IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth

Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 12:30 pm, October 14th, 2017 - 104 comments
Categories: bill english, capital gains, don brash, Economy, gst, john key, labour, tax, winston peters - Tags: gareth morgan, IMF, income inequality, oecd

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect economic growth.

The authoritative Washington-based think tank in its influential half-yearly monitor also argued for taxes on capital, suggesting a wealth and/or land taxes should be considered, something that will make Gareth Morgan as happy as if the Opportunities Party was in election talks, or even in parliament.

Scaremongers on the Right regularly trot out the high taxes will damage growth fable to scare the electorate and other parties against advocating a more progressive tax regime. Labour has bought into this myth which is why it was too timid to go to the electorate with a firm policy of higher taxes for the 1 percent.

Don Brash, John Key, Bill English and many bank economists have long argued that hitting the rich is bad for economic growth, but the IMF notes there should be “significantly higher” taxes on those with higher incomes than currently prevail.

“Advanced economies with relatively low levels of progressivity in their personal income tax (PIT) may therefore have scope for raising the top marginal tax rates without hampering economic growth,” it added.

“Empirical analysis suggest that there is no systemic adverse trade-offs between increasing growth and decreasing equality,” the IMF noted.

The IMF argument is backed by the OECD, another respected body that could hardly be described as radical or leftist, which in a 2014 paper, Trends in Inequality and its impact on Economic Growth, studied the economic performance of its advanced nation members over a long period and found more equal societies have better economic performance.

The thrust of the IMF paper is a warning to governments about excessive inequality, which it says can erode social cohesion, lead to political polarisation and ultimately lower economic growth.

The paper says it is difficult to rationalise the decline of progressivity in OECD countries since the 1980s.

New Zealand, which once prided itself on being one of the most equal socially cohesive societies in the world, has had one of the steepest rises in inequality in a world of rising inequality.

Since the 1980s, New Zealand’s inequality, has moved closer to unequal countries like the United States. New Zealand’s rate of increase in inequality has been exceeded only by Finland and Sweden.

One measure of inequality in New Zealand compares the incomes of those near the top (the 80th percentile) with those near the bottom (the 20th percentile). In 1980, someone near the top earned 2.4 times what someone near the bottom did, after factoring in housing costs. Now, they earn three times more.

The IMF paper, also argued that different types of wealth taxes should be considered as part of a nation’s armoury to fight excessive inequality.

It notes capital income is even more unequally distributed than labour income and it is rising, and it is often taxed at a lower rate than labour (for New Zealand make that zero).

It says there needs to be adequate tax of capital to protect the progressivity of the tax system, as the wealthy, due to their superior resources, have far more ability to reclassify their income as capital (ie tax dodge).

“Many countries (none named) should emphasise reducing opportunities for tax evasion and avoidances.”

“Taxes on real estate or land are both equitable and efficient and remain underused,” the paper says.

In countries, where there is a low capital gains tax, or in New Zealand’s case, none, the degree to which the fairness of the tax system has diminished since the 1980s is even more exaggerated, the IMF authors state.

“In reality, tax systems may be even less progressive than suggested… because wealthy individuals often have more access to tax relief and more opportunities to avoid taxes.”

“The wealthier have more resources to dedicate to tax planning, as well as incentives to engage in such activities.”

The authors cite another paper by Alstadsaeter Johannesen and Zucman who provided empirical evidence “that tax evasion is particularly high at the upper end of the income distribution” – ie the lack of a capital gains tax gives the 1 percent even more opportunity to rort and cheat.

In what would be even more music to the ears of Mr Morgan, the IMF paper explores the merits of a universal basic income (UBI) as a means of reducing inequality. While it could significantly reduce poverty and reduce income uncertainty resulting from the affects of automation (robots), it is not suitable for countries with a relatively good safety net welfare system.

In such countries “a UBI would result in a very large reduction in progressivity and losses in the size of benefits for many poor households and could even lead to higher poverty”.

The IMF paper taxes a sideswipe at regressive value added taxes, such as GST, which it says are good for increasing revenue but “not to enhance equity”.

The authors says that health and education play a vital role in reducing income inequality over the medium term, addressing the persistence of poverty across generations, enhancing social mobility and ultimately promoting sustained inclusive growth.

They say that in some advanced countries the life expectancy gap between those with tertiary education and those without has even widened in recent years as has the infant mortality rate between the top and bottom socioeconomic quintiles.

The authors, however, are sceptical about the prospect of countries redressing the inequities identified. They say it will be difficult to politically implement a return to a more progressive and fairer tax system, such as prevailed before the 1980s, “because better-off individuals tend to have more influence”, via lobbying, access to the media and political engagement.

It is especially difficult because, unlike in the UK, the Labour Party does not even have a policy of restoring progressivity to the tax system and it might be even more difficult if Winston Peters and New Zealand decide that enough is not enough.

Simon Louisson formerly worked for The Wall Street Journal, NZPA, Reuters, The Jerusalem Post and was a political and media adviser to the Green Party around the 2014 election

104 comments on “IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth ”

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RedLogix 1

14 October 2017 at 12:46 pm

Absolutely excellent post Simon. This is the kind of work I enjoy a lot and watching the IMF slowly come on board is like the mirage of an oasis, slowly turning out to be real. (Of course reality never quite measures up to hope, but it’s still way better than the sterile, harsh desert of hard-core neo-liberalism I’ve lived with most my adult life.)

Really worth reading in conjunction with this post is this interesting article from the Gran:

Every few years the New Economics Foundation publishes the Happy Planet Index – a measure of progress that looks at life expectancy, wellbeing and equality rather than the narrow metric of GDP, and plots these measures against ecological impact. Costa Rica tops the list of countries every time. With a life expectancy of 79.1 years and levels of wellbeing in the top 7% of the world, Costa Rica matches many Scandinavian nations in these areas and neatly outperforms the United States. And it manages all of this with a GDP per capita of only $10,000 (£7,640), less than one fifth that of the US.

In this sense, Costa Rica is the most efficient economy on earth: it produces high standards of living with low GDP and minimal pressure on the environment.

https://www.theguardian.com/working-in-development/2017/oct/07/how-to-avert-the-apocalypse-take-lessons-from-costa-rica

Again Costa Rica is not paradise on earth. Nor is Cuba which is another Latin American country which has also … almost accidentally hit the wealth/inequality sweet spot.

But like the Nordic countries, Finlan, Denmark, etc they do provide some fascinating data points, aspects that are worth thinking about.
bwaghorn 2

14 October 2017 at 1:04 pm

whats this i hear . Top had ideas that would help fix the problems , well i never
- tracey 2.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 1:56 pm
  
  So did Labour, who were howled down, then backed down.
Bill 3

14 October 2017 at 1:20 pm

I don’t think there has ever been any doubt about what the IMF are proposing.

The argument that an economy will suffer if the richer are taxed more has always just been a distraction or cover that allowed for the limiting and rolling back of working class power that had accompanied the (mostly) post WWII experiment with social democracy.

It’s primarily what the promotion of 19thC Liberalism from the 1970s has always been about – a realignment of power within society.
- Draco T Bastard 3.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 3:16 pm
  
  It’s primarily what the promotion of 19thC Liberalism from the 1970s has always been about – a realignment of power within society.
  
  And that realignment has been detrimental to society as it’s increased poverty and slowed or even stopped development of local economies.
  - Bill 3.1.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 3:53 pm
    
    Well yes. But the point is that those who favoured a return to Liberalism and the power it would deliver to them don’t give a rats arse about poverty or much of whatever else besides power.
    
    Corbyn (just an old school social democrat) has some reasonable stuff to say about it (the power Liberalism delivers and some of what might be done about it) in this Guardian article from today.
Psycho Milt 4

14 October 2017 at 1:24 pm

It says there needs to be adequate tax of capital to protect the progressivity of the tax system, as the wealthy, due to their superior resources, have far more ability to reclassify their income as capital (ie tax dodge).

Yeah, that one’s even more important than raising the top rate. Those of us on wages and salaries don’t get to choose how much income tax we pay, but the wealthy do. If the top rate were to go up, I wouldn’t have any qualms about it and probably wouldn’t even notice the difference, but it would rankle if the wealthy were left to continue dodging their own taxes. Don’t do one without the other.
- Antoine 4.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 1:53 pm
  
  If you draw your argument to the logical conclusion, you might as well just add the capital tax and leave the top income tax rate (which the wealthy can avoid anyway) where it is??
  
  A.
  - tracey 4.1.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 1:57 pm
    
    Because?
    - Antoine 4.1.1.1
      
      14 October 2017 at 1:59 pm
      
      Because “the wealthy get to choose how much income tax they pay” so raising the top tax rate is not effective at fighting excessive inequality? It penalises the upper middle class without touching the 1%ers?
      
      A.
      - Stuart Munro 4.1.1.1.1
        
        14 October 2017 at 4:01 pm
        
        The answer to that of course is to impose substantial additional taxes on their evasion vehicles. Got a trust? Pay up.
        
        Patricia Bremner 4.1.1.1.1.1
        
        14 October 2017 at 7:36 pm
        
        One of the greatest tax dodges has been religious groups and so-called charities.
        
        They should have to prove they distribute 75% of their income to qualify for tax free status.
        
        Further they should have to produce audits yearly.
        
        If this was done, religions and charities would become much rarer beasts IMO.
        
        The super wealthy should have special taxes, to avoid money bottlenecks.
        
        The super poor should have reverse taxes to add to their living income.
        
        We find the 1% often turn themselves into charities or foundations. Is that a tax dodge??
        
        Stuart Munro …
        
        15 October 2017 at 8:18 am
        
        NZ’s non-tithing core churches are not particularly exploitive, though I’m not sure they’d meet your 75% threshold – they run on mighty slender margins and most are involved in real charity work.
        
        Outfits like Sanitarium and the Exclusive Brethren are obvious targets. The Mormon Church would be… unhappy… and might flex some international muscle to resist.
  - Psycho Milt 4.1.2
    
    14 October 2017 at 2:02 pm
    
    If you draw your argument to the logical conclusion, you might as well just add the capital tax and leave the top income tax rate (which the wealthy can avoid anyway) where it is??
    
    I guess that’s a matter of opinion. I’m starting from the subjective view that the reduction of progressiveness in income tax by previous governments is that something that should be rolled back, even if only partly, so the top tax rate should increase.
    - Antoine 4.1.2.1
      
      14 October 2017 at 3:03 pm
      
      Whereas I start from the view that the top personal income tax rate, trust rate and company rate should be aligned at the same level and that level should preferably not be very high.
      
      > the reduction of progressiveness in income tax by previous governments is that something that should be rolled back
      
      You get the progressiveness through the capital tax, don’t need to do it through the income tax as well?
      
      A.
      - Draco T Bastard 4.1.2.1.1
        
        14 October 2017 at 3:26 pm
        
        Whereas I start from the view that the top personal income tax rate, trust rate and company rate should be aligned at the same level and that level should preferably not be very high.
        
        They should all be aligned at a very high rate as this would encourage more investment.
        
        A company has three options of either investment (tax deductible), keeping the money in the company (taxed at high rate) or paying out in dividends (also tax deductible (if it isn’t it should be) but taxed on the personal income rate of the shareholders). Same would also apply to trusts. the best option for the company and the shareholders if they want to avoid paying tax is the investment option. Else they pay the tax.
        
        You get the progressiveness through the capital tax, don’t need to do it through the income tax as well?
        
        Part of the reason for high income taxes is actually to prevent people having excessively high incomes. No point in paying someone $1m if they’re only going to get $10,000 more per year than paying them $500,000. The $1m income would just be a waste for the company.
        
        Incognito 4.1.2.1.1.1
        
        14 October 2017 at 6:37 pm
        
        Part of the reason for high income taxes is actually to prevent people having excessively high incomes.
        
        IMO this is the root cause of the problem that a redistributive ‘corrective’ measure such as progressive tax is aimed at (actually, that’s only one side of the redistribution, and it never gets taken to full completion); it is perceived as penalising and even as ‘legalised theft’ by some. In other words, ‘giving’ heaps to someone and then trying to take away heaps from them is all back-to-front to me. Deal with the root cause of income & wealth inequality and the tax problem largely disappears. Taxes are generally seen as the key issue but they are merely a distraction and used as such by the well-heeled; the incomes and assets almost always escape real scrutiny.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        14 October 2017 at 6:45 pm
        
        Taxes are generally seen as the key issue but they are merely a distraction and used as such by the well-heeled; the incomes and assets almost always escape real scrutiny.
        
        QFT
      - Psycho Milt 4.1.2.1.2
        
        14 October 2017 at 5:07 pm
        
        …the top personal income tax rate, trust rate and company rate should be aligned at the same level…
        
        No arguments there, only about where that level should be.
        
        You get the progressiveness through the capital tax, don’t need to do it through the income tax as well?
        
        I don’t believe so. The capital tax only restricts the ability of the wealthy to dodge paying taxes while whinging to anyone who’ll listen about the onerous tax burden that’s placed on them. The progressive part comes from taxing higher incomes at higher rates, and successive governments over the last 30 years have reduced the progressiveness of our income tax rates.
      - mikesh 4.1.2.1.3
        
        15 October 2017 at 12:45 pm
        
        ¨You get the progressiveness through the capital tax, don’t need to do it through the income tax as well?¨
        
        I see a ¨capital¨ tax as a tax on capital´s yield – in other words a form of income tax – rather than a tax on capital itself. I don´t see any justification for taxing capital (except possibly where it is part of an inheritance tax levied at death). This implies excluding capital gains taxes since, contrary to what many think, capital gain is capital rather than income. It might not exclude, however,
        Gareth Morgan´s proposal to tax ¨Imputed income¨.
Andre 5

14 October 2017 at 1:26 pm

As always, Nick Hanauer’s latest rant on the topic of top tax rates and a healthy economy is worth reading.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/11/republican-tax-cut-for-rich-economy-215696
- UncookedSelachimorpha 5.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 5:34 pm
  
  Good link; his older one is excellent too:
  
  http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/the-pitchforks-are-coming-for-us-plutocrats-108014
- UncookedSelachimorpha 5.2
  
  14 October 2017 at 5:37 pm
  
  An quote worth repeating from the newer Hanauer article:
  
  “The rich are “job creators,” we’ve told you. The more money and incentives we wealthy few have to invest in creating jobs, the better the economy is for everybody—especially you.
  
  That’s a lie.
  
  There is is simply no empirical evidence nor plausible economic mechanism to support the claim that cutting top tax rates spurs economic growth.”
  - Andre 5.2.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 6:14 pm
    
    Growing up a good mate’s family had a small business that they did very well out of, and they had expensive recreational habits.
    
    When there was some new levy or policy introduced that effectively amounted to a tax raise, the subject came up of what they would do about it. And the father said something about how if he wanted to keep getting his new toys, he would have to figure out how to get more income. So he did things he would have preferred not to do and grew the business, employing more people.
    
    Then when the Douglas tax cuts came and they were keeping a lot more of their gross income, he decided the aggravation running a bigger business for the extra cash in hand wasn’t needed and he scaled back, shedding those extra people.
    
    Which shows shows an exactly opposite example to the myth that give rich people more money then they’ll create more jobs.
Incognito 6

14 October 2017 at 1:30 pm

Another great post today!

In my view, the last two paragraphs are the most telling ones.

We can equal the concerted actions of those “better-off individuals” to status quo protected by Establishment at all cost! Their collective influence is through dictating & owning the narrative, in public political discourse.

We will never make any serious headway if our ‘progressive’ parties timidly buy into this narrative, time after time. If IMF and OECD can (slowly) change their tune then so could our so-called Left! They not only could, they should!! Not just the ‘tune’ but the whole darn hymn sheet while they’re at it.

I don’t have a lot of confidence in IMF trail blazing a path to a truly more equal and equitable society; they will only go as far as to find the sweet spot that maximises ROI (profits) and leaves ownership untouched and in the hands of the same few people as before, IMHO. I see it in the same light as National proclaiming to have suddenly found a social conscience as is supposedly evident through their social investment practices; it sounds compelling but really it is a Trojan horse.
tracey 7

14 October 2017 at 1:58 pm

Great post thanks. I had understood it was usually accepted economic theory that if you gave tax cuts to the lower earners in tight times you boost the economy cos it goes back in spending. More generally if you give tax cuts tot he high earners they pay down debts or go on hols (money out of the country)…
- Andre 7.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 2:21 pm
  
  That’s not the economic theory promoted by RWNJs. Their theory is give more money to the people that already have the most and it somehow trickles down to everyone else, like a kind of golden shower.
Philj 8

14 October 2017 at 1:59 pm

IMF – higher taxes on the rich? Just when exactly did they wake up to this amazing realisation? No credibility.
- RedLogix 8.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 2:42 pm
  
  The important thing here is not that you or I rate the IMF’s ‘credibility’ poorly, but that many people do.
  
  Ten years ago this would have been unthinkable; now it’s not.
  - Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 6:53 pm
    
    People are going to be looking at these major institutions that have been changing their tune over taxes on the rich over the last few years and realise that the Left* have been saying that for decades. At that point we can hope that the majority of people will realise that it’s the Left with credible economic capabilities and not the Right-wing**.
    
    * Excluding Labour
    ** Including Labour
- Hongi Ika 8.2
  
  15 October 2017 at 6:23 am
  
  Nah trickle down works best.
  - cleangreen 8.2.1
    
    15 October 2017 at 4:00 pm
    
    Trickle down = a failed idea. = a con now discredited.
The Chairman 9

14 October 2017 at 2:37 pm

Clearly, our history has shown the income tax rate at the top end has considerably dropped.

On the other hand, our CGT has (over the years) been more rigorously enforced and strengthen by the bright line test.

It wasn’t a high CGT that produced a more equal society, it was (among other things) the high rate of income tax.

Therefore, if we want to improve equality, we must consider correctly identifying and reversing the drivers which have led to the inequality we currently face.

Which points to the changes in the income tax rate and the share of the income pool employees attain opposed to upper management.

Tax minimisation also has to be addressed. Losses should be ring-fenced to the business they were made in and tax liabilities in general should be harder to wright off.

When considering a land or wealth tax, one mustn’t make the mistake Garth made. Which was lumping all property owners together and classing them (therefore taxing them) as if they are all well off.

Treating a struggling home owning pensioner the same as a well to do home owning successful high-flyer will create more inequality

The high cost of housing (which is due to a mix of contributing factors that I won’t delve into now) also needs to be addressed.
- Draco T Bastard 9.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 7:06 pm
  
  Losses should be ring-fenced to the business they were made in and tax liabilities in general should be harder to wright off.
  
  I think that all finances of a business needs to be ring-fenced. Shouldn’t be able to right a loss of one business off the income of another business even if the one making the loss is a subsidiary.
  Transfer Pricing needs to be banned. Apple US should not be able to charge Apple NZ for using its logo and it most definitely shouldn’t be a tax write-off.
  A business shouldn’t be able to borrow to pay dividends. And the interest on the loan most definitely shouldn’t then be a tax write-off.
  
  Basically, if a business has a tax write-off then there should be a way for the government to tax that payment. I.e, A business buys something from another business in the same country then the second business pay tax on their profit. The government doesn’t lose any taxes. On the other hand a tax write off for a local business which spent outside of the country the government isn’t going get the tax from that second business.
  - The Chairman 9.1.1
    
    15 October 2017 at 9:39 am
    
    Yes, I largely agree. It’s a matter of identifying the holes and plugging them.
    - Descendant Of Sssmith 9.1.1.1
      
      16 October 2017 at 7:43 pm
      
      The simplest way to avoid tax writeoffs is to tax at gross sales and leave the issue of expenses, etc to the owners and shareholders to sort out.
      
      I’ve argued this for many years now.
      
      Deducting the tax at POS for electronic transactions through the EFTPOS system and this amount going direct to government the hundreds of millions of dollars lost each year by businesses not paying and going bust will be almost eliminated.
      
      The broadening of the tax base to all businesses for all sales in the NZ economy, including those that currently expense it away offshore, would mean that many current NZ businesses would pay less while the banks and international companies would pay more.
      
      Ultimately you could net off all wages under a certain amount (say for instance $100,000) and simply have progressive tax rates for everything over that and lift the minimum wage to a living wage.
      
      The fact is for most wage earners the employer pays the PAYE and removing the tax burden of the PAYE to the employer for incomes up to $100,000 will encourage more employment not less because you’ve reduced the real cost and puts people labour on the same cost basis to a large extent as the emerging work force of robots for whom no PAYE gets paid.
      
      Businesses would still need to file monthly returns for gross cash sales and pay the tax on this each month.
      
      You can leave the tax collection rate as collect same amount of tax as is done now and make the tax gains from less avoidance (due to the difficulty to evade based on gross income), reduced black market (due to the low rate), more immediate payment and less defaulting.
      
      Additionally governments should forecast collection amounts for the year in budgets and by law 50% of tax collected over that total in a year should be returned to the businesses from whom it was collected.
      
      The other 50% can be used by government with a focus on reducing government debt.
      
      South Africa already does this for small businesses:
      
      http://www.sars.gov.za/TaxTypes/TT/Pages/default.aspx
      - mikesh 9.1.1.1.1
        
        16 October 2017 at 10:13 pm
        
        Such a tax would seriously disadvantage a high volume/low margin company. eg if the revenue tax rate was set at, say, 0.5%, a company whose profit was 2% of revenue would find that its tax bill was 5 times its profit. However a company with a profit rate of 10% of turnover would enjoy a tax rate of 50% of profit.
        
        Descendant Of Sssmith 9.1.1.1.1.1
        
        16 October 2017 at 10:34 pm
        
        Nonsense because your whole premise for that statement is the status quo in that you believe there should be a relationship between tax and profit.
        
        The level of profit in such a tax system is irrelevant – the issue of expenses and profit is between the owners and shareholders. If they have an issue with not enough profit then they should take more interest in what the actual costs of the business are.
        
        Every business should pay tax as part of the cost of operating in New Zealand to help pay for the legal and societal framework in which they can operate and flourish.
        
        Those that pay no tax now because they make no profit or can shift it offshore are freeloading off the businesses that do make a profit.
        
        Profit is let’s face it simply a form of private taxation.
        
        The purpose is to ensure the tax base is wider than it is now.
        
        First you have to get past the paradigm that tax and profit have some sort of useful relationship. What we’ve seen is the ability to shift and minimise that profit despite high earnings makes that type of relationship pretty useless.
        
        mikesh …
        
        17 October 2017 at 8:50 am
        
        ¨Nonsense because your whole premise for that statement is the status quo in that you believe there should be a relationship between tax and profit.
        
        The level of profit in such a tax system is irrelevant – the issue of expenses and profit is between the owners and shareholders. If they have an issue with not enough profit then they should take more interest in what the actual costs of the business are.¨
        
        It´s the after tax profit that is of interest to the shareholders. Introducing a tax that is not proportional to profit is simply unsound economically. A tax based on revenue would to all intents and purposes would be just another expense, but one not related to any service provided to the company.
        
        This is different from, say, a land tax. A land tax would be an expense which could be taken into account when forming a budget. However, unlike a land tax, if one tried to budget for a revenue tax by raising prices, the revenue tax payable would also rise.
        
        Descendant Of Sssmith …
        
        18 October 2017 at 5:25 pm
        
        It´s the after tax profit that is of interest to the shareholders.
        
        Fundamentally that’s one of the problems. Minimising profit to reduce tax liability, often to nil, is seen as good management by many. There’s far too much focus on that than what real expenses are being extracted, including massive amounts of capital via high executive salaries for one.
        
        A tax based on revenue would to all intents and purposes would be just another expense, but one not related to any service provided to the company.
        
        The society the business operates in provides many, many services to all companies. From education and health systems, to roads and other infrastructure, to the civilness and lawfulness of society, ……
        
        Every business should pay significantly towards this. No business should ever pay nothing.
        
        Nic the NZer …
        
        18 October 2017 at 5:50 pm
        
        “Minimising profit to reduce tax liability, often to nil, is seen as good management by many. ”
        
        Doesn’t that mean no dividend payments to shareholders? What do they get for their investment? It sounds like such a company is being operated in the interests of managers over shareholders in this instance.
        
        Nic the NZer …
        
        18 October 2017 at 5:55 pm
        
        Another way to deal with this (which I heard suggested by ultra progressive economists) is to have no company tax and instead impute all profits onto the owners (where it is taxed). This seems a much better strategy than what presently happens where company tax is passed onto consumers often times.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 9:05 am
        
        I have often thought that this would be a good idea. All profits should be tax free, but paid to shareholders as dividends, with the latter paying tax on their dividends at their own personal tax rates. If a company wished to retain all or part of the profit for investment purposes, they would issue new shares, in lieu of dividends, to their shareholders.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 8:58 am
        
        There are different sorts of tax: Some are based on ownership eg land tax, capital gains tax; some are ¨punitive¨ eg taxes on alcohol and tobacco; some are based on productive activity eg income tax, company tax. Generally speaking it is considered that the taxing of productive activity should be more or less proportional to the returns on that activity (while recognising the need for progressiveness). A revenue tax seems to be a tax on productive activity, but one that is no longer proportional to the returns obtained. Activities involving large turnover at small margins are disadvantaged as compared with lower turnover at larger margins.
        
        It may be argued, as you do, that earnings and profits should be irrelevant to the amount of tax paid, but most people seem to think the those who earn more should shoulder a larger proportion of the governmentś need for revenue.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 9:45 am
        
        ¨Fundamentally that’s one of the problems. Minimising profit to reduce tax liability, often to nil, is seen as good management by many. There’s far too much focus on that than what real expenses are being extracted, including massive amounts of capital via high executive salaries for one.¨
        
        I don´t think a revenue tax would discourage the extraction of ¨massive amounts of capital via high executive salaries¨. And as far as ¨minimising profit to to reduce tax liability¨ is concerned, I don´t think that happens except in the case of transfer pricing from overseas. However, I don´t think we should mess up our own tax system just to combat this; which is not to say that transfer pricing is not something we should be fighting against.
        
        ¨The society the business operates in provides many, many services to all companies. From education and health systems, to roads and other infrastructure, to the civilness and lawfulness of society, ……
        
        Every business should pay significantly towards this. No business should ever pay nothing.¨
        
        I have never suggested that we should not pay taxes. However a revenue tax is not a payment for a service provided specifically to a company (unlike ,say, a land tax), but generally to the community as a whole.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        18 October 2017 at 6:15 pm
        
        A tax based on revenue would to all intents and purposes would be just another expense, but one not related to any service provided to the company.
        
        A viable society with an educated populace is a service rendered by society to business.
        
        Introducing a tax that is not proportional to profit is simply unsound economically.
        
        It would still be proportional.
        
        However, unlike a land tax, if one tried to budget for a revenue tax by raising prices, the revenue tax payable would also rise.
        
        Proving it’s proportionality.
        
        KJT …
        
        19 October 2017 at 1:02 pm
        
        DTB. How do you tax a builder on Revenue compared with an accountant.
        Over 3/4 of a builders revenue is expenses such as materials, tools and staff.
        An accountant. Can work from home, and just keep their copies of the accounting standards up to date.
        
        Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.1.1.2
        
        18 October 2017 at 6:11 pm
        
        But isn’t it the point of capitalism that if a business can’t survive it doesn’t?
        
        It’s not the governments job to ensure a faulty business model can continue.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 9:18 am
        
        A business model may be faulty under one system of taxation while OK under another. The governmentś job is to provide a tax system which achieves a fair outcome. Fairness is best achieved if the tax burden is shared in proportion to income received. A tax based on revenue doesn´t achieve this.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        19 October 2017 at 12:54 pm
        
        The tax system should apply equally to all participants with everyone paying their fair share. When some get advantages then the tax system is actually wrong. If a business can only work when the tax system is wrong then the business shouldn’t be in existence.
        
        And, yes, a tax based upon revenue does achieve this. Or are you saying that PAYE is wrong and that we should treat everyone the same as businesses with all their tax write-offs?
        
        KJT …
        
        19 October 2017 at 1:06 pm
        
        Childcare, travel to work, uniform and protective gear should be tax deductible for employees, as it once was.
        
        The principle was that employers would pay all work related expenses out of their, tax deductible income. Of course this is not happening.
        
        Taxing gross revenue is totally distorting, as the amount of profit over revenue varies greatly according to the business. High turnover businesses such as supermarkets, typically have 3 to 4% margins for example.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 6:14 pm
        
        ¨Childcare, travel to work, uniform and protective gear should be tax deductible for employees, as it once was.¨
        
        Uniform and protective gear should be provided by the employer, but if the employee has to provide his own he should be paid an allowance. This used to be a provision in most industrial awards. I´m not sure what the situation is now that the award system has been discontinued.
        
        Child care and travel to work should not be deductible since these do not contribute to the earning of taxable income as required by the Income Tax Act.
        
        Interest is another oddball expense. It doesn´t contribute directly to the earning of taxable income but the Act allows it., which would seem to be something of an anomaly.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        19 October 2017 at 6:25 pm
        
        Child care and travel to work should not be deductible since these do not contribute to the earning of taxable income as required by the Income Tax Act.
        
        But they do for the people on PAYE.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 8:28 pm
        
        ¨But they do for the people on PAYE.¨
        
        They don´t, actually. They put people in positions where they can start to earn taxable income, but they don´t contribute to the actual earning of that income. Anyhow, that´s the Commissioner of Inland Revenue´s position on the matter.
        
        Arguably it´s the same with interest. Borrowing enables borrowers to invest, but it´s the actual investing that earns the taxable income.
        
        mikesh …
        
        19 October 2017 at 5:56 pm
        
        ¨When some get advantages then the tax system is actually wrong.¨
        
        That is it in a nutshell. A tax system based on revenue rather than income gives some people an advantage.
WILD KATIPO 10

14 October 2017 at 3:00 pm

Great post but , … its all been said BEFORE. We know all this.

We’ve had the John Pilgers , the Hugh Prices , the Alister Barry’s , – all brilliant and all factual , concise , prophetic and who have provided the counter arguments against neo liberalism.

My question is ,… WHY has it taken 33 years to even timidly revisit all this ?

IMF and OECD aside , – really ?!!?

And yes I realize these ‘report’s’ are delivered as a generic global critique , – but they are directly relevant to this country because we were the TEST CASE GUINEA PIGS !!!

Did we have to wait until 2017 ( 33 years after the fact ! ) to receive a mild report from them on what we all knew ALREADY ? How many more representatives from social agency’s do we have to sagely nod our heads in agreement towards then ignore , – how many more Metiria’s do we need to crucify before we start to actually get off our arses, and set our sights squarely on those treasonous fuckers who caused all this to happen in this country ?

All these excuses , all this inertia about ‘ it cant be done’ , ‘ the problems too big ‘ , ‘ it could never happen because ‘the cards are all stacked against us ‘ ,…

BULL BLOODY SHIT !!!

The very self same heads of the neo liberal treason are the very same treasonous bastards who ,- after leaving cushy and influential govt appointed positions such as Treasury and the Reserve Bank , – are the very self same scumbags such as Don Brash , Ruth Richardson , Jenny Shipley and Chris Tremain – who after fucking us all up , – are now CEO’s heading such illustrious outfits as the China Construction Bank (CCB) NZ , the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) ,The Bank of China .

Shipley v Brash: Who earns more Chinese bank cash? | Stuff.co.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/…/Shipley-v-Brash-Who-earns-more-Chinese-bank-cash

You’ve HAD all the evidence . You KNOW all the players. You’ve all SEEN what they’ve done to this country.

And yet like Cambodia or post Nazi Germany or any number of east European or South American banana republics , – you let these crooks , plunderer’s and thieves walk the streets free while sneering contemptuously at the poor , – the very same poverty class THEY created and yet all you / we ever do is wring your hands and pontificate on how we ever got to this level !!!

THAT is the real criminality in all of this :

A beaten , hollowed out public ground down by ALLOWING these perfidious thugs the ability to do what they did to us and walk scot bloody free! And then to add injury to insult? – then allowing the filthy shitheads to keep on doing it , never learning the lesson and then voting the pricks back in again !

These white collar penpushers went WAY beyond just being simply parsimonious : these fuckers had an agenda. A viscous agenda. And yes I know , – this article is all about taxation and equality , – and some would say this little rant is going off topic. BUT IS IT ?!!? ,- REALLY ?!!? , – because last time I looked it was also about society’s being EQUITABLE !!!

Here’s a good read :

New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

Now then , – if New Zealanders , – and those in particular on the Left , are serious about change , … one of the first things that need to be done is the dismantling of much of what these treasonous bastards managed to get into law . And , – by association , – exposure of the same for their crimes. In doing that, it would give a kind of ‘catarrh – ick ‘ – like momentum to expelling the ideology of these self serving trougher society wreckers and hopefully resulting in convictions and long prison sentences for their acts of treason by stealth. That and the corruption of our democratic foundations.

THEN , … we can talk about problem solving and finding a solution.

And just so we all know where we stand on all this , – here’s a few good documentary’s provided by Ed a day or so ago that actually not only names and shames these bastards – but gives close up footage of every eye movement , every averted glance and every falter of the voice of these liars in action.

Enjoy.

New Zealand – In a Land of Plenty Full Doco – YouTube
Video for New Zealand – In a Land of Plenty Full Doco▶ 1:44:13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04aJ_ICqYo
- WILD KATIPO 10.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 3:00 pm
  
  And here’s the second one .
  
  New Zealand – Somebody Elses Country Full Doco – YouTube
  Video for New Zealand – Somebody Elses Country Full Doco▶ 1:47:20
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJQvKIHV6n4
  - cleangreen 10.1.1
    
    15 October 2017 at 5:59 pm
    
    Thanks Wild Katipo.
    
    Shit I just finished watching it I was blown away as during 1987-1998 I was in Canada working and never saw this all before.
    
    Just as well I was away then, I loved seeing Winston there fighting for us and MMP then with Jim Anderton.
    
    Two great guys. Thanks again mate.
- Philj 10.2
  
  14 October 2017 at 8:40 pm
  
  Good rant WK. I enjoyed reading it. We are not alone or powerless. Cheers.
- Ed 10.3
  
  14 October 2017 at 10:32 pm
  
  Brilliant Wild Kapito.
  We share a lot of ideas. I love the passion you speak with; if only we had courageous and passionate politicians who would take on the establishment.
  The UK have Corbyn.
  Who do we have?
  - Incognito 10.3.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 10:41 pm
    
    Metiria Turei
    - Ed 10.3.1.1
      
      14 October 2017 at 10:54 pm
      
      True that
tuppence shrewsbury 11

14 October 2017 at 3:44 pm

outside a handful of second rate property developers, who i’ll include in that description those who purchase homes primary, secondary and tertiary for profit with no intention of improving the housing stock qualitatively or quantitively, i don’t think you’ll find too many people will argue against a capital tax AS LONG AS there is a reduction in income tax, for which the vast majority of capital owners, income is derived from capital. the positive impacts of changing the gearing of the various taxes to be more equitable between will greatly discourage any form of gaming, gearing in anticipation of events related to tax and avoidance, as by it’s very nature it makes these things redundant.

The problem for New Zealand is that the current system has been established for too long to not cause immense pain in it’s implementation. So a transitional period of say 5 years is necessary. this is problematic in itself due to the election cycle being only three years and allows for pandering to interested parties. The transitional period should allow for tax free sales of existing stock only, once it’s changed hands it’s liable for tax. once 5 years is up, it’s all taxed regardless.

simply increasing overall tax rates will not be a panacea to inequality.
- The Chairman 11.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 4:14 pm
  
  “Simply increasing overall tax rates will not be a panacea to inequality”
  
  Of course not. But tax increases for the top end plays a vital role in the required correction.
Whispering Kate 12

14 October 2017 at 4:24 pm

“The authors, however, are sceptical about the prospect of countries redressing the inequities identified. They say it will be difficult to politically implement a return to a more progressive and fairer tax system, such as prevailed before the 1980s, “because better-off individuals tend to have more influence”, via lobbying, access to the media and political engagement.”

The above paragraph doesn’t make for optimistic results for a fairer system. Political parties are too frightened of their own shadow to make contentious legislation. The last time anybody had a pair of cojones was the pig farmer and what a pig’s breakfast he created. Now there is so much wealth and influence saturating our country true democracy just doesn’t work anymore.
- The Chairman 12.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 4:38 pm
  
  “The authors, however, are sceptical about the prospect of countries redressing the inequities identified. They say it will be difficult to politically implement a return to a more progressive and fairer tax system, such as prevailed before the 1980s, “because better-off individuals tend to have more influence”, via lobbying, access to the media and political engagement.”
  
  And yet, isn’t it interesting that better-off individuals are using their influence to call for a CGT?
  
  http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/10/bnz-chief-calls-for-capital-gains-tax-to-fight-the-big-gap-between-rich-and-poor.html
  - CoroDale 12.1.1
    
    14 October 2017 at 9:25 pm
    
    And yet, interesting that they don’t call for restrictions on private banks creating money with debt. Lets spin positive and say CGT is a first step, towards the truth about all.
    - The Chairman 12.1.1.1
      
      15 October 2017 at 10:04 am
      
      Nor do they call for higher taxes on their returns, that largely head offshore.
  - Incognito 12.1.2
    
    14 October 2017 at 10:24 pm
    
    And yet, isn’t it interesting that better-off individuals are using their influence to call for a CGT?
    
    Before I open the bubbly I’d like to see much much more evidence of a real change of heart. To me it is a little too convenient, too cute, and too piecemeal to point to some kind of epiphany. It reminds me of Bill English and his so-called Hardship Budget in 2015 to tackle child poverty. It was heralded amongst much fanfare as a game-changer and as “the first, beyond inflation, since 1977” and a “package to lift children out of poverty will see benefits rise beyond inflation for the first time in 30 years” – note that arithmetic has never been Bill’s strongest skill. So, more than two years later, how much impact has this made? Is child poverty substantially less now? Obviously, it is not and the message is that we have to view these kinds of announcements from IMF and BNZ alike under a similar light of healthy scepticism and critical analysis.
    - The Chairman 12.1.2.1
      
      15 October 2017 at 9:44 am
      
      The well to do calling for a CGT tends to be a distraction from us focusing on increasing the tax rate on their huge salaries and returns.
      
      A number want to offset a CGT with lower income tax.
      
      Labour are doing similar. Advocating for a CGT, but avoiding calling for income tax increases at the top end.
      - Incognito 12.1.2.1.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 1:10 pm
        
        Labour has its heart in the ~~right~~ correct place but it lacks political courage and boldness.
        
        The Chairman 12.1.2.1.1.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 1:51 pm
        
        lol
  - mikesh 12.1.3
    
    15 October 2017 at 1:30 pm
    
    ¨And yet, isn’t it interesting that better-off individuals are using their influence to call for a CGT?¨
    
    Where this is the case I think they do so because they fear that, if they don´t, they may find themselves faced with something even less palatable.
    - Incognito 12.1.3.1
      
      15 October 2017 at 1:34 pm
      
      I agree; it is not a step forward in the right direction but more of a ‘tactical retreat’ to consolidate power.
    - The Chairman 12.1.3.2
      
      15 October 2017 at 1:49 pm
      
      Indeed, mikesh
      
      As I said above, the well to do calling for a CGT tends to be a distraction from us focusing on increasing the tax rate on their huge salaries and returns.
      
      A number want to offset a CGT with lower income tax.
      
      Keeping in mind, it wasn’t a CGT that helped make us a more equal society in the past. It was (among other things) our high income tax rate.
      - KJT 12.1.3.2.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 2:02 pm
        
        And inheritance taxes.
    - mikesh 12.1.3.3
      
      15 October 2017 at 4:58 pm
      
      It was interesting that the BNZ CEO, interviewed on The Nation yesterday, opined that a capital gains tax would do little to improve the economy, and that the case for CGT rested mainly on the issue of fairness. However, except in situations covered by the brightline test, I don´t see CGT enhancing fairness in the tax system, so I guess we might as well consign it to the waste paper bin.
      - Stuart Munro 12.1.3.3.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 6:41 pm
        
        No, let’s keep it.
        
        Best indicator of how necessary it is how much property speculators hate the idea. It’s a proven idea worldwide – in fact we are almost the only advanced country stupid enough not to have one.
        
        No need to reinvent the wheel – CGT – just like everyone else.
        
        mikesh 12.1.3.3.1.1
        
        16 October 2017 at 8:14 am
        
        I am not aware that property speculators ¨hate the idea¨, and, even if they did, it´s not evidence that capital gains taxes make for a fairer tax system.
        And just because other countries have stupid tax systems doesn´t mean we have to.
        
        KJT …
        
        19 October 2017 at 9:24 pm
        
        A “fair” tax system is where all income is treated equally.
        
        Whatever the semantics, capital gains is money income to those that are fortunate enough to acquire it.
        
        We are the ones that have the stupid tax system, where consumption and wages are overtaxed, and capital is way under taxed. To the advantage of those who already have lots of money capital and to the detriment of everyone else.
        
        It was Adam Smith who said tax rentiers and landowners, not entrepreneurs and workers. Though I think he would have had something to say about today’s financial entrepreneurs.
        
        mikesh …
        
        20 October 2017 at 8:36 pm
        
        [[ “fair” tax system is where all income is treated equally.]]
        
        True.
        
        [[Whatever the semantics, capital gains is money income to those that are fortunate enough to acquire it.]]
        
        Untrue. Except where property (or shares) is purchased for the purpose of resale; these situations are covered by the ¨brightline¨ test.
        
        The Income Tax Act leaves income undefined, but I think you will find that legal and tax experts agree that capital gain is not income.
        
        [[We are the ones that have the stupid tax system, where consumption and wages are overtaxed, and capital is way under taxed. To the advantage of those who already have lots of money capital and to the detriment of everyone else.]]
        
        Very likely true. But why not, in that case, tax the whole of capital rather than just the capital gain. Land and/or property taxes collected on a regualar basis, in much the same way that rates are collected, would seem to be a better idea where real estate is concerned.
        
        [[It was Adam Smith who said tax rentiers and landowners, not entrepreneurs and workers. Though I think he would have had something to say about today’s financial entrepreneurs.]]
        
        You seem to be confused about this. Rentiers don´t sell their properties for ¨capital gain¨ but rent them out for the rental income that they can yield.
- Tracey 12.2
  
  14 October 2017 at 8:02 pm
  
  They will pay for some different experts
cleangreen 13

14 October 2017 at 4:24 pm

So why was the agressive global “austerity” plan implimented even in NZ (slowly) and all other countries that forced all our sale of viable assets at fire sale prices?????????/

Was that the ‘vehicle’ to rob us of our assets?????

Probably it was another rort by the golbal elite again..
- Hongi Ika 13.1
  
  15 October 2017 at 6:24 am
  
  It was all planned.
UncookedSelachimorpha 14

14 October 2017 at 5:42 pm

Great post, thanks Simon.
DH 15

14 October 2017 at 6:25 pm

I wish they’d both leave taxes alone the meddling pricks.

A tax increase is a pay cut and no-one is going to take that quietly. The management class has a great deal of influence over their pay and when you raise their taxes they simply scratch each others backs and pay themselves more to make up for it.

Wage rises don’t appear out of thin air, they take their pay rises off the lesser paid who don’t have any influence over their pay. The Unions used to watch those management salaries like a hawk but they’re all dead or gone now.

When Clarke’s Labour Govt raised the top rate to 39% we saw all the already overpaid bureaucrats indulge in an orgy of huge pay rises for themselves and the end result was a widening of the gap between those at the top … and those at the bottom.

Actions have consequences and tax increases don’t occur in a vacuum. Leave the bloody thing alone.
- The Chairman 15.1
  
  15 October 2017 at 9:55 am
  
  Tax increases or not, salaries of the management class continue to soar regardless.
  
  And there are a number of contributing factors for that, weak unions is one of them.
  
  Tax increases don’t occur in a vacuum, hence it’s only one of a number of factors that need to be addressed.
  - Nic the NZer 15.1.1
    
    15 October 2017 at 10:15 am
    
    The left needs to pick its battles.
    
    Some other factors driving inequality the IMF doesn’t discuss,
    1) The government aiming to have about 1 in 25 workers be unemployed (which effects wages).
    2) The cuts to most public services since the 1980’s reducing access to public services.
    3) The cuts to most public services pushing those working in those sectors down the overall pay scale.
    4) The overall growth rate of the economy being lower since the 1980’s and this improving the relative profitability of asset speculation.
    5) The de-regulation of lending making it much easier to facilitate asset speculation.
    
    The government of today could address all these areas by regulating stronger or simply by spending more on some sectors. It can do this without raising a cent more in taxes.
    
    Even the more reasonable research faction (which has almost no say in which policies are prescribed when the IMF negotiates) of the IMF still believes that the status quo should prevail in these areas.
    - The Chairman 15.1.1.1
      
      15 October 2017 at 10:30 am
      
      Raising taxes would give the Government more scope to spend more on public services.
      
      Nevertheless, you forgot to add foreign ownership, thus returns heading offshore. Leaving a fiscal hole in our economy.
      
      Since the 80’s, this country has off loaded a number of our most lucrative sectors/businesses to offshore investors and done away with capital controls.
      - Nic the NZer 15.1.1.1.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 12:22 pm
        
        “Raising taxes would give the Government more scope to spend more on public services.”
        
        No it would not. Though effectively taxation creates a higher level of unemployment (reduces total spending), which may increase the amount that the government is able to spend on the economy without running into inflation constraints of the economy. But in no way does the governments spending program ever depend on the availability of funding. Simply put the government can at all times afford to purchase everything for sale in NZ dollars.
        
        Further if you want the IMF’s effective beliefs on this (as exposed by their forecasts and policy prescriptions) it gets even more bizarre they believe in negative spending multipliers, probably through some Ricardian Equivalence mechanism. That means they believe when the government increases its spending then the private sector automatically sequesters its spending (to pay for taxes they expect in the future) meaning there would be no need for taxation at all to restrict total spending. In practice this does not appear to occur however.
        
        “Nevertheless, you forgot to add foreign ownership, thus returns heading offshore. Leaving a fiscal hole in our economy”
        
        Returns heading off shore *can* leave a hole in total spending in the economy (a fiscal hole would pertain to government tax collection) when those profits are not re-spent on the economy again. This, like non-investment style saving (or repayment of private debt), like taxation reduces total spending, increases unemployment and so just creates more opportunity for government spending to fill that gap.
        
        The Chairman 15.1.1.1.1.1
        
        15 October 2017 at 5:23 pm
        
        “But in no way does the governments spending program ever depend on the availability of funding”.
        
        It wasn’t what I was claiming.
        
        The availability of funding in the hand does however improve their scope to spend. However, I wasn’t suggesting Government spending was totally reliant on it.
        
        “Though effectively taxation creates a higher level of unemployment”
        
        We’ve had higher taxes in the past with low unemployment, thus I disagree on this point.
        
        Higher tax at the top end allows for the revenue to be redistributed, increasing demand, thus is an economic stimulus. When met by more production, inflation will be fine and it will result in more tax revenue.
        
        Nic the NZer …
        
        15 October 2017 at 7:37 pm
        
        I can’t discern the meaning of the statement,
        
        “The availability of funding in the hand does however improve their scope to spend.”
        
        It appears to imply some kind of spending constraint. As I already commented,
        
        “Simply put the government can at all times afford to purchase everything for sale in NZ dollars.”
        
        “We’ve had higher taxes in the past with low unemployment, thus I disagree on this point.”
        
        That’s a fair comment (I didn’t explain this well), however, just as taxation reduces total spending (and thus increases unemployment) government spending increases total spending (it adds directly to GDP actually) and thus increases employment and at the times you are referring to public spending was much larger compensating fully for the higher taxation.
        Also, obviously its much more straight forward, when seeking to increase demand, to simply increase demand, rather than hoping to redistribute that spending enough to influence demand.
joe90 16

14 October 2017 at 6:36 pm

Corporate tax rates, according to Dwight D.
- Andre 16.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 6:58 pm
  
  Note that Dwight D.’s argument for high corporate tax rates pushes companies to a high-capital-gain low-dividend mode, which is OK if capital gains are taxed at a rate similar to ordinary income. As they were in the US, but not in NZ (although Dubya dramatically lowered the CGT rate and Obama didn’t push it back up).
  
  Another difference is that in the US, corporate profits are taxed before dividends are paid, then the shareholders that receive the dividends pay income tax on them. Whereas in NZ, corporate tax paid creates imputation credits, which effectively means NZ shareholders then don’t have to pay income tax on the dividends.
  - mikesh 16.1.1
    
    15 October 2017 at 2:17 pm
    
    ¨Another difference is that in the US, corporate profits are taxed before dividends are paid, then the shareholders that receive the dividends pay income tax on them. Whereas in NZ, corporate tax paid creates imputation credits, which effectively means NZ shareholders then don’t have to pay income tax on the dividends.¨
    
    Shareholders do pay tax on dividends. The imputation credit provides them a tax credit for portion of the tax, paid by the company, included in the dividend. If the shareholder´s personal tax rate is therefor greater than the company´s he will have to pay extra tax; if less, he can claim a tax refund of the the difference.
One Two 17

14 October 2017 at 8:15 pm

So how much in $$ do ‘ The Realm of New Zealand’, and other debtor nations OWE THE IMF…

IMF trying to position itself in a positive light, using deflection..

IMF is very much part of the problem!
- CoroDale 17.1
  
  14 October 2017 at 9:12 pm
  
  Yes, IMF would rather fund Agenda 21 with tax. Fair finance would leave IMF redundant. Profound IMF statements on finance would be something. The
  Chicago Plan Revisited (2012), is an obscure working paper that comes close: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2012/wp12202.pdf
Richard 18

14 October 2017 at 10:23 pm

The Dutch have got the answer!
- mikesh 18.1
  
  15 October 2017 at 5:06 pm
  
  But they must have forgotten the question.
Adrian 19

15 October 2017 at 9:05 am

In the IMF s case it’s philosophy comes from the top, only when the change in the form of new directorate comes at the top does this change, as has happened recently.
Of course they are comfortable with higher taxes because IMF salaries and perks are huge to start with and any increased taxes will be negated by a lift in these payments.
In a conversation about 12 years ago with a relative who is a senior staffer I posited an argument and was accused of being a Marxist, that wouldn’t happen today maybe a gentle ” .. well, you’ve always been a bit of a socialist Adrian “.
- Nic the NZer 19.1
  
  15 October 2017 at 10:23 am
  
  I think (as they are employed internationally) IMF staff are typically exempt from, taxation one way or another. This is not to say they are fairly paid however, given the costs and destruction imposed by almost every intervention they have ever done they would still be to expensive even if they worked entirely Pro Bono. More simply the world would be a better place if the IMF didn’t exist.
CHCOff 20

15 October 2017 at 3:52 pm

Whatever the politics of the methodology, where public sectors are designated, they would give better value using wide spread lay persons accounting in their organisational trees of things:

What is present value, what are incomings, what are outgoings tallies, all within the one and same mechanism.

In an ideal world that would be the approach in the private sector also, but in terms of pragmatic functionalism and practicality, a compliment of styles would be best.
Michael 21

15 October 2017 at 5:37 pm

Will one of you lot in Labour’s inner circle pass this on to Grant Robertson? I think he (and the rest of us) would benefit from his reading it. It’s a shame the report wasn’t around before the last election but Grant will have another three years to reflect on it and produce a tax policy before the next one.
CoroDale 22

15 October 2017 at 8:40 pm

IMF / World Bank Annual Meetings conclude today, and this year the European Investment Bank was participating.
Note worthy that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is being forced by German restrictions; from a banking bail-out phase, to an uncharted phase of banking bail-in. Expect confidence in the financial system to reach new lows.
For example; protests in France today, opposing Agenda 21 style austerity.
Despite the debt-elephant in the room; meeting agenda was on strengthening Europe, greening business, unilateral vs multilateral development, and naturally the weather. (http://www.KenFM.de, http://www.actvism.org, http://www.eib.org)

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17 hours ago

Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
17 hours ago

Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
17 hours ago

Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
18 hours ago

More tax for less
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
19 hours ago

Real News vs Fake News.
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
21 hours ago

Another way to roll
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
23 hours ago

Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
Skeptical Science
1 day ago

Cutting the Public Service
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
1 day ago

Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

This is how I roll over
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
2 days ago

The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
2 days ago

One Night Only!
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
2 days ago

What did Melissa Lee do?
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
2 days ago

Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Skeptical Science
2 days ago

Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
3 days ago

Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
Bowalley Road
3 days ago

“That's how I roll”
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
3 days ago

“Comity” versus the rule of law
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
3 days ago

Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Skeptical Science
3 days ago

At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

These people are not our friends
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
4 days ago

Some advice from our tertiary history for the University Advisory Group
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Still no prudential regulation case around climate change
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links for Wednesday, April 24
TL;DR: These six news links stood out to me in the last 24 hours or so onWednesday, April 23:Scoop: 'Released in error': Treasury paper hints at axing $6b flood resilience plan by NZ Herald-$$$ Thomas CoughlanScoop: EY launches new misconduct review amid Fonterra ban. Fonterra tells EY to remove some ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

How National can neutralise serious allegations of corruption should the “Fast Track” Bill becom...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Cleaning Up After Gabrielle.
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Gordon Campbell on bird flu, AUKUS entry fees and Cindy Lee
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
4 days ago

Tolling Existing Roads
One of the government’s transport policy and agreements with it’s coalition partners made it clear that they were looking at options like tolling and road pricing. This was reinforced in it’s draft Government Policy Statement released at the start of March which made a couple of references to it. Road pricing, ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
4 days ago

At a glance – The difference between weather and climate
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

More criminal miners
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

Photos from the road
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

RMA reforms aim to ease stock-grazing rules and reduce farmers’ costs – but Taxpayers’ Union w...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

Luxon Strikes Out.
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

In many ways the media that the experts wanted, turned out to be the media they have got
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

The Waitangi Tribunal Summons; or the more things stay the same
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Both Parliamentary watchdogs hammer Fast-track bill
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General, John Ryan, has joined the ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

India makes a big bet on electric buses
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Spengeman People wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 6:36am on Tuesday, April 23
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 6:36am on Tuesday, April 22:Scoop & Deep Dive: How Sir Peter Jackson got to have his billion-dollar exit cake and eat Hollywood too NZ Herald-$$$ Matt NippertFast Track Approval Bill: Watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powers ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

What is really holding up infrastructure
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

“Pure Unadulterated Charge”
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

Bernard's six-stack of substacks for Monday, April 22
Tonight’s six-stack includes: writes via his substack that’s he’s sceptical about the IPSOS poll last week suggesting a slide into authoritarianism here, writing: Kiwis seem to want their cake and eat it too Tal Aster writes for about How Israel turned homeowners into YIMBYs. writes via his ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Just trying to stay upright
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

“Unprecedented”
Today, former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson went on trial on health and safety charges for the death of one of his workers. The Herald calls the trial "unprecedented". Firstly, it's only "unprecedented" because WorkSafe struck a corrupt and unlawful deal to drop charges against Peter Whittall over Pike ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Time for “Fast-Track Watch”
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
6 days ago

Gordon Campbell on fast track powers, media woes and the Tiktok ban
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
6 days ago

The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Point of OrderBy gadams1000
6 days ago

Maori push for parallel government structures
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

An announcement about an announcement
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

All the Green Tech in China.
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
6 days ago

Western Express Success
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
6 days ago

Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 7:16am on Monday, April 22:Labour says Kiwis at greater risk from loan sharks as Govt plans to remove borrowing regulations NZ Herald Jenee TibshraenyHow did the cost of moving two schools blow out to more than $400m?A ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
7 days ago

Thank you
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
1 week ago

Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive Statistics
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

Who Makes Mazda Cars?
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive Guide
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

Can You Register a Car Without a License?
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the Rule If you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and Performance
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

What Are Struts on a Car?
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Gareth’s WorldBy admin
1 week ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
2 days ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
4 days ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
5 days ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
6 days ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
6 days ago

Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freeze
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuse
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful law
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homes
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on media
The action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Landlord Government leaves little hope for renters
The Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Opportunity to build a more sustainable economy
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust past
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environment
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to Government
Tens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention Office
Labour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

CCC issues warning over further climate delay
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadership
If talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Luxon targets are lousy example of leadership
If talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt priorities
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
19 hours ago

New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
21 hours ago

Diplomacy needed more than ever
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
24 hours ago

Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

PM announces changes to portfolios
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

New catch limits for unique fishery areas
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Overseas decommissioning models considered
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

Trade relationship with China remains strong
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
7 days ago

PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

$41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Judicial appointments announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Taupō takes pole position
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government backing mussel spat project
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government focused on getting people into work
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Inflation coming down, but more work to do
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Government urged to hit the gas on revamp of road user charges
Infrastructure New Zealand is pushing for new road user charges to be brought in quicker to help relieve pressure on strained transport funding. ...
Radio NZ – political
12 hours ago

US student Palestine protests against Israel’s war on Gaza inspire global action
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
14 hours ago

Former Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell criticises Health NZ's 'savings' directi...
Rob Campbell said it shows "poor management" and is "frankly irresponsible". ...
Radio NZ – political
15 hours ago

‘To lead is to serve’ – Governor-General to call PM election in Solomon Islands
RNZ Pacific The race to form the next government of Solomon Islands could be a tight one, with no single party emerging from the election with enough seats to govern. Caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party did the best, securing 15 out of the 50 seats in the House. ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
16 hours ago

Bryce Edwards – FastTrackWatch: The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
17 hours ago

NZ and Türkiye pledge cooperation during natural disasters
The two countries have "a long history of coming to each other's aid", including after the 2023 Turkish earthquakes, Winston Peters says. ...
Radio NZ – political
19 hours ago

Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasure
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
20 hours ago

Vaping regulations fight 'immeasurably harder' under coalition – campaigner
Focus on Politics - Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping, but the bending and breaking of rules seems pervasive. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a cat
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
21 hours ago

‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TV
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
The SpinoffBy My Life in TV
21 hours ago

Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepers
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
The SpinoffBy Hamish Thompson
23 hours ago

Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
Scoop politics
24 hours ago

Newsroom welcomes the Secret Diary
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
1 day ago

Short story: Calf Creek, by Anna Scaife
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
NewsroomBy Anna Scaife
1 day ago

I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explained
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
1 day ago

Jessica Tater has ambition without borders
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
NewsroomBy Jenny Farrell
1 day ago

The island where people’s stories are paramount
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
NewsroomBy Sharon Brettkelly
1 day ago

Australian author leads silence protest over ‘blood debt’ owed to Papuans
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Israel delays Gaza Freedom Flotilla departure with bureaucratic ‘block’
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Have New Zealanders really been ‘misled’ about AUKUS, or is involvement now a foregone conclusio...
ANALYSIS: By Marco de Jong, Auckland University of Technology and Robert G. Patman, University of Otago When former prime minister Helen Clark spoke out against New Zealand potentially compromising its independent foreign policy by joining pillar two of the AUKUS security pact, Foreign Minister Winston Peters responded bluntly: On ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Palestine protesters challenge TVNZ over Israeli ambassador’s ‘propaganda’
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Lynley Hood Opinion – Senator Fulbright must be spinning in his grave
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
Evening ReportBy Lynley Hood
1 day ago

Fast-track bill could affect NZ's reputation – Transparency International
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the pr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might think
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis. AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

What is childhood dementia? And how could new research help?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Jobseekers get about $345 less than pensioners each fortnight. This gap is hurting, and is set to wi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What NZ data tells
Here is what 60 years of New Zealand data shows us. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

The government's 20 trips abroad in April
The government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 ministers and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Government unveils fetal alcohol guidelines, plan for diagnosis training
The government is promising to step up the response to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, promising to boost diagnoses and raise awareness. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Labor facing heavy defeat in Queensland, but faring better in federal polls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervous
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

‘The worst piece of law proposed since 1979’: Reactions to the Fast-track Approvals Bill
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
2 days ago

The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin Peace
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The SpinoffBy Robin Peace
2 days ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
2 days ago

Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whātua Welcomes Commissioner's Decision Regarding Awataha Marae
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

We reconstructed landscapes that greeted the first humans in Australia around 65,000 years ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes. Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

What do we lose when our old suburbs disappear?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, Parramatta Photo: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What 60 years of NZ data can tell us
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImages fatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

After spending $700,000 on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costs
A government office that set aside millions for lapel pins for pandemic workers is now looking to cut back on spending. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

‘A hell of a lot of fun’: Our reviews of Chris Isaak’s dazzling Auckland show
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
The SpinoffBy Group Think
2 days ago

The Week in Politics: Days of drama and demotions
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Hear me out: All I want is a TrueBliss T-shirt
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
2 days ago

Solemn ANZAC dawn service at PNG’s Isurava battle memorial
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 days ago

Political editors panel: A reshuffle and the fast track
Listen - RNZ's Jo Moir and NZ Herald's Claire Trevett dissect the demotion of two ministers and the PM's response on Morning Report. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

After-hours clinics on verge of collapse in some regions
Overworked GPs have signalled they can no longer cover, while funding is falling short. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Oranga Tamariki Axes Specialist Māori Roles, Weakens Commitment To Te Ao Māori
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

China’s money only goes so far – Kokoda shows why history binds PNG and Australia in a far deepe...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

We spoke to young people about sexual consent. They understand the concept, but don’t always ask i...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe University BAZA Production/Shutterstock Sexual consent has been a major focus in Australia for the past few years. In early 2022 the federal government mandated consent education in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Longer-lasting ozone holes over Antarctica expose seal pups and penguin chicks to much more UV
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Granting legal ‘personhood’ to nature is a growing movement – can it stem biodiversity loss?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Will checking character references really help you find the best candidate for a job?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

A guide to Wellington’s best BYO restaurants
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
2 days ago

New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the ‘green Sahara’ and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Paul Goldsmith starts as new Media Minister replacing sacked Melissa Lee
The media industry is "under pressure", Paul Goldsmith says, but he plans to plot a path forward as he takes up the difficult role. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Media industry sheds few tears for minister Lee
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The SpinoffBy Catherine McGregor
2 days ago

Is NZ bringing in 'Indonesian coal every month to keep the lights on'?
Analysis: The Resource Minister said it, but is it true and why does it matter? ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

More spending cuts needed to stablise government finances – economist
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

The government's 22 trips abroad in April
The government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 miniters and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Loopholes will be exploited in new vape rules – experts
There is no doubt vape manufacturers will find and exploit loopholes in new regulations, say marketing experts. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Aotearoa Party Merges With Rock The Vote NZ Party And John Alcock Elected As Party Leader
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

After spending $2m on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costs
Government department that spent $2m on lapel pins to honour Covid-19 workers is now looking to make cuts. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

An afternoon at the Repair Café, where everyday objects get a second life
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
2 days ago

Dreaming of my not-wedding day
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The SpinoffBy Gráinne Patterson
2 days ago

Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same time
It will be soon be easier to get lending, but harder to get help for debt The post Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same time appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
2 days ago

Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscope
Just Life’s chief executive says the exchange’s regulatory burden outweighs any benefits to small business The post Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscope appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
2 days ago

Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
2 days ago

Daily crossword, Friday 26 April
The post Daily crossword, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 days ago

The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleak
Opinion: Delays getting to the starting line of new programmes of work are causing significant disruption across the sector The post The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleak appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Helen Davidson
2 days ago

Eliza wants more than a last tango in Paris
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
NewsroomBy Suzanne McFadden
2 days ago

This week’s bestselling books – April 26
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
2 days ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 days ago

On the fringes of the Gallipoli battlefield
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
NewsroomBy Alexia Russell
2 days ago

Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excesses
Opinion: It needs wiser leadership to learn from the past to have a balanced planning and resource management law The post Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excesses appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Peter Dunne
2 days ago

Grattan on Friday: Social media companies can’t be immune from the need for a social licence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth

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IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth

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