Greens: Urgent action needed to soften inflation blow for low income NZers

Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, April 21st, 2022 - 68 comments
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Press release from Julie Anne Genter April 21, 2022 11:02 AM

The Green Party says urgent action is needed to soften the blow of inflation for New Zealanders on the lowest incomes.

“High inflation is not experienced equally, and for people on the lowest incomes this means struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table,” says Julie Anne Genter, Finance spokesperson for the Green Party.

“Those with the least experience inflation at a much higher rate than those with the most. The latest benefit stats, also out today, show the value of hardship assistance is rising, especially the value of special needs grants and benefit advance payments.”

The Green Party says that if the Government is concerned about fiscal stimulus, the best approach would be to broaden the tax base to cover untaxed capital gains or wealth of the richest New Zealanders.

“Not only would broadening our tax base help to dampen down aggregate demand and inflation in the short-term, it is essential to having a fairer, stronger tax system,” says Julie Anne Genter.

Alongside broadening our tax base, the Green Party proposes a suite of policies.

“The Green Party solution to cost-of-living pressures on low income households is to ensure everyone has a liveable income by lifting benefits and Working for Families, make rent increases reasonable by introducing rent controls, make public transport fares free, and breakup the supermarket duopoly to stop huge corporate profiteering from people buying the essentials to live,” Julie Anne Genter says.

The Green Party urges the Government not to buckle to pressure from National and ACT parties to cut taxes and reduce essential government spending.

“It would be a huge mistake to turn the short-run problem of global inflation into a long-term problem in New Zealand. The Government can, and must, continue to invest to tackle long-term challenges: taking effective climate action, reducing inequality, and making sure our health system can respond to the current and next pandemic. The austerity of the last National and ACT Government created an infrastructure deficit, and a social and environmental deficit.

“National and ACT’s promise to give tax cuts focussed on high income New Zealanders is a predictable appeal to their base, and would be entirely economically counterproductive because it would put more inflationary pressures in our system and create a less progressive, less fair tax system.”

ENDS

68 comments on “Greens: Urgent action needed to soften inflation blow for low income NZers ”

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  1. Corey Humm 1
    21 April 2022 at 2:28 pm

    I agree my only concern with fiscal stimulus at the moment is with a supply shortage stimulating the economy with more cash injections may rise the prices of the short supply of goods even more.

    Things like public transport subsidy are really helping people, instead of spending $40-50 on transport people are spending $20-25 at the bottom and maybe should just be free.

    I think a gst drop to pre key levels would help those at the bottom too

    Perhaps doubling the winter energy payment.

    The best thing the govt could do is bring more competition into the supermarket sector and get new overseas players . Itd be wildly popular for the govt to pick a fight with them and potentially turn the tide.

    Every lever available to govt and rbnz needs to be pulled on inflation.

    Also the govt really often answers questions about inflation and the economy in academic wonk, they need to get back to simple plain language responses that people actually understand otherwise you lose the audience especially when the opposition is using short sharp attacks long winded intellectual responses are zzzzz and damnit just answer questions don't run around in circles.

    The inflation and cost of living crisis scares me. I hope it scares me and I hope they understand the ground level experiences not just data points.

    Good to see the greens pushing

  2. tsmithfield 2
    21 April 2022 at 2:39 pm

    I would actually agree with the Greens, and the article above in terms of the desired outcome. I would describe myself as a right winger with a social conscience, and so am concerned about the issues raised in the article.

    Where I disagree is the proposed methods because these tend to lead to unintended consequences worse than the problem itself.

    So far as a capital gains tax goes, we effectively have that now with the extension to the bright line test, which effectively imposes a capital gains tax on substantial assets that are easy to quantify in terms of capital value increase at sale.

    The problems with a capital gains tax are:

    1. Now would be a terrible time to introduce one. That is because asset values are likely to decline in the near future. The effect of that would to create tax losses on assets that could be applied against future capital gains. The best time to introduce one is at the bottom of the market.
    2. The other problem I see with capital gains taxes over more general assets is that it becomes God's gift to valuers. The amount of extra non-productive time and effort in quantifying asset values would be huge.

    So far as price controls go, I have already commented several times that price controls cause shortages..

    So far as the housing crisis goes, I think it would be much more effective to find quick ways to increase the supply side of the equation. Because, the reason prices rise is due to shortages.

    Therefore, applying that principle, ways to solve the actual problem of shortages could involve incentives for people to rent out unused housing, more supply of modular type housing that can be erected quickly, and reducing compliance costs and delays in consenting for new builds which seem to be a huge handbrake on houses being built at the moment.

    So far as food goes, global agriculture is on the verge of collapse. Therefore world food prices are going to keep increasing, and as an exporting nation, we will have to pay the going rate internally otherwise exporters will simply send their products to where they can get the best price, thus again, causing shortages within NZ.

    This is a really thorny problem from any perspective. But one thing going for New Zealand is that our ground is great for growing food. One option could be to develop a lot more community gardens. I am on the board of several trusts doing just that. And in Christchurch we have huge amounts of red zone land that is perfect for growing food. I understand some of that is being developed for community garden purposes at the moment.

    One thing that would need to work hand in hand with that is lessons on how to cook utilising fresh ingredients. This is a skill that seems to have been lost in many areas these days.

    Another option could be to establish more trusts that produce producers are able to donate produce to, as a social service.

    I don't think any of this is the total answer. But I think it is the type of thinking we need in order to find creative solutions to some of the enourmous problems facing us today.

    • Foreign waka 2.1
      22 April 2022 at 4:45 pm

      And yet, NZ is building houses on their best land for agriculture and artificially watering the dry plains of Otago. The mind bogles by so much stupidity.

  3. pat 3
    21 April 2022 at 3:46 pm

    The single biggest reduction to living costs can be implemented by reducing the largest single cost….housing.

    Remove (gradually) the supports for the housing sector…i.e Accomodation supplement, tax advantage, offshore ownership, and provide expanded state housing in major centres, loosen regulation on owner occupied accomodation while the RBNZ. implements a sinking DTI to no more than 5.

    Unfortunately none of this will help in the immediate term but then nothing will….as an Australian politician once remarked, this is the recession we have to have, hopefully it will only be a recession.

    • tsmithfield 3.1
      21 April 2022 at 3:54 pm

      So far as housing goes, I am all for anything that increases the supply quickly. Because, that is really the only longterm answer to the housing problem.

      I think there will likely be a world recession. But I think the effects will be uneven.

      Our food producers are going to do really well for the reasons mentioned in my post above.

      Also, local manufacturing may pick up due to manufacturers returning their manufacturing bases to New Zealand due to China becoming so unreliable (due to endless Covid lockdowns), and being a potential geopolitical risk in the future.

      On this point, my wife's sister, who is over from Australia atm, mentioned that a lot of manufacturing is returning to Australia a the moment for these reasons. We may start to see similar happening here.

      A recession is something our tourism sector needs like a hole in the head though. Especially after all the damage due to Covid.

      • pat 3.1.1
        21 April 2022 at 5:44 pm

        Supply is not the issue…there is adequate housing in NZ…affordable availability however IS an issue.

        Our food producers may not do as well as you think, especially if their input costs continue to rise and their debt levels remain high (over valued real estate is not only a housing problem)….and we are as susceptible to 'weather' as everyone else.

        As stated earlier I view tourism as a net zero game….we lose as much from outward tourism as we gain from inward, as covid more or less proved….meanwhile we waste needed investment and labour to a low productivity sector.

        • Poission 3.1.1.1
          21 April 2022 at 6:28 pm

          primary producers debt levels are well down on their tops,Dairy has reduced around 4b$ in the last 2 years on high export prices.Feed will be an issue in some locations in livestock farming.Most farming debt increases are in horticulture.

          Weather is always an issue.Tourism is over rated in the data,over covid a significant proportion of the compulsary household saving was in NZ's not travelling o/s.

        • tsmithfield 3.1.1.2
          21 April 2022 at 7:05 pm

          “Supply is not the issue…there is adequate housing in NZ…affordable availability however IS an issue.”

          You are making a bit of a contradictory statement there.

          There might be enough housing for everyone. I am not sure about that. But what I am sure of is that rising rent prices is a symptom of insufficient rental housing.

          If rental housing supply equals demand, the prices will be stable. If the amount of available rental housing exceeds demand, then rental prices will drop.

          This is basic supply and demand economics. We also saw this play out quite rapidly in Christchurch after the earthquake. There was huge demand for rental housing straight after the earthquake when a lot of houses were damaged or destroyed. There was huge competition for available houses and rental prices rose rapidly.

          As the city was rebuilt, housing supply swung the other way to the extent that the housing market was over supplied. The pressure on both house and rent prices fell right away after that, and it stayed that way for probably 8 years or so.

          I agree with you about farming input prices. But I am expecting that the inflation of food prices is going to more than make up for that.

    • weka 3.2
      21 April 2022 at 5:39 pm

      I haven't seen a plan for how beneficiares would be ok with the removal of AS. Any ideas?

      • pat 3.2.1
        21 April 2022 at 6:10 pm

        If rents decrease where is the need for AS?….subsidies distort the market, the reason for AS is not to assist low income earners into housing but to support inflated values that CANNOT be supported by wages.

        • weka 3.2.1.1
          21 April 2022 at 6:18 pm

          well yes, but I can't see rents dropping enough to make up the difference. Or at least, the full range of tools are used and then they look at lowering AS over time, just hard to see this given how much people are living below the poverty line already.

          • pat 3.2.1.1.1
            21 April 2022 at 6:25 pm

            You may note the use of the word 'gradually'

            • weka 3.2.1.1.1.1
              21 April 2022 at 6:49 pm

              I did. Do you think that rents can drop far enough to be affordable for beneficiaries without AS, and without the economy dipping majorly? If rents are to drop that far, how will that work for the property market and mortgages?

              • pat …
                21 April 2022 at 7:06 pm

                The funny thing about economics is that only the possible occurs….yes, if the subsidies were removed then the rents will drop. however as always it is the transition that is the problem, hence the 'gradual'

                The ‘property market’ will suffer a devaluation…as it should….mortgages will be problematic, as they already are.

    • Blazer 3.3
      21 April 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Dead right Pat.

      End landbanking an empty house debacle…quicksmart.

  4. Patricia Bremner 4
    21 April 2022 at 4:59 pm

    Remove GST off food.

    That would help the poor the most as such a large proportion of their money goes on food.

    It would not be inflationary.

    Discussing "cutting spending" we need to tax high earners more. It will lower the inflation and allow neutral fiscal application to areas of need.

    But hey!! Let’s discuss cutting holidays “cause they cost” Hidden inference, “Have they earned that holiday?” ( But don’t ask whether I earned the rental income from my seven properties.)

    • Grafton Gully 4.1
      21 April 2022 at 5:37 pm

      Turn parks, reserves and berms into food forests and community gardens.

    • Graeme 4.2
      21 April 2022 at 8:50 pm

      Would be better to reduce GST to 10%. For people who's living costs exceed their income that would cover most of the next years inflation, provided it's all passed on to the consumer.

      The problem with exempting some items from GST is that the compliance costs often exceed the GST. Food gets tricky as there will be a lot of argument about what is, and isn't food for tax purposes. Our GST regime is very cheap as it's comprehensive with no exemptions at the retail level, the only ones being financial services and exported goods. Ask retailers who were trading before GST about the costs of accounting for the old sales tax regime, most retailers had 4 or more different tax rates across their stock, which became a nightmare at tax time. Retail offerings became a lot broader and more interesting once it was the same tax rate on everything.

      • pat 4.2.1
        21 April 2022 at 8:57 pm

        An across the board reduction in GST is itself inflationary…..if you increase the available income to support higher prices then you will retain higher prices….the trick is to support those that need the support while either maintaining or decreasing the aggregate demand.

        Hence interest rate increases.

        The RBNZ has (again) stated that monetary policy needs to be supported by fiscal policy…..that means we need to transfer, not increase.

        • Graeme 4.2.1.1
          21 April 2022 at 9:41 pm

          So that's implying going back to something like the old Sales Tax regime with pretty steep taxes on 'luxury' items and little or no tax on 'essentials' That would certainly decrease aggregate demand, at least in dollar terms, not so much units, and construction costs would plummet, at the expense of quality.

          But the 60's and 70's weren't free of inflation either, what we're seeing now was typical then.

          • pat 4.2.1.1.1
            21 April 2022 at 10:01 pm

            It implies nothing other than the need for using taxation as it should be….how it is applied can take many forms.

            No modern period has been 'free of inflation' however some have been more problematic than others….the seventies was one such period when the contemporary settings had run their course just as the current settings had run theirs by around 2008.

            Michal Kalecki predicted it well.

            https://delong.typepad.com/kalecki43.pdf

            • arkie 4.2.1.1.1.1
              21 April 2022 at 11:46 pm

              'Full employment capitalism' will, of course, have to develop new social and political institutions which will reflect the increased power of the working class. If capitalism can adjust itself to full employment, a fundamental reform will have been incorporated in it. If not, it will show itself an outmoded system which must be scrapped.

              Didn't Labour drop their commitment to pursuing 'full employment capitalism' in the 80s? So much for the increased power of the working class, they're the precariat now, suffering through a K-shaped 'recovery'.

              • pat …
                22 April 2022 at 5:20 am

                Yes Labour did drop that commitment then…..and fractured because of it.

                As said the model had run its course, just as the pendulum has now swung too far in the opposite direction….it is a never ending power struggle and the role of government is to ensure a balance….sadly under neoliberalism governments have abandoned that role.

          • Foreign waka 4.2.1.1.2
            22 April 2022 at 4:50 pm

            Interest rates in double digits anyone?

        • Patricia Bremner 4.2.1.2
          22 April 2022 at 1:24 am

          Pat, their income is the same. so how is removing GST from food inflationary?

          It means they would have 15% off their bill, which would counter food inflation.

          The Government has limited rent rises to once a year.

          Those who run airnibs should have to pay a licence to offset public housing/rental losses. Airnibs should be treated as a commercial enterprise.

          I believe all rentals shorter than 6 months are treated as commercial rentals in Queensland.

          That money going to an infrastructure fund for future developments.

          • pat 4.2.1.2.1
            22 April 2022 at 5:48 am

            It is inflationary in the same way as Nationals proposed tax cuts are inflationary….if the government leaves more money in the economy and dosnt extract from somewhere else (increased income tax or corporate taxes) then you have more money chasing the same goods….meanwhile if the government is to reduce its revenue it must either cut services (already inadequate) or borrow to make up the shortfall….if they borrow then there is an increase in the money available for the same goods….inflationary.

            GST is around 40% of gov revenue, and it is neutral in the supply chain (only the end consumer pays it)…..and you are also assuming that in an environment of rising input costs to business that the full reduction will be passed on.

            We have an output of a certain size, the problem is how that output is distributed….we allow too much of it to accumulate in certain pockets (and worse, many of those pockets are offshore).

            • Patricia Bremner 4.2.1.2.1.1
              22 April 2022 at 11:08 am

              Thank you for your economic lesson.

              I still believe that it could be passed on as it is in Australia. All unprocessed food there has no GST. added. The till is set to read the bar code for that type of food.

              If you buy a cooked chicken you pay GST. If you buy an uncooked chicken you pay none. All fruit and vegetables and all whole foods are GST free.

              To alter it is stealing from the state. So mechanisms are in place. I am not advocating removal of all GST. It is the poor who are most impacted by inflation.

              I was advocating licence fees on the excess wealth of airnibs, which would be the extraction aimed at one of the contributing factors.

              What do you suggest?

              • pat …
                22 April 2022 at 11:45 am

                The suggestion was a reduction in GST across the board….not just food.

                "The problem with exempting some items from GST is that the compliance costs often exceed the GST. Food gets tricky as there will be a lot of argument about what is, and isn't food for tax purposes. Our GST regime is very cheap as it's comprehensive with no exemptions at the retail level, the only ones being financial services and exported goods. Ask retailers who were trading before GST about the costs of accounting for the old sales tax regime, most retailers had 4 or more different tax rates across their stock, which became a nightmare at tax time. Retail offerings became a lot broader and more interesting once it was the same tax rate on everything."

                The reasons Graeme has given for not exempting some items are valid but the wholesale reduction is problematic for the reasons i have already given….you are feeding an inflationary spiral.

                The painful but effective method is the one the RBNZ is embarking upon….it forces both capital and labour into the most productive activity.

                It is undermined however if the government persists in supporting non productive sectors through the likes of importing low cost labour while placing our core assets on the international market….all while ignoring the needed redistribution through progressive taxation.

                The disconnect between the output of the NZ economy and its presumed value needs to be bought back to reality, our assets are grossly overvalued and the main beneficiaries are the offshore owned banks…..we as a country are (attempting) living a champagne lifestyle on a beer income.

  5. Christopher Randal 5
    21 April 2022 at 5:09 pm

    A CGT would be great, if only it disadvantaged the multi dwelling owners like the Opposition members

    • AB 5.1
      21 April 2022 at 7:11 pm

      Brightline test to 30 years and excluding the family home. The positive effects would be very slow though, unless you backdate the start point, which would cause apoplexy.

      • Belladonna 5.1.1
        21 April 2022 at 8:51 pm

        If excluding the family home, you have a loophole you can drive a truck through.
        The typical path for the 'flippers' gaining capital gains at each step is to 'do up' the family home; sell, 'do up' the family home again. Rinse and repeat. Pocketing the capital gain each time.

        • pat 5.1.1.1
          21 April 2022 at 9:04 pm

          The 'family home' is a marginal issue….the wilful blindness to offshore ownership through trusts and companies is a much bigger issue…..these outside market investors have a detrimental impact due to the fact they are outside the local economy….a major distortion that needs to be removed completely.

          • Belladonna 5.1.1.1.1
            22 April 2022 at 5:02 pm

            Not when it comes to the Bright Line test (effectively the only CGT on property).

            Offshore owners (by definition not-resident) pay. NZ 'flippers' (a much bigger problem – if you're looking at house price inflation) don't.

            You can't regard the family home as a 'marginal issue' in this context. It's the majority of sales.

            • pat 5.1.1.1.1.1
              22 April 2022 at 5:22 pm

              Those who buy dungers and do them up for a profit are not the cause of inflated house prices AND they provide improvement to the stock and are taxed if it is a regular occurence….and the property has to be their residence.

              Offshore ownership is not even identified if in the form of a company or trust.

              • Belladonna …
                22 April 2022 at 8:04 pm

                Since the law change in 2018 – you have to be a NZ or Australian permanent resident (or Singaporean – for some strange reason) to buy property in NZ. If a trust situation, the principal trustee has to qualify.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Investment_Amendment_Act_2018

                Of course, existing ownership is 'grandfathered' in. But I really don't think this is as big an issue as you're making out.

                Yes – new builds were specifically exempt from this – because a lot of the new build apartments and townhouses are built with overseas money – and they need a guaranteed buyer before they go ahead. However, all of these *add to* the existing housing stock in NZ (i.e. rentals). The vast majority of the 'profit' from renting these out goes to the banks in mortgage repayments. And, if sold within 10 years, they are subject to the Bright Line capital gains tax. I don't see a flood of money leaving the country over them.

                Unless you want to only have the government as landlord (which you may, some here on TS certainly do) – I don't really see a huge difference between resident and non-resident landlords (in the financial sense)

                Remembering the dogwhistle politics over people with 'Chinese sounding names' ….

                • pat …
                  22 April 2022 at 8:26 pm

                  "The ban on foreign home buyers was imposed by the Labour Government in 2018, but due to the continued opaqueness of trusts and companies, the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) relies on the honesty of lawyers setting up such entities and those facilitating transactions to detect rule breakers."

                  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128165009/new-rules-will-combat-companies-used-to-skirt-foreign-house-buyers-ban-minister-says

                  • Belladonna …
                    22 April 2022 at 9:32 pm

                    So — given all this 'opaqueness' – you actually have no evidence at all that there are significant numbers of people using trusts to break the law. You're just speculating.

                    Based on my friends/acquaintances living in Auckland – and renting from overseas owners, all of the landlords (i.e. the name on the bank account where rent is paid is for an individual) – indicating that they are NZ citizens or PR – and therefore entitled to own NZ property. The only one I know of who deals with a trust (i.e. rent payments go into the Trust bank account) – it's a Kiwi Mum and Dad trust (and they are actually resident in NZ)

              • Belladonna …
                22 April 2022 at 8:08 pm

                Everyone who buys and sells on a rising market is contributing to property inflation.
                And I know of one set of acquaintances who've bought, done-up (while living there) and sold 4 houses in 7 years. None of the renovations have been very substantial (painting, putting in a new kitchen, bathroom, landscaping, etc.). Making a very healthy capital gain each time (even after the costs of renovation)

                Completely exempt from the Bright Line test – as each of them have been their 'residence'.

                • pat …
                  22 April 2022 at 8:31 pm

                  "Your history of buying and selling counts

                  If you have a regular pattern of buying and selling property, then you may be considered a property dealer and may have to pay tax when you sell property.

                  This may apply even to your main home, if you have a pattern of buying and selling the home you live in.

                  There is no set number of properties you can buy and sell before you may need to pay tax on profit from sales."

                  https://www.ird.govt.nz/property/buying-and-selling-residential-property/when-you-buy-and-sell

                  • Belladonna …
                    22 April 2022 at 9:26 pm

                    IRD aren't applying this at all. The wording of 'may' in the policy – leaves a lovely large loophole that upwardly-mobile renovators are merrily driving trucks through on a regular basis.

                    • pat …
                      23 April 2022 at 7:58 am

                      You miss the point….whether they pay tax or not (the risk is retrospective) is not an issue impacting supply.

                      The doer uppers are using the property while working on it and then make it available to the market for purchase, whereas property purchased for capital gain (in a rising artificially low interest rate market), or money laundering purposes is not necessarily available for use adding to increased demand for the remaining property.

        • Craig H 5.1.1.2
          22 April 2022 at 9:39 pm

          The current rule allows the bright line exemption for the primary residence to only be used once every two years – perhaps tweak that rule e.g. to 3 or 5 years.

  6. tsmithfield 6
    21 April 2022 at 7:35 pm

    I think the long term, but most difficult solution to the problem is to inspire youth in some of the very poorest demographics that they can aspire to something much better than what they have now, and can achieve far higher than what they believe of themselves.

    One of the trusts I am on the board of is Cross Roads Youth with a Future.

    Crossroads operates on Hampshire Street in Aranui, which is one of the poorest areas in Christchurch, and a street that is infamous for gang activity and crime.

    Crossroads is very well respected and supported in the area which is great. We run a youth drop in centre that a lot of youth in the area come to.

    But the main thing we do is to work with some of the most difficult youth in the city in small groups (Our "Stay Real" programme). Youth who come to us are normally on the verge of being expelled and have a lot of behavioural issues.

    We run small groups based around total acceptance, and being totally non-judgemental. They tend to feel very safe in confiding with our team around the various issues they have in their lives which are at a level I never have had to personally experience.

    We have had some great success. Several youth workers with us have actually come through the program, and have attained tertiary qualifications. I have nothing but absolute respect for them knowing the issues in their backgrounds they have had to overcome.

    So, I think this sort of approach is part of the answer. The big problem is that it takes a lot of time and developing long term relationships for things to change for people. It isn't a quick fix.

    I think that is probably one of the big problems with a lot of "solutions" that get put out there, in that they are very short term interventions that don't do much in the long term.

    • Patricia Bremner 6.1
      22 April 2022 at 1:34 am

      That is great, and yes getting a funding base and continuity is key. If these teens can form a good trust relationship with at least one adult in their lives, they often blossom.

      A safe zone in their lives, things to do and share, learning to help others and developing goals. Crossroads and Get real sound great. Good on you tsmithfield.

      • tsmithfield 6.1.1
        22 April 2022 at 8:41 am

        Thanks for that Patricia. I think my experience with Crossroads and the other trust I am on the board for has softened a lot of my attitudes over recent years.

        A lot of us who are relatively well off have no idea of the circumstances and history that shape the lives of many. So, that tends to lead to knee-jerk and simplistic reactions from many of us unfortunately.

        • Craig H 6.1.1.1
          22 April 2022 at 9:54 pm

          I grew up around there – the Hampshire Street shops were our local shops (Peter's Fish and Chips is still going strong I see!), we were (and Mum still is) enrolled at the GP (the doctor is an absolute champion committed to affordable medical care), and kudos to the Council and Kainga Ora for improving the area dramatically – rebuilding a lot of the state housing and building a new library and community centre have gone a long way.

          All that said, still a tough neighbourhood with a lot of poverty and deprivation, so it's good to see people still doing good work in the area.

          Edit for mods – could you please fix my name to Craig H. Apologies and many thanks.

  7. DukeEll 7
    22 April 2022 at 8:40 am

    They had me until rent controls. Even then, an overall good platform that acknowledges the problems low income and middle income New Zealanders now face as a result of a combination of poor fiscal and monetary policy and overseas supply chain pressures.

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    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
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    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
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    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
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    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
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    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
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    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
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    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
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    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
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    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
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    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
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    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
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    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
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    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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