Is New Zealand’s The Best Little Economy In The World?

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, January 26th, 2021 - 53 comments
Categories: business, economy, Economy, grant robertson, jacinda ardern, uncategorized - Tags:

This little video doing the Youtube rounds claims that New Zealand is the best-managed country in the world. And currently has one of the best economies.

Move aside Sweden. New Zealand is a safe, stable, consistent, peaceful place to live with your family, the easiest place in the world to set up a business,  currently one of the best-recovered economically from the 2020 downturn, and has managed all of this on a pretty small resource base and massive distance from markets. It’s a confidence-inspiring place that the world wants to come to and currently admires more than it has in a while.

The 17 minute video asks:

  • What are the primary drivers of New Zealand’s economic prosperity?
  • How has the nation made these factors work?
  • What are the challenges the nation will face?

Disclaimer: the video contain advertorial for a financial services company. I don’t have anything to disclose.

It’s absolutely reasonable for us all to question government policy, and to demand more of what we want. I sure do.

But there’s also another voice analysing the relative strengths of Australia and New Zealand, and holds the balance currently strongly in New Zealand’s favour. If you’re in Unity Books or other bookstores with half a brain, you’ll see this set of essays by Laura Tingle illustrating why it’s time for Australia to acknowledge the many things New Zealand does better than Australia.

For a country that could have gone through a far, far deeper crisis just last year than it actually did, stepping back and appreciating the views of foreigners who look at us with fresh eyes is frankly encouraging.

The video analysis certainly doesn’t hold back on some of the challenges, notably housing.

Nor does it discourage critics from analysing and where required shouting about what ought to be done better.

But there are few countries like us, and we are being told we are in world-standard good shape.

53 comments on “Is New Zealand’s The Best Little Economy In The World? ”

  1. Nic the NZer 1

    First graph here shows the size of discretionary stimulus during 2020. New Zealand ranked first here (relative to size) explains a lot of this economic outcome.

    http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=46654

  2. Sabine 2

    ask the poor if the economy is good, if it is for them, than chances are it is, if the economy is not good for them, or worse even does not include them at all we can accept that the economy is as always very good for a few someones and shitty for a whole lot of people.

    Also does rent and house prices factor in the math that is used to call the economy good?

  3. Stuart Munro 3

    I'm afraid it smacks of the same groundless optimism that typifies financial reporting, and that was a driving irritation for Blomkvist, not to mention panegyrics that Enron generated prior to its collapse. Of course, if one is looking for new, inexperienced small investor customers, a breezy optimism is better for business than the cold scepticism objective analysis requires.

    Useful to rebut the incessant unfounded attacks of the Right, but tending to confirm economists in their errors instead of monitoring and correcting the operating assumptions that are not borne out in reality.

  4. Tricledrown 4

    The NZ economy is getting by at the present but inflation is running at nearly 4% if you include house prices which were removed from the CPI in 2003 as part of the coalition deal with Winston Peter's.

    We haven't yet endured the full effects of the world economic slow down with shipping costs and availability that will surely increase inflation and decrease economic output.

    Housing needs a brave govt to step up and spend real money not a larger bandaid than Nationals very small bandaid.Labour needs to get brave ie like MJS and the Social Credit govt of 1935 and print QE whatever , Invest $30 billion plus to fix the housing crisis it won't happen overnight but its fixing the very expensive longterm downstream consequences of longterm poverty.The housing crisis has been exasperated by printing money and giving it to property speculators unintentionally as the banks did need a capital injection but any further printing QE needs to go directly to where its needed the already well off NZers don't need food on the table or a roof over their heads a free doctor's visit.The increase in poverty needs addressing pronto kids not going to school living out of cars going hungry needs fixing now.

    Just because we are doing better than most doesn't mean we can't do a lot better.

    Fixing the housing crisis which has got seriously worse under the Winston first/Labour coalition should not be a problem for a Labour govt that doesn't have Winston the handbrake to contend with. In the recent flooding of hawkes bay and the Canterbury earthquakes temporary porticom type housing was able to be put in place within a few weeks why can't we do this now?

    There is no reason QE is what's kept our economy afloat so long as it is directed at fixing productivity and not funneled into speculative investment it will work as it did in 1935 onwards.

    • Tiger Mountain 4.1

      Well put Tricledrown. We certainly do have one of the “best little housing crises”!

      Full housing could be restored, with incremental price drops over time, as state rental numbers increased–if there was the political will by the Labour Caucus, but there is not at this stage. National certainly show no signs of deserting the 36 year long Parliamentary neo liberal Consensus either.

      In Northland iwi members particularly are just getting on with Papakainga projects, the He Korowai Trust has made little villages of recycled houses, like the old style pensioner flat precincts, for people the state agencies won’t touch, and a mid North project plonks portacoms for homeless on rural sections (usually of relatives) with already connected services, residents are required to pay a small amount regularly and can even purchase after several years. It can be done even with meagre resources, on a local scale.

      It really is time for entry and occupation by homeless of selected empty buildings and homes, to publicly put the heat on NZ Labour.

    • "Just because we are doing better than most doesn't mean we can't do a lot better."

      I think you will find, that little statement would refer to just about anything done on this planet at any time, Pandemic or not.

  5. Gosman 5

    None of the policies promoted by the government really gets to the heart of the economic problems the country faces. 8000 additional State houses is really not going to make a blind bit of difference to the housing supply problem.

    • Ad 5.1

      It will house 8,000 families who are on the Kainga Ora waiting list. That will make quite a bit of difference to those 8,000 families.

      And no, it will not add to the problem of supplying houses for sale into the private home owner market, because that's a different problem.

    • Stuart Munro 5.2

      8000 housed is a non-trivial step in our population – and a significant step up from previous housing efforts. It won't quit them of the responsibility, but it will look a lot less like the truancy of National's Clayton's response.

      • Gosman 5.2.1

        It is trivial and it is not just I who thinks this

        "The most effective way to lower house prices is to increase supply. 100,000 Kiwibuild homes would have done that. Eight thousand new state homes will improve the living standards of our more vulnerable families, but won't make the slightest difference to house prices."

        https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-brutal-truth-there-are-votes-to-be-won-in-a-broken-housing-market

        • Sabine 5.2.1.1

          so it does not matter what gets done or what not, what matters is what gets votes?

          that is the epitome of empty meaningless politics and the beige suits responsible for the 'doing nothing much' and if that is what you support – winning the contests only, who cares about governing (cause you can not then govern – lest you lose the vote of those that profit from high house prices and homelessness ) then we may as well just go back to a feudal society where the landowners owned everyone else.

          Whom would you be Gosman? Landowner or owned?

          • Gosman 5.2.1.1.1

            I would want to allow people to build houses or apartments without too many restrictions and costs imposed by other parties.

            • Sabine 5.2.1.1.1.1

              like turkey? were after every earthquake many people are dead or injured?

              no real regulations for the hight of the building, the concrete, the steal used, and every time the earth shakes you just pray that its the other house that falls down?

              what restrictions and costs would you remove? building permits? certain types of building materials? OSH?

              What? And, do you want to be Landlord of such a building? Do you want to be the tenant of such a building? Would you want to build next to these 'not too many restrictions and costs imposed by' buildings?

              Like the Favelas? Or the Manila slums? Or any of the African Shanty towns? they are all 'houses and apartments' builds without too many restrictions and costs imposed by other parties? _ btw, who are these 'other' parties?

              • Gosman

                Building restrictions are far more than just safety regulations. There are huge amounts of rules in place which serve little purpose such as minimum size restrictions.

                • McFlock

                  You don't see what minimum dwelling/room sizes have to do with stopping prospective slumlords? Seriously?

                  • Gosman

                    Many people are very keen to purchase and live in Tiny houses. Why do you want to stop these people doing what they want? It is both less impactful on the environment and will allow more people to live on the same amount of land.

                    • McFlock

                      Did you not understand the question, or did you not wish to answer it?

                    • Gosman

                      I understood your question. You want to stop landlords forcing people in to houses that are too small for them however I have pointed out by doing that you deny people the right to choose to live in a Tiny house. Why do you want to make it difficult for people to choose a style of living that would help resolve the housing crisis?

                    • McFlock

                      So you do actually see what minimum sizes have to do with stopping prospective slumlords, but you feel that slums are an acceptable price to pay for some people to get a fingertip into the property market.

                      Do you see what minimum dwelling sizes might have to do with overcrowding?

                    • Gosman

                      We have overcrowding already with minimum size restrictions in place. Families are living in garages in houses that they share with other family members.

                    • McFlock

                      Is the cause of this that the rooms are too big so there is a shortage of structures on the available land, or just a shortage of suitable structures actually being used as dwellings rather than airB&B or vacant investment properties?

            • woodart 5.2.1.1.1.2

              I cant still remember prebble on parliament steps, burning useless(he claimed ) building laws, not long before he, as an actoid ,voted in favour of national derugulating building laws. result? billions wasted in fixing poorly designed and built leaky houses, a direct link to our current unaffordable housing crisis.

        • Stuart Munro 5.2.1.2

          It is not trivial because it means a substantial but likely achievable increase in building capacity. We certainly want 100 000 or more – but short of buying prefabs from China, we're not presently up to building them – just another of those capacity losses we got as part of the Rogergnomic gross incompetence package.

    • Macro 5.3

      None of the policies promoted by the government really gets to the heart of the economic problems the country faces.

      And what, in your opinion, is the heart of the economic problems the country faces?

      • Gosman 5.3.1

        Capacity constraints in infrastructure and housing and low productivity growth.

        • RedBaronCV 5.3.1.1

          Ah yes – capacity constraints on housing and infrastructure and low productivity growth = Nats unrestrained low quality immigration programme where taxpayers will be footing the bill for years yet.

          • Gosman 5.3.1.1.1

            Most migrants move to a couple of locations the housing and infrastructure constraints are nationwide.

  6. Castro 6

    Is that you, Jong Kee?

  7. Janet Yellen has been confirmed as the first ever female US treasury secretary in a Senate vote.

    At her confirmation hearing on 19 January, Ms Yellen urged Congress to approve trillions more in pandemic relief and economic stimulus, saying that lawmakers should "act big" without worrying about national debt.

    In response, Republican senators warned the former Federal Reserve head this was not the time for "a laundry list" of liberal reforms.

    Ms Yellen disagreed, highlighting the fact that many families whose incomes have fallen were not reached by jobless programmes. She argued that plans to raise taxes must be seen in the context of financing bigger investments necessary to make the US economy competitive.

    "The focus now is not on tax increases. It is on programmes to help us get through the pandemic," she stressed.

    Come on Grunt – Where's my $2000 stimulus cheque?

    • Ad 7.1

      Instead of a cheque, most through direct employer subsidies simply got to keep their job – I know which I'd prefer.

      • The Al1en 7.1.1

        Yeah, that was great to maybe keep 80% of our wages for 3 months, now that's all goneski, where's my stimulus money?

      • Sabine 7.1.2

        Never mind all those that have lost their jobs, will lose their jobs as Covid is still here and will not be gone for a while, and all those that have nothing to change too easily jobwise – also thanks to Covid. They have the very generous Pre – Covid benefit rates to look forward too, and surely that is economic stimulation enough and no increase or extra payments are needed to make up for any shortfalls, not even for Christmas.

        But some got to keep their jobs – and that is all that matters. Right? The one that get to keep their stuff, buy their houses, drive the electric car, right?

        • Ad 7.1.2.1

          The full set of measures the government has undertaken so far are here:

          https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/new-zealand-economy/covid-19-economic-response/measures

          There's a further $14 billion unallocated in case there's a further lockdown.

          The last economic update on how this set of policies has been effective is from December last year:

          https://www.treasury.govt.nz/system/files/2020-12/weu-18dec20.pdf

          I sure ain't going to knock anyone who is unemployed; it would be devastating if it happened to me. And there's always some different set of policies somewhere else to compare our government's response to. And yes we sure are in a crisis.

          But this government has done the biggest set of interventions into the economy than anyone else per capita. So far we are holding up better than anyone else other than maybe Australia.

          • Sabine 7.1.2.1.1

            and non of that has anything to do witht he fact that increases for benefits which would be an economic stimulus were outright rejected by the PM for god knows how long.

            non of that has to do with the fact that many of the jobs that have been lost will be lost and we have nary a realistic discussion about whom is actually carrying the brunt of the unemployment and how to deal with that specific set of needs.

            non of that has anything to do with OZ or Europe or anything really, as we are in a very different position than landlocked Europe with its thousands of kms of borders, or the US and the UK who let the pandemic gallop out of control on purpose it seems.

            All it has to do with is that our beneficiaries that already did not make it before covid are now even further screwed, and that includes every houshold that has lost an income with nothing to replace it.

            The economy is as good as is the ability of the poorest of us to pay rent, and bugger it Ad, a great many only pay rent because the Tax payer via Winz picks up the tap under the guise of the Accom Benefit, Hardship Benefit or others. So Yeah, nah, nah, our economy is not good. It is however excellent for people who are cashed up, asseted up, and can take that low low credit line up and buy some more assets to fleece the poor a bit more. After all these house prices need to go up, right? .

            The 14 Billion for a future lockdown should be spend right now on people who had fuck all all year long last year, got fuck all from Santa, and have exactly that to look forward to, Fuck all.

            Or are we to bail out jobs again for businesses who may or may not even survive a second lockdown or worse even, don’t need it, abuse it, and then hand out dividends to the share holder.

            • Nic the NZer 7.1.2.1.1.1

              So the point of maintaining employment is to keep as many people as feasible in employment and receiving their wage/salary and contact with an employer (rather than the lesser benefit payment).

              This is significantly preferable to the US situation where the cheques are not yet in the mail and many have already lost their jobs.

              Looking ahead the resulting employment continuity will have a significant positive impact on their future career prospects. It will also have a measurably better social and mental health outcomes for them and their families over a similar benefit income.

              So if I was considering the allocation of more funds I would be looking for ways to maintain or increase employment with those and only look at benefit rates in terms of fairness secondarily.

              In summary I think the governments economic priorities were pretty sound.

    • McFlock 7.2

      aka one hundred Tubmans. Jackson's being replaced. Again.

      • The Al1en 7.2.1

        Can't wait to see the yankee nazis getting a fist full of her dollars in their wage packets.

        Q. Will they do overtime for a few dollars more?

    • Adrian Thornton 7.3

      Perfect fit for Biden's administration….welcome back Obama's Wall St swamp monsters…but hey it's a woman (monster).

      "The incoming US Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, has been paid at least $7m (£5.1m) for speaking engagements at government-regulated banks, consultancies and hedge funds over the past two years, according to newly disclosed documents.

      The former Federal Reserve chair disclosed a list of more than 50 paid speaking events for financial firms that included $67,500 from Goldman Sachs, $54,000 from an event at Barclays and $292,500 from a single speech for hedge fund Citadel."

      https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/01/janet-yellen-speaking-fees-us-treasury-secretary

      As head of the Fed…

      Janet Yellen To Jobless African-Americans: You're On Your Own

      “It is indicative of the Fed’s continued emphasis on inflation even in the face of nonexistent inflation,” Haedtler said. “They are myopically focused on one portion of their dual mandate while ignoring another. If the Fed is saying that the economy is on enough of a positive trajectory to raise rates, they are saying they are OK with 9.5 percent black unemployment.”

      https://www.populardemocracy.org/news-and-publications/janet-yellen-jobless-african-americans-youre-your-own

      • The Al1en 7.3.1

        You should complain to someone and get her sacked.

        https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/yellen-at-treasury-ticks-enough-boxes-for-left-leaning-democrats

        “Democrats on the party’s left, who could make trouble for Biden appointments, have been pushing back against some contenders seen as having too-close ties with the financial world. Yellen doesn’t fall into that category, judging by the rapid approval she got from one of the leading progressives on Monday.”

        “Janet Yellen would be an outstanding choice for Treasury Secretary,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Twitter Monday. “She is smart, tough, and principled. As one of the most successful Fed Chairs ever, she has stood up to Wall Street banks.”

        lol

        • Adrian Thornton 7.3.1.1

          It's funny (not funny ha ha) how these days people in power can do and say one thing…and we can even easily search their history to confirm those things, but if the media you trust tells you something that doesn't align with those facts, many people, your good self included, will just yep, sounds good to me…very strange and quite disconcerting must say.

  8. sumsuch 8

    Can you imagine how much better a social-democratic economy would be?

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    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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