.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.2

      Blood-Sucking-Leaches is also a bit unfair, by definition anybody selling any needed service fits that description.

      Not really as they're not selling a service. They've been called rentiers for centuries because they're using legally prescribed restrictions that allow some people to get an income through ownership while doing nothing of value.

      Rental housing should always be by government so as to stop the bludging.

      • RedLogix 8.2.1

        Rental housing should always be by government so as to stop the bludging.

        Last time that experiment was tried.

        (Incidentally I lived in one for about 12 weeks once. Quite a few good work stories came out of that experience.)

        • Kay 8.2.1.1

          A bit over-dramatic there, RL. While the days of those types of constructions are definitely long-gone, there's nothing wrong with the idea of a state-only rental system, one that caters for renters at all levels, from those saving for their first home, to disabled, to those who will never buy for whatever reason.

          That does involve intensive housing construction, followed by a mass buy-up of rental properties that can in turn be offered as secure rental for the current tenants, or possibly the chance to own at an affordable rate. But in return, alternative forms of investment opportunities have to offered to the former property owners.

          I'm not an economist. I have no idea how the money-go-round here would work, but the long-term benefits would no doubt balance it all out.

          • RedLogix 8.2.1.1.1

            As I said below, NZ lacks a diversity of both sensible retirement investment vehicles and paths to secure home occupancy.

            In that respect I more or less do agree with you.

            Then again if everyone imagines that the very large fraction of the electorate who do own their homes will vote for a govt that promises to crash a very large fraction of their equity (which in many cases is mortgaged for other purposes, like small businesses and/or family reasons) then maybe you need a better plan.

            Because I for one don't really want another decade of NACT.

            • lprent 8.2.1.1.1.1

              It is like everything else in politics or business or science or anything else…

              Screw the revolution because it never really works. Steady progress towards objectives works.

              So in this case a steady rise in Housing NZ properties where they build new properties as well will do nothing except slow the capital gains and constrain rents amongst the desperate. Require landlords to conform to a minimum property standard – the same as we require from any other business – and that is only going to hit the landlords who shouldn't be in that business.

              If the private builders and property developers do something. Then that is fine. However waiting for them to do so isn’t something that any rational government should wait for.

            • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.1.1.2

              NZ lacks a diversity of both sensible retirement investment vehicles

              Yeah, that was why we went all free-market. So that the investors would create their own investment vehicles.

              Seems that was just another load of bollocks of the politicians as they catered to what the bludgers wanted.

          • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.1.2

            But in return, alternative forms of investment opportunities have to offered to the former property owners.

            In a capitalist free-market its not up to the government to ensure that people get to bludge.

            It is up to the government to ensure that people aren't living in poverty.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.2

          ZOMG, it didn't work this one time and so we really shouldn't do it again.

          .

          .

          .

          .

          Oh, and please ignore the fact that my favourite form of bludging is also not working for the majority of people.

    • Visubversa 8.3

      I had the last few years of my working life working as a Land Use Planner in the last days of the previous National Government. The houses that were being built then were not ones that most Kiwis were going to live in – they were monstrous great show off houses with 5 or 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, crammed onto as much of the section as they could get away with covering. The same firms of drafties were putting out the plans, the same agents were doing the work for mostly recent arrivals, and often for people who were not even in the country. Some developers bought 3 or 4 adjacent sites so that they could "sign off" all the internal infringements and cram more onto the site. Some of the newer subdivisions seemed not to have hit the local market at all, all the developers were foreign. A bunch of the applicants that were actually in the country had addresses that were in student accommodation – overseas family $$$$ probably.

      • Pat 8.3.1

        and what will happen to the NZD when an alternative store of that foreign capital presents itself and they decide its time for a new home?…I dont envy Orr.

  9. Un-f*****g-believable.

    This is entitlement/privilege at its most vile and loathsome.

    Time to bring in a Capital Gains Tax on rental properties – and make it painful.

  10. Tricledrown 10

    Landlords saying first home buyers are forcing tenants out of houses.

    So what were 1st home buyers living in before buying .

    This organization should be censured for lying.

    This is pure propaganda .

    • tc 10.1

      Did RNZ do the usual 'here's a soapbox, off you go' or was some actual journalism applied to an industry mouthpiece ?

      • peterlepaysan 10.1.1

        RNZ does do not do anything else than provide "infotainment".. masquerading as "news". ( What is that, exactly?)

        [Removed space from user name; it seems you’re reverting to your previous user name for some reason. It would be nice if you stick to one]

  11. RedLogix 11

    Sighs.

    When someone buys their first home, they are almost invariably either leaving behind a multiple flatting situation, or from a parents home. Their old home hardly ever appears on the market for someone else to buy.

    Overall the household density goes down, which makes the overall supply situation worse.

    I'm guessing the person being attacked here didn't express this very well, but then again it's the evil landlords and that's always good for clickbait around here.

    • bwaghorn 11.1

      Well red if their was alot less mom n pop landlords their would be a fucking lot less tenants and houses would be cheaper. Go invest in something useful .

      • RedLogix 11.1.1

        Go invest in something useful

        Exactly what do you have in mind?

        • bwaghorn 11.1.1.1

          Shares ,tech company's or put ot in the bank .

          How much % wise do you actually invest any way ? Or is it just leveraging of capital gain and the tenants and the govt rental subsidies do the rest .

    • Muttonbird 11.2

      When someone buys their first home, they are almost invariably either leaving behind a multiple flatting situation, or from a parents home.

      Utter bullshit.

      • In Vino 11.2.1

        Even if RedLogix is right, his point is invalid.
        New people come in at the entry point of mixed flatting/living with parents, which is not diminished in the scheme of things, and that compensates for the new-home-buying couple buying their own house.
        The idea that 'innocent' property investors are not pushing prices up remains idiotic.

    • SPC 11.3

      Sighs with authoritative gravitas.

      • The move into a first (family) home is associated with starting a family. Extra people are being catered for.
      • A couple not intending to have a family immediately (or at all) does not move into family sized home or two bedroom unit unless they plan on having tenants/boarders to assist with paying down the mortgage.
      • Many couples and singles move from renting to owning the same sort of property they were renting do so simply because it is cheaper at the moment, and is also wealth increasing – rather tham than their landlord.
      • Owning allows someone to utilise caravan or now more easily built sleepout for extra density (many landlords do not allow this).
      • Pat 11.3.1

        "The move into a first (family) home is associated with starting a family. Extra people are being catered for"

        Not necessarily…or even predominantly

        "A couple not intending to have a family immediately (or at all) does not move into family sized home or two bedroom unit unless they plan on having tenants/boarders to assist with paying down the mortgage."

        Again an assumption that is dependent on many factors, not least of which is income and local market

        "Many couples and singles move from renting to owning the same sort of property they were renting do so simply because it is cheaper at the moment, and is also wealth increasing – rather tham than their landlord"

        Many??…some, if they have the wherewithal to do so…and their expectations/lifestyle is conducive to owning

        "Owning allows someone to utilise caravan or now more easily built sleepout for extra density (many landlords do not allow this"

        Not a driver but rather an option that may facilitate…the bank will not factor it in when deciding what to lend.

  12. aj 12

    almost invariably either leaving behind a multiple flatting situation, or from a parents home.

    Can you cite anything to endorse this? In my experience couples and young families are just as likely as either of those categories. People leaving multiple flatting situations then leave more flatting vacancies. A single person buying a home will often require to take in renters to assist with mortgage costs. In fact a number of families in high cost housing areas have to take in a boarder to help them met costs. All this helps the supply side of the market.

    • RedLogix 12.1

      There are all sorts of possible scenarios, but overall the two I mentioned are by any reasonable observation are very common.

      Overall new home owners generally decrease occupancy density … which if you think about it is the reason why they bought a new home for themselves. This is a good thing for them, but with NZ's now chronic housing crisis it doesn't help the immediate situation for everyone else.

      The underlying reasons that drive total demand have a lot of moving parts, and occupancy density is one of the more subtle ones most people overlook.

      • SPC 12.1.1

        No. People buy family sized homes to have children in them.

        The density problem is largely with those who still inhabit family sized homes after the children have left.

    • McFlock 12.2

      Exactly.

      People do often lower their dwelling density as they age, but very few go from 8 people in a home to one person with 7 spare bedrooms.

      A single person moving into a small apartment isn't a change in density. You might get some having a second bedroom as a study (or potential flattie if the mortgage math doesn't pan out), but the real density problem is the speculative property investor who finds renting more trouble than picking up capital gains.

  13. mikesh 13

    There is, or should be, a demand for rental accommodation quite apart from those who, because of a dysfunctional housing market, cannot afford to purchase. I have always wondered why there are no listed companies meeting this demand. (Even listed retirement villages actually sell their units to to their residents.) Is it that private companies are being crowded out by "mum and dad" landlords investing for their retirement, and/or by government, central and local, providing low cost housing for the needy, or is it just that commercial property investment is more profitable? Or is it that private home ownership is too entrenched in this country?

    • RedLogix 13.1

      One of the problems in NZ is that we never developed alternative housing models beyond the basic three, home ownership, renting private, or renting in the social sector.

      Overseas there are many other alternatives, such as housing associations, that provide different pathways to suit different personal circumstances.

      Or is it that private home ownership is too entrenched in this country?

      Basically yes. Successive govts going back since forever have failed to develop investment vehicles other than housing, and now as we approach peak retirement age, the consequences are becoming painful.

  14. Tiger Mountain 14

    What the Govt. needs to do Micky, is build state houses and apartments and tiny houses and emergency housing from one end of the country to the other. Maybe using a new publicly owned entity responsible for training the workers, sourcing the materials and land, and doing the prefabrication and builds. Local Govt. could get back into social housing too and genuinely not for profit trusts, and fund more Papakainga projects (housing developments on Māori owned land).

    A decade of that would incrementally help raise supply and lower prices and rents. Relocatable tiny houses for homeless, lifetime secure tenancies for some, rent to buy option, allow transferability between tenants for vacation, study or employment purposes.

    In the interim–rent control now, and crack down on landlords till they squeal. Bring in capital gains tax after 2023 Election despite Jacinda Ardern’s under duress promise. And source flatpacks from countries that have been doing it for years until local suppliers get into the spirit of things (or don’t), limit export of raw logs despite China FTA–NZ wood for NZ houses till we have no homeless.

  15. Ad 15

    Don't expect this government to confront these guys head on.

    They have already claimed the scalp of a key Minister, and will have no compunction about going for another.

    A smart government will let the Reserve Bank hit the ball up for 6 months.

    Then move.

  16. greywarshark 16

    I see stories in the news about real estate agents making good and looking so pleased with themselves, whereas they are just learning a trade and are salespeople for expensive things. Recently there was a family living off (selling) the land, so to speak, and often there will be a story about a personable young person who is a selling star. It is a very competitive job, not easy, but it sharpens up the mind on how to win, and adds nothing of value to the country. And it's not that smart to be succeeding in a market where there is a lot of demand.

    This morning on Radionz someone who is a first home buyer said that bidding on a property was proceeding along expected lines, when a phone bid came in and topped them all. Then the same property was put up for sale again in a short time for about $70,000 more. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/429719/house-hunting-in-a-hot-market-just-too-hideous

    This is a run on the market which has been going on for too long; years ago I observed one in Australia on mining and oil shares. One company Poseidon went from average share price of under $5 to about $80 a share and soon after slid down to about 80 cents a share. The market was being manipulated by false geological reports. The principals of Poseidon took off for Brazil.

    Are there some all encompassing barriers to bringing in housing and financing laws that ensure that our young people can have a life in a house in which they can invest time and their money, and have security and pride and comfort from ownership?

    Housing is something tangible so the value holds well, but even so there have been scams where holiday homes have been bulk built in desert locations in the USA, and sold to the naive as an investment – that nobody else wants. But when it comes to not having a rational market of housing for those young people wanting to make a life and a home for themselves – they are being robbed. And it is being watched by a gormless government which lost its gorm in 1984 and hasn't found even a synthetic replacement.

  17. Brendan 17

    Nat voter here:

    Just build it – I don't care who, Jacinda, developers, the Salvation army. but we need houses and we need them yesterday.

    Just build it. and lots of them too.

  18. McFlock 18

    Interest rates need to be low because employers also borrow money. Which means cooling the property market can freeze an economy that's reorienting to a post-covid world.

    But with a CGT ruled out, there's tweaking to the bright line. Maybe an FTT.

    • greywarshark 18.1

      FTT meaning Failure to thrive! How appropriate for NZ's situation.

      But FTT is also Financial Transaction Tax – which would help NZ overcome the other FTT.! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_transaction_tax

      A financial transaction tax is a levy on a specific type of financial transaction for a particular purpose. The concept has been most commonly associated with the financial sector; it is not usually considered to include consumption taxes paid by consumers.

      A transaction tax is not a levy on financial institutions per se; rather, it is charged only on the specific transactions that are designated as taxable. So if an institution never carries out the taxable transaction, then it will never be subject to the transaction tax. Furthermore, if an institution carries out only one such transaction, then it will only be taxed for that one transaction. As such, this tax is neither a financial activities tax (FAT), nor a Financial stability contribution (FSC), or "bank tax", for example. This clarification is important in discussions about using a financial transaction tax as a tool to selectively discourage excessive speculation without discouraging any other activity (as John Maynard Keynes originally envisioned it in 1936)

      This also from The Tax Working Group we have in NZ.
      https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-09/twg-bg-3959227-financial-transaction-taxes.pdf

    • Foreign waka 18.2

      Actually, right now, if interest rates would go up and housing prices would stabilize NZ would at least have some time to recover. Businesses work with cash flow and low interest rates wont help if people cannot afford to buy anything. If you finance with borrowed money the payroll you are already insolvent. I wonder how many would be in that category already. So to combat that deficit, businesses will increase prices as the argument is that, since only people who have money will buy, they will have to pay more. This wont achieve growth and it also will reduce the tax take, the downward spiral is then in full swing. It is the wage earner who pays most of the tax take that the government gets. Is is via PAYE, GST, W/tax, you name it. Rich people park their money where they don't pay any tax or very very little.

      • McFlock 18.2.1

        Sure, financing payroll isn't the role of credit.

        But if your business is stagnating or has had a sudden drop in customers, that makes the new direction you were mulling over look more attractive. Maybe that will require a new machine, rather than contracting out.

        It's not about keeping the patient on life support in the hope that they magically get better. It's more about new growth using the company infrastructure and experience that already exists, rather than rebuilding everything from scratch

        • Foreign waka 18.2.1.1

          Well, if so many companies need to be bankrolled by the government during lock down and beyond it would stand to reason that they are now wanting negative interest rates to support their cash supply. Problem is that most have benefited from not investing before and now need to show some return to not have shareholders taking their money elsewhere. If no new revenue stream can be found, many will go to the wall and with them the investors. To make things worse, negative interest rates will fuel inflation and the already depleted consumer, mam dads, ordinary folks you know, will default on rates, power bills etc. many will be in line to the food banks. Its the 20s all over. No consumer, no business unless you are Mr Google.

          • greywarshark 18.2.1.1.1

            If we started pumping some money into the economy, just a little to increase spending, and kept the interest rate at the same rate as inflation, which would shift up a band by a few points, it could get things going without the house of cards falling down?

            • Foreign waka 18.2.1.1.1.1

              Yep but careful how much money you put into the economic machine and more so to whom. UI maybe would be a solution as it would be a policy of ":no one left behind". But vested interests won't have a bar of it. Lets not forget, those billionaires and wealthy have no bond or allegiance to any country. They are transient and hence really truly don't care. So if Kiwis don't take their faith in their hands no one will.

          • McFlock 18.2.1.1.2

            positive and negative are just states of mind.

            Inflation is well with (largely arbitrarily dictated) specifications. Wouldn't hurt to step on the gas a little bit.

            As for shareholders, again I'm not suggesting keeping businesses artificially alive in the long term. The wage subsidy did that in the short term, but if business models aren't suitable for the new normal, they need to change or fold. Cheaper access to capital will help them to change, and keep shareholders happy. But that's not my motivation for suggesting it. NZ was always going to be nutted by a collapse in global immigration and its effects on trade. Limiting that damage is all about the percentages – what percent of business can be supplemented by a more artful pivot into the new reality. What percent of business can take a hit and hunker down until trade/immigration opens up again in a year or two, maybe with more or different controls. What percent of property inflation is caused by a given percent of access to business capital. What percent of property market impacts can be averted by the govt borrowing at reduced interest and funding projects directly.

            Lots of different gauges to watch, for sure. But that's the role of government, even if they abrogated much of it to the reserve bank.

            • Foreign waka 18.2.1.1.2.1

              McFlock, please no more of that now very well revealed repulsive taking of billions and registering mega profits whilst sacking people in huge amounts. Please, for the sake of the country, no more lies.

      • Pat 18.2.2

        take that wealth effect out and you will reduce velocity in the economy and accentuate unemployment….personally i would have taken the hit some time ago but my expectations are not typical…its a difficult problem that wont be solved gradually, it is going to be a sharp correction one way or another, the only question is when.

        • Foreign waka 18.2.2.1

          Pat, we will still end up in the same alley just billions poorer. The money has been pocketed my large corps who are laughing all the way…

          So disgusting I could vomit.

  19. Ffloyd 19

    Time for Capital Gains Tax. …..

    • Adrian 19.1

      No need, but a Empty House Tax would go a long way to solving the problem. I read somewhere that north of 40,000 houses in Auckland sit empty for various reasons but mainly as somewhere to park money without hassle. Make it cost and that little ( or large ) rort goes away. Last weekend in Nelson a friend pointed out the number of houses in his hillside suburb which never had any lights on in the evening, all owned by absentee owners.

      P.s, at 40,000 houses in Auckland, even if a quarter of them came back on the market the problem would be solved.

      • Pat 19.1.1

        empty houses are indeed a problem…..but is the solution to tax them?…i would but there are consequences

      • SPC 19.1.2

        Homes owned by foreigners (maybe once for students to use) or offshore Kiwis – some travelling. Otherwise held for the CG, maybe occasionally let out for Air B N B.

        Those (maybe half) not occupied for over a year should be rented out and maintained by Kainga Ora. We cannot have any squatting can we.

        Unless of course the prospect of that led to them bringing in their own property rental managers.

        • Pat 19.1.2.1

          Not all empty houses are owned offshore and there is difficulty in determining why the houses are empty….having said that there could be a regime to discourage the practice but as said it comes with risk….are we prepared to accept the potential consequences?….it appears that the Gov is not (unless there is something in the pipeline I know nothing about)

  20. Scud 20

    The main reason why there is a housing shortage in NZ atm, can be traced back to the stupidity of the No Mates Party and their Industry mates. When they trashed the what the rest of the world envy NZ’s training of Trade Apprenticeship, Farm/ Horticulture, Forestry Fisheries Cadetship Training and the various Training Industry Broads which my Father was two them and a observer the Coal Miners Training the early to mid 90’s.

    Reading Dad’s notes and his submission to the select committee, some yrs back when I looking for something else. That the Government and their pals didn’t want to fund training anymore because they said it was to expensive and Industry knows best et etc the usual Free Market NeoCon Lib BS.

    As making it user pays would be cheaper etc, but Dad said this will make Housing, Infrastructure both Private & Government more expensive in 20-30yrs when there is a short fall of qualified Tradies & Plant Operators because who is going work with a student debt hanging over them with piss poor& conditions, while at the same time trying to live while the cost of living is like to go up? These reforms are also going to cause problems when a natural disaster hits NZ as these reforms doesn’t have any redundancy and NZ would have rely on overseas workers which will drive down pay & conditions, Trade qualifications which will effect repairs and construction in the likely rebuild.

    I got a mention in the Farm/ Horticulture, Forestry & Fisheries Cadetship, as I was into my final yr before I had to drop on cost as my final yr was under the new system which left me with about 40-50k debt in an industry that always had low pay, but it also led to getting a foot in the door to buy your run holding/ farm, orchard etc in future which was my plan or to have own, watch keeping tickets or your own boat or Forestry gang etc

    I’m 47, it takes about 3-4 yrs of training weather it’s Trade Apprenticeship or a Cadetship about 5 or so yrs later I should’ve been help train the next lot of Kiwi’s up. But I’m not because had to leave an Industry I love and enjoy doing. I could also being do my other love which was Soldiering in the TF or later transferring over the RNZAF FP’s while have you own bit paradise running my https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorper or Persian/ Middle East Sheep bred and growing barley, wheats & Oat’s or Hops etc.

    I pity this Government of trying to build a enough Housing and other Government infrastructure because of the lack Tradies, Plant Op’s as previous Governments chose a ignore NZ’s training deficit in the Trades, Cadetships & Plant Operators that Dad when he was a Trade Union Organiser in the NZ Engineers Union in CHCH had predicted would happen in 20-30yrs time. I have no sympathy for any industry that had a hand in destroying which at the time was the world best training system and the envy of the world which was also backed up with world best Tertiary education and research/ design facilities.

    • Chris T 20.1

      Shame Labour couldn't fix it in their 9 years of govt.

      • mac1 20.1.1

        Google Housing 1999-2008 and you find information like this.

        "Housing policy changed direction after the election of a Labour government in November 1999. The new government reintroduced social (income-related) rents, developed a new allocation system for state housing tenants, placed a moratorium on sales to tenants, and increased the state housing stock."

      • Tricledrown 20.1.2

        Chris T also record numbers of houses were built between 2000 till 2008 with unemployment at around 3%.

        National don't want to solve the housing crisis as the big 4 banks gouge during the housing crises.

        Nikki Kaye said in the recent election it was a mistake to sell off the 7,000 state houses,Judith Collins was housing minister for a while and made more promises than Labour ie Hobsonville subdivision was supposed to have 250 affordable homes that ended with only 14 affordable homes being built on former govt land.

        So National speak with forked tongue on housing.National is the home of property investors and big bankers so National will make promises to improve affordability but National will not follow through as their funding will dry up.

  21. Foreign waka 21

    The only way to combat this is to build flats of 60 – 120 m2 (2-3 bedrooms), several storey's high, close to transport, supermarkets. Suitable for young families and older folks who want to down size. To make it really sustainable, you don't need a car to go and get some groceries. This ought to be done by the government, like they did after the war and major recession only with a better utilization of land and resources. To recoup, these flats should have the option to rent to buy. It will also insure that they are looked after.

    Why is it that large stores are situated on land closest to the town centre or supermarkets? Do they think I get some pliers with a loaf of bread? Why are those large shed buildings not but onto cheaper sites with shared waste water, sewage etc. The planners here are either full of themselves, not very experienced or just not up with the game. I won't even mention construction firms that bleed the small operator and hold the market at ransom.

    Look at other countries where that concept of housing works very well and cars are not needed on such large scale. Imagine cyclists don't have to compete with cars on the motorway (god lord what stupidity that is).

  22. KSaysHi 22

    All this time I thought property investors were forcing people out of increasingly overpriced rentals.

  23. SPC 23

    We need more property investors to buy new builds, rather than existing property.

    Renters buying is not the problem

    We need more older people to downsize.

    If someone develops a vacated 1/4 section and puts in 4 newbuilds this is good – even better if the house is moved to another location.

    KiwiBuild could have done this, and then had 5 houses to sell.

    But someone decided to restrict sales of KiwiBuild to first home buyers — when the obvious buyers were downsizers (and those couples who first owned flats/apartments as stepping stones to a starter family home with small land area).

    We know the problem, and moving on Twyford is not fixing the policy mistake – one left unresolved.

    So if the government is not providing a KiwiBuild solution it needs to incentivise private investors making all the profit from it instead. Which is very much second best but better than doing nothing – their current policy.

    • Pat 23.1

      We havnt correctly identified the problem….there is no shortage of housing in NZ…we have approaching 2 million residences for a population of 5 million, or a density of 2.5 per dwelling, hardly overcrowded…we have however a dearth of affordable /available property and that dosnt necessarily require more or different construction to solve.

      • SPC 23.1.1

        There is no way to force people to take in boarders if they have unused space.

        Nor to stop people having a property set aside for Air N B, or leaving their bach empty.

  24. SPC 24

    Our problem is RB policy.

    RB policy is built around inflation

    Cheap money during a pandemic is designed to prevent deflation. Yet it causes land value rise, not covered in the inflation statistics. Which means those stats are useless.

    RB policy is otherwise built around banking system stability.

    The RB and banks do not care whether their policy causes inequity in the society. So long as banking system is fine and banks make profits. Which is why we have our housing crisis.

    • greywarshark 24.1

      You can say that again SPC. BS stability! And inflation ignores the real effect of housing price. So it is just a theatre curtain drawn across the stage where the real hoist to the economy is going on. Selling blood will be the next money raiser for the poor. They do it in the USA so it must be a smart idea. Especially if you are a Covid-19 survivor.

      https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/21/if-the-poorest-americans-are-selling-their-blood-the-us-is-in-serious-trouble

      • In Vino 24.1.1

        We are experiencing the early effects of Quantitative Easing, but only in one area. House prices are racing upwards, but nothing else is, so we do not yet have a diminished value of currency. (Inflation.)
        That is because of our stupidly distorted system that favours investment in property, and our governments being scared of upsetting vested interests profiting from that distortion.

        Property investment must be made less excessively profitable.

  25. SPC 25

    Some governments use the tax system to assist

    Such as when we had mortgage rebates to assist with home ownership. Other nations used revenue from CGT and either wealth or estate taxes to raise money for government to provide affordable housing.

    We currently do a notch above nothing, apart from using GST money to afford state housing at income related rents and the accommodation supplements – which is placing tenants under stress atm because the support is not keeping pace with rent cost rise (why we need to increase incomes just to prevent child poverty getting worse)

    • Foreign waka 25.1

      You will notice that every time the government decides that rental assistance will be increased so will rent itself. Coincidence? I think not.

      We also need to understand that many of NZ parliamentarians are owners of more than 2 properties. Why would housing be a problem to them, right?
      People should be able to owe property but some leavers need to be in place to have the interest of the county and its social peace at the core of policy.

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/the-number-of-properties-owned-by-new-zealand-mps-revealed.html

      • SPC 25.1.1

        Where there is market supply shortage, landlords will increase rents (the constraint is either relative desirability of the property, its location and wage income amongst those unable to own or a rent freeze).

        And then those unable to pay the new higher market level will be forced out.

        As to whether a MW increase, or AS increase, causes rent to go up is another matter. It's common (they'll know from proof of income evidence provided if MW increases apply). They know tenants would hand over some of the increase rather than look for a new rental, even if there were alternatives. So sure they could extract even more if there was no where else to go.

        Government restricting landlords to one rent increase per year should help a little.

        • Foreign waka 25.1.1.1

          Sorry, but I don't think so as there is a synergy that no one talks about : property value (land) increase and rates. So the local body is more than keen to have values increasing. To avoid that you would have to rethink local council structure, their brief, the asset base, the infrastructure including its maintenance (water/waste/transport etc), civic and emergency issues, culture and recreation. How many people need to maintain this value and how fair does this bode across the country. I live in an area with houses build in the 50's and the rates are one of the highest in the country. The people living there are mostly low income. You see what I am saying? Very complex but surely with all these highly paid experts that those on very low income running 3 jobs support should be able to find a solution that can be formulated and all the "chunk" of extras and self appreciation projects thrown out. This will, for a starter change the landscape of investing.
          Just wait until all the old folks are added to the lines of homeless as they cannot longer afford to have a roof over their head.

          • Sacha 25.1.1.1.1

            Central government needs to allow local government to use funding sources beyond rates.

            • Foreign waka 25.1.1.1.1.1

              If they stop using the money for pet projects and stick to the mandate it would go a long way.

          • SPC 25.1.1.1.2

            Rising property values do not increase the amount of rates charged by councils on the property owner.

            The government provides a rates rebate to those on low incomes and most councils also allow those retired to defer unpaid rates – this is a charge against the property when it is sold.

            • Foreign waka 25.1.1.1.2.1

              Are you joking? Of cause increased values impact rates as the amount is measured on "perceived value". So if a house in your neighbourhood sells for the 4th time in as many years and every time at a higher price all properties around will be pegged on that. I live in a house that has not changed its footprint and the section has not "grown" but the rates have increased in total by 41% over 13 years. The reason is the increase in value of land and the reflected property values in the area.

              I have talked about this with QV and also with other people in the market. Believe you me, the council wants their share of that bonanza.
              So instead of having a sustainable home (!) – not investment – we are now forced to get reversed mortgages in old age and beg for rebates or defer these to what end? How dignified! Maybe we can throw some cooking, cleaning in for the master.

              • SPC

                No. The rise in rate charges has nothing to do with rising property market values.

                • Foreign waka

                  A rating valuation is based on the market value of a property at a particular point in time. The last citywide revaluation took place on 1 July 2018 and was based on the property sales market at the time.

                  A property value is made up of three components:

                  Capital value (CV) – this is what your property might have sold for at the date of valuation, excluding chattels. The CV is also known as Government Valuation (GV) or Rateable Value (RV).

                  Land value (LV) – the most likely selling price of the bare land at the date of valuation.

                  Improvement value (IV) – this is the difference between the land value and the capital value.

                  https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/living/property-and-rates/property-valuations/how-is-rating-valuation-calculated

                  I just rest my case.

                  • SPC

                    Just go and ask the Taxpayer Union about council rate increases. The increases in rates set are based on their budget plans, and have nothing to do with any rise in property value. Property values could go down and the amount you paid in rates, will still go up year by year.

                  • Herodotus.

                    You are misguided in your idea as to how rates are calculated.

                    In simple terms. The council looks at what income it is to derived from rates and divides that by the "Total Capital Value " of the city. If CV increased by 10% over the entire city your variable rate would decrease accordingly. The council does not magically increase its revenue by 10%. + any increase that it votes on e.g. a 3% rates increase. Rates do not then go up by 13% "An adjustment in a property's capital value does not mean that property rates will automatically change." refer link below

                    https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/property-rates-valuations/our-valuation-of-your-property/Pages/l-property-rev.aspx

                    https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/property-rates-valuations/your-rates-bill/Pages/how-rates-bill-made-up.aspx
                    Saying that, The spokes person from the property council re Suzie Fergusson interview was very evasive and doing her best to change the angle of the discussion. All media need to approach her for any comments on property – So as all can see the feeble arguments being used to protect those multi tenants and ask why the govt spends so much protecting their interests

  26. Sacha 26

    RNZ's inevitable follow-up story: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429794/property-investors-federation-slammed-for-housing-crisis-claims

    The Federation's comments to RNZ prompted a huge backlash and it has been excoriated online.

    Wellington first home buyer Mia Grant took a dim view.

  27. Cricklewood 27

    Surely the problem is there just ain't enough availble houses, demand exceeds supply, meets cheap credit and bingo housing crisis. Mortgages are now so large I cant see how interest rates can rise without crippling the economy.

    We need a massive govt lead build to fix this.

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

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

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