Goodbye shitty landlords

Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, November 18th, 2019 - 97 comments
Categories: housing, tenants' rights - Tags: ,

The government announced new tenancy protection regulations yesterday. From RNZ,

The proposed changes include:

  • Limiting rent increases to once every 12 months
  • Banning rental bidding
  • Ending no-cause evictions
  • An increase to financial penalties
  • Tenants will be able to add minor fittings and improvements, such as baby proofing or hanging pictures.

A bill setting out the proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 is expected to be introduced to Parliament in the first half of next year.

Some snips from twitter this morning,

https://twitter.com/DylanReeve/status/1196147573607690240

I definitely feel this is a situation where Labour need to be encouraged to keep doing the right things. Each step that gives renters more security (of tenancy, a healthy home, affordable rent) takes us to a culture where housing is for providing NZ citizens with a home and away from the culture that says homelessness and poverty are collateral damage in the middle class quest for investment income. When we centre homes as a human right the solutions to the housing crisis become clearer.

97 comments on “Goodbye shitty landlords ”

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  1. Kevin 1
    18 November 2019 at 10:31 am

    40,000 Unoccupied dwellings in Auckland.

    With the housing shortage this is obscene and there should be penalties for this.

    • A 1.2
      18 November 2019 at 11:14 am

      Hate to point this out but the new legislation won't do anything but make this worse. Much needed is something that will encourage utilisation of empty homes.

      In the meantime I look forward to the flood of homes for sale from LL’s exiting the business.

      Looking forward to hanging pictures.

      • weka 1.2.1
        18 November 2019 at 12:18 pm

        how will it make things worse?

        • A 1.2.1.1
          18 November 2019 at 12:33 pm

          I would think that because they are afraid of getting a bad tenant they can't get rid of, they might decide not to have any at all. But who knows? Property takes time to move so they might realise that the changes are actually more supportive of long term relationships with tenants which seems to me to make business easier.

          • weka 1.2.1.1.1
            18 November 2019 at 12:43 pm

            right, in which case the govt will need to follow up these regs with regs and incentives to not let properties remain empty in areas where there is a housing shortage. This is what I mean about putting home rights in the centre. We can't hold off on the things that will improve housing because there are a range of issues that need to be resolved, nor because the investor class is holding us to ransom.

      • Ed1 1.2.2
        18 November 2019 at 12:28 pm

        I am sure that in the current market landlords wishing to find better returns elsewhere will have no difficulty in selling their property. Most find short term tenants more trouble than longer term tenants anyway. Where do you think they will invest their capital for better returns, "A"?

        I agree that something is needed to encourage utilisation of empty homes – here is one possibility:

        https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/empty-homes-tax-frequently-asked-questions.aspx

        • A 1.2.2.1
          18 November 2019 at 12:58 pm

          Vancouver empty home tax has been around for awhile so should be easy to see if this is a good idea or not. Will check out later…

          Where to invest other than real estate?

          I like https://www.royaltyexchange.com/ and peer to peer lending mainly due to the simplicity. Peer to peer is particularly appealing because it doesn't require much to start so a kid can do it, but still can scale up to larger amounts.

          Sprott for resource investing, Sovereign Man 4th pillar for finding large gains with the smallest risk possible, possibly EuroPacific Capital might be great, and various crypto assets. Of course all of these are more international type investments but I think that might would be better in the current environment.

          I did email Martin North (DFA blog) to ask if he had any financial advisors to refer me to in NZ who think like he does. He didn't but said he would let me know if he came across anyone. Obviously this type of person wouldn't be into real estate.

          In any case renters would be better off investing rather than borrowing for an overpriced shackle that will likely fall by 30% or more in the next two years.

      • Sabine 1.2.3
        18 November 2019 at 7:45 pm

        great let them sell, people will be buying.

        they are still not loosing the poor dears.

    • Blazer 1.3
      18 November 2019 at 12:01 pm

      A levy on residences left empty without a compelling reason ,and one on unutilised land,needs to be introduced.

      • weka 1.3.1
        18 November 2019 at 12:20 pm

        I'm in favour of that except I'd put the levy on when the empty land gets sold. Many NZers build a house on land that they've owned for years, because they can afford the land but not the house build at the same time, so there is a lag in between. What we want is to stop people speculating on land sales, which is different than land being empty. This applies to individual titles, not developer land.

      • KJT 1.3.2
        18 November 2019 at 7:31 pm

        As a lot of people get the land some time before they build, because they cannot afford both, I agree with Weka.

    • gsays 1.4
      18 November 2019 at 7:49 pm

      cough… squatter's rights …cough.

  2. Stuart Munro. 2
    18 November 2019 at 11:23 am

    The sentiments are certainly sound – whether enough seeps through the cracks in the redoubts of vested interest and neoliberal inanity to make a positive difference remains to be seen.

  3. ianmac 3
    18 November 2019 at 11:40 am

    The aim must be to give tenants longterm security of tenure. In I think Germany, there are heaps of tenants who live in the same rental for lifetimes. Rent increases are limited, and good tenants and landlords get along respectfully.

    The rhetoric against changes announced yesterday seem to miss the point.

  4. UncookedSelachimorpha 4
    18 November 2019 at 12:39 pm

    One additional change I would like to see – if a tenant wins a dispute at the tenancy tribunal, the tenant should have the right to have their identity suppressed and the right to keep their use of the tribunal private (i.e. not disclosed to future prospective landlords).

    At present a tenant can take a shitty landlord to the tribunal, win….and then have trouble getting another rental for the rest of their lives.

  5. UncookedSelachimorpha 5
    18 November 2019 at 12:45 pm

    These are small steps in the right direction, far, far short of a full German-style rental regime. The reported objections from landlords are pathetic and should be ignored.

    I doubt you can have affordable rents without property prices significantly falling (one way or the other). But NZ is addicted to the idea that owning a property should entitle you to large capital gains year on year (with no thought as to where all that money is actually coming from!). Breaking out of the current property price madness is politically difficult.

    • weka 5.1
      18 November 2019 at 12:57 pm

      crunch time for the liberal middle classes who want a solution to the housing crisis on compassionate grounds but can't quite make the connection with their own decisions. I see few people saying they're will for their house GV or market value to drop.

    • Rrm 5.2
      18 November 2019 at 12:57 pm

      ???

      There are capital gains because prices are rising.

      Prices are rising because the pool of buyers is growing faster than the pool of houses is growing, and buyers can get cheap credit.

      Phil Twyford just discovered that it's not easy to build houses in New Zealand.

      There's a lesson in that, if Labour and the wider left are smart enough to take it…

      • A 5.2.1
        18 November 2019 at 1:10 pm

        The expectation that tenants or the government will continue paying ever increasing rents is the real issue.

        • Gosman 5.2.1.1
          18 November 2019 at 2:39 pm

          It is called the market. Demand is outstripping supply. In that case the price goes up. It ain't rocket science.

          • Blazer 5.2.1.1.1
            18 November 2019 at 2:49 pm

            If this market you speak of, is so efficient why does the Govt pay around 2.5billion in accommodation supplements per an.?

  6. Gosman 6
    18 November 2019 at 1:15 pm

    This is so funny. Perhaps you can solve Climate change by mandating the weather not to get too hot. Marama Davidson's calls are especially hilarious. There is only one outcome of setting price controls below the market rate and that is shortages of supply. Marama Davidson is essentially advocating for more homelessness. Congrats on that Marama

    • Stuart Munro. 6.1
      18 November 2019 at 2:03 pm

      only one outcome of setting price controls below the market rate and that is shortages of supply

      Poppycock.

      Since little or no housing is being built for rental that effect would negligible. There might be an increase in slumlords leaving the market, returning their properties to possible occupier ownership, which would be a net positive.

      • Gosman 6.1.1
        18 November 2019 at 2:37 pm

        Not if supply fails to meet demand even further than it is at the moment. Then you get more HOMELESSNESS.

        • McFlock 6.1.1.1
          18 November 2019 at 2:55 pm

          Because dwellings just disappear if landlords don't rent them out?

          Just how many slumlords can wear the rates on a property that has no tenant while they wait for the value to increase and give them a capital gain?

          • Gosman 6.1.1.1.1
            18 November 2019 at 3:01 pm

            Oh there will be a short term impact on the housing market as landlords unwilling to take on the extra costs and risks offload their properties. However it will soon be swallowed up by the massive under supply of new house builds. On top Renters who still won't be able to afford to buy a place will now have even less properties to choose from and rents will skyrocket. These are unfortunately the poorest section of society.

            • McFlock 6.1.1.1.1.1
              18 November 2019 at 3:12 pm

              That is a profession of faith.

              You sad devotion to theoretical demand and supply curves is merely a distraction from reality, and your concern for the poor would be touching if it were honestly-held.

              There are many wider factors at play in the property market than banning rental bidding and slowing rent increases. Let the leeches suck the blood more slowly, it won't do them any harm and it will be better for their prey.

              • Gosman …
                18 November 2019 at 3:29 pm

                You keep believing you can beat the market McFlock. It will only be the little people that will get hurt after all.

                • McFlock …
                  18 November 2019 at 3:38 pm

                  The only difference between you and Israel Folau is the flavour of magical entity you believe in.

                  • Gosman …
                    18 November 2019 at 3:51 pm

                    And I can physically see the results of mine 🙂

                    • McFlock …
                      18 November 2019 at 3:53 pm

                      Wishful thinking and blinkers are shared by you both. He literally just gave a speech where he claimed to see the results of his.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 November 2019 at 3:58 pm

                      Except his was done AFTER the event. I am making the prediction BEFORE.

                    • McFlock …
                      18 November 2019 at 4:10 pm

                      Regardless of how the economic entrails fall, you'll interpret them to suit your "prediction".

                      Just like you always do.

                    • Gosman …
                      18 November 2019 at 4:15 pm

                      No, no. I'm quite happy to make the prediction now. The rental property market will get worse for renters if any of these politcies become a reality UNLESS demand suddenly drops off (unlikely) or there is some stimulus applied to the supply side outside these policies.

                    • McFlock …
                      18 November 2019 at 4:23 pm

                      See? Both ways, no specifics on magnitude. And given that the govt has spent the last two years also trying to affect the "supply side" of the housing market in a variety of ways (with good success in state housing, not so hot on kiwibuild, dunno how the prefab plant is working up, there's also moves on consents processes I think), there is literally no way your comment is falsifiable. If rents go up, you'll say "yay me". If rents go down you'll say "supply-side efforts like I said, yay me".

                      You made a religious proclamation, not a prediction.

                    • Gosman …
                      19 November 2019 at 3:34 pm

                      My position is definitely falsifiable. If all other elements I mention remain constant then I predict the policy proposals being touted will lead to increased rents and/or homelessness. I would expect it to take significantly more houses (above the long term average increase) and/or significantly less demand (below the recent increases) to affect this. These are easily identifiable.

                    • McFlock …
                      19 November 2019 at 3:40 pm

                      If all other elements I mention remain constant

                      lols
                      meanwhile, in the real world…

                    • Gosman …
                      19 November 2019 at 3:43 pm

                      And then I stated you could quantify the scale of the impact of the changes IF they DID occur. If there is only a modest increase in supply such as we have at the moment then the changes to the Rental laws will drive up rental prices.

                    • Gosman …
                      19 November 2019 at 3:47 pm

                      BTW the Dashborad you linked to looks REALLY sad for people looking to get a home. The government is failing miserably on this front.

                    • McFlock …
                      19 November 2019 at 3:59 pm

                      No, you just opened your way to an argument about the meaning of "significantly" in order to defend your catechism.

                      How many landlords will fail to meet the grade? How many of them will neither sell nor let out their derelict buildings, so the houses are truly removed from the market?

        • Stuart Munro. 6.1.1.2
          18 November 2019 at 2:58 pm

          It's not a convincing kite to fly Gosman. Have you got any rational criticisms?

        • weka 6.1.1.3
          18 November 2019 at 3:35 pm

          "Not if supply fails to meet demand even further than it is at the moment. Then you get more HOMELESSNESS."

          This is the situation we are in already. So your argument just sounds like let's accept there will always be homelessness and housing crisis driven poverty, because TINA and at least it's not worse. Poppycock. This is just the investor class saying their right to profit trumps people's right to a home and now lecturing the left that the housing crisis the investor class created in the first place and serves them really fucking well can't be changed.

          Build some more houses, stop being greedy, let the govt pass some laws that shift existing houses out of capital gains capture and back into providing homes.

  7. greywarshark 7
    18 November 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Cars have to be registered and have wofs. They are an important asset for people and useful to the citizens of the country. Why not houses, just keeping a check on problems and if they get fixed. At present I wouldn't pass but if that was noted, and I get the process of painting etc on a time and payment schedule, it would not be onerous. The wof would only relate to practical maintenance and not involve snooping for misdemeanours against Council planning requirements.

    There seems a tendency to dream up champagne requirements for those with beer incomes, and not bothering wealthy businesspeople too much with regs is now disavowed, and the regs descend like a stormburst after drought.

  8. Tiger Mountain 8
    18 November 2019 at 2:24 pm

    Does not take much talk of “rights for renters” to get the neo rentiers and property flickers squealing. More professional landlords are often in it for the longer haul. The Govt. has done well already by abolishing letting fees and putting in minimum dwelling standards.

    Young NZers in particular deserve much more than paying off some one else’s mortgage, when they do not have secure tenure and decent rights as some recompense for their extortionate rents.

    10 years going hard out building public housing would be a start. When supply is squared up a bit, time for rent control! Private developers prefer to cherry pick the McMansion market and Building/construction Co.s and suppliers seem to just want their profits. So…if they won’t acquire some public spirit, import flat packs and build modular. A nice kick in the nuts for them too.

    • Gosman 8.1
      18 November 2019 at 2:40 pm

      Fair enough. Why do you think that Labour hasn't advocated for this and The Greens haven't costed a plan for it?

      • bwaghorn 8.1.1
        18 November 2019 at 3:27 pm

        The first thing that needs to be done is wipe out rent subsidies and make landlords wear the difference between what the tenant is paying out of their own pocket and what is being charged .

        As long as landlords have a government gaurentee on the rental income the housing market will always be skewed and screwed.

        • Gosman 8.1.1.1
          18 November 2019 at 3:46 pm

          Or there will be even less people willing to rent out properties.

          Do ANY of your proposals involve actually increasing supply?

          • bwaghorn 8.1.1.1.1
            18 November 2019 at 6:49 pm

            More state houses ,lots and lots of them .

            Can you not see how rent subsidies are just making it worse .

          • KJT 8.1.1.1.2
            18 November 2019 at 6:51 pm

            We've been proposing increasing supply, here for a long time.

            Building state houses in the scale we managed in the 50's.

            Successfully, and with "printed money" by the way.

            Of course right wingers only believe in printing money, if banks charge interest for it. Or it is free money to bail bankers out of their fuckups.

            Of course cutting the demand from 350 000 “guest workers”, 70 000 new people, capital gains farming ,and foreign money launderers, is also required.

            • Gosman 8.1.1.1.2.1
              19 November 2019 at 3:36 pm

              You may have advocated for it but for some reason the actual parties you support aren't delivering massive amounts of new State houses.

              • weka …
                19 November 2019 at 3:46 pm

                Do you want lots more state houses or not Gosman. It's hard to tell.

                • Gosman …
                  19 November 2019 at 3:51 pm

                  I'm not terribly fussed where the extra houses will come from. I just doubt the capacity of the State sector to do it. I'm willing to be surprised but the market is not going to be satisfied by an extra 1000 or so State houses every year. Do you know what the deficit is between the demand for housing versus the supply at the moment?

                  • weka …
                    19 November 2019 at 3:56 pm

                    Nope. Do you know what the difference is between supply and numbers of existing houses? The problem with not caring where the extra houses come from is that we don't have a shortage of houses in NZ, there are plenty. We have a shortage of houses available at affordable cost for people to live in. If the state doesn't control house building across the board, then the costs will just keep increasing. We can already see that simply having more houses doesn't create more supply.

                    • Gosman …
                      19 November 2019 at 4:07 pm

                      You are wrong. There is a shortage of houses in NZ. That's the cause of all the woes.

                    • Sacha …
                      19 November 2019 at 4:10 pm

                      Unless we address the demand factors that make housing an attractive 'investment' more supply will not fix the problem, Gos.

                    • weka …
                      19 November 2019 at 4:14 pm

                      Gosman, you do understand that there are more empty houses in NZ right now than there are people to live in them, right?

                    • weka …
                      19 November 2019 at 4:15 pm

                      My thinking atm is around how we can shift the stalemate where the middle classes won't support a strong left wing govt because of how it would impact on their housing capital.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                19 November 2019 at 4:02 pm

                National's policy on "old, run down state houses" – replace 'em! Who needs 'em anyway? Some were salivating at the 'opportunities' attached to such 'replacement.' There is, however, a clear alternative re state houses.

                "Our new build and renewal programme will see us invest $5.6 billion in our state houses from 2018 to 2022 – the largest investment in our houses for decades providing better quality homes for people and their families."
                https://www.hnzc.co.nz/housing-developments-and-programmes/our-new-state-homes/

                "The previous Labour Government had torn down state houses on one block of land with the intention of rebuilding them, but the following National Government did not rebuild them and tore down houses on the other two blocks."
                https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/116120326/palmerston-north-housing-crisis-aided-by-105-new-state-houses-within-three-years

  9. lprent 9
    18 November 2019 at 5:50 pm

    Good legislation. I'm (almost inadvertently) a landlord and sort of a tenant myself at present.

    I rented out my apartment for a few years when we rented a bigger place for doing the video edit on one of my partners docos. Then we moved back in 2012

    My partner decided that she was going to buy an apartment a couple of years ago, and that she was going to do it on her own. All she could afford with any certainty about location and integrety about quality was another one bedroom apartment in the same block. So she scraped up her assets to get a deposit, and brought it for just about 2.5x times the value I brought mine for back in 1998.

    Then she dragged me upstairs to help pay for it as a semi-tenant 🙂 I couldn't see any reason to sell my apartment just in case we did something weird like break up. That doesn't seem too likely as she moved into my apartment in 2008 – which seems like a lifetime ago. But shit happens…

    Ran my apartment as a airbnb for about a year because my sister was doing that to a room in her house, and when she was fixing up their bach and launch. She was willing to do the most of the work for a substantial cut. When she started to look at purchasing and running a business, I rented it out as a furnished one bedroom. Initially using a property manager while I was doing a lot of work in Singapore. More recently myself.

    "Okay, cool. None of that changes anything for me, all sounds sensible."

    That pretty much describes me as well. Of course it helps that my tenants are in the same block.

    I’d have to look up the tenancy agreement, but I think that I already have a 90 day notice (and 30 days the other way). Rent changes only happen yearly – but I’ve never raised rents except if tenants change (good tenants are pure gold). We do the tenancy yearly. I fix things that I can, but it is pretty modern so that happens seldom.

  10. UncookedSelachimorpha 10
    18 November 2019 at 5:52 pm

    RNZ have republished a long article from 2018 on the Tenancy Tribunal and predicaments renters can find themselves in, it is an interesting read:

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/365295/why-renters-won-t-complain-about-landlords

    • ianmac 10.1
      19 November 2019 at 9:09 am

      Thanks Uncooked. Illuminating. System clearly needs revision.

      Maybe there should be a star rating for Landlords so that Tenants can get fair warning of bad landlords. I bet landlords have done bad stuff previously.

  11. Ian 11
    18 November 2019 at 8:48 pm

    I have a very nice house that I have spent $60000 on lately ,that could be a rental but I don't need the hassle . Getting good tenants is like finding opals. A worker on the farm who has been here for 9 years and is waiting for his residents visa will be hopefully moving in after the slow coaches at immigration NZ finally process his application. He will then bring his wife and son out to NZ . God willing.

    • weka 11.1
      18 November 2019 at 9:25 pm

      Oh cool, you're going to let them live in it for free.

      • Ian 11.1.1
        19 November 2019 at 7:46 pm

        No, it won't be free but will be at a minimal rental to satisfy IRD. Will bump his salary up to cover the shortfall. Good employees are like gold and need to be treated accordingly. Good tenants no doubt exist but I am much happier having an empty home in the meantime.

    • David Mac 11.2
      19 November 2019 at 12:46 pm

      I believe finding dependable tenants to pay astronomical sums is becoming easier in the Far North. Contacting the 128 unsuccessful applicants with their bad news has become the hard bit.

      Last one being let that I'm familiar with went to a near retiring couple who will spend 12 days of every fortnight at their Auckland home and every 2nd weekend at this coastal place they're renting.

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    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    2 days ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago

  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  â€œWhile vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to KÄŤngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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