With the Prime Minister today ruling out any intervention to regulate house rents, one might immediately think there is the opportunity for the Commerce Commission to form an inquiry.
Except …
It's not a price regulated activity such as airport landing charges
There's no obvious cartel behaviour
The state is still a dominant provider
It's not a regulated industry like dairy industry or telecommunications
Unlike petrol or supermarkets there's no oligopoly or anything near it
However last time I bought a flat, the bank was able to show me on a rate card exactly what I should charge.
Also it will take a while before we can see the cumulative effect of the changes both to minimum standards and to landlord financing to see any synchronous price movement.
It was good that the PM and Minister finally reacted against speculative investors. But I would still want the Commerce Commission to invite closed-door briefings from Harcourts, Barfoots, the five main banks, and some of the main landlords including Kainga Ora to get people talking about robust pricing elements.
It would be convincing if rent subsidies would have a cap. This would very soon show how bad the situation really is. If even more of our taxpayer money is being handed over to landlords I will definitely vote for Act. Labor is just throwing money around without flinching that future generations have to pay back, National is on the opportunistic tide- no alternatives there, the Greens are nowhere to be seen. That leaves Act as the only party that has so far at least offered ideas.
So far, every time the sub was increased so where the rents. If these are only allowed to adjust once per year it will be an astronomical amount. Funny that, it will – coincidental of cause – be taking all the sub. Why not have the snout in the trough right from he start and do away with bureaucracy in between?
The market works both ways. Instead of giving the landlord the money, increase benefits. It also shows that obviously incomes are far too low and it maybe needed to reduce taxes for income earners up to 50K. It would than be for landlords to compete with renters not just automatically increase rents because the government is re-indexing the rental subsidy. It would be by far a better solution.
With the Prime Minister ruling out any intervention to regulate house rents
I wouldn’t worry too much. Jacinda and Robbers have a history of saying one thing today and doing the complete opposite tomorrow. We can take what they say today with a grain of salt.
I like history, especially annotated and well-documented history, with reputable references. Got any of that? 'Having a history' implies a series of events, not one, now. So, put them on the table or I'll have to find my salt shaker…………
When you say robust pricing elements, do you mean things like social harm, affordability…that kind of thing, hence Kianga Ora's inclusion. It's not like they set rents they just pay subsidies based on the assumptive market rent which imho has always been out of whack because it assumes that despite shitty antisocial neighbours who will never leave or be kicked out + bad maintanence people will pay the same as other places nearby without those issues.
The way rentals are subsidised is a huge freaking State problem.
If the govt did limit market rents then landlords leasing to Kianga Ora might have a legal point to argue. Their contracts stipulate they will be paid market rent, and from memory it is assessed every year.
If PM has made this statement, and if the situation for first home buyers and renters worsens, I just hope the PM can feel free to break this promise to the rentier class and their political water carriers.
The government will just wait and see what effect the interventions they've just made will have.
I see rent levels as a third term issue now. And even then, they've shown they will subsidise housing, hotels, rents, and accommodation generally about as fast as they can print money.
This is a absolute rort from the landlords. Many renters are on a benefit and the only way to pay for that is when a house is over crowded. And here are the health issues that affects a system that is completely overloaded and people are actually dying waiting for surgery.
"But nobody can really tell at this stage by how much rents could go up and how widespread this might be.
The fact is the days of 'cost plus' being a viable pricing mechanism are long gone in New Zealand, as they are in the rest of the world.
Rents will only go up substantially if 'the market' can take it.
Most renters would probably feel that accommodation in this country is already pretty 'fully priced'. So, the question is what 'market' resistance would landlords face from widespread rent hikes?
I suppose the big question there would be the ability of peeved renters finding alternative living arrangements. But you can't get blood out of a stone. And to mix up my metaphors, landlords would risk killing the golden goose if they squeezed too hard.
So, okay, that's one aspect.
The other significant aspect is the prospect (very real I might have thought) that at least some landlords might see this as all too much bother and look to cut and run – IE sell their property or properties."
It's also not hard to find the vacancy rate in each city. It's pretty tight in Auckland.
And of course not hard to find out the price the state is paying to keep most people in motels and off the streets. It's a fair bit, as you'll see in the upcoming budget.
That is to say, we already have market failure and it's likely to get much worse.
When you say 'the vacancy rate' I assume you mean the rate of untenanted properties available to rent…..that is very different to the rate of untenanted properties that COULD be available to rent but are not.
Since the Prime Minister has ruled out intervening in the price of available renting properties, you can take it as a given that she is ruling out intervening in the price of hypothetical ones as well.
It would also be an impressively flexible Commerce Commission that tried to run that kind of hypothetical as a baseline for an investigation.
lol…they are only hypothetical as long as they remain outside the market….and the PM is busy minimising (not ruling out) rent controls mere weeks after the latest control ended.
From the Guardian quoting the PM's press briefing:
“What we’ve seen in our rental market has not mirrored what we’ve seen with house price growth,” she said.
“In fact, more often than not, it’s tended to mirror wage growth and so we will keep an eye on the numbers closely, but at this stage, we have no further plans in that area.”
She would not be drawn on what level of growth she would rule unacceptable.
Earlier on Monday morning Ardern’s chief press secretary had accidentally sent an email to Stuff, intended for his staff, asking for quotes from economists that could be used to rebut “the assumption rents will go up”.
A common thread I've seen in comments since the Government's announcement is that if landlords have to sell, this will itself force rentals up in price because there will be fewer of them and, well, supply and demand and all that.
Actually, as a piece of logic that doesn't work out….
If it's bought by an investor then the investor will continue to rent the property out – so, there will be NO change to the rental market. Okay the investor might try to hike the rental but I divert you back to the earlier comments in this article about the market and resistance etc……
David Hargreaves
Except if the investor finds the aformentioned market resistance doesn't allow him to get the rent he wants, he might just decide to park up the house, and get what he can from the capital gains.
The thinking behind this, goes 'If I, or other investors drop the rental to what we think tenants can reasonably afford, this will cause a drop in rentals being demanded everywhere. Better to try to artificially limit the supply to keep rentals up.
Yes flooding the market is a big no no in real estate but sometimes you cant control it…we have around 150,000 investors all with peculiar positions that will make their own decisions….good luck herding that many cats….especially if the market starts to fall.
You used to have councils like Auckland City and Wellington and Christchurch with really big council flats, which had very clearly targeted rent controls.
That was when the public sector dominated renting and took the prices with them. Back in the 1940s and 1950s.
Note the Tenants Protection Association and NZFirst were both arguing for rent controls in Christchurch back in 2012. But then the market really did alter:
The large pool of fixed state rentals acted as a competitive brake on private sector rentals.
The political agents of the rentier classes have been trying to whittle this buffer down, as much as they can by privatising and selling off state rentals whenever they are in government.
One of the reasons we are in a housing crisis is the removal of that brake.
agree….and to get the ratio of state houses to population back to the levels we had in the 1990s (before the sell off) we need around 100,000 state houses (total)
Looks like the National caucus is about to make a more on Collins. They voted down an indecisive Collins and her hand picked doctor deputy over mandatory fluoridation.
It doesn't bode well for Collins. It's not a good day in the leadership office when your MPs override your decision on an important public health issue.
National MPs have told Newshub this is incredibly rare and almost unheard of.
One National MP said it's even rare to have these votes in caucus, and that it shows indecisiveness and lack of belief from Collins.
In 2018 Simon Bridges won a leadership battle after Bingles' retirement. Following that I had hoped to see four National leaders in a year. It didn't happen then but it might happen this year.
Todd Muller rolled Simon Bridges on 22 May 2020 so for there to be four National leaders in a year Collins will have to last until 22 May 2021…
…. They voted down an indecisive Collins and her hand picked doctor deputy over mandatory fluoridation.
That's nothing.
Around the globe conservative parties are not noted for heeding sound evidential science based advice.
Collins thinks she has a problem getting her party to accept the science behind flouridation. It could be worse. Collins is lucky she didn't ask her MPs to vote that climate change is real, as Erin O'Toole the leader of the Candadian Conservative Party made the mistake of doing.
'Canadian Conservative party votes not to recognize climate crisis as real'
Blimey, get the popcorn out. Farrar has made a special post trying to run interference after having spoken directly to Collins.
They are doing damage control because the incident suggests Colins and Reti are anti-fluoride. Even Hooton has been trundled out to steady the sinking ship.
Thing is, these two clowns, Farrar and Hooton will know exactly who the anti-Collins faction is but they can't do a thing about it in case they prevail over Collins and then shut Farrar out.
Alo can't belevive Collins is still using Farrar for information distribution. This is the guy whose blog had to be moderated post Christchurch because of Islamophobic hate speech.
Meanwhile, Chris Bishop seems to think himself eminent PM material…but can'r even win his own seat.
I'm astonished that Shane Reti – a family doctor – is not supporting an obvious move to make fluoridation available to more of NZ. It is a very safe and proven way to improve dental health, especially for children. The current local body approach allows vocal opponents with lots of energy to dominate what should simply be a public health matter – the result being more kids with rotten teeth than necessary and much of NZ without fluoridation.
With over 40,000 empty houses just in Auckland alone…
Is it time yet to start using our existing supply of houses more rationally?
Howsabout an empty homes tax, like they have in Vancouver?
Any takers, or is this just a step too far?
Bugger the homeless, would instantly increasing the availability of rentals and houses for sale cool the market to quickly and be too much of a shock for those middle class Moms and Pops who invested in property, to bear?
"Marty Verry, CEO of Red Stag group talks to Jesse about the current shortage of construction timber for building homes and how long he expects that to last.
Red Stag is a privately owned, independent timber company based in Rotorua.'
If those people trying to get the Ever Given out of the Suez Canal want to know what real hard work is, they should try being a landlord in New Zealand
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After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track 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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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,” ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
He’s bringing ‘Sophie’ back, yeah. Goodshirt’s ‘Sophie’ music video is one of the most instantly recognisable New Zealand music videos of all time. Featuring a woman listening to the song on headphones while her entire house is burgled behind her, the video won the New Zealand music award for Best ...
With the Prime Minister today ruling out any intervention to regulate house rents, one might immediately think there is the opportunity for the Commerce Commission to form an inquiry.
Except …
However last time I bought a flat, the bank was able to show me on a rate card exactly what I should charge.
Also it will take a while before we can see the cumulative effect of the changes both to minimum standards and to landlord financing to see any synchronous price movement.
It was good that the PM and Minister finally reacted against speculative investors. But I would still want the Commerce Commission to invite closed-door briefings from Harcourts, Barfoots, the five main banks, and some of the main landlords including Kainga Ora to get people talking about robust pricing elements.
It would be convincing if rent subsidies would have a cap. This would very soon show how bad the situation really is. If even more of our taxpayer money is being handed over to landlords I will definitely vote for Act. Labor is just throwing money around without flinching that future generations have to pay back, National is on the opportunistic tide- no alternatives there, the Greens are nowhere to be seen. That leaves Act as the only party that has so far at least offered ideas.
Do you really as you say want renters to be far more exposed to these market conditions, in order that the government can show the amount of subsidy?
So far, every time the sub was increased so where the rents. If these are only allowed to adjust once per year it will be an astronomical amount. Funny that, it will – coincidental of cause – be taking all the sub. Why not have the snout in the trough right from he start and do away with bureaucracy in between?
The market works both ways. Instead of giving the landlord the money, increase benefits. It also shows that obviously incomes are far too low and it maybe needed to reduce taxes for income earners up to 50K. It would than be for landlords to compete with renters not just automatically increase rents because the government is re-indexing the rental subsidy. It would be by far a better solution.
With the Prime Minister ruling out any intervention to regulate house rents
I wouldn’t worry too much. Jacinda and Robbers have a history of saying one thing today and doing the complete opposite tomorrow. We can take what they say today with a grain of salt.
I like history, especially annotated and well-documented history, with reputable references. Got any of that? 'Having a history' implies a series of events, not one, now. So, put them on the table or I'll have to find my salt shaker…………
I’d start with the entire 2017 Labour manifesto then roll forward from there …
… but COVID 🙂
So no real evidence of a history of reversal behaviour? I guess I'll have to use the garlic salt, then…….
When you say robust pricing elements, do you mean things like social harm, affordability…that kind of thing, hence Kianga Ora's inclusion. It's not like they set rents they just pay subsidies based on the assumptive market rent which imho has always been out of whack because it assumes that despite shitty antisocial neighbours who will never leave or be kicked out + bad maintanence people will pay the same as other places nearby without those issues.
The way rentals are subsidised is a huge freaking State problem.
If the govt did limit market rents then landlords leasing to Kianga Ora might have a legal point to argue. Their contracts stipulate they will be paid market rent, and from memory it is assessed every year.
Ad
29 March 2021 at 5:50 pm
With the Prime Minister today ruling out any intervention to regulate house rents….
Hi Ad,
I'm sorry I missed this statement from the PM can you provide a link?
If PM has made this statement, it makes me wonder, who is setting the country's housing policy?
The government, or the Nact opposition?
Robertson Must Rule Out Rent Control
Saturday, 27 March 2021, 2:05 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2103/S00212/robertson-must-rule-out-rent-control.htm
Government must rule out rent caps – National
4:58 pm today
Jane Patterson, Political Editor
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/439403/government-must-rule-out-rent-caps-national
If PM has made this statement, and if the situation for first home buyers and renters worsens, I just hope the PM can feel free to break this promise to the rentier class and their political water carriers.
As per the link I gave below:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/new-zealand-housing-crisis-jacinda-ardern-says-rent-increase-warnings-are-speculative
The government will just wait and see what effect the interventions they've just made will have.
I see rent levels as a third term issue now. And even then, they've shown they will subsidise housing, hotels, rents, and accommodation generally about as fast as they can print money.
Good one, meanwhile in on of the poorest areas in any city in NZ:
Rent in Porirua, Waitangirua: lower end: $ 499, upper $ 588.
This is a absolute rort from the landlords. Many renters are on a benefit and the only way to pay for that is when a house is over crowded. And here are the health issues that affects a system that is completely overloaded and people are actually dying waiting for surgery.
Oh bless your cotton socks.
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/market-rent/
"But nobody can really tell at this stage by how much rents could go up and how widespread this might be.
The fact is the days of 'cost plus' being a viable pricing mechanism are long gone in New Zealand, as they are in the rest of the world.
Rents will only go up substantially if 'the market' can take it.
Most renters would probably feel that accommodation in this country is already pretty 'fully priced'. So, the question is what 'market' resistance would landlords face from widespread rent hikes?
I suppose the big question there would be the ability of peeved renters finding alternative living arrangements. But you can't get blood out of a stone. And to mix up my metaphors, landlords would risk killing the golden goose if they squeezed too hard.
So, okay, that's one aspect.
The other significant aspect is the prospect (very real I might have thought) that at least some landlords might see this as all too much bother and look to cut and run – IE sell their property or properties."
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/109735/david-hargreaves-assesses-some-more-intemperate-suggestions-being-made-about-what
All without the mention of AirBnB or vacant properties.
Both through Statistics NZ and through the Tenancy service, the state gives a pretty good idea about what each place is worth to rent.
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/rent-bond-and-bills/market-rent/
It's also not hard to find the vacancy rate in each city. It's pretty tight in Auckland.
And of course not hard to find out the price the state is paying to keep most people in motels and off the streets. It's a fair bit, as you'll see in the upcoming budget.
That is to say, we already have market failure and it's likely to get much worse.
When you say 'the vacancy rate' I assume you mean the rate of untenanted properties available to rent…..that is very different to the rate of untenanted properties that COULD be available to rent but are not.
Since the Prime Minister has ruled out intervening in the price of available renting properties, you can take it as a given that she is ruling out intervening in the price of hypothetical ones as well.
It would also be an impressively flexible Commerce Commission that tried to run that kind of hypothetical as a baseline for an investigation.
lol…they are only hypothetical as long as they remain outside the market….and the PM is busy minimising (not ruling out) rent controls mere weeks after the latest control ended.
From the Guardian quoting the PM's press briefing:
“What we’ve seen in our rental market has not mirrored what we’ve seen with house price growth,” she said.
“In fact, more often than not, it’s tended to mirror wage growth and so we will keep an eye on the numbers closely, but at this stage, we have no further plans in that area.”
She would not be drawn on what level of growth she would rule unacceptable.
Earlier on Monday morning Ardern’s chief press secretary had accidentally sent an email to Stuff, intended for his staff, asking for quotes from economists that could be used to rebut “the assumption rents will go up”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/new-zealand-housing-crisis-jacinda-ardern-says-rent-increase-warnings-are-speculative
She gave herself a tiny 'out' with her phrasing, but it's pretty clear. They've intervened enough in the market for the foreseeable future.
"Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the Government would be keeping a close eye on any increase to rents and would "take action if necessary".
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/housing-crisis-government-must-rule-out-rent-caps-national/RL5IKJK5QWQN246V4ZJUL3A6HQ/
That was before Ardern's conference. He knows who he works for.
My bet is this is a third term issue … unless there's some almighty uprising.
Have you found that link yet where the PM said rent controls were 'off the table'?
Her phrasing is as cited above.
You want to read that optimistically, go right ahead.
lol…Judith is very concerned about the wiggle room…is she an optimist or a pessimist?
Judith Collins is Leader of the Opposition, for which pessimism is in the job description.
Hi Pat
From the link you supplied;
The shrinking rental market myth
A common thread I've seen in comments since the Government's announcement is that if landlords have to sell, this will itself force rentals up in price because there will be fewer of them and, well, supply and demand and all that.
Actually, as a piece of logic that doesn't work out….
If it's bought by an investor then the investor will continue to rent the property out – so, there will be NO change to the rental market. Okay the investor might try to hike the rental but I divert you back to the earlier comments in this article about the market and resistance etc……
David Hargreaves
Except if the investor finds the aformentioned market resistance doesn't allow him to get the rent he wants, he might just decide to park up the house, and get what he can from the capital gains.
The thinking behind this, goes 'If I, or other investors drop the rental to what we think tenants can reasonably afford, this will cause a drop in rentals being demanded everywhere. Better to try to artificially limit the supply to keep rentals up.
Lol…going mad…this is daily review.
Yes flooding the market is a big no no in real estate but sometimes you cant control it…we have around 150,000 investors all with peculiar positions that will make their own decisions….good luck herding that many cats….especially if the market starts to fall.
Does anyone know if we had rent control in NZ before?
You used to have councils like Auckland City and Wellington and Christchurch with really big council flats, which had very clearly targeted rent controls.
That was when the public sector dominated renting and took the prices with them. Back in the 1940s and 1950s.
Note the Tenants Protection Association and NZFirst were both arguing for rent controls in Christchurch back in 2012. But then the market really did alter:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/300100607/heres-what-would-really-control-new-zealand-rents
we had rent controls last year…they ended on the 25th of September
https://www.hud.govt.nz/residential-housing/tenancy-and-rentals/new-rules-for-rent-increases/
There's nothing new under the sun…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/your-property/9154737/Ice-cold-response-to-rent-freeze-plan
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/imary-holmi-rent-control-doesnt-help-the-poor/5W7MATYSMIS7JVGYTFNNH5FBJU/
https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/33455/muldoon-announces-a-wage-and-prize-freeze-1982
millsy
29 March 2021 at 7:20 pm
Does anyone know if we had rent control in NZ before?
Yes.
State housing rents are limited to 25% of income.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/we-call-it-home/the-state-steps-in-and-out
The large pool of fixed state rentals acted as a competitive brake on private sector rentals.
The political agents of the rentier classes have been trying to whittle this buffer down, as much as they can by privatising and selling off state rentals whenever they are in government.
One of the reasons we are in a housing crisis is the removal of that brake.
agree….and to get the ratio of state houses to population back to the levels we had in the 1990s (before the sell off) we need around 100,000 state houses (total)
Looks like the National caucus is about to make a more on Collins. They voted down an indecisive Collins and her hand picked doctor deputy over mandatory fluoridation.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/03/national-mps-vote-against-judith-collins-shane-reti-on-fluoride-policy-in-rare-move-for-caucus.html
In 2018 Simon Bridges won a leadership battle after Bingles' retirement. Following that I had hoped to see four National leaders in a year. It didn't happen then but it might happen this year.
Todd Muller rolled Simon Bridges on 22 May 2020 so for there to be four National leaders in a year Collins will have to last until 22 May 2021…
…not looking good at the moment.
Let's check in on them again in 2026.
Muttonbird
29 March 2021 at 8:15 pm
…. They voted down an indecisive Collins and her hand picked doctor deputy over mandatory fluoridation.
That's nothing.
Around the globe conservative parties are not noted for heeding sound evidential science based advice.
Collins thinks she has a problem getting her party to accept the science behind flouridation. It could be worse. Collins is lucky she didn't ask her MPs to vote that climate change is real, as Erin O'Toole the leader of the Candadian Conservative Party made the mistake of doing.
'Canadian Conservative party votes not to recognize climate crisis as real'
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/20/canada-conservative-party-climate-change-real
Blimey, get the popcorn out. Farrar has made a special post trying to run interference after having spoken directly to Collins.
They are doing damage control because the incident suggests Colins and Reti are anti-fluoride. Even Hooton has been trundled out to steady the sinking ship.
Thing is, these two clowns, Farrar and Hooton will know exactly who the anti-Collins faction is but they can't do a thing about it in case they prevail over Collins and then shut Farrar out.
Alo can't belevive Collins is still using Farrar for information distribution. This is the guy whose blog had to be moderated post Christchurch because of Islamophobic hate speech.
Meanwhile, Chris Bishop seems to think himself eminent PM material…but can'r even win his own seat.
For me, the schadenfreude peaked with the last sentence in yr link:
"Remember, National's caucus meetings are supposed to be top secret and impenetrable, but once against the caucus is leaking like a sieve. "
I'm astonished that Shane Reti – a family doctor – is not supporting an obvious move to make fluoridation available to more of NZ. It is a very safe and proven way to improve dental health, especially for children. The current local body approach allows vocal opponents with lots of energy to dominate what should simply be a public health matter – the result being more kids with rotten teeth than necessary and much of NZ without fluoridation.
Hard to believe New Zealand has a timber supply problem. We are basically a forest with some shitty towns tacked on.
The invisible hand strikes again.
The forestry bosses worked out they could make bigger profits exporting whole logs than finished timber, so closed down all the timber mills.
Now we find we can't get timber to build houses in a housing crisis.
So it looks like we won't be able to build our way out of the housing crisis afterall.
Concern grows over impact of timber shortage on New Zealand's house building industry
March 27, 1 NEWS
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/concern-grows-over-impact-timber-shortage-new-zealands-house-building-industry
With over 40,000 empty houses just in Auckland alone…
Is it time yet to start using our existing supply of houses more rationally?
Howsabout an empty homes tax, like they have in Vancouver?
Any takers, or is this just a step too far?
Bugger the homeless, would instantly increasing the availability of rentals and houses for sale cool the market to quickly and be too much of a shock for those middle class Moms and Pops who invested in property, to bear?
All those ugly freemarket chickens coming home to roost.
"Marty Verry, CEO of Red Stag group talks to Jesse about the current shortage of construction timber for building homes and how long he expects that to last.
Red Stag is a privately owned, independent timber company based in Rotorua.'
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018789495/framing-timber-shortage-in-nz
heh
https://twitter.com/spat106/status/1376310103154913283