Evangelicals may be only 28% of the US electorate as a whole now, but only 3 House Republicans joined with Democrats last week to vote for the Equality Act which bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Trump's speech today to CPAC is going to be a theatrical wonder of the tropes these people adore.
20 God spoke, and these were his words: 2 “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves.
3 “Worship no god but me.
4 “Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. 5 Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 6 But I show my love to thousands of generations[a] of those who love me and obey my laws.
Verses 4 thru to 6 are all part of the 2nd Commandment.
Some of the commandments have extra explanatory verses added – just to make things clear.
I put this up to show just how hypocritical this sector of the American society can be. Some in this sector look upon the chump as a Messiah! And in some sense that is precisely what he is to them. 2000 years ago the Jewish people were also looking for a Messiah. Then, after generations of oppression and exile, it meant God intervening in the world in a way in which the people couldn’t do by themselves. It would be a time of great tribulation, some kind of super-human figure out of Marvel comics would appear, who would remake the world, destroy the hostile powers (there would be a lot of blood shed) and bring down a new Jerusalem from heaven where the dispersed Jews from all over the world could return and gather. Then would follow a new age of peace and goodness that would last forever. Essentially this is how those on the religious right in America perceive the chump.
Now the artist behind the huge statue of Trump – Tommy Zegan – has revealed that the object was made in Mexico; a country that has been the target of much Trump racist abuse over his political career, and somewhere he has literally sought to build a wall against.
“It was made in Mexico,” Zegan told Politico’s Playbook newsletter. Zegan, who lives in Mexico on a permanent resident visa, described the transport of the monument to CPAC in full to Playbook.
Politico reported: “Zegan spent over six months crafting the 200lb fiberglass statue with the help of three men in Rosarito. He transported it to Tampa, Florida, where it was painted in chrome, then hauled it from there to CPAC.”
The PM seemed to acknowledge on RNZ today the difficulties for some people in accessing payment for personal work absence for COVID related reasons.
Surely it is time to let individuals have a go at handling this by quoting their IRD no., and organising their own direct payments through IRD. Company wide issues, such as downturns, layoffs, etc. the employer can handle. Enough employers have shown already what they think of Mr Robertson’s “high trust” model! Though to be fair, a number of prominent employers seem to have taken it more seriously as time elapses.
The NZCTU needs to be much firmer, and make it clear that employees disadvantaged for COVID related absences will be protected, by action if need be, including Employer shame listing. The Mediation Service and Employment Court are still oversubscribed with COVID related cases, according to union organisers I know.
Even though it looks like the business are paying the price for Employees or their families playing silly buggers in lockdown?
lockdown 2 everyone was blaming the business handling frozen food, now business should be caned for working out having to pay for lockdowns 3 & 4?
Some businesses are as reliant on the government as a person who is reliant on a benefit. The employee is reliant on the employer. At some point the employer may require a job seekers benefit.
maybe it is the duty of the Government to look after people that can't work rather then the businesses?
Maybe the Government a year into covid should have set up a webpage solely for wage -replacements and covid – isolation/quarantine payments that are so easy to use that even someone with lacking literacy skills, or less then best english skills can get onto it, fill out the forms and receive a payment if the criteria applies.
In saying that, after April there will be 10 sickdays, and it will be the business costs to pay isolation costs. 10 working days = 14 days.
but sure, lets find some more fault at the majority of businesses that have done right and are doing right by their staff, that are currently trying to continue to do business under less then stellar conditions and who for their own needs were given a 13.000 grand loan to tide them over the plague years – small businesses that is. The big businesses is a different story altogether..
As for your 6000 complaints filed, as per the Government stats in Dec 2020 NZ had 2,734,00 in employment. While that does not undo the hardship that people who laid complaints have suffered, it is a fairly small number compared to he overall number of people employed.
I guess it is easier to pick and blame a business – any business to lay the fault fair and square at their feed, but frankly the valentines lockdown should have never been lifted, and frankly if it would have not been lifted, we might not be where we are today.
The incubation period is 14 – 21 days, so to lift a lockdown 3 days into an outbreak was dumb. I can get where they felt the pressure to lift it, but at this stage any lockdown period for any outbreak should be 14 days at a minimum, and even longer if the new strains behave differently then the initial strain.
And if the government finds that in the poorer areas of our country and in our cities kids go dot work because otherwise the family suffers financially then the government can finally lift benefit levels and make applying for a benefit easier and faster. Cause on that stage the government is an actor who did not show up to play.
And last, what we are also seeing is the idiocy of various governments investing pretty much solely into Auckland and now every time they lock down that one city the rest of the country suffers. Maybe they need to think about decentralizing their populations and their businesses. Just a thought.
There was no need to keep the 3 day lockdown going as all indicators pointed to it being tracked and traced and contained, but some self-entitled dickhead lied, then spread the virus for the best part of a week against all advice. Should 5 million people have their health needs, education, businesses and recreation disrupted without penalty?
Nope there was good need to keep it. Tracking and tracing is after the fact.
As per numerous articles from England, Europe and US this new strain is more contagious, affects childrens and in some cases takes longer to detect.
Track and Trace always comes after the infection. Thus its a good tool to find people after the fact, but as shown it is not a preventive tool at all.
And the 5 million people of this country need to finally understand that this is here to stay.
I had a medical specialist appointment on the 15/2, that i rescheduled for 01/3 i have now rescheduled it to the 19 April (after easter for business reasons), it is now the 4 time i am rescheduling this thing. The doc and i we will have a glass of bubblies when we finally get this done. We are all depending on the government to do the correct thing, and with this fucking virus the correct thing is 14 days of lockdown plus track n trace to eliminate any misses. And at the very least if that would be set in stone everyone could plan around it. right now it feels like we are still making it up as we go along.
Oh and that self entitled prick who “lied” and spread it could not have done if the lockdown would not have been lifted. We all know that people don’t do what they are supposed to do, heck there are people that don’t believe in this virus…..and then there are all the rich pricks that jump into their fancy cars to travel to fancy batches in the nice areas of the country when the city gets lockdown. …..
Rubbish, the longer and more onerous lockdowns are there will be less compliance even if only in numerous small contacts, and longer lockdowns would almost certainly lead to the spreading of more conspiracy theories and public displays of defiance. It is a very fine balance that the Government is seeming to do very well. But some dickhead who costs every single one of us time, freedom and the ability to earn a living should not get off without any repercussions.
Level 3 lockdown essential workers still need to go to work and childcare could be required. This cannot be excluded. Another bubble is permitted for childcare at level 3.
Honestly i would guess most do already. You know in case they can't work anymore. Are you saying that employers need to take out income protection insurance for their staff too?
edit. Most people that work that i know have it, but it only kicks in if you have no income for three month. So it would not apply to this scenario. But you know that? Right?
Btw, employees in NZ have no way to write anything off – they can’t even write of the cost of going to work, that is for the bosses / self employed only.
And do you really think that the South Auckland Lady that cleans the plague hotel for min wage should take out income protection insurance? Seriously?
And wrong again. Employers and the self employed cannot claim the cost of travel to or from their work, only the costs whilst actually working.
And yes, all employees should. The premium is based on their income level so even the 'South Auckland lady' can afford it.
As regards when it pays out and how much, that is specific to the terms of the contract, just like any other insurance contract.
And why on earth should an employer pay for their employees income insurance? Whilst IPI is deductible for the employee, it is not for the employer (other than for specified 'key person' insurance).
We have it as self employed people, but sadly my partners only kicks in after three month of unemployment. so thanks to your information i will ask him to check this out
I wonder how much a South Auckland cleaning lady on min wage has left over to spend on such an insurance once she paid rent etc, and also if she can continue to pay for such an insurance should she receive a housing benefit or such.
As for my question to the employers paying, that really was what i understood.
But for what its worth, Employees pay already for an unemployment insurance via their taxes – Paye – and they should rather get unemployment benefits then add another expense to their already meager earnings and high cost of living.
Not so simple on that tax deduction for income protection… yes you can get a deduction for your premium, but only if the payments should you claim are taxable and in many cases the claim payments won't be subject to tax. Individual circumstances will determine which is the better outcome, but sucking it up on the premiums for many will be a far better outcome..
Yes. It seems that people like to forget the inconvenient truth that employees pay their full taxes every week with no way out to minimize that take tax.
And all the support for claiming for a non-working spouse (through disability for instance) was removed years ago. I pay $5,000 more tax per year than two people earning the same amount although I have two people to support and provide for in retirement. I only wish that $5,000 could go towards retirement savings.
even worse when you pay into this scheme – national unemployment insurance via the government – aka unemployment benefit but you are denied unemployment benefits because your spouse has an income that is above an arbitrary threshold, never mind that fact of having paid into the service.
Which is exactly what has happened. Worked in a job where being assaulted for the state was part of her job – not very well paid either for the stress and trauma.
that practice should be illegal as she was clearly charged the full amount of taxes when receiving her pay check.
that literally falls under taxation without representation, and while this also applies to man, i would venture a guess that the vast majority of those in this scenario are women. Cause……
Ignoring the fact that people on middle low incomes are struggling to pay rent let alone insurance, ignoring the fact that heavily mortgaged homeowners are increasingly letting their house insurance lapse etc etc…Lets just talk about the awesomeness of Insurance policies in NZ in general..
"BUSINESS
Could insurance companies lose the right to be unfair?
Questionable insurance contracts may soon be a thing of the past as the Government looks to change the law that allows insurance companies to be exempt from areas of the Fair Trading Act"
They do. It is called, "paying taxes for welfare" including unemployment benefit. Much less costly than private insurance, even if we double the payments.
"None of this is necessary to reduce the risks of a banking collapse. The Reserve Bank’s own stress-testing exercise last year showed the banks could easily handle a 40 per cent fall in house prices. Homeowners are paying a record-low six percent of their disposable incomes in mortgage payments. They could easily handle a doubling of interest rates."
"New Zealand's economy is a housing market with bits tacked on"..exactly right, it has become quite clear that this Liberal Free Market economic ideology, installed without public consent by Labour/Lange in 1984 has turned out to be in effect little more than a ponzi/pyramid scheme for the bulk of NZ citizens, using our homes as it's major currency…it's nothing less a obscenity, and one I am quite sure will be regarded by future generation as one of the most shameful periods in our short history.
Sadly it seems that neither Labour nor National have the vision, let alone the ideological drive to bring any real sanity to bear on this problem (or climate change for that matter).
I guess this is what happens when you live in a country with a ideological duopoly monopolizing the political conversation (with lots of help from a pretty lackluster media).
Bernard Hickey
“This week the idea that New Zealand Inc is just a housing market with appendages rather than real society and body politic graduated to full joke status. It’s official. This is a too-big-to-fail market and every policy, every political ambition and every investment choice must bow down before the great gods of the real estate agencies.
To prove it, the current Government, which railed against an “unsustainable” housing market in crisis while in opposition, has allowed over $200 billion of capital gain since it was elected in late 2017.
The Reserve Bank forecast this week prices are likely to have risen 51 per cent in Labour’s first two terms, delivering an extra $535b to homeowners. Tax-free.”
Multinational tech companies do not share the interests of local communities. We see the damage Airbnb does to the residential rental market, and now they refuse to acknowledge local Covid restrictions.
Time to kick them out of this country. Perfect opportunity to do so before tourism resumes.
One of the more blatant ones is polluter Rio Tinto, does anyone really think they are going to clean up their 8500 tonnes of toxic “ouvea premix” waste in Mataura before buggering off when Governments finally stop pandering to them with taxpayer funds?
Other multinationals shaft the host country in sneakier or less obvious ways–check the Australian owned Banks–one of NZ’s biggest exports remains repatriated profits to offshore owners, particularly since 1984 when Rogernomics ushered in some of the freest in and outflows of capital allowed in the world.
Westpac 30 years ago used to have a 2% margin in borrowing in New Zealand compared to Australia. It was a bit tricky to see at times but if you took the rate of inflation in both countries and then the difference between that and the mortgage interest rate for a 30 year mortgage New Zealand always was paying 2% more.
"Our community needs and deserves to be serviced by our only state-owned bank in a fit-for-purpose way – face-to-face, phone, internet and via an app.
"Kiwibank will need to consider more than just its economic reasons," she said.
"If the prime minister agrees to an inquiry and the inquiry highlights these negative impacts, the government should require that all major commercial banks operating in New Zealand – as part of their licence to operate – be required to provide a level of service that redresses these issues," Stoltz [Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz] said.
Part of bank's value is they are a repository of cash, that handy stuff that you can spend when you have it without running up debts through credit cards, and just adding extra cards and layers of complexity to small transactions. (Cheques are gone by about July.) Society and with it all of us, is being diminished by stealth and our naivety about what is happening and its future effects is appallingly high.
Yes banks should have to provide service levels to get a banking licence ( or maybe pay a big fee if they don't have the coverage) and other banks could then tender to provide. There may even be an argument for the transaction system being operated independently of banks sort of like the ATM net so we each "own" our own bank account number and that is visible to the bank that hands out the mortgage.
Plus it is now just about impossible to transfer one off money to another named party (think tradies bills) without an online account and even with an on line account amounts for individuals are usually capped at a daily amount of around the $700 to $800 level.
Overseas online fraud is endemic ( maybe half a billion ??) in the UK last year? – not sure anyone really knows but us customers are paying for that.
All this when one of the major banks didn't notice an online criminal ring operating under it's nose in Australia.
I'm pretty sure they have like many other companies a tried and true practice of selling to another company just before closure who then goes bust and has no money to clean up.
Multinational fast food chains, retail chains, supermarkets….
There are very few that do have New Zealand's interests at heart.
You then compound that by the fact that many buildings are now owned by out of town lawyers, accountants, property developers who do not have the local communities interests at heart and just see the locals as a means of wealth extraction.
Sigh and then there are all the bastard out of town landlords……….
This myth that New Zealand is made up of small businesses is just bullshit.
think global act local used to be the call. now all good men are required to come to the aid of protecting Robbies Park in the Parnell Rose Gardens. The proposal to ERECT a memorial to the crash of TE 901 is an act of gross vandalism and for some unknown reason is backed by phil goff and richard northey. hunter s. thompson would describe these two as grubby little ward heelers and that is precisely what they are. if this plan goes ahead then history will not treat them and their henchmen pippa coom, cathy casey and the rest of the gang kindly and karma will bite them badly.
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In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...
The recent attacks in the Congo by Rwandan backed militias has led to worldwide condemnation of the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame. Following up on the recent Fabian Zoom with Mikela Wrong and Maria Amoudian, Dr Rudaswinga will give a complete picture of Kagame’s regime and discuss the potential ...
New Zealand’s economic development has always been a partnership between the public and private sectors.Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) have become fashionable again, partly because of the government’s ambitions to accelerate infrastructural development. There is, of course, an ideological element too, while some of the opposition to them is also ideological.PPPs come in ...
How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b.Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...
In December 2021, then-Climate Change Minister James Shaw finally ended Tiwai Point's excessive pollution subsidies, cutting their "Electricity Allocation Factor" (basically compensation for the cost of carbon in their electricity price) to zero on the basis that their sweetheart deal meant they weren't paying it. In the process, he effectively ...
Green MP Tamatha Paul has received quite the beat down in the last two days.Her original comments were part of a panel discussion where she said:“Wellington people do not want to see police officers everywhere, and, for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe. It’s that constant ...
US President Donald Trump has raised the spectre of economic and geopolitical turmoil in Asia. While individual countries have few options for pushing back against Trump’s transactional diplomacy, protectionist trade policies and erratic decision-making, a ...
Jobs are on the line for back-office staff at the Department of Corrections, as well as at Archives New Zealand and the National Library. A “malicious actor” has accessed and downloaded private information about staff in districts in the lower North Island. Cabinet has agreed to its next steps regarding ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Starving public services of resources, gutting the workforce and then proposing private market solutions has been a key strategy of this government, says Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
The government’s own Regulatory Impact Statement acknowledges that organic producers will bear the financial burden of adapting to the risks posed by GMO expansion. ...
The committee has "rammed it through with outrageous haste", with a report now expected tomorrow, but excluding thousands of submissions, Duncan Webb says. ...
The US president’s sweeping programme of global tariffs will hit every country abroad, including New Zealand, and dramatically raise prices at home. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here.In a dramatic, flag-draped address from the White ...
Alex Casey talks to Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi, the couple who launched a project to change 51 lives in honour of those lost in the Christchurch mosque attacks. When Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi walked into Naeem’s house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, they knew immediately that he needed their help. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Shutterstock Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents. The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and ...
The three MPs whose rule-breaking haka caught the world’s attention didn’t attend their scheduled hearing yesterday. Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis has the rundown of what happened, why, and what’s likely to come next. I see Te Pāti Māori and the privileges committee are in some sort of stand-off – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Turner, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland.Nido Huebl/Shutterstock Earth is the only known planet which has plate tectonics today. The constant movement of these giant slabs of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Meta has stolen millions of books to train its AI, including books by kaituhi Māori. What does that mean for mātauranga and its status as taonga? New Zealand authors are among the millions whose books have been pirated and scraped by Meta to train its AI. The New Zealand Society of ...
Some hoped the open of the New Zealand markets would open with a bounce as certain tariffs fell short of the worst-case scenario, but investors were met with a deflated thud.The New Zealand market fell immediately as stock market darling Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s shares were punished, with no update ...
Healthcare dominated the debate in an unusually sober and serious question time. “Hey David!” a group of high school students in the public gallery called out as Act leader David Seymour entered the debating chamber. Standing in the middle of the floor, before any other MPs had arrived, he happily ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History, University of Portsmouth How the Shuqiao barges may be used to ferry troops ashore. X (formerly Twitter) China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online ...
I don’t want my neuroses about someone being ‘good enough’ to keep me from finding love. But choosing to be with someone who isn’t quite right seems like a death sentence.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,I’m a straight single woman in my late 20s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Reyes, Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Australian National University Pavel Gabzdyl / Shutterstock The “music” of starquakes – enormous vibrations caused by bursting bubbles of gas that ripple throughout the bodies of many stars – can reveal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The five-week election campaign is now in full swing throughout the nation. Amid the flurry of photo opportunities and press conferences, candidates campaign in specific areas for a reason: to shore ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Whittle, ANZMUSC Practitioner Fellow, Monash University Marinesea/Shutterstock More than 500 million people around the world live with osteoarthritis. The knee is affected more often than any other joint, with symptoms (such as pain, stiffness and reduced movement) affecting work, sleep, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cornelia Sattler, Research Fellow in Ecology, Macquarie University Samantha Terrell/Shutterstock If you go walking in the wild, you might expect that what you’re seeing is natural. All around you are trees, shrubs and grasses growing in their natural habitat. But there’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Fraser, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Australian Catholic University One of the first things parents want to ask their children after school is “how was your day?” We simply want to know how they are going and what happened at school. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Johnston, Director of Learning and Teaching at Excelsia University College and Research Affiliate, University of Sydney As Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young waved a decapitated salmon dripping with blood in parliament last week, you could feel the election coming. Hanson-Young ...
The head of the Mental Health Foundation says he is not confident there will not be a repeat of a mistake that saw an 11-year-old girl wrongly identified as an adult mental health patient. ...
Staff at Kāinga Ora face restructuring, with a Green MP claiming another 500 jobs are set to go and staff are worried front line housing services will suffer. ...
The government is scheduled to announce reforms to fast-track new drugs based on prior overseas approvals, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.Quicker drug approvals on their way The government is expected to unveil reforms today that ...
Comment: The Consumer Data Right is now part of New Zealand law. The CDR is intended to give customers (including consumers and business customers) greater control over the data that certain service providers hold about them.The introduction of the CDR was confirmed by the enactment of the Customer and Product ...
WTB often talked about the need to understand the value of fire-resistant plants. Here's a recent piece in support of that thinking.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2021/02/how-different-plant-species-can-reduce-the-risk-of-fire-on-farm.html
This is a nice succinct analysis of the powerful grip that white evangelical Christians have over the US Republican Party.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/28/politics/white-evangelicals-gop-trump/index.html
Evangelicals may be only 28% of the US electorate as a whole now, but only 3 House Republicans joined with Democrats last week to vote for the Equality Act which bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Trump's speech today to CPAC is going to be a theatrical wonder of the tropes these people adore.
And yet!
But they will punish women who have abortions and take birth control. Cause….God!
Is number 4 considered a stand alone commandment of the bible?
Or is it mixed into 5?
Seems like number 4 is very anti-photography and art and etc etc
Verses 4 thru to 6 are all part of the 2nd Commandment.
Some of the commandments have extra explanatory verses added – just to make things clear.
I put this up to show just how hypocritical this sector of the American society can be. Some in this sector look upon the chump as a Messiah! And in some sense that is precisely what he is to them. 2000 years ago the Jewish people were also looking for a Messiah. Then, after generations of oppression and exile, it meant God intervening in the world in a way in which the people couldn’t do by themselves. It would be a time of great tribulation, some kind of super-human figure out of Marvel comics would appear, who would remake the world, destroy the hostile powers (there would be a lot of blood shed) and bring down a new Jerusalem from heaven where the dispersed Jews from all over the world could return and gather. Then would follow a new age of peace and goodness that would last forever. Essentially this is how those on the religious right in America perceive the chump.
Too funny.
Now the artist behind the huge statue of Trump – Tommy Zegan – has revealed that the object was made in Mexico; a country that has been the target of much Trump racist abuse over his political career, and somewhere he has literally sought to build a wall against.
“It was made in Mexico,” Zegan told Politico’s Playbook newsletter. Zegan, who lives in Mexico on a permanent resident visa, described the transport of the monument to CPAC in full to Playbook.
Politico reported: “Zegan spent over six months crafting the 200lb fiberglass statue with the help of three men in Rosarito. He transported it to Tampa, Florida, where it was painted in chrome, then hauled it from there to CPAC.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/27/golden-trump-statue-mexico-cpac
The PM seemed to acknowledge on RNZ today the difficulties for some people in accessing payment for personal work absence for COVID related reasons.
Surely it is time to let individuals have a go at handling this by quoting their IRD no., and organising their own direct payments through IRD. Company wide issues, such as downturns, layoffs, etc. the employer can handle. Enough employers have shown already what they think of Mr Robertson’s “high trust” model! Though to be fair, a number of prominent employers seem to have taken it more seriously as time elapses.
The NZCTU needs to be much firmer, and make it clear that employees disadvantaged for COVID related absences will be protected, by action if need be, including Employer shame listing. The Mediation Service and Employment Court are still oversubscribed with COVID related cases, according to union organisers I know.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/covid-19-coronavirus-6000-complaints-filed-against-bosses-since-first-lockdown/3RL5XL7SXAXI5ZKN3LTACU2RUM/
Even though it looks like the business are paying the price for Employees or their families playing silly buggers in lockdown?
lockdown 2 everyone was blaming the business handling frozen food, now business should be caned for working out having to pay for lockdowns 3 & 4?
Some businesses are as reliant on the government as a person who is reliant on a benefit. The employee is reliant on the employer. At some point the employer may require a job seekers benefit.
maybe it is the duty of the Government to look after people that can't work rather then the businesses?
Maybe the Government a year into covid should have set up a webpage solely for wage -replacements and covid – isolation/quarantine payments that are so easy to use that even someone with lacking literacy skills, or less then best english skills can get onto it, fill out the forms and receive a payment if the criteria applies.
In saying that, after April there will be 10 sickdays, and it will be the business costs to pay isolation costs. 10 working days = 14 days.
but sure, lets find some more fault at the majority of businesses that have done right and are doing right by their staff, that are currently trying to continue to do business under less then stellar conditions and who for their own needs were given a 13.000 grand loan to tide them over the plague years – small businesses that is. The big businesses is a different story altogether..
As for your 6000 complaints filed, as per the Government stats in Dec 2020 NZ had 2,734,00 in employment. While that does not undo the hardship that people who laid complaints have suffered, it is a fairly small number compared to he overall number of people employed.
I guess it is easier to pick and blame a business – any business to lay the fault fair and square at their feed, but frankly the valentines lockdown should have never been lifted, and frankly if it would have not been lifted, we might not be where we are today.
The incubation period is 14 – 21 days, so to lift a lockdown 3 days into an outbreak was dumb. I can get where they felt the pressure to lift it, but at this stage any lockdown period for any outbreak should be 14 days at a minimum, and even longer if the new strains behave differently then the initial strain.
And if the government finds that in the poorer areas of our country and in our cities kids go dot work because otherwise the family suffers financially then the government can finally lift benefit levels and make applying for a benefit easier and faster. Cause on that stage the government is an actor who did not show up to play.
And last, what we are also seeing is the idiocy of various governments investing pretty much solely into Auckland and now every time they lock down that one city the rest of the country suffers. Maybe they need to think about decentralizing their populations and their businesses. Just a thought.
There was no need to keep the 3 day lockdown going as all indicators pointed to it being tracked and traced and contained, but some self-entitled dickhead lied, then spread the virus for the best part of a week against all advice. Should 5 million people have their health needs, education, businesses and recreation disrupted without penalty?
Nope there was good need to keep it. Tracking and tracing is after the fact.
As per numerous articles from England, Europe and US this new strain is more contagious, affects childrens and in some cases takes longer to detect.
Track and Trace always comes after the infection. Thus its a good tool to find people after the fact, but as shown it is not a preventive tool at all.
And the 5 million people of this country need to finally understand that this is here to stay.
I had a medical specialist appointment on the 15/2, that i rescheduled for 01/3
i have now rescheduled it to the 19 April (after easter for business reasons), it is now the 4 time i am rescheduling this thing. The doc and i we will have a glass of bubblies when we finally get this done. We are all depending on the government to do the correct thing, and with this fucking virus the correct thing is 14 days of lockdown plus track n trace to eliminate any misses. And at the very least if that would be set in stone everyone could plan around it. right now it feels like we are still making it up as we go along.
Oh and that self entitled prick who “lied” and spread it could not have done if the lockdown would not have been lifted. We all know that people don’t do what they are supposed to do, heck there are people that don’t believe in this virus…..and then there are all the rich pricks that jump into their fancy cars to travel to fancy batches in the nice areas of the country when the city gets lockdown. …..
Rubbish, the longer and more onerous lockdowns are there will be less compliance even if only in numerous small contacts, and longer lockdowns would almost certainly lead to the spreading of more conspiracy theories and public displays of defiance. It is a very fine balance that the Government is seeming to do very well. But some dickhead who costs every single one of us time, freedom and the ability to earn a living should not get off without any repercussions.
Level 3 lockdown essential workers still need to go to work and childcare could be required. This cannot be excluded. Another bubble is permitted for childcare at level 3.
How about employees take a little self responsibilty and take out income protection insurance? Very cheap and tax deductible. A no brainer.
Honestly i would guess most do already. You know in case they can't work anymore. Are you saying that employers need to take out income protection insurance for their staff too?
edit. Most people that work that i know have it, but it only kicks in if you have no income for three month. So it would not apply to this scenario. But you know that? Right?
Btw, employees in NZ have no way to write anything off – they can’t even write of the cost of going to work, that is for the bosses / self employed only.
And do you really think that the South Auckland Lady that cleans the plague hotel for min wage should take out income protection insurance? Seriously?
Wrong. Employees can get a tax deduction for income protection insurance and for the cost of tax return preparation.
https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-individuals/types-of-individual-expenses
And wrong again. Employers and the self employed cannot claim the cost of travel to or from their work, only the costs whilst actually working.
And yes, all employees should. The premium is based on their income level so even the 'South Auckland lady' can afford it.
As regards when it pays out and how much, that is specific to the terms of the contract, just like any other insurance contract.
And why on earth should an employer pay for their employees income insurance? Whilst IPI is deductible for the employee, it is not for the employer (other than for specified 'key person' insurance).
That is great as i have never heard of this.
We have it as self employed people, but sadly my partners only kicks in after three month of unemployment. so thanks to your information i will ask him to check this out
I wonder how much a South Auckland cleaning lady on min wage has left over to spend on such an insurance once she paid rent etc, and also if she can continue to pay for such an insurance should she receive a housing benefit or such.
As for my question to the employers paying, that really was what i understood.
But for what its worth, Employees pay already for an unemployment insurance via their taxes – Paye – and they should rather get unemployment benefits then add another expense to their already meager earnings and high cost of living.
Not so simple on that tax deduction for income protection… yes you can get a deduction for your premium, but only if the payments should you claim are taxable and in many cases the claim payments won't be subject to tax. Individual circumstances will determine which is the better outcome, but sucking it up on the premiums for many will be a far better outcome..
and thanks for that bit of information too.
so you can not write of the monthly payments unless you get a payout on which you would be paying taxes? Am i understanding this correctly?
Your accountant seems to be having another bad day Sabine.
I think Peter chch is correct.
Honey, that is why I have an accountant. He is good at this shit.
It's called "PAYE".
Yes. It seems that people like to forget the inconvenient truth that employees pay their full taxes every week with no way out to minimize that take tax.
And all the support for claiming for a non-working spouse (through disability for instance) was removed years ago. I pay $5,000 more tax per year than two people earning the same amount although I have two people to support and provide for in retirement. I only wish that $5,000 could go towards retirement savings.
even worse when you pay into this scheme – national unemployment insurance via the government – aka unemployment benefit but you are denied unemployment benefits because your spouse has an income that is above an arbitrary threshold, never mind that fact of having paid into the service.
Which is exactly what has happened. Worked in a job where being assaulted for the state was part of her job – not very well paid either for the stress and trauma.
that practice should be illegal as she was clearly charged the full amount of taxes when receiving her pay check.
that literally falls under taxation without representation, and while this also applies to man, i would venture a guess that the vast majority of those in this scenario are women. Cause……
Except there will be an exclusion that covers natural disasters, wars, insurrection and pandemic. Standard on all business insurance.
By your comment you obviously don't have any business insurance yourself.
Ignoring the fact that people on middle low incomes are struggling to pay rent let alone insurance, ignoring the fact that heavily mortgaged homeowners are increasingly letting their house insurance lapse etc etc…Lets just talk about the awesomeness of Insurance policies in NZ in general..
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/07/01/661910/could-insurance-companies-lose-the-right-to-be-unfair
Has this actually happened yet? Or are 'we' still reviewing the options?
Personally I wouldn't call any insurance policy a "no brainer"…..do your research…and then do it again…
Employees have income protection insurance by default…its called jobseeker
They do. It is called, "paying taxes for welfare" including unemployment benefit. Much less costly than private insurance, even if we double the payments.
Also there needs to be protections for staff who get dropped from rosters rather than being given leave (or after getting leave, as a punishment)
yes, good point
The trap of viewing the world in aggregate…
"None of this is necessary to reduce the risks of a banking collapse. The Reserve Bank’s own stress-testing exercise last year showed the banks could easily handle a 40 per cent fall in house prices. Homeowners are paying a record-low six percent of their disposable incomes in mortgage payments. They could easily handle a doubling of interest rates."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/124385961/new-zealands-economy-is-a-housing-market-with-bits-tacked-on
6% of disposable household income equates to around $95 per week….much of what Mr Hickey says is true except unfortunately his conclusions.
Thanks for that link.
"New Zealand's economy is a housing market with bits tacked on"..exactly right, it has become quite clear that this Liberal Free Market economic ideology, installed without public consent by Labour/Lange in 1984 has turned out to be in effect little more than a ponzi/pyramid scheme for the bulk of NZ citizens, using our homes as it's major currency…it's nothing less a obscenity, and one I am quite sure will be regarded by future generation as one of the most shameful periods in our short history.
Sadly it seems that neither Labour nor National have the vision, let alone the ideological drive to bring any real sanity to bear on this problem (or climate change for that matter).
I guess this is what happens when you live in a country with a ideological duopoly monopolizing the political conversation (with lots of help from a pretty lackluster media).
Bernard Hickey
“This week the idea that New Zealand Inc is just a housing market with appendages rather than real society and body politic graduated to full joke status. It’s official. This is a too-big-to-fail market and every policy, every political ambition and every investment choice must bow down before the great gods of the real estate agencies.
To prove it, the current Government, which railed against an “unsustainable” housing market in crisis while in opposition, has allowed over $200 billion of capital gain since it was elected in late 2017.
The Reserve Bank forecast this week prices are likely to have risen 51 per cent in Labour’s first two terms, delivering an extra $535b to homeowners. Tax-free.”
Turn Labour Left!
Multinational tech companies do not share the interests of local communities. We see the damage Airbnb does to the residential rental market, and now they refuse to acknowledge local Covid restrictions.
Time to kick them out of this country. Perfect opportunity to do so before tourism resumes.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/auckland-airbnb-hosts-told-to-ignore-covid-alert-levels-or-face-fines/BNDM6BVRJCXXKDZVZIQ4GBK5CQ/
+1
+1,"Multinational tech companies do not share the interests of local communities." add to that list multinational banks, oil companies etc.
One of the more blatant ones is polluter Rio Tinto, does anyone really think they are going to clean up their 8500 tonnes of toxic “ouvea premix” waste in Mataura before buggering off when Governments finally stop pandering to them with taxpayer funds?
Other multinationals shaft the host country in sneakier or less obvious ways–check the Australian owned Banks–one of NZ’s biggest exports remains repatriated profits to offshore owners, particularly since 1984 when Rogernomics ushered in some of the freest in and outflows of capital allowed in the world.
Westpac 30 years ago used to have a 2% margin in borrowing in New Zealand compared to Australia. It was a bit tricky to see at times but if you took the rate of inflation in both countries and then the difference between that and the mortgage interest rate for a 30 year mortgage New Zealand always was paying 2% more.
New Zealand was seen as a cash cow.
I suspect it hasn't changed much.
Banks shutting down in small towns, Kiwibank also which seemed to copy the big boys, afraid of anything different.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/437420/mayors-nationwide-call-on-pm-for-inquiry-into-bank-closures
"Our community needs and deserves to be serviced by our only state-owned bank in a fit-for-purpose way – face-to-face, phone, internet and via an app.
"Kiwibank will need to consider more than just its economic reasons," she said.
"If the prime minister agrees to an inquiry and the inquiry highlights these negative impacts, the government should require that all major commercial banks operating in New Zealand – as part of their licence to operate – be required to provide a level of service that redresses these issues," Stoltz [Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz] said.
Part of bank's value is they are a repository of cash, that handy stuff that you can spend when you have it without running up debts through credit cards, and just adding extra cards and layers of complexity to small transactions. (Cheques are gone by about July.) Society and with it all of us, is being diminished by stealth and our naivety about what is happening and its future effects is appallingly high.
Yes banks should have to provide service levels to get a banking licence ( or maybe pay a big fee if they don't have the coverage) and other banks could then tender to provide. There may even be an argument for the transaction system being operated independently of banks sort of like the ATM net so we each "own" our own bank account number and that is visible to the bank that hands out the mortgage.
Plus it is now just about impossible to transfer one off money to another named party (think tradies bills) without an online account and even with an on line account amounts for individuals are usually capped at a daily amount of around the $700 to $800 level.
Overseas online fraud is endemic ( maybe half a billion ??) in the UK last year? – not sure anyone really knows but us customers are paying for that.
All this when one of the major banks didn't notice an online criminal ring operating under it's nose in Australia.
I'm pretty sure they have like many other companies a tried and true practice of selling to another company just before closure who then goes bust and has no money to clean up.
The Patea Freezing works were the cautionary tale in this space.
In regards to Rio Tinto, what makes me annoyed is the Environment Minister is devolving responsibility to the council.
Leaving the locals to take on a multi national corporation does not sound like a fair fight.
Perhaps the government is afraid of repercussions from the TPPA (or whatever it is called now).
Multinational fast food chains, retail chains, supermarkets….
There are very few that do have New Zealand's interests at heart.
You then compound that by the fact that many buildings are now owned by out of town lawyers, accountants, property developers who do not have the local communities interests at heart and just see the locals as a means of wealth extraction.
Sigh and then there are all the bastard out of town landlords……….
This myth that New Zealand is made up of small businesses is just bullshit.
Twitter's brutal, anti-democratic censorship regime is a menace to free speech
Why on earth would this post earn a "potentially sensitive content" warning?
https://twitter.com/The1OnlyRichie/status/1363667904479301632
think global act local used to be the call. now all good men are required to come to the aid of protecting Robbies Park in the Parnell Rose Gardens. The proposal to ERECT a memorial to the crash of TE 901 is an act of gross vandalism and for some unknown reason is backed by phil goff and richard northey. hunter s. thompson would describe these two as grubby little ward heelers and that is precisely what they are. if this plan goes ahead then history will not treat them and their henchmen pippa coom, cathy casey and the rest of the gang kindly and karma will bite them badly.