No Right Turn: Ghost homes should be used to house the homeless

Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, March 14th, 2020 - 100 comments
Categories: housing, Social issues - Tags: , , ,

Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn writes:

____________________________________________________________________________

We have a homelessness problem in New Zealand. We also have 40,000 ghost homes in Auckland alone – properties deliberately left empty by hoarders, who just want to accumulate the tax-free capital gains. Writing in Newsroom, Cat MacLennan suggests looks at how we could use them to solve the homelessness crisis:

In New Zealand, the Government and Auckland Council are examining how vacant houses in the city could be used for the homeless or low-income workers. Mayor Phil Goff has spoken to ministers and says several thousand vacant homes could be pressed into service, perhaps for the Housing First programme, which finds shelter for homeless people, or for workers such as teachers, nurses and police officers who find it hard to obtain affordable accommodation.

We should look overseas to see what is being done there. Reoccupying existing homes is much speedier and cheaper financially than constructing new dwellings – in Scotland, for example, the average cost of renovating an empty property is between £6000 and £25,000, compared with the average new build outlay of £120,000.

In addition, it is less harmful environmentally to renovate than to construct from scratch.

A number of countries now tax homes left vacant for long periods. This raises revenue that councils can use for empty homes work but, more importantly, it is designed to nudge property owners into turning their houses back into homes.

Having houses lying empty in order to accumulate “wealth” while we have homelessness is simply vile. Taxing them is the least we can do. But if it continues, maybe we should look at simply seizing them under the Public Works Act for public use as state or emergency housing (and maybe homeless people should just start doing that themselves, UK-style). Houses should be homes, not investments.

____________________________________________________________________________

100 comments on “No Right Turn: Ghost homes should be used to house the homeless ”

  1. Blazer 1

    A Capital idea that will invoke screams of anguish from the wealthy,from the right.

    A myriad of reasons and excuses for homes being empty will be put forward ,wrapped in outrage about freedom and property rights.

    Levy them till they are utilised.

    • Siobhan 1.1

      "A Capital idea that will invoke screams of anguish from the wealthy,from the right."..

      and from the Middle and from the Scramblers and from the average Labour voter…its the cherry on top of the 'NZ dream' to have enough money invested in property to have a couple of empty spares lying around (a guilty pleasure for those who view home ownership as a money making venture as much as a roof over their head)..

      • RosieLee 1.1.1

        No, it was always the intention for NZers to own their own home so they would have security in their old age. Talking about residential property as an investment and "getting on the property ladder" I find deeply offensive.

        And that's why I believe the failure of this Labour-led government to put CGT on all but the family home is a sellout. NZfirst be damned.

        • Marcus Morris 1.1.1.1

          With you RosieLee. I think this government has done a pretty good job overall but I was very disappointed when JA ruled out a CGT as long as she was in charge. She didn't have to box herself into that corner.

      • mikesh 1.1.2

        I imagine the new occupiers of those houses would pay a modest rent. Therefore the "wealthy" would not be completely out of pocket, and therefore would have less to "scream" about.

        • RosieLee 1.1.2.1

          Modest rent? Rents are exorbitant. The reason why even working couples cannot save for a deposit on a home. The reason why superannuitants and beneficiaries cannot afford more than a basic living.The reason why we have "child poverty"

          • RedLogix 1.1.2.1.1

            If you are renting, try asking if your landlord will show you their books.

            If you're paying $400pw rent, the fixed costs such as insurance, rates, regular maintenance, management and accounting will consume 50% of this. After this will come the variable costs, mortgage interest and/or tax depending on the age of the mortgage.

            Typically you'll be doing well to see $5k pa in profit, which on an investment that is probably worth $500k or more to replace, is pretty slim pickings really.Yes I've no doubt you feel rents are exorbitant, but so are costs everywhere in the housing sector.

            • adam 1.1.2.1.1.1

              Except very low interest rates and no capital gain tax.

              • RedLogix

                At present mortgage rates are low, but this just means it's less of a deductable cost, thus increasing your annual company profit tax. Over the life of the mortgage there is a tradeoff between the table mortgage, the total interest paid to the bank, and the company tax paid to IRD. As one reduces the other increases.

                As for CGT would not be relevant to the annual accounts; it only has any possible impact when the property is sold, which may not be in the lifetime of the owner. Also when the property is sold any depreciation claimed will be included in the tax calculation owed.

                It's a total myth that rental companies don't pay tax.

                • adam

                  "It's a total myth that rental companies don't pay tax."

                  Strawman

                  As for you cgt explanation that a landlord may die – sheesh your worst bullshit argument ever. Did you reread that after you wrote it? Depreciation is sweet bugger all in relation to overall profit – reading that was like watching billionaires cry over having to pay their fair share.

                  You know low interest rates help a lot, and bullshit tax merry-go-round argument is just that, a bullshit merry-go-round argument. Leaving aside the majority of cases were people involved in property, are not paying company tax.

                  Must be hard people being critical of you being a landlord, but take a step back from it if you can – because on this argument your logix has left the building. laugh

                  • RedLogix

                    As for you cgt explanation that a landlord may die

                    Distortion. CGT only applies when the property is sold, and for the majority of landlords who are running a 'buy and hold' strategy, it has precisely zero relevance.

                    Hell if I transfer the business to my family over time (my daughter is already a shareholder), the properties may never be sold in the foreseeable future.

                    The point is that demanding a CGT to solve a problem where it has zero leverage is pretty silly.

                    Besides I’ve consistently argued for TOP’s CCT
                    asset tax which would actually impact my position far more severely than any CGT. Totally against my own self interest. You may want to consider that before spraying bullshit around about my motives.

                    You know low interest rates help a lot

                    Yes they do, but the increased before tax profit attracts higher company tax, so the impact is not as large as you imagine. And if interest rates do rise dramatically rise, it will hit everyone.

                    And again most people imagine depreciation is some kind of tax gift, when it isn’t. It gets paid back eventually.

                    The comments I am making are from 20 years of experience in this game. What is obvious to me is just how much ignorance there is out there, and how many pernicious myths have been built on that ignorance.

                    • adam

                      I've not argued for a cgt, I'm pointing out that there little to no tax on making money off property. cgt being short hand – no need to lose sleep.

                      But no cgt nor any other mechanism to tax making money off property helps landlords, as they can at the very least loan more money on their property – and is even better for those who flip property.

                      Glad you agree that low interest rates help landlords.

                      My comment originally was to point out you missing things.

                      I had hoped you might have noticed I didn't actually want to discuss silly aspects of Liberalism with you. I still don't.

                      I will point out though – your experience "in the game" don't mean a short piece of crap to people paying upwards of 80% of their income to pay rent.

                      And it means even less to those watching themselves and their families suffer under the growing property gap which appears to be gamed against them, and in favour of property owners.

                      Myths exist, becasue people who have the least can never argue with experts – their opinions never count. Plus the experts and managerial types just don't give a fuck about them anyway. Which your comments today have a heavy does of Redlogix, I'm not sure that is by design on your part. But it is coming across that way.

              • mikesh

                Capital gains tax would make no difference since it's not paid until the property is sold.

                • KJT

                  "The number of real rental businesses, like real farmers, rather than Capital gains farmers, is unknown, but the steep rise in prices, for buying and selling land suggests capital gains speculators, rather than long term business operators, are the majority".

            • roblogic 1.1.2.1.1.2

              Boo hoo. And then you sell up and realise millions in tax free capital gains.

              • RedLogix

                So what. Let's look at the typical landlord who has two units. Let's say they purchased them around 1990 for $150k each and now in 2020 they're sold for $700k each leaving after depreciation payback maybe $1.2m left. Now subtract the original capital of $300k and the $500k of interest they probably paid in interest over the life of the mortgage. This now only stacks up to maybe $400k over and above simply putting the same money in a bank account, or Kiwisaver, for 30 years.

                Now let them retire at 65 and assume they both live active lives until their mid-80's another 20 years. That extra $400k from their rental business, spread over 20 years doesn't even double their Superannuation. It's welcome extra income, but they're scarcely rich.

                Then of course if they do need residential care, their asset base will be too high to qualify for an RCS subsidy, so they’ll get to pay that privately as well.

                Of course if they accepted more risk and took on more units they would have done much better, but these people are the exception.

                • Marcus Morris

                  No one will probably read this but you have omitted to include the case where the landlord has probably (often against equity built up in other properties he/she owns) borrowed to buy the units in the first place. He/she knows that, not only will the rent cover the mortgage payments and more but that all interest paid on the loan is tax deductable against nett income from the rental paid. In the meantime he/she is making considerable capital gain which, in turn, is not taxed on sale. In the final analysis the property owner has made a considerable profit with very little outlay – exactly as predicted by Bob Jones when he promulgated the doctrine of "mortgage gearing".

                  • RedLogix

                    If you think it's so easy try doing it yourself. The income is always riskier and less than you expect, and the expenses higher and more certain.

                    Yes you can leverage yourself up to the eyeballs to do this, but you will encounter at least a decade of needing to pump in personal funds to keep it afloat. It doesn't take much for it to all go badly wrong.

                    • Marcus Morris

                      Actually I have – not on a large scale but certainly experienced all the advantages I have mentioned above. I guess that a key point is the quality of the home you purchase and the reliability of the property managers you engage. However, I can assure that it works alright. Why are there so many landlords with multi properties if it doesn't.

            • Molly 1.1.2.1.1.3

              Your calculations include both a full capital investment, and a mortgage.

              If someone has a mortgage at the lowest equity rate of 20% on a $500,000 rental, then they have only invested $100,000 of their own. The remaining $400,000 in equity is realised by the tenancy income, over the course of the mortgage.

              So, a $5,000 return is quite a good one in terms of current interest rates.

              Not to mention, capital gains also increases equity over time. As many know, and use that increase in value to purchase other rentals.

              • RedLogix

                True there is a number of different ways to calculate ROI. The fact that the tenancy income pays off the majority of equity over 20 years or more cuts both ways … it doesn't land up in the landlord's pocket, it goes to the bank.

                I simplified my description above, there are a lot more expenditure line items and only one that produces income. Indeed often for the first decade or so costs exceed income considerably, and the landlord is putting equity in from their other day job. They're effectively subsidising their tenant's housing during this period in the hope that 20 years later there will be a reward.

                But however you cut it, the actual cash flow profit from a typical tenancy isn't all that flash. $5k pa doesn't put anyone into the filthy rich category.

                • KJT

                  Why do you bother then?

                  Altruism towards your tenants?

                  The fact is, your characterisation, of a landlord living off the rental income in retirement is not generally what happens.

                  The reality is that the landlord expects the tenants to pay the mortgage off, so they can sell the house to a bigger sucker when they retire, for several 100 thousand in capital gains. Making money out of the rent is not a goal. They get taxed if they do. Better to put the money into doing up the house to get more money on sale. If you have a good accountant, you can even use the money spent, to reduce the tax on your day job.

                  A good lurk for those of us that already have enough equity in one or more houses to get bank finance for a second. In effect we can gain several hundred thousand dollars with a net expenditure, of zero. While pushing up house prices so high that our tenants can never buy a house.
                  I see it happening in our area. Aucklanders, often young ones with parents with Auckland houses, buying up houses as “investments” and putting tenants in. To the detriment of local youngsters, who can no longer afford them on Whangarei wages.

                  • RedLogix

                    Why do you bother then?

                    This is a question many smaller mum and dad landlords are increasingly asking themselves.

                    The problem of funding a comfortable retirement is non-trivial. Given that you can easily find yourself unemployable from the age of 50 onward, and these days live into your 90's, this is a very long time indeed to self fund even a modest lifestyle from savings or investment. Plus we only have one or two children these days, who often live in different cities or countries, and we can no longer rely on them to directly support us as we traditionally did.

                    Putting your money into the bank goes backward. Kiwisaver is a pretty weak mechanism (especially compared to the Australian equivalent) and wasn't available to me most of my working life.

                    The NZ sharemarket is too small and incestuous; it's almost impossible to avoid insider advantage in some form or another. Most people of my generation do not trust it.

                    80% of small businesses fail in the first year, great if you can afford to throw your life savings and home away, but too risky for most people.

                    This left residential rentals as the best of a bad bunch, which accounts for why many people entered the industry. (The one positive thing you can take from this is that in contrast to many other countries who typically have relatively few landlord entities, who may operate 10's of thousands of units, rental ownership in NZ is highly diverse and spread out over a lot of people.) Still even this option is becoming less attractive.

                    Economists keep telling us we must trim NZ Super back relentlessly; so even this safety net looks less secure than ever,

                    We are not called the 'bookend generation' for nothing; we're often financially supporting our own parents one way or another, while our children look to us for cash to finance their own aspirations. The idea that we're all filthy rich parasites is plain ignorant and actually offensive.

                    Human psychology is weird; we embrace celebrities and highly successful/fortunate individuals because we tend to put them on pedestals remote from our own lives. But woe betide our next door neighbour who is doing just a little bit better than us … this is what the kulaks discovered to their horror.

                    • KJT

                      The "bookend generation" is correct.

                      And, I can see why housing is an "attractive investment".

                      Shares, as Keynes said, are a casino, bearing little resemblance to reality.

                      The lack of people starting real small businesses, instead "investing in housing", Kulaks, is holding us back. We need Government to fill the hole.

                      As someone who had a "successful" small business, it ran for 13 years while I owned it, the success rate is much better than 80%, if you count all the tradespeople and service people.

                      The lack of risk and guaranteed high returns from house price rises is pushing out any other investment.

                      However the huge amount of money tied up, in paying banks to increase house prices, and the population increase required to keep them going up, is Killing our economy, and our society.

                      A better retirement strategy, would have been keeping super at a reasonable rate and paying enough taxes to invest in things that really did pay off in New Zealand's capability to support the elderly, in future. Education, health, infrastructure, small farms, State housing and supporting small local business. However you all, voted for tax cuts and immigration, to keep your Capital gains intact.

                      Embracing celebrities may be you? However the rock singer is taking much less from our individual community, than the owner of a dozen rentals down the street.

                    • RedLogix

                      The lack of risk and guaranteed high returns from house price rises is pushing out any other investment.

                      In terms of risk/reward rentals sit roughly between putting money into the bank or kiwisaver and running your own business.

                      Relatively few people have the appetite for the risk involved in a high capital business, but a lot more can tolerate rentals. But the returns are correspondingly lower. After all if you had $1m of capital at stake and only made $10k pa profit in a tough business, you’d be pretty disappointed.

                      if you count all the tradespeople and service people.

                      These are forms of self-employment based largely on labour value only, with only a modest capital investment. Yes they have real cash flow risks, but typically there isn't millions of dollars of capital at risk as well. In the context of this conversation they're a different class of business.

                    • KJT

                      Maybe it depends on how you got the money?

                      I'm better off than most of the people around me.

                      But I get respect, rather than resentment.

                      But then. I really did earn it through hard work.

                      Helped of course, by our formerly excellent public education and apprenticeship, systems.

                    • KJT

                      Trades and services where you put in your own labour, are the only form of business most of us can afford.

                      However we add real value to our community, which millionaire, "investors" and indeed any housing speculators, do not.

                      To claim that pushing house prices up, with all the money in interest and capital repayments going to offshore banks, instead of the community, is not a parasitical activity, is just self delusion.
                      Which will probably come home to roost when all that money cannot buy you a good retirement, because our third world economy hasn’t the resources to give it to you.

                    • RedLogix

                      But I get respect, rather than resentment. But then. I really did earn it through hard work.

                      Yes I accept that running your own business is hard work, after all I did it myself for almost a decade as a contract engineer. But the returns were a great deal higher on far less capital at risk.

                      A large part of this resentment is because most tenants don't see what it took to provide them with the home they live in. They don't see the risks that bad tenants pose, they don't see the cash flow juggling that goes on, they don't see their landlord's costs and expenses and imagine the entire rent goes directly into his/her pocket. They don't see the tripling of insurance costs, or the relentless rise of rates, and all the other expenditure line items. They don't see the personal funds pumped into the business for a decade or more to keep it afloat. They don't understand how the business works at all because it's entirely invisible to them.

                      And into that vacuum of unawareness, all too often rushes resentment and envy, stoked by people like you.

                      Which will probably come home to roost when all that money cannot buy you a good retirement, because our third world economy hasn’t the resources to give it to you.

                      So much for the left pretending that it wants to eradicate poverty. And no we don’t have a third world economy, you need to get out more.

                    • KJT

                      I think I have adequately explained, why the resentment is justified.

                    • RedLogix

                      Your mistake is in thinking that resentment is ever 'justified'.

                      It's actually just toxic; all the ancient scriptures tell us this. Hell it's the exact story of Abel and Cain.

                    • KJT []

                      Very convenient for the person who is shafting the poor, if they are not allowed to"resent it".

                      So. You can continue, without any problems

                      In fact I've no problem with people who are jobless and living in a car, resenting the people whose self interest put them there.

                      It is entirely justified.

                    • RedLogix

                      Well yes, but resentment and bitterness alone will merely ensure a longer stay in that car.

                      There is a deeper theme running here; the wealthy have a moral obligation to avoid falling into the trap of arrogance, hubris and entitlement. And the left just loves to point this out.

                      While at the same time the left seems to struggle with the idea that the poor may have moral obligations as well. This is the fundamental problem with the ‘victim’ game, it erases individual agency and replaces it with the darkness of identity groups and power games.

                    • KJT

                      "The poor are poor, because they deserve to be".

                      Recycling another right wing meme.

                      Very convenient rationalisation, if you want to justify continuing keeping people in poverty so a few can become rich, making money off them.

                      But. Untrue.

                      How can the poor be expected to have responsibilities, when they have no power, or agency.

                    • mikesh

                      Embracing celebrities may be you? However the rock singer is taking much less from our individual community, than the owner of a dozen rentals down the street.

                      A rock singer could hardly be considered a typical small business and, in any case, much of his income should probably be regarded as "economic rent", based on his talent.

                    • RedLogix

                      "The poor are poor, because they deserve to be".

                      The individual and the society they live in have a mutually interdependent relationship. Each has mutual rights and responsibilities.

                      The left is very fond of insisting that the rich have all the agency and holding them accountable for all the evils in the world, while pretending the poor are always the helpless victims of circumstance beyond their control.

                      The right asserts the exact opposite, that the wealthy are the virtuous saviours of humanity, while the ‘poor deserve what they get’.

                      Both are false narratives that distorts reality and only reinforces the drivers of inequality. The harsh truth is that unless anyone is ready to take responsibility for their life, it is impossible to help them. Telling them they are never responsible and have no personal agency only perpetutates their helplessness. And the wealthy equally are responsible for to use their wealth constructively and remain engaged in the communities who helped make them rich.

                    • KJT []

                      Telling someone who cannot get a job when a room costs $250 a week, and they are getting less than that, to "take responsibility" is just a sick, joke.

                    • RedLogix

                      I'd have more respect if you didn't persist in narrow reductionist arguments, this is a deep topic that deserves better.

                    • KJT []

                      “Here is the letter written by King Leopold II of Belgium to the missionaries traveling to the Congo in 1883 to spread Christianity:

                      "Reverend Fathers and Dear Compatriots; The task asked of you to accomplish is very delicate and demands much tact and diplomacy. Fathers, you are going to preach the Gospel, but your preaching must be inspired by first, the interest of the Belgium government state.

                      The main goal of your mission in the Congo is not to teach the Negro the knowledge of God, because they already know him. They talk and commit themselves to their God. They know that killing, stealing, adultery and blasphemy are not good.

                      Your role essentially will be to easily facilitate the task of the administrative and industrial personnel. That is to say, you will interpret the gospel in a way to protect and serve the interest of Belgium, in that part of the world. To do so you will see that our savages be not interested in the riches that their soil possesses in order that they not want them. Thus, they be not involved in murderous competition with us and dream to live a luxurious life.

                      Your knowledge of the scriptures will help us to use special texts that recommended the infidels to love poverty such as, “The Beatitudes”, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”; and "It is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.

                      You will do all that you can to cause the Negro to fear being rich in order that they may go to heaven. From time to time, keep them from rebelling and keep them in fear that you will use violence. You will teach them to endure anything, even when they are insulted or beaten by your compatriots (administrative).

                      You will teach them that whosoever uses vengeance is not a child of God. You will cause them to follow the example of the Saints who turned the other cheek. You will take them away from anything or any act that gives them the courage to confront us. I am alluding myself here to their magic, i.e., Ju-Ju, Voodoo.

                      They should not feel like abandoning their Ju-Ju, and you will do your best to take them away at the same time. Your action will be essentially on the younger people that they might not rebel. If the commandments of the Father is in conflict with what the parents teach, the child should learn to obey what the missionary teaches him because he is the father of his soul. We must force them into submission and obedience.

                      Dear compatriots, these are some of the principles you must apply. You will find many more in the book that will be given to you at the end of this session. Teach the Gospel to the Negroes in an African style, in order that they are kept submissive to the White colonist. They would not rebel against the injustice done to them by the colonist. Make them always meditate on “Blessed be those that who weep, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Convert the Africans always by means of the whip. Keep their wives in submission for nine months, so they can work for you graciously. Require from them an offering of recognition to you; goats, chickens, eggs, each time you visit their village. Avoid, by all means, the Blacks becoming rich. Cause them to sing each and every day say that it’s “Impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven”.

                      Make them pay tithes each Sunday for church. Utilize this money that is intended for the poor, for our own business investments. Institute a system of confession, which will make you good detectives in order to denounce/put down every Black which has a spirit of rebellion against the system.

                      Teach the Negroes that their statues are works of the devil, confiscate them and fill our museums with them. Teach the Negro to forget about their heroes in order to worship and give praise to ours. Don’t give a seat to a Negro when they come to see you, at the most just give him a cigarette.

                      Don’t invite him to break bread with you, even if he gave you a chicken every time you went to see him. Consider all blacks as little children, and require from them to refer to you as father.

                      My dear compatriots; if you apply to the letter all this, the interest of Belgium in the Congo will be protected for many centuries. I thank you."

                      King Leopold II of Belgium.”

                      Sound familiar. Just substitute “poor” for Negros.

                    • RedLogix

                      There is no connection between what I am saying and that letter above, except in the twisted recesses of your idle fantasies.

                      Nonetheless I’ve no doubt you think highly of yourself in pulling what you think is a very clever trick. Enjoy.

                    • KJT []

                      I didn't think you would like the parallels. To close to the bone.

                    • RedLogix

                      There is no parallel whatsoever, except with the fantasy projection in your head.

                      I've encountered this kind of problem before on completely different topics; on the basis of reductionist caricatures derived from some idiot dogma, you become blind to the words I'm typing and leap directly to pre-formed conclusions that have zero basis in reality.

                      If I'm disappointed it's in this; instead of hearing something thoughtful, something that genuinely comes from your broad experience of life and your reflections on it, something a little courageous even … all I get are safe, predictable ideological soundbites that could come from any one of millions identikit undergrad rantings. It's boring.

                      What’s worse is that I know you are better than this.

              • mikesh

                That depends on how the $5000 "return" is arrived at. If the $5000 is merely the principal component of the mortgage repayment, then it is not a true return. i.e. if the return based on cash flow is zero, the landlord may still be recording a "book" profit due to the fact that that the principal component is not deductible from revenue when arriving at the profit figure.

  2. Pingao 2

    Taxation is a reasonably good idea but it would have to have some clear rules. For example, in some places, the whole area may be having a population decline. Another example – in Christchurch we still have a lot of empty houses in the east as the home owners are still negotiating with their insurance company &/or EQC or builders/repairers or have simply run out of energy or have more pressing issues to deal with.

  3. A 3

    Waiting for the screams of "we'll have to put the rents up!"

    This is now absolutely critical due to the virus. Homeless and down with Covid…and the spread between homeless and charities/churches/marae helping them….whatever it takes to avoid this must be done.

  4. Janet 4

    A situation that graphically highlights "He who pocesses a surplus pocesses the goods of another." I hope this surplus is spread around the needy in the community soon – like before winter..

  5. It is of course unappealing and economically inefficient to have houses empty while others are living in cars nearby. Even worse would be the even larger number of people living on their own in houses with 3 or more bedrooms, this has to be an even greater problem.

    There is only one rational solution to this, the state seizes all private property and gifts it to iwi (who are the only true owners over everything in NZ) and let them allocate homes on whatever basis suits them. The state then dissolves itself preventing any future govt attempting to undo this; which addresses the NZ state's lack of Constitutional justification.

    Solves three major problems in one simple, clean ideologically satisfying move.

    • KJT 5.1

      Reductio in absurdum.

      A tax on houses that are MT, CGT that we should have had all along, and maybe even squatters rights like the UK, will suffice, to offset the economic and social inefficiency of empty, “investment” houses.

      • RedLogix 5.1.1

        Not really, each of the steps outlined above are ideas I've heard expressed directly either here or elsewhere. Just very few people are willing to put them altogether and examine the logical consequences out loud.

        The first step is essentially the agenda of the OP, given that NRT has gone full metal communist on us in recent years.

        The second step is a widely held narrative. Hell even that renegade leftie Gareth Morgan has said as much, and I've heard Maanu Paul, the head of the NZ Maori Council express exactly the same sentiment in person.

        And the third step, given that the colonising settler state cannot functionally co-exist with prior legitimate claims of iwi sovereignty, it is is only logical for the state to dissolve itself. It’s a bit radical, but would certainly put a dampener on any reactionary forces.

        But maybe this is all a hypothetical distraction. Rather than a CGT which only has any impact on the sale of a property (which for most buy and hold investors will never happen in their lifetimes), TOP's Comprehensive Capital Tax (CCT) which is a much smaller amount collected annually would indeed have an impact on behaviour. If faced with a minimum annual tax of say $5-10k pa, leaving a house empty and not earning any income, suddenly becomes much less palatable.

    • roblogic 5.2

      What is so terrible about nationalising stuff? We have a history ya know. And countries like Sweden and Germany manage their rental markets a lot stricter than we do here in the land of exploitation.

      NZ should nationalise all empty “Ghost” houses under the public works act (with appropriate compensation), and begin a programme of nationalising the entire for-profit rental market. Only nonprofits like the Salvation Army should be allowed to provide social housing in future.

      And while we’re on a socialism spree, let’s take over the insurance and real estate “markets” as well. ACC is more than capable of expanding into other forms of insurance. Real estate agencies are leeches. Also capital gains taxes should be 80%. Housing is a human necessity not an investment vehicle.

      • pat 5.2.1

        you may wish to talk with some Christchurch EQ(C) victims before rushing to nationalise insurance

        • KJT 5.2.1.1

          A consequence of trying to run EQC, "like a (private) business". The usual right wing “disaster capitalism” of running state provision into the ground, to try and make privatisation look like an alternative.

          Several Christchurch residents at my work had, or are still having even more harrowing experiences with private insurance companies.

          • RedLogix 5.2.1.1.1

            What is so terrible about nationalising stuff?

            There you go, and just a few comments ago you were telling me that I had gone all 'reductio ad absurdam' and that NRT wasn't really communist …. we have a pretty normal lefty like roblogic openly advocating nationalisation.

            My question, is what is the justification for just stopping at empty or inefficiently utilised homes and property? Why do you imagine that only other people's property would not be seized by the state?

            • Drowsy M. Kram 5.2.1.1.1.1

              RL could you clarify whether you think that the solution you put forward @5 is the best way to go, or do you think that it doesn't go far enough? "There is only one rational solution… Solves three major problems in one simple, clean ideologically satisfying move."

              Your solution seems eminently (and possibly imminently) sensible to me, but then your comments @5.1.1 and @5.2.1.1.1 suggest that it might be a step too far, or not far enough?

              Maybe the owners of each of those 40,000 empty homes in Auckland could pay someone a token amount to occupy their under-utilised assets, thus putting them beyond the reach of the odious state apparatchiks laugh

              Heck, at only mild personal inconvenience, the owners of unoccupied homes could simply move from home to home on a daily basis, thus securing their personal wealth from the grasp of the entitled have-nots. In any event, and notwithstanding the premise of the post (which I heartily endorse), the wealthy in NZ have it ‘made‘ – “In property we Trust“!

              https://www.yourinvestmentpropertymag.com.au/news/in-property-we-trust-80605.aspx

              • RedLogix

                Your solution seems eminently (and possibly imminently) sensible to me,

                Yes indeed I've long understood, since the 80's, that this was always the long term goal of the hard left in this country. Congratulations on being honest about it, that I can respect.

                As for my alternative options, well it's as well to have fallback positions in remote case the NZ electorate doesn't enthusiastically consent to your first 'eminently sensible' choice .devil

                BTW I have in the past advocated a number of times that all land could be nationalised and title allocated to local govt. Then instead of paying rates, we would simply pay rent. There is plenty of leasehold land like this in NZ, so there is functional precedent. Most importantly it would prevent speculation in land values, which is the primary driver of our current affordability problem.

                But whenever I’ve suggested this … crickets.

                • Drowsy M. Kram

                  So, despite what you wrote @5, you're not actually in favour of nationalisation; for example no bail-out of Air New Zealand? Or you are in favour, a la @2:37 pm above?

                  "Nationalisation and privatisation will always illicit vigorous public debate on whether one or the other is right or wrong. However, when it comes to where we sleep, what we eat, and what we wear at the very least, we would all much rather have more and better choices at lower, more competitive prices."

                  All well and good for those that have a choice (and perhaps a wide choice) about where they sleep, but the normalisation of house hoarding is denying many that 'choice'. Just the way it is.

                  http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2020/02/time-to-crack-down-on-house-hoarding.html

                  • RedLogix

                    But I have previously written in favour of effectively nationalising all land … so where exactly does that fit in?

                    Besides the obvious response to an intention to nationalise the entire private rental property sector is for landlords to en-mass kick out tenants everywhere and give it to a family member to live in. That would have a whole cascade of consequences, many quite unintended.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram

                      That's what I'm trying to understand – "where exactly does that fit in?"
                      Your recent comments/replies leave me none the wiser sad

                      RL and (Re)nationalisation: For, Against, or ‘It depends‘?

                • KJT

                  Bloody "communist".

                  It is, in fact, how Singapore operates. The State gets a lot of it’s income from ground rents.

                  Allowing the low income taxes, that the right wing like to quote, forgetting that the whole place is run like a giant SOE.

                  • RedLogix

                    it is, in fact, how Singapore operates. The State gets a lot of it’s income from ground rents.

                    This is an idea I've mentioned a number of times here over the years, but so many lefties are so obsessed with a fucking useless CGT, they completely ignore what I'm saying.

                    Hell I even repeated it a 2:37 pm on this very thread and no-one but DMK noticed.

                    • KJT

                      Probably because most people you call "hard left" are a long way from being "communists".

                      The State, owning all land will never fly in New Zealand. The "quarter acre" is too much part of our culture.

                      However restricting the ownership of land over the "quarter acre", or a genuine, "family farm" is rather popular, exemplified by the public support of restrictions on wealthy buyers of large estates.

                      Capital gains tax will come. It is effective, and also necessary to broaden the tax base.
                      Probably from a right wing party, when the capability to soak the working class for taxes is taken away, because they have dropped wages too much. How will they maintain the police and army to protect them from the "pitchforks" otherwise.

                    • mikesh

                      Since ground rents would, in all probability, be based on the value of the land, capital gain would be included in ground rents as the value of the land increased.

                    • RedLogix

                      @mike

                      Indeed that is one of a number of attractive aspects. The one that first prompted me to consider this idea is that leasehold land is reasonably common in NZ, usually either Church owned, Trust lands of various types or Maori iwi owned. In one instance I know of the Porirua City Council holds title to all of the city centre land and derives a significant income from land rent. And of course there is Singapore (and Dubai IIRC) who do exactly the same. None of these are considered 'communist' regimes, because they still allow a relatively high degree of freedom around what use the land is put to.

                      After all what almost always matters to people is not title to the land itself, but the secure right to occupy it and put it to some use of value to them.

                      The interesting element is because the banks cannot put the value of the land down as security, this limits the amount they can lend against the total property and inherently dampens asset price speculation.

                      Another idea promoted by Steve Keen, is the notion of limiting the amount banks can lend against a property to around 12 times the annual imputed rental income.

                      Or we could seriously consider TOP's Comprehensive Capital Tax (CCT) that annually levies a small, but extremely broad tax, over all asset classes. Unlike a CGT which only has any impact if the property is sold (and if I was going to be hit with a 30% tax I'd be highly motivated to never sell), a CCT has a direct and immediate annual impact of behaviour, motivating people to use their capital to generate positive taxable income, which is good for the tax base and economy at the same time.

                    • KJT

                      Legally, in fact, apart from Māori land under original Iwi ownership, all land in NZ , is "owned" by the crown. A title is just that. A right to occupy in perpetuity.

                    • mikesh

                      The interesting element is because the banks cannot put the value of the land down as security, this limits the amount they can lend against the total property and inherently dampens asset price speculation.

                      My brother once owned a house on land owned by Napier CC. He and other householders in the same position were trying to pressure the council into selling them the land. I think it may have been because they feared missing out on capital gains.

                • mikesh

                  I think the only way the government could afford to to nationalize all land (excluding maori land), would be if:

                  (a) it was stipulated that compensation paid should first of all be used to pay off any outstanding mortgage; and

                  (b) government bonds be issued to cover any remainder.

                  • RedLogix

                    Yes I agree, while the idea has technical merit, I'm fully aware that there are many serious obstacles to any real world implementation.

                    But sometimes just working ideas through hypothetically can open up fresh avenues of thinking.

                  • pat

                    the Gov could 'afford' to nationalise all the land (and pay compensation) but it would require cognisance of the impact on the desireability of the NZD

            • roblogic 5.2.1.1.1.2

              Normal? I question your judgement! 🤓Economic far left, social conservative, Christian

              • RedLogix

                I'm delighted you've expressed yourself openly and honestly on your hope to go full communist. However before inflicting this on the rest of us, how about going abroad and living in a nation that has a non-authoritarian, prosperous, and fully nationalised communist economy for a while. Given it's such a good idea, there must be quite a few choices out there, especially ones that openly embrace Christianity.

                And write back to us telling us how wonderful it is. That might persuade me.

                • roblogic

                  I mentioned 2 (non-communist) countries that I feel NZ should emulate, before I indulged in a bit of spitballing. Wanting a more equitable society isn’t communism.

                  • RedLogix

                    Fair enough. Nothing wrong with a bit of spitballing given how often I do it myself blush

                    Yes Germany and Sweden have different rental regimes, and considering their quite different historic and cultural experience with home ownership this is to be expected.

                    Too often however lefties like to point to all the reasons why tenants might like the German system (I've no experience with the Swedes), but fail to mention the significant extra obligations it places on them as well.

                    This has been my point all along, all well and good to raise standards in the rental market, but the increased rights and responsibilities need to cut both ways.

                • KJT

                  Redlogix.

                  By your definition, Singapore is communist.

                  Actually, it is rather a pleasant place to live.

            • mikesh 5.2.1.1.1.3

              The justification for nationalizing empty properties is that they are not being used "productively". However, things could get rather messy when it comes to determining whether occupied houses are "sufficiently" occupied.

          • pat 5.2.1.1.2

            "A consequence of trying to run EQC, "like a (private) business".

            You appear somewhat confused….any insurance company , private or state operates in the same reinsurance market.

            And you will find that although most involved have little complimentary to say about insurance companies the most disparaging and almost universal criticism was saved for EQC

            • KJT 5.2.1.1.2.1

              Yes. Because people expected private insurance companies to be arseholes. They didn't disappoint.

              Not many realised, until Christchurch, how much successive Neo-liberal Governments had run down the States, EQC's, capability.

              • pat

                yes. people largely did expect IC's to be arseholes and didnt expect wholesale incompetence and worse, dishonesty from their Government agency but that demonstrates that simply moving the role of insurance to the public realm is no solution to the problems presented…..much the same can be said of ACC in reverse.

                • KJT

                  Not really.

                  What it shows, is that right wing Governments/Managers are just as incompetent at running State owned providers, as they are private ones.

                  That the deliberate policy of running down State health, ACC, insurance, housing and other State providers, to transfer assets to their cronies in the private sector, exemplified by Coleman, with health in the last Government, ends up costing us all more in the long run, is no surprise.

                  • pat

                    It demonstrates the ability/desire of the electorate to provide the funding to provide the wherewithal of an unsustainable system….that is why neoliberalism was widely adopted, it provided a (false) sense that the problems could be solved by the superiority of 'efficiencies of the private market' and removed much of the political pressure to provide more than was possible

      • RosieLee 5.2.2

        Yes 100%

      • Ad 5.2.3

        What criteria would you use for labeling it a "ghost house"? After all it's the last thing you'd do in government.

        You will recall when we used to have the BNZ, and State Insurance – and of course the NZ Government bailout of AMI only two years ago.

        Nationalisation was useful when there were huge pressures on the state like reinventing society after the devastation of World War 2. It's not an impossible scenario. But it's for use in extremes.

    • mikesh 5.3

      Land ultimately belongs to the community as a whole, and private ownership is a privilege extended to those who need it for various purposes. The land under vacant houses should therefor be nationalized on the grounds that it is not being used for some useful purpose. Homeless people being moved into those houses would pay rent, which would then be split between the owner and the government, apportioned in accordance with the respective values of the house and the land.

  6. Ad 6

    The more efficient forces are:

    Airbnb and Bookabach.co.nz, bachcare.co.nz, holidayhouses.com, homeaway.co.nz, bachstay.co.nz, etc etc

    These are stronger reallocative forces than anything the state could come up with.

    And they are good for everyone.

    • SPC 6.1

      How are they good for those lacking affordable housing? They are good for those seeking a return (and better return than renting to tenants) off their property assets.

      One could argue they are supplanting motels and this allows the government to buy them for emergency housing …

      But they also encourage people to buy up holiday camps (everyman affordability) and develop property assets for use by those of the upper income deciles.

      • Ad 6.1.1

        The renting websites strongly encourage higher use of every room, as well as higher use of houses that are under-used.

        In terms of your everyman note, the original Tourist Hotel Corporation had that end.

  7. SPC 7

    The two extreme options

    1. Allow squatting.

    2. Assess a rental income for the property and after one year without being used as a residence tax the owner as if they were being rented out.

    • mac1 7.1

      That might be the first tax they paid!

      The idea has an historical parallel in the land tax placed on large land holdings under the 1891-1912 Liberal government.

      "The government increased land taxes on large estates to encourage owners to subdivide. In 1894 Parliament passed the Land for Settlements Act, giving the government powers to acquire land when offered it by its owner, or compulsorily. However, compulsory acquisition was rare. Many landowners subdivided and sold land on the private market, especially after a growth in the prices for meat and dairy products after 1895 made farming for export more profitable. Others chose to sell to the government because it saved time and uncertainty. Most vendors kept part of their estate for themselves."

      https://teara.govt.nz/en/land-ownership/page-5

  8. barry 8

    Can you stop abusing the word "home". If no-one lives there it is unambiguously not a "home".

  9. Jonty 9

    If Jacinda lets he market work the valuation of those homes from speculators should plummet very shortly and the banks foreclose. Problem is the poor still won’t be able to live in them as the only buyers will be cash ones.

  10. Peter B 10

    Due to a weird quirky section we have 11 neighbours, most are state houses.

    4 are bordered up, all 4 are state houses.

    We have lived there for over 20 years and only once seen a bordered up statie, after the tenants trashed it big time, something some are very good at. But over the last 2 years bordered up state houses have become very common. So has moving the house off site and growing large weeds in it's place.

    • David Mac 10.1

      11 neighbours, wow, I don't miss that. I have a neighbour on either side, neither of them can hear me whistling the dog.

      Are any of the boarded up places facing the street?

      Words are mightier than the sword. Some jolly scoundrel could spray-paint. "A family could be living here." Right across the front of that place, jolly scoundrels.

      • David Mac 10.1.1

        I guess the *grafitti squad would show up and paint over any poignant message.

        Then, if a bloody jolly scoundrel returned and sprayed. "Uh-oh, we'll need to squeeze in 2 families."

        Provided a history is retained, that's when shit gets viral.

        *Do you think grafitti squads have priorities? Does 'Politician A' make a call "That garbage on the Kyber Pass overpass, it needs to be gone by midday."

        • David Mac 10.1.1.1

          I can't keep a brief articulate slagging up on the Kyber Pass overpass past 2pm.

          I'm kidding, Jail wouldn't suit me. Like most of us, I grafitti here.

  11. David Mac 11

    A few people, not many, see more income from an additional property via Airbnb etc than they would if they had a long-term tenant in place. Most Airbnb hosts are out to assist with the non mortgage overheads.

    Airbnb are offering those that have booked and wish to cancel 100% refunds, all those sites are. Airbnb offerings in NZ's coastal locations are well into shoulder season after a strong Summer. Droughts = good demand for beach places.

    In the Northern hemisphere they are in that stage of the year when the Airbnb bookings are being placed. The visits aren't for some months but now is when deposits get paid, plans made. We dodged a bullet, so far.

    I wonder if we might see an influx of rentals and an easing on pricing now that the Airbnb thing is tanking.

    • David Mac 11.1

      I think it's a given that we'll see rental houses available numbers rise in areas with Winter pull. Queenstown is notorious for being reasonable rental place scarce. Airbnb action there for this Winter will be slim and losing weight fast.

  12. John Irving 12

    Tax Ghost Houses 1% on the basis of what the owner thinks their house is worth. But on condition the Council has the right to procure the house at the stated value: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/119593887/heres-how-the-government-could-force-you-to-sell-your-house-for-state-housing

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    31 mins ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 hours ago
  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 hours ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 hours ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    4 hours ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    5 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    9 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    9 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    11 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    12 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    14 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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 ...
    2 days 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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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

  • 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
    3 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
    8 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
    10 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
    10 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
    24 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
    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
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T06:54:19+00:00