Jobs destroyed by indifferent Nats

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, June 10th, 2011 - 36 comments
Categories: jobs, transport - Tags: , ,

Joyce was told that building the new train cars at the Kiwirail workshop in Dunedin would bring half a billion into the economy. Joyce insisted Kiwirail go with the ‘cheapest’ option. China. Now, another 40 jobs have been axed. Not to mention other economic losses. Joyce is unrepentant. Blind to the cost of ‘cheap’. Aussie’s do it smarter than Joyce.

36 comments on “Jobs destroyed by indifferent Nats ”

  1. Colonial Viper 1

    on the contrary, the NATs aren’t indifferent: when it was announced that Hillside was downsizing and many NZ workers losing their jobs, the NATs popped champagne corks and celebrated.

    Knifing the Railways union, their workers, adding to an already excess labour pool and putting the boot into the Labour stronghold of Dunedin South has been a project of theirs for the last 12 months, and now their efforts have been successful.

    Party on like its 1991.

  2. hobbit 2

    Never mind the fact that Wellington’s new EMU units were brought from Korea, a deal signed off under Labour. The units which they’re replacing come from England. The units which they will run along side were built in Hungary. The rest of the rail fleet was built in Australia, England, Japan and America. Since we stopped building steam locomotives in the 50’s, we’ve only ever built a small amount of low-powered shunting locomotives, many of which were imported as kit sets.

    We’ve never built an EMU unit before. We have, however, refurbished them, and locomotives. Something NZ does do well. Over 100 old BR cars refurbished here. During the early 80’s, a peak time for NZ RAIL, 80 locomotives were sent to Australia for rebuilding. NZ rebuilt just 5.

    The study by BERL economics was full of holes, even KiwiRail pointed out a handful of them, without digging deep at all. Holes that make a joke of their findings.

    Australia’s latest EMU fleet are being built in China.

    But don’t let any facts get in the way. Just don’t come crying when the IMF come knocking.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1

      Two things:
      1.) It’s always better to make what we need here from our own resources. That way our society and the economy will develop and progress. It’s also cheaper in real terms than importing.
      2.) The IMF can go fuck itself. So can the WTO. It’s because of their policies that the world is going to hell (Climate Change, massive resource depletion causing mass famine and an over-populated world with mass poverty).

      The study by BERL economics was full of holes, even KiwiRail pointed out a handful of them, without digging deep at all.

      Well, if it was so full of holes you shouldn’t have trouble pointing any of them out.

      • Lanthanide 2.1.1

        “1.) It’s always better to make what we need here from our own resources. That way our society and the economy will develop and progress. It’s also cheaper in real terms than importing.”
         
        That’s really not true. At all. If we have the capability and capacity to make something, and it doesn’t cost a huge amount extra, then we should.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1

          If something can be made then we have the capability and resources to make it and, as modern factories all tend towards being as efficient as each other, make it for the same cost. The added cost of transporting it is what makes it more expensive to import.

          • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1.1

            Lets see computer chips and computer memory made in New Zealand, then. We surely import lots of these to run everything in our country, so they’re a vital part of our modern life.
             
            Apparently the only requirement is that “something can be made” and therefore NZ will be able to more competitively supply the local market than anyone else.

            If you say that there isn’t anything stopping us from creating factories/plants to do this in NZ, then you’re broadly correct. Have fun investing a couple of billion (that’s what modern plants cost) into a plant without having any revenues to fund it, and when it’s complete in 3 or 4 years time you’ll just have to be content with producing 3 or 4 year old technology.

            • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.1.1

              There’s this magical process called Research & Development – perhaps you’ve heard of it?

              Before Taiwan started making bleeding edge nano-chips they started with outdated tech and built up from there.

              And, yes, it does cost about US$1b to make a new factory that’s designed to pump out hundreds of millions of CPUs over it’s life time but I’m not talking about making one that big. I’m talking about one that supplies the NZ market only. As has been stated time and time again – we cannot go on with a BaU plan. It doesn’t work and we need to look at reducing resource use and one of the best ways to do that is to make products close to their markets with the local resources.

              • Lanthanide

                “I’m talking about one that supplies the NZ market only.”
                 
                I guess you’re not familiar with economies of scale, then. You’re trying to reproduce something *cheaper* than what we can import from overseas, right? Something that is just as good, if not better, and also cheaper?

                • Colonial Viper

                  Lanth you’re falling for several mistaken ideas.

                  Primarily that progress in the future is going to be like progress in the past.

                  At some stage, other parts of the world may be unable or unwilling to supply us with advanced technology components. We may be short of hard foreign currency, they may be short of production capacity.

                  Further more, the design and production of semiconductors and IC’s is not a mysterious process. NZ has and does do those things today, albeit on a very small scale.

                  And it does not necessarily need to be a very expensive endeavour – as long as you are willing to stay away from the latest bleeding edge process and design technology.

                  Second hand 130nm and 90nm node equipment for chip fabrication is extremely cheap, for instance. Design and manufacturing knowledge for those nodes is very well understood. A facility for designing and manufacturing chips at those nodes on a relatively small scale would cost less than US$100M to build: well within our financial capabilities.

                  Granted, any CPUs made on these processes would be far slower than Intel’s state of the art, but they would also get the job done just fine.

                  • Lanthanide

                    No, I’m not falling for anything. Once again Draco is simply making an extremely broad assertion that simply doesn’t mesh with reality.

                    Here’s what he said:

                    “It’s always better”

                    ‘Always’ means both now, and in the future. I guess it also means historically.

                    “It’s also cheaper in real terms than importing.”

                    It’s not cheaper in ‘real terms’ if the product you are producing is inferior and the cost of importing the superior product is very low. As it is at the moment. Even in a future of expensive transportation costs, computer chips are very small and light and could be shipped around the world using sails much more economically than building plants in each country that wanted them.

                    “Before Taiwan started making bleeding edge nano-chips they started with outdated tech and built up from there.”

                    Yes, and they started back in the 60’s and 70’s. In other words they’ve got a good half-century of expertise and capital advantage over us.

                    “as modern factories all tend towards being as efficient as each other, make it for the same cost”

                    That’s why America is so good at competing with the Chinese when it comes to mass produced items from factories, I guess.

                    “It doesn’t work and we need to look at reducing resource use and one of the best ways to do that is to make products close to their markets with the local resources.”

                    No, the best way to do that is to leverage off comparative advantage in each market and trade with each other. This has been going on since the ancient Egyptians and definitely before then. All we have in the modern world is much easier transportation than they used to have. Transportation is likely to become much costlier, but that doesn’t suddenly mean absolutely everything must be made locally because that’s the cheapest/best way to do it. More things, most probably (of the things that are still made – I don’t see a long-term future for plastic tat), but not everything as you’re attempting to suggest.

                    “At some stage, other parts of the world may be unable or unwilling to supply us with advanced technology components. We may be short of hard foreign currency, they may be short of production capacity.”

                    Probably in the future New Zealand will continue to have a surplus of food. Japan on the other hand has a deficit in food right now. Trade will exist in the future.

                    I also only picked on computer chips because it’s a commodity item that has high cost of entry and capital requirements, the type of which have be built up over decades in the countries that specialise in it. To suggest that it is *always* better to build stuff yourself, instead of focussing on what you’re good at and making a trade, is pretty evidently false with this example, I think. Given the incredibly usefulness of computers, I’m sure that they will be an industry that continues on for many decades yet – the technology might stagnate or certainly not improve as fast as it does currently, but they’ll still be made.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      I’m familiar with the term but if two factories are working at the same efficiency then economies of scale don’t apply. A hundred years ago with far more manual labour involved it meant something but not any more. Producing locally becomes cheaper by removing the transport costs.

                      Always’ means both now, and in the future. I guess it also means historically.

                      In real terms, yes. Historically, we did produce a lot more here and society was possibly better because of it. The problem, as Marx predicted, is that we went into over production and had to extend our markets to maintain the profits for the capitalists (That’s why the pollies and economists keep going on about an export led recovery. To keep BaU going it needs forever bigger markets). We didn’t, and don’t, need to produce the maximum amount that we can. In fact, we should be minimising how much we produce so as to become sustainable. Increase productivity all you want, just don’t produce any more than what we need.

                      …much more economically than building plants in each country that wanted them.

                      You may not want to build a factory in France if there is one just across the border in Germany but you’d probably still want to build one in Russia. You build them in NZ for the NZ market because NZ happens to be a long way away from everywhere else.

                      Yes, and they started back in the 60′s and 70′s. In other words they’ve got a good half-century of expertise and capital advantage over us.

                      Yeah, so did we. Unfortunately the government pushed farming, and still does, rather than electronics. Rakon does manage to compete with the big guys though. Or, in other words, we have a base we can start with. We trade for what else we need until we have equivalent capability.

                      That’s why America is so good at competing with the Chinese when it comes to mass produced items from factories, I guess.

                      The US isn’t “competing” because the financial system prevents it not because it can’t. Same for us as well to a large extent.

                      No, the best way to do that is to leverage off comparative advantage in each market and trade with each other.

                      Comparative advantage is BS. Every society has the innate capability of providing for itself. You use trade, not to limit yourself, but to supply yourself with products you don’t make until such time as you can make them. Trade is something you minimise, not maximise.

                      Probably in the future New Zealand will continue to have a surplus of food.

                      Probably not actually. Climate Change will do nasty things to our growing climate and the lack of fossil fuels will seriously curtail our ability to farm the rest.

                      And then, after all these economics, I’m going to have to point out that you missed the important bit:

                      That way our society and the economy will develop and progress.

                      Our society doesn’t develop if we remain ignorant farmers out in the back of nowhere and it’s our society that is important. The economy is there to support it and the individuals that make it up not the other way around.

                      Oh, and when I say In real terms I’m talking about actual resources used and not monetary. The monetary economy is delusional.

      • lprent 2.1.2

        I would not advise holding your breath while waiting for hobbit to respond to that. He pops in here to do fire and forget troll comments occasionally.

        Doesn’t do it often enough for my moderation instincts to activate. But he never engages in a conversation – probably because he is more of a mindless parrot than anyone worth talking to.

    • Colonial Viper 2.2

      Just don’t come crying when the IMF come knocking.

      What? NACT is focussing on keeping the IMF happy but keeping NZ workers out of jobs? Like Draco says, the IMF can go fuck itself.

      The countries who have done well for themselves are the ones who have defaulted on their loans and told the IMF where to go.

      I’m waiting for Greece and Spain to follow Iceland’s example and default.

      You gutless Right Wing bank panderer.

      The study by BERL economics was full of holes, even KiwiRail pointed out a handful of them, without digging deep at all. Holes that make a joke of their findings.

      Oh so you belong to the crowd which says that in order to save the NZ economy you have to destroy NZ jobs.

      How full of holes is your brain?

    • Blighty 2.3

      “Never mind the fact that Wellington’s new EMU units were brought from Korea, a deal signed off under Labour”

      ‘They did it too’ is no excuse. In fact, it suggests you know it is wrong but have no valid argument.

      “We’ve never built an EMU unit before.”

      I used to know this guy who was ambitious for New Zealand….

    • RedLogix 2.4

      Never mind the fact that Wellington’s new EMU units were brought from Korea, a deal signed off under Labour.

      Actually it was signed off by Greater Wellington Regional Council who are the owners of the new Matangi EMU units.

      At the time the railway system was still owned by Toll Holdings.

    • Luxated 2.5

      Australia’s latest EMU fleet are being built in China.

      Firstly Australia doesn’t buy trains, never have and quite possibly never will. Train purchases are made at a state level not a federal one. Leaving aside regional rail (not normally EMUs) here are five main centres I am aware of that run sizeable train networks: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

      Adelaide: Isn’t looking to purchase any new rolling stock AFAICT. All previous rolling stock seems to have been supplied by Commonwealth Engineering and its successors.

      Brisbane: New EMUs being produced by the DownerEDI plant in Maryborough. All recent trains in Brisbane have been built in the Marborough plant.

      Melbourne: The new X’trapolis trains are being built by Alstom in Ballarat, the previous train purchase was for the Siemens set which were built in Linz. It should be noted that all train purchases in Melbourne are made by the private operator and have been since 1999. It should also be noted that since 1999 M>Train have pulled out of operating their part of the network and Connex operated the entire network until 2009 when their contract was not renewed due to incompetence (Metro the new operates supposedly aren’t much better).

      Perth: The current fleet was built at Maryborough by DownerEDI/Bombardier.

      Sydney: The previous EMU set (Millenium, still in operation) were constructed by EDI Rail in Cardiff (NSW), the new Waratah sets are partially constructed in China and finished in EDI’s Cardiff plant. Note that the decision to purchase the Waratahs was made by a Labor state government who were just unceremoniously ejected from office for privatising part of the state electricity network (news is that the Liberals have already made themselves unpopular there).

      So to sum up. Most cities/states get their trains produced locally, only one train set is being even partially produced in China, the two sets that have been sourced even partially overseas have been purchased by a private company and a state government which just got thrown out for privatising assets (amongst other things).

      I’m also sure that the three quarters of Australians who don’t live in Sydney will be thrilled that hobbit thinks Sydney == Australia.

    • Jum 2.6

      Hobbit,
      Interesting – since we know Key worked for the IMF and you’re working for him is this a bit of insider trading info, Hobbit? Has Key screwed up NZ enough for IMF to fulfill their part of the bargain to come in and divvy up NZ for the Ayn’al’ Rands of the world like John Key and Roger Douglas?

  3. Chris 3

    Actually historically is was the anti-worker Unions that have created the conditions that have enabled NZ to be uncompetitive in the international workplace in the firsr place. So the answer according to some is to continue the same moronic left socialist mantra of more handouts and subsidies – the kind of ‘welfariesm’ that has got NZ in the crap in the first place.

    • Blighty 3.1

      explain how democratic and voluntary groups of workers are ‘anti-worker’ and present evidence that the union movement made New Zealand unproductive.

      You could start, perhaps with the Stats data that shows growth in labour productivity has slowed since the attacks on unions began in the 1980s and wages have failed to keep up with productivity since then.

      Or you could compare the strength of unions and labour laws in other countries and their wage levels against those in New Zealand. You could start with Australia where they have an awards system.

    • ianmac 3.2

      No Chris. It was not the anti-worker unions, it was the 3,427 occasions when National Party MPs blocked the development of research and development proposed by industry in the years from March 1991 to June 1999 and the 798 occasions 2008-2011 when the Key Government undermined the R&D and blocked the funding for investment. (You see anyone can make stuff up.)

    • The Voice of Reason 3.3

      You’re not wrong, Chris. The anti-worker union, the EMA, has a lot to answer for. And welfare payments to bludgers need to be stopped immediately. No more money for bankrupt businesses, failed get rich quick schemes or foreign companies with their hand out for a nice wee bribe.

    • Vicky32 3.4

      What’s an ‘anti-worker’ union? 😀 Do you even know what unions are?

      • Colonial Viper 3.4.1

        What’s an ‘anti-worker’ union?

        The EMA is an example. So is Federated Farmers.

        Chris above is full of shit however. He ignores the fact for instance that the top 100 NZ rich list is worth $40B between just them. That is more net wealth than the bottom 2 million NZ’ers own.

        This is a wealthy country, its simply that the wealth has been taken by the few and the powerful, and accumulated all for themselves.

        And what are they doing now, when they hold all the influence and all the money?

        Blaming the powerless peasants, of course.

  4. jackal 4

    The Wong’s had something to do with setting this up:

    http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/05/parliaments-wall-of-shame-2.html

    Ms Wong admitted she misused her taxpayer funded travel subsidy by paying for her husband Sammy Wong’s travel to China in late 2008 while he was conducting personal business. Pansy and Sammy Wong’s company Sampan was an agent for Massey, AUT and Lincoln, and the couple would often travel to China to promote this business.

    It was also revealed that a company called PPD engaged Sammy Wong in March 2005 to facilitate meetings with a Chinese business CNR, whose subsidiary Dalian Locomotives subsequently won a contract to supply 20 train locomotives to KiwiRail. There are also questions concerning the huge amounts of money raised by the Wong’s for the National Party which have gone unanswered.

  5. Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5

    This is just why we didn’t want you fuckers buying a useless railway. Last time we owned rail the government ran it like a social service instead of a business and the poor taxpayer had to pour millions into it every year to keep it afloat. And so it begins again.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      Hey dickhead you forgot about the billions of tax payer dollars being poured into useless roads to keep the road transport association boys happy

      government ran it like a social service instead of a business and the poor taxpayer had to pour millions into it every year to keep it afloat.

      The poor tax payer? You are deluding yourself by speaking out against well paid, highly skilled, highly technical jobs for your friends, your relatives, your children. You think NZ is a better place for everyone when we strip ourselves of good jobs and engineering capabilities and instead support China’s good jobs and engineering capabilities with our tax dollars? You really are a deluded Right Wing dickhead.

      Rail jobs and public transport jobs which will be the backbone of this country in an oil depleted economy.

      Fuck the “poor tax payer” meme, do you think the “poor tax payer” does any better for themselves when the Government destroys their jobs and puts them on the dole queue?

      The real poor people are the New Zealanders this Government is putting out of work, and fuck you for thinking just of yourself, not them and their families.

      • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1.1

        Yeah, as I say, so it begins again. Next (because it is only fair) you will demand that Kiwirail pay above market rates to its workers. And that they work a 30 hour week but get paid for 40. And that the crockery gets made in New Lynn.

        And because of what this does to the cost, you will be forced to legislate to make it mandatory to use rail to transport your goods.

        And we will be right back to 1984 again.

        • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1

          And because of what this does to the cost, you will be forced to legislate to make it mandatory to use rail to transport your goods.

          Don’t be moronic, within the next decade diesel will be nearing $10/L and it will do the job for us. No legislation needed.

          You’re a 1980’s idiot for still thinking that North Sea and Saudi oil is still flowing cheaper than water.

          Next (because it is only fair) you will demand that Kiwirail pay above market rates to its workers.

          “MARKET RATES”????

          What the fuck has the MARKET got to do with deciding how much a worker needs to earn to live on and feed their family?

          Fuck the market, time for all NZ workers to have a living wage.

          • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1.1.1.1

            Yeah, and fuck gravity while you’re at it.

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1.1.1

              You’re an idiot even for a human if you think that trading markets and printing money is akin to a fundamental force of the cosmos.

            • pollywog 5.1.1.1.1.2

              Yeah, and fuck gravity while you’re at it.

              …sounds like a good slogan for the Martin Jetpack.

              • Descendant Of Smith

                I mean it’s not like the tax payer subsidies the road transport industry in any way shape or form.

          • KJT 5.1.1.1.2

            Whenever the market shows that workers are worth more the “free market advocates” want to screw with it by such “free market interventions” as removing individuals rights to withdraw their Labour, bringing in underpaid immigrants and expecting Government subsidies for living, training, health and education costs so they can pay workers below the costs of supply.

  6. HC 6

    Who needs a job? We just sell NZ to the Mainland Chinese state controlled corporations and make a deal that they will pay us a benefit until we die. Maybe that is what National is already aiming for, thinking that NZ is totally screwed and not worth saving anymore. I am sure that Hone Key and his consorts have got their retirement homes in Hawaii, the Gold Coast, the Bahamas or wherever else already bought or booked. So it will be no skin off their noses.

    So give everyone a benefit for the rest of their lives and let Mainland China take over and do as they please in future. Jenny Shipley is working for them, and who knows, there may already be others on their payroll as well.

    Good Night NZ!

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    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    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
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days 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
    4 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
    6 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
    7 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
    20 hours 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
    5 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
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  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
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