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notices and features - Date published:
5:49 pm, September 15th, 2016 - 22 comments
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/84236855/likely-thousands-of-migrant-slaves-in-new-zealand-expert
”Most recently a United States report declared New Zealand a “destination” for forced labour and sex trafficking.”
Something to be proud of.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-14/vancouver-luxury-home-sales-plunge-65-chinese-buyers-move-toronto
“If there was any doubt about the Vancouver housing bubble bursting, and there really should not have been after our latest update, [1]when we showed 2 weeks ago that the average price of detached Vancouver properties crashed, dropping 17% on the month, and 0.6% on the year, to C$1.47 million ($1.13 million) in August, the lowest price since September 2015 it can be fully laid to rest, with the latest data from Sotheby’s International Realty according to which transactions in Vancouver of at least C$1 million ($759,000) plunged 65% from a year earlier to a paltry 95 units in August, the month that a 15% real estate tax on deals by non-Canadian homebuyers took effect.
In Vancouver, the tax “injected uncertainty into the market, and is anticipated to
moderate sales activity and velocity in the fall,” the brokerage said. The long-term
impact of the surcharge remains to be seen and the city remains in an affordability crisis, according to Bloomberg[4].
The tax hit Vancouver’s condominium market hardest. Sales of at least C$1 million dropped 49% in August from a year earlier, after rising 29% in 12 months through July. There were no deals for condos priced at C$4 million or more last month, compared with four in August 2015. Sales of Vancouver’s most expensive homes, those priced at C$4 million or higher, fell 46% in August to 14 units, Sotheby’s said.
However, while the Vancouver housing bubble has now popped, the ravenous Chinese buyers, far from hightailing it out of Canada, have merely decided to shift to Toronto, because at the same time as Vancouver’s real estate sales ground to a halt, luxury-home sales in Toronto and its suburbs doubled to 1,459 units, Sotheby’s said.”
Tony Alexander of the BNZ says:
“Despair.” Think about all the people he’s talking to for a minute. Not very encouraging for young people and low income families I would have thought and the government’s silence on the issue seems to confirm what he’s saying. That Chinese buyers will become even more ravenous for our houses in the years to come because no-one will stop them.
Alexander confirms my fears that it doesn’t matter one bit how many houses are built in Auckland because there is a never ending horde of Chinese buyers who will skirt feeble rules in both countries in order to get what they want, which is laundered offshore assets.
So the Vancouver tax has had something of an effect and driven the heat to Toronto. It’s wishful thinking that our current government would introduce a Vancouver tax here to drive offshore Chinese out unless there is a tipping point where their voter base is so affected by inaction that they see no other option but to change the government.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/84322204/all-predictions-of-an-auckland-housing-market-collapse-proved-wrong-alexander
Interesting press release from NZF over on Scoop. Nact proposing to allow imports of mushroom compost?? WTF? Is there a back story here?
Water in Havelock North and the mushroom farm there springs to mind…
But I’m a little confused, is it compost to use for growing mushrooms, or is it compost made of mushrooms? Buggered if I know why any would import compost into NZ.
More info on this release from Wednesday…
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1609/S00247/national-embraces-the-mushroom-principle-no-bull.htm
Mercer Mushrooms is the company in question..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/82846005/Meadow-Mushrooms-denies-anti-competitive-behaviour
Foot and mouth would be devastating for our agriculture sector, I agree with Prosser.
Louise Upston you are a disgrace to your gender. Minister of Women YOU ARE NOT FIT TO BE. What on earth were you thinking… too busy to address the National Council of Women?
Too busy doing what?? !!! This is the National Council of Womens 120th Anniversary, probably one of the most important events a Minister of Women would be able to speak at during their tenure.
“Newshub tried to ask Ms Upston why she declined the invitation to speak, but she refused an interview saying she had to rush off to a select committee.”
Then her staff came back and say that she had only been asked as a back up. Whatever… don’t care about excuses, it is obvious that Upston has issues and looking out for women is not one of them.
Any woman with intelligence would not vote for national
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/womens-minister-silent-at-womens-conference-2016091512
“Mr Key recognised the significance of the organisation (National Council of Women), which was founded by suffragette Kate Sheppard.
“They’ve got a great story to tell I mean, Kate Sheppard was their founding leader you know 120 years ago,” he said rather gormessly.”
Last two words added by me.
Also, why is Upston running scared on this? Remember Annette Kings questions to Key yesterday, asking him if a senior minister had told Upston not to speak out about the Chiefs stripper scandal & he wouldn’t give an equivocal yes or no.
Mmmmmm I wonder how Kates hair felt… he thought
Gormessly, perfect description of his delivery
Not sure what Upston is scared about, yes Annette had many questions to ask Key about her the other day, the Queen is brilliant
… a senior minister had told Upston not to speak out about the Chiefs stripper scandal…
Stephen Joyce? She’s been told not to speak publicly for the time being? I’m picking Annette King knows more than she’s letting on so maybe we will find out what it is about in due course.
Maybe… but Crusher and Bene had no problem in commenting re The Chiefs in recent days. Upston is not a strong woman, shameful in her role, spineless.
I did wonder why any would hush Upston, silly me, of course, it’s rugby, any other sport and maybe it would have been different.
Nationals relationship with rugby is just way too weird, 3 way handshakes, grandstanding and locker rooms, it’s creepy. I’m a big AB’s supporter, but not in a creepy way.
Upston is a big fail in her role of Minister for Women, she consistently turns a blind eye to any high profile controversy involving women. Someone should ask her opinion on Colin Craig lololz.
So looking forward to a change of Minister in that role next year, plenty of strong women that don’t wear blue to choose from.
Taupo is chiefs country , mustn’t upset the voters.
Not really weird. It’s well documented that when voters are happy – for whatever reason – they will vote for the incumbent government. It’s typical C/T strategy to have their clients associate closely with voter obsessional behaviour. When it comes to the ABs Kiwis are obsessed. I said on this site a few days ago… the moment the ABs start to lose they won’t see Key for dust.
PR keeps up with the ‘…All Blacks are winning…” trying hard to conflate the ABs success on the pasty Nats, he’s a laugh!
China’s ponzi scheme. Enough surplus real estate built to house 100 million people. Amazing how society has always championed China’s growth and just ignored the consequences.
https://youtu.be/f5gCcT7t4Mc
we can’t even build enough to house an extra 0.1M people. Useless.
Economic lies about the “rock star economy”
The business media is all in an excited state over the fact that the headline growth rate for the New Zealand economy is going to around 3.5% for the year ending June. What they don’t tell you is that because of the artificial boost to the population as a result of the government opening the taps for new migrants the actual annual per capita growth rate is only 0.6%.
<a href="http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/09/13/economic-lies-about-the-rock-star-economy/
Govt hails economic growth
“The government is giving itself a pat on the back after the economy grew rapidly in the June quarter, but Labour reckons the true picture is not being painted by the figures.”
<a href="https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/32624233/govt-hails-economic-growth/#page1
Try to spin all you like Leftie, the numbers don’t lie.
Labour claimed real GDP per capita is not increasing…well as you point out above it has. And over the last 3 years by approx. 6%
With dairy on the improve, who knows what the economic numbers will look like next year, but you can bet the Government will be able to bash the opposition over the head with them.
“Labour claimed real GDP per capita is not increasing…well as you point out above it has. And over the last 3 years by approx. 6%”
and they are right….an actual increase over 3 years of 1.9% less inflation…not sure why you bothered to pull 6% from wherever.
Pat, Chuck pulls the bull from his butt.
Can’t you read properly Chuck, or is your lack of comprehension skills in a permanent critical condition?