(at least not until the government does something about it)
Another biased pro-owner study of the problem has been released.
The brief of this new study exclusively focused on more carrot for rich people, and not sticks to encourage them to rent or put their empty houses up for sale.
Despite the authors of the study admitting that the carrot based strategy has had very limited success.
10% of ghost home owners intentionally keeping them empty
Geraden Cann 05:00, Oct 02 2022
……Ghost homes have become a focus of attention as the housing crisis continues, and now a government-funded project has released a report that explores how many ghost homes there are, how long they remain empty for, why owners keep them empty, and how the Government can encourage owners to rent them out.
Key findings included about 10% of owners of ghost homes kept them empty intentionally, and a little over a quarter had been empty for at least a year…..
…..The survey showed most respondents considered the condition of their empty homes as “ready for occupation”…..
Tax ‘sticks’ not explored
The report listed some tax methods used abroad to encourage owners to rent empty homes out…..
…Wise Group did not investigate how similar policies could be rolled out in New Zealand, or how effective they might be, stating incentive-based measures were more appropriate for the study.
The carrot-based approach was criticised by one of the commenters in the report….
….He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme co-director Nevil Pierse warned in the report that internationally it had proven hard to incentivise owners to fill their empty homes when there were “limited ‘sticks’” available….
…..Despite the report only focusing on carrots, owners still did not favour any of the proposals, which revolved around helping to source and vet potential tenants.
We all know an administration convinced of the justice of neo-liberal trickle down theory, is chary of putting any tax on the lucky rich people with more than one house that they can keep empty, while other families live in cars..
I suggest calling it a fine, instead of a tax.
Rich people, love disproportionately fining poor people.
How about a fine that disproportionately fines the fortunate owners of one or more empty homes?
Would that be more palatable to a neo-liberal administration that has no hestatation on fining low income people for the slightest parking or compliance infraction, yet never call it a tax.
We can fine someone for overparking depriving someone else of a carpark.
Why can't we fine someone for keeping their property/properties empty depriving someone else of somewhere to live?
I agree with encouraging owners to put ghost houses out for rent.
But why go punative? Why not create incentives for owners to rent out their houses? This will likely be more effective than more taxes, because that will just encourage people to look for ways to avoid the tax, so will be a lot less effective than positive incentives to make it worthwhile for Landlords to rent out the houses..
I agree with encouraging owners to put ghost houses out for rent.
But why go punative? Why not create incentives for owners to rent out their houses?….
Hi Smithy what sort of incentive for owners do you think the government should apply. Money incentives?
Now there's an idea, let's subsidise the rich folk (again). If we could just shovel enough money toward the top end of town, trickledown economics could work.. And, a subsidy for the rich folk would be well in line with this government's convinced neoliberal economic agenda.
Unfortunately I am not convinced that more 'carrot' for rich folk (their word) would work, neither are the writers of the report. Even though their brief ruled out "sticks" they had to admit that 'carrot's weren't working. Even the creepy government vetting of tenants to satisfy the wealthy empty home owners, couldn't convince these rich folk to let their empty houses out.
Rather than upset rich folk, better we let kids live in cars. We know homeless kids and their families are never going to give us any party donations. But rich people can and do.
I came across a few of those "ghost houses" when I was working for Auckland Council. The ones I knew about – I doubt that the owners were tax residents in New Zealand – or has much interest in being landlords here at the time. One very large house on an expensive section on the North Shore was just abandoned when its owners went back to their homeland very suddenly. They just packed up and left – even the power was still on in the house. It was a while before the local kids discovered the place was empty as it was a rear site. The neighbours were concerned about squatters and because the lawns were getting long and rank in the summer heat and were a fire hazard. Council eventually made an arrangement to get the lawns mowed and charged the homeowner. The bills were still paid but the house was empty for years.
There is a report available for the 2020 year. It seems to be a well thought out which is working – raising money to both cover costs and assist non-profit providers of housing.
Victory in Lyman appears to be accompanied by an unimaginable slaughter of the fleeing defeated enemy Russian army. Never forget the human cost of this utterly wanton war of aggression.
Caution – read only if you are of a strong constitution. Erich Maria Remarque meets Ernst Jünger. I just thought Jesus Christ, this is happening now in 2022 and while the Ukrainians at least have agency to make sense of what they are going through the Russians are dying for absolutely nothing other than the blood sacrifice demanded from them by their demented dictator. Putin's war is an unspeakable evil where thousands die pathetic deaths and calling for their mothers.
Yes, and not only Lyman. I think the whole Luhansk front will collapse. Very soon the Ukrainians will hold several more key towns for supply of Russian logistics to the whole Donbass region.
Just been reading about the rout in Lyman. It was untenable last week. I could speculate about the political motivations that allowed an effective encirclement without withdrawal. But really just saying that Putin has all of military genius of Hitler just about covers it. It sounds like they were told to hold so it didn’t disrupt a political rally in Moscow.
Just been reading about the rout in Lyman. It was untenable last week. I could speculate about the political motivations that allowed an effective encirclement without withdrawal. But really just saying that Putin has all of military genius of Hitler just about covers it. It sounds like they were told to hold so it didn’t disrupt a political rally in Moscow.
Lyman cuts out a large chunk of the Russian logistics pipeline to their June to August occupation areas. That is going to make life very difficult for those regions when they are attacked.
Yes, it makes the term "bat-shit crazy" seem like a synonym for "rationale".
Despite all the crazy rhetoric, from what I have seen, a lot in Russia are not buying it. Especially those fleeing and those in the poorer regions who are being disproportionately targeted for mobilisation.
I am not too worried about Russia using nukes. An interesting video from an interview with George Friedman that covers that threat amongst other things. He makes the point that so far as tactical nukes go, there are other weapons better for the job, and so far as strategic nukes, the fact that they are being implicitly threatened means they are unlikely to be used, due to the fact that making the threat gives up first strike advantage which is seen as critical in nuclear war.
So, I think Russia is in deep trouble. They are shoving mobilised people to the front line at the moment without any training. Their logisitics is terrible, and struggles to support what they have there now. And human wave tactics don't work in an age of modern weapons.
Do a twitter search using "Kherson". Looks like the Ukrainians are making their play there at the moment, after spending weeks destroying Russian logistics and supplies. They must think the Russians are now too weak to resist.
By morning over there Kherson might be liberated.
That would be a major issue for Russia continuing the war. That is because Ukraine is about to cut supply lines to the Donbass area. Taking Kherson would cut supply lines enable Ukraine to cut supply lines running from Crimea to the other end of Ukraine.
OK – Early reports indicate the Russians planned to hold Lyman and reinforce it with some of their poorly trained newly mobilised troops. However the situation moved faster than they anticipated and the Ukrainians shut off the road between Lyman and Zarichne – effectively surrounding the Russian garrison. The Russians were instead forced to commit the newly arrived troops into a hasty unprepared counter-attack to try and relieve the trapped troops. A dramatic and intense battle ensued. The Russian assault was partially successful but at the cost of catastrophic losses both on the retreating units and the relieving assault. Lots of video showing literally piles of dead Russian bodies.
Sounds like the Ukrainians have suffered many losses as well. What a shit show. Fuck Putin.
Another Lyman scale route and these people in Poots’ ear?
All bets will be off, I reckon.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen republic, said that Putin could use "low-yield" nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
In a statement slamming Russian generals in the wake of Russia’s withdrawal of its forces from the strategic town of Lyman, Kadyrov said it was time for the Kremlin to make use of every weapon at its disposal.
“I do not know what the Defense Ministry reports to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, but in my personal opinion we need to take more drastic measures, including declaring martial law in the border territories and using low-yield nuclear weapons. There is no need to make every decision with the Western American community in mind,” Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel.
Earlier last week, Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president between 2008 and 2012, also discussed nuclear weapons use on his Telegram channel, saying it was permitted if the existence of the Russian state was threatened by an attack even by conventional forces.
“If the threat to Russia exceeds our established threat limit, we will have to respond … this is certainly not a bluff,” he wrote.
I think two factors are at play there. Firstly, as mentioned in my previous post, it isn't clear tactical nukes are more effective than other weapons. Secondly, NATO has made it clear to Russia about specific devastating threats if they went down that route.
So, some of the conventional weapons that have similar effects might be preferred. For instance FABs (Father of all bombs) would have a similar effect to low-yield nukes without the international blow-back.
And, the Ukrainians are moving so quickly that they may not provide an easy mass target for either of those weapons.
I am always suspicious when people have to say things like "this is not a bluff", because it sounds like they are having to reinforce a weak position that indicates they could be bluffing.
Yesterday in the The Press a perennial mayoral candidate, Tubby Hansen, alleged a maser was being used to attack his knee along with his old truck being sabotaged to hinder his political career.
In the pub on Friday night a former Green MP, an anti-vaxxerr and critic of mandates, warned me that the Covid vaccines could harm unborn babies. "Unproven", he said……..
Credit to the Herald layout people. They didn't put stories of people living in poverty or trying to survive living in motels next to their walled story about Auckland's newest golf course.
"Inside Auckland's newest golf course Te Arai Links (Mangawhai, Northland) and what members get for a $48k joining fee" is the headline.
"As the Herald reported last month, cost of membership is just shy of a $50,000 joining fee and $10,000 a year for a family membership… The club already has around 475 members, made up of New Zealanders and international golfers with a plan to potentially cap the membership towards the 600 mark."
What they get for their fees is the ability to escape the hoi polloi and the reality of the world. I do appreciate they worked so hard all their lives to afford that and so deserve to escape the slackers who didn't.
Hecklers are going from meeting to meeting in Wellington and abusing candidates for their positions on Three Waters reform.
Eagle and fellow mayoral contender Tory Whanau, both of whom are Māori and who support Three Waters reform, were on the receiving end of the heckling. They both believe the hecklers are coordinated and are trying to disrupt meetings.
Foon has started to make sure her supporters stay nearby at the events and don't leave before her.
Some comments towards Whanau were "pretty ugly", she said
support was needed from the council, because residents' associations were not equipped to deal with abuse.
Would be interesting to know who these slime "hecklers" are..and who they are associated with ? Also the Council absolutely needs to ensure the Safety of Candidates..and members of Public..from these type of people. None should be fearful in anyway. Maybe Police need to have a look in?
Oh, I had wondered : (. I really like Tory Whanau. This ugly heckling (racist as well to her, Paul Eagle, others). But of course NONE of the Candidates….or Public attending, should have to put up with any of this ugly shit..from the ugly VFF…or their fellow 'travellers"
American journalist Luke Mogelson has some insights about such groups in the US. As I interpret it, he identifies 3 interesting points:
The 'mutability' of the anger they express. It is 'nebulous' and can be manipulated by the movement's leaders against a variety of targets. It thus appears to switch back and forth across a range of targets that to an outsider seem dissimilar.
A sense that they are victims, that something like a birthright has been taken away and needs to be restored. This makes the dissimilar-looking targets feel consistent – and this feeling is genuine even though objectively speaking, they are not actually victims (or not more so than many other people)
A view of the world as being based on a binary dominance-subservience dynamic, i.e. if you are not dominant you are subservient. This also plays into particular views of masculinity (the alpha-beta stereotype)
I suspect a closer look at similar groups here might show similar characteristics and forces at play. They do seem to be on the move everywhere.
Trump's 'rhetoric of inversion' as Luke Mogelson describes it, is playing out in our theatre of disinformation as well. If this review is worth a read, his book will be even more interesting.
Mogelson writes with the descriptive fluency and eye for detail that you would expect of a reporter with his credentials. But what makes this book more than a dystopian travelogue is his ability to tease out connections across history and make illuminating global comparisons.
He dips into his experience abroad, describing, for example, the extraordinary communal response to the Ebola virus in the Monrovia slums in 2014. Local leaders in the Liberian capital designed and enforced their own health measures in the absence of outside help. As a result, fewer than 30,000 people contracted the disease, compared to the 1.5 million that experts had predicted. Mogelson wondered at the time: “How would my country bear up under similar pressure?”
Six years later, he had his answer. Flying in from France, where residents had accepted stringent health measures pretty much without complaint as the price of containing the disease, he saw how in the US, questions of science were engulfed by the country’s all consuming culture wars.
In times gone by this would have been written up in the local rag as lively debate, as politicians were tested by tough questions from passionate local constituents.
Sadly this is just another sign (like the <50% voter turnouts) that our democracy is in a terrible state of affairs.
So, this is both HDPA (anathama to many Standardistas, I know) and Herald premium content (you can read through PressReader via most libraries – certainly the big city ones)
However, setting aside her clear preference for much of the ACT agenda, it's the first article that's clearly come out and said that ACT are likely to be heavily influential in a National/ACT government (which, is certainly an option given the current polling).
Selected excerpts:
It's worth reading what Act says it's planning to do after the next election. Because if things stay the way they are, Act will be doing a lot of it. And Act's ideas might impact you more than National's.
On this year's polling, Act could be bringing 20-25 per cent of the votes to that government.
That gives Act a lot of bargaining power in coalition negotiations. If the party is smart, it'll expect a quarter of the vote to translate to a quarter of the Cabinet positions.
But more importantly, it'll expect a number of big policy wins. And Act has a very clear idea of what it wants to do. It's been prepping for the last two years.
The party reckons it's already released eight policy documents, four Covid policy papers and two fully costed alternative budgets. Act's leader consistently has a clear position on everything from crime to co-governance to the cost of living.
If Act implements even one policy fully, it'll be the closest thing to a proper shake-up within that sector since Rogernomics.
[HDPA specifically addresses ACT policy on cutting public servant numbers, education vouchers (she doesn't use that word, but that's what she means), and a referendum on co-governance.]
The size of Act's possible vote counts in its favour.
So does the fact that Seymour apparently isn't hung up on ministerial posts. If he doesn't get what he wants, he's reportedly happy to walk away, sit on the cross benches and force National to negotiate every piece of legislation.
But most importantly, it's clear Act's a lot more prepared for government than National. While Act's been pumping out fully thought-through policy documents, National's been selecting leaders. National's still trying to explain whether it'll cut taxes or not. It is several years behind Act in prep.
Even when it does eventually release policy, National probably won't have big ideas. It's a party of managing the status quo with small changes. There's every chance Act will bring many of the policy changes.
It doesn't look like National's expecting an assertive Act.
It seems as though Seymour and ACT have a much stronger grasp on their policy outcomes than National does. And, (IMO) Seymour is a stronger character than Luxon – I wouldn't say ACT would blink first in negotiations. [This is me, not HDPA]
Whatever applies to ACT, in this – should also apply to the Greens (especially after Shaw's recent shake up with the membership). They, too, will be looking for very significant policy gains from Labour – and are unlikely to be fobbed off with minor portfolios and/or meaningless titles.
In 2023 – policy may shift much more radically to either left or right, than the centre parties are likely to be comfortable with.
In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."
Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.
Credit Suisse has asked hedge funds and other investors to destroy documents relating to its richest clients’ yachts and private jets, in an attempt to stop information leaking about a unit of the bank that has made loans to oligarchs who were later sanctioned.
Investors this week received letters from the Swiss bank requesting that they destroy the documents relating to a securitisation of loans backed by “jets, yachts, real estate and/or financial assets”, according to three people whose firm received the request.
The letters tell the investors to “destroy and permanently erase” any confidential information Credit Suisse previously provided in relation to the transaction, citing a “recent data leak to the media” that it said had been “verified by our investigators”.
Credit Suisse took the action after a Financial Times report last month detailing how it offloaded the risks relating to $2bn of loans to a group of hedge funds.
If the financial risk of the UK is fragile (without the fairy tail economics) prior,there is a substantive misalignment to be undertaken on currency risk alone.Where the Kiwi due to the same problems as the UK,such as high increasing internal debt,large current account deficit,overvalued currency.
These are the drivers of instability in the Global markets,where they are looking for the next storm.and where the wobbly domino appears.
Largest risk,as they (the hedge funds etc) need cash to meet margin calls.There has been a large switch from the long end to short dated cash from large investment groups in the last 3 months.
Oil is falling in value due to demand destruction,cracked products such as diesel is short due to industry and power generators switching from gas.
Electricity is not a driver of inflation in NZ (excluding changes to pricing increases in line charges) Gas similar with lower demand due to some switching to electricity which has allowed the second train at Motunui to start up to meet export demand.
Food and Fibre will still be in demand due to shortages in NH forced by energy constraints.
Both local and central government spending on capital projects,is on borrowed debt with increasing interest risk as new issues for both maturing debt,and increased debt are over 4.1% for the government at the short end moving to 4.5 at the long end.
S&P moved the UK to negative watch late Friday,warning bells are ringing here as each move of 1% in GDP or interest rates changes the interest costs by 1 billion,
Surely it would take mortgages to get to 10% before we start to see big changes in mortgagee sales. In April the NZ mortgagee sales were at a 15 year low.
Perhaps a wee shakeout of investors away from property is just what we need.
More the top end of town,with corporate borrowing becoming more expensive.
Also Government interest costs are well beyond forecast (more if we count SOE) an extra 2b this year,doubling next and net debt increasing 4-6b it isnt coming down.
Property market needs shakeup,as well above realistic valuation,removing a few zombie companies is always good.
Civics education is already part of the curriculum. I don't know what McAnulty's high school taught – but political process (including MMP) has been part of the social studies curriculum in high school for a lot longer than 20 years.
It's not, however, a topic which readily engages kids.
Disengaged teachers droning on to disengaged youth isn't a recipe to change anything about democratic engagement.
Actually changing legislation so that people can make bureaucracy change, especially at a local level, is what's needed. Anyone who's ever engaged the the behemoth which is Auckland Council, knows that achieving even the most obviously beneficial of changes is a multi-year process – requiring commitment and dedication from the individual or group. It's not surprising that youth don't see that this is a winning strategy.
Disengaged teachers droning on to disengaged youth isn't a recipe to change anything about democratic engagement.
"Disengaged teachers droning on" would turn me off – I recall having mostly excellent teachers (the engaged, non-droning kind), and certainly appreciate that now.
The public service profession of teaching is in decline – how to turn this around?
Negative perceptions of teaching as a profession are very well deserved. It's been regularly said over years we want, we need, our best and brightest to go teaching.
We want creatives, flexible and adaptable, personable and empathetic, dedicated with a sense of wanting to make a difference.
Anyone with those qualities doesn't want to be treated like shit by all the unqualified experts without the balls or inclination to take the job on themselves. They're not going to accept being treated like drones by drones who kowtowed to the ignorant crap and have nobbled and sabotaged meaningful teaching as a worthy profession.
How to turn around the public service profession of teaching? It is not possible. To mangle an aged adage: The necessary changes are more difficult than pushing shit to the top of Mt Everest with a marshmallow rake.
How to turn around the public service profession of teaching? It is not possible.
That's depressing Peter – although there are some excellent NZ teachers, I fear you may be right. Another example of the general decline that threatens to overwhelm society's ability to continue in the manner to which we have become accustomed?
I think that if you discuss the quality of teaching/teachers with almost any parent with kids in the current school system, you'd come to a different conclusion.
That's not to say there aren't excellent teachers out there: because there are. However, there are also a number, and a significantly higher number, of teachers who are not.
If you're lucky, you'll get one or two inspirational teachers during your entire schooling career. And they aren't always the same (e.g. a teacher can be inspirational for kid A, but not for kid B).
A much better goal to aim for is excellence – a teacher who thoroughly understands the topic/s they are teaching, is an engaging presenter of material (which may not always be seen as relevant by the kids), and has multiple educational strategies to cut through to kids who don't necessarily 'get' the standard presentation; as well as being able to manage the necessary class discipline for learning.
The numbers of those teachers in the education system is dropping, and dropping rapidly.
What, you believe that the quality of teachers is better now, than it was 20 years ago?
In that case, why have educational levels (you know, the basic ability to read and write) been on a continuous downward trend in virtually every measure?
Yes. Anecdata. In that I do have a kid in the schooling system; do talk to other parents (in primary, a major topic of conversation was how to angle your kid into the class with the 'good' teacher – and you bet it made a difference); do pay attention to the education figures and statistics.
That is entirely probable. And may well be a contributing factor to the observed dropping standards.
The great experiment in Modern Learning Environments (open plan large scale classrooms with 2-4 classes and teachers in a single space), entirely driven by MoE theorists – looks as though it may be coming home to roost [sorry for the mixed metaphors]. With zero evidence that it makes any positive difference to learning, and lots of evidence that it disadvantages kids with learning challenges (hearing, ADHD, etc.) and anecdotal evidence that it damages the teacher-student relationship (it's not realistic for teachers to have a personal relationship with up to 120 primary school kids in a class).
Every new or refurbished classroom for the last 10 years has been built in this style.
However, teachers are (they have to be) a big factor in children's learning. They're the people on the ground, rather than the MoE bureaucrats issuing directives from Wellington.
And teacher unions are adamantly opposed to teacher quality evaluation and/or measurable educational standards (at least before NCEA level), and/or increased pay for high-quality teachers (those delivering above average results, regardless of the educational starting level)- which makes it a bit of a chicken and egg scenario so far as Ministerial quality standards go.
Your examples of comparable professions are interesting.
It's an incredibly high educational bar to get into Med school, requires 7 years of training, and then another couple to be fully qualified, and/or specialize.
Again, you need high results to get into law school – and these need to be maintained each year of your degree (drop down and you drop out). You have to work in a law form for a year before you can sit a bar exam (and you have to pass – not just serve your time).
To get into teacher training, you just need a bare UE pass & a C-grade pass for a 3 year undergraduate degree. (Yes, there are other pathways in, but that's the minimum).
I think that if you discuss the quality of teaching/teachers with almost any parent with kids in the current school system, you'd come to a different conclusion.
Perhaps, but there's no doubt in my mind that the state school teachers who educated me (50+ years ago) were mostly excellent.
There will be many hypotheses about why education and other 'sectors' of society are apparently in decline – maybe someone will present a cogent summary of the root causes for Kiwis to fulminate over as we twiddle our collective thumbs.
The 2021/22 Human Development Report (HDR) – which is entitled “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World” – paints a picture of a global society lurching from crisis to crisis, and which risks heading towards increasing deprivation and injustice.
Heading the list of events causing major global disruption are the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have come on top of sweeping social and economic shifts, dangerous planetary changes, and massive increases in polarization.
For the first time in the 32 years that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has been calculating it, the Human Development Index, which measures a nation’s health, education, and standard of living, has declined globally for two years in a row.
I have no reason to disbelieve you – though have no direct knowledge of the state of teaching 50+ years ago 😉
I don't know what the answer is in the education system. Though, don't feel inclined to either accept the status quo as the best we can get; or junk the whole system.
Teacher status in Finland (November 2016; PDF)) In Finland, teachers work in one of the most sought-after and respected professions in the country. The 2013 OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey found that primary school teachers in Finland had the highest level of agreement (57%) with a statement that the teaching profession is valued in society – over 20% higher than average. The high social status of teaching in Finland makes it an extremely competitive profession to enter: the elementary education departments in Finnish teaching universities (which train class teachers) only accept 10% of all applicants.
Would be great if successive NZ governments could craft a bipartisan programme to significantly strengthen the 'education brand', but judicious tweeking of the teaching status quo is perhaps the best Kiwis can hope for.
Glad I 'went through' the NZ school system in the 60s/70s.
I agree the Finnish education system is world-leading by a whole raft of measures.
And would love a bi (or multi-party) partisan approach to providing a pathway to a similar result. The question is how to get there.
However, I don't have any confidence that the MoE is the right agency to be leading the way. They are very captured by their own dogma – and have proved unwilling to rock the boat in any way.
I think we need more than just tweaking the status quo. With the dropping attendance levels (yes, Covid, but they haven't bounced back in significant areas post-Covid), as well as the falling literacy rates – we need to take action.
And, education is one area where you don't have the luxury of time. Kids only have around 10-12 years in the education system from beginning to end. And the crucial years are the first 4 – the years when you learn the basic building blocks.
They [the MoE] are very captured by their own dogma…
Please expand your 'captured by dogma' critique – when did the rot set in?
[The MoE] have proved unwilling to rock the boat in any way.
Similarly, examples to supporting your impression would be welcome.
My recent experience in the tertiary education sector is that since TEC (Government) funding has been linked to the number of students passing courses and completing degrees, the twins ‘evils’ of dumbing down content and grade inflation have been given freer reign – what a surprise.
The NZ MoE once crafted a world class education system. Imho it’s important to understand why/how outcomes went downhill [quickly?] if that system is to regain and then sustain its former levels of achievement.
World class education? Why New Zealand must strengthen its teaching profession [14 October 2014] Executive Summary: The greatest asset in New Zealand’s education system is teachers. Teacher salaries make up the bulk of education spend, and teachers are the most important factor for student achievement and development.
[Brought to us be The NZ Initiative!]
World Class? Inside NZ Education [2016]
"The New Zealand education system is broken and we need to start fixing it today if we want to have a prosperous future tomorrow."
Bryan Bruce was a teacher for 10 years before he become an award winning documentary maker. He believes the switch to self-managing schools has proved a disaster for children living in poorer areas of our country, that the way we administer our public schools is getting in the way of teachers doing their job and that to produce creative young thinkers from our schools we need to radically change the way we assess the talents and abilities of our children.
What is the purpose of public education? Are we teaching our children in the way that will best prepare them for a future that no one can predict?
The MoE couldn't even produce any research (on improved student outcomes) which led them to the conclusion that open plan classrooms were a winning learning strategy before the new plan was implemented.
They commissioned a literature review, only after they had started rolling these out (initially in Christchurch following the quake). I note with incredulity, that they even acknowledge that the vast majority of the 'research' they cite – originates from themselves….
The majority of sources were published by the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office (ERO), or the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, and others were commissioned by the Ministry of Education though published by other bodies. Other studies that informed this report have been published in national or international journals. Any other types of studies such as masters or doctoral dissertations were carefully considered before inclusion by examining theoretical
underpinnings, methodological design and data collection instruments, and ensuring the conclusions
reached were justifiable based on the data provided.
Nor did they invest in evaluation of student experience and learning outcomes once they were implemented. And, even when they've been called into question (research showing poorer educational outcomes, especially for students with learning disabilities – and no educational improvement for anyone) – MoE still mandate all new or renovated builds in schools must be open plan MLE.
But the worst (and most long-standing one) is the MoE's attachment to 'balanced literacy' (i.e. learning to read using visual cues, rather than decoding words), even after multiple studies showing that it is not a suitable approach for teaching reading for a large group of children.
People are sceptical (in the above article) because they've been there before with MoE – they'll invest in developing a 'strategy' which takes 3 years – and then the government changes, or there's a new Minister – and they go back to the drawing board. I regard this as professional or bureaucratic capture, rather than a failure of vision from the Minister concerned.
There is a very strong culture of 'we know best' at the MoE – which is not justified by the educational results of kiwi kids.
Thanks Belladonna – the MoE's MLE experiment started in 2011, and the report on MLE you linked to is dated November 2016, so these ‘time points’ coincide with my three links (2012, 2014 and 2016) vis-à-vis when the rot set in at the MoE. It's important (imho) to understand why/how rot sets in, in order to learn from mistakes.
But the worst (and most long-standing one) is the MoE's attachment to 'balanced literacy' (i.e. learning to read using visual cues, rather than decoding words), even after multiple studies showing that it is not a suitable approach for teaching reading for a large group of children.
The RNZ item you linked to suggests that the MoE is considering moving away from 'balanced literacy' towards the 'structured literacy' strategy favoured by Lifting Literacy Aotearoa.
Lifting Literacy Aotearoa chair Alice Wilson said the government was moving in the right direction – but it was moving too slowly.
I hope that the (cautious?) moves currently afoot are in the right direction, and that your assertion the MoE are "unwilling to rock the boat in any way" is a tad hyperbolic. I agree that new initiatives are needed in NZ education, and that making education a political football has the potential to undermine positive change.
The Way Reading Is Taught In New Zealand Must Change – NZ Initiative Report [November 2021] Reading with the Light Switched On by research fellow and former teacher Steen Videbeck shows there are large teaching challenges to overcome. But recent changes by the Ministry of Education provide some hope for the future.
Credit where credit is due [September 2022] Lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong, I’m delighted to say that we may be on the verge of a new era in New Zealand education. The Ministry has released an action plan for literacy, communication and mathematics.
Like most Ministry publications, the plan is long on buzzwords and short on detail. Still, it does signal a Common Practice Model for effective teaching in these three key areas. Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti was recently interviewed on Q&A. Importantly, she confirmed that the model will use a structured literacy approach.
… But for now, credit where credit is due. Congratulations to Jan Tinetti for heralding a much-needed change in direction for literacy education in New Zealand.
There is a very strong culture of 'we know best' at the MoE…
"Very strong" might be a bit strong, but yes, that seems typical of all Governments, Ministries, private companies and individuals. Mind you, sometimes they probably do 'know best',"lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong."
MoE has been strongly pro the 'whole language' or 'balanced literacy' (the phrasing changes over time) approach to teaching reading – since at least the 1990s
We tend to forget that much content, earlier than the mid 2000s isn't readily available online, and gets missed from our searches.
There have, during that time, been multiple studies showing that a structured or phonics based approach has a better result for more children (i.e. kids who would learn using balanced literacy, also learn using structured literacy; and the kids who would fail using balanced literacy are more likely to succeed using structured literacy)
That's more than 30 years of MoE clinging to an approach which has demonstrably failed. To me, that qualifies as a "very strong 'we know best' culture".
To me, that qualifies as a "very strong 'we know best' culture".
Let’s hope that MoE public servants continue to believe that they know best, now that they are adopting strategies you support – "lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong."
To my mind, the apparent shift to a ‘structured literacy’ approach is evidence that MoE public servants can ‘change their dogma’ (ha!) – maybe not rocking the boat, just swaying a little.
You're not going to get inspirational people, the 'best and brightest,' in the job and have them stay there because they're going to the treated like shit.
They can be trained and knowledgeable and become experienced but they will never be as expert as the self-centred, know-it-all, chip on their shoulder parents and the school managers who are driven buy checklists.
Of course the numbers of those with the qualities you want is dropping, and dropping rapidly.
From the era of the likes of Dr C E Beeby and Elwyn Richardson came the expression of New Zealand having a 'world class education system.' The further we moved from their philosophy the more the headlines are about failure.
The discussion started around Civics and topics readily engaging kids. Are we really interested in kids learning about civics and being really engaged? Or is the starting and ending point checklists, accountability charts and administrative paperwork?
Civics education is already part of the curriculum. I don't know what McAnulty's high school taught – but political process (including MMP) has been part of the social studies curriculum in high school for a lot longer than 20 years.
Not everyone believes C.E. Beeby was the great educator you portrait . When he was around (mid 20th century )NZ did have a world class education but his drasticchanges to progressive education away from traditional liberal education have been the cause of our present educational woes. This was predicted by wise educators of Beeby's era .
Please note it is well recorded that Beeby , at the end of his seemingly illustrious life greatly regretted the changes he had made to NZ s excellent education .. He saw the damage they had done even in his life time .
We need to reverse our entire educational philosophy to return to traditional values which believed in universal literacy and numeracy by phonics , spelling, tables some some rote learning , correction of work , proper handwriting , comprehension exercises ,etc .
Traditional learning would never had excluded art and crafts and civics but progressive education condemned the above mentioned subjects,
Lack of civics education doesn't account for a massive decline in local government voter turnout in one year.
If MPs wanted more public engagement about what they do, they could get those feckless and otherwise utterly $170k useless list MPs to go do some actual work in the community. There's enough of them.
The cynicism about bothering to vote in local body elections is very real — almost no one at work (100+ employees) is going to bother. The few who will, are 50+, and doing so as an act of civic virtue, rather than in any belief that their vote will make a difference.
The problem is in the age of the individual, where most of us don't have regular contact with large parts of our own community, I've got nothing to base my vote on other than guessing.
However, it's the older people who are (anecdotally, at least – I recognize this is just my own lived experience) the ones bothering to vote.
How do you motivate younger people to care? When everything around them is showing that voting doesn't change anything.
Dropping the electoral limit age below 70 is probably a good thing (we can certainly see instances of where politicians have remained beyond their use-by date – Shadbolt should have gracefully retired at the last election)
But, I don't see that electing a bunch of people in their 50s and 60s is going to be a whole lot better. And, many of the ones elected younger just become an institutional part of the system.
Given the stress and family-unfriendly hours and conditions – it's not realistic to expect many politicians in their 30s and 40s.
Perhaps a total limit on the number of years you can serve as an elected representative. 12 years (3 terms). And then a mandatory break of at least one term (3 years) before you can serve another 3 terms. After that, not eligible. Time served at both national and regional/local level to count.
I don't believe that we've been particularly well served by MP retreads at local body level.
But, none of that addresses the engagement factor.
Coming from Auckland, I'd say the biggest factor is the inertia of the local bureaucracy. Quite simply, I don't believe that any elected representatives have the ability to make change happen.
quite. I ended up in a conversation off that tweet which was saying that if we get rid of the olds, young people will vote. I think this is dangerous (messing with enfranchisement), discriminatory (ageist), and lacking in class analysis (why exclude older women, Māori, working class people and as you say end up with a bunch of late Pākehā middle agers top heavy with blokes).
It's also daft. Young people don't vote for a range of reasons including that they're busy doing other things they deem more important. I agree that people feel their vote doesn't change anything, but patently it does. So many people seem to believe that their vote is about their personal gratification, even politically aware people hold this view that. I see voting as an act of solidarity with my community and as a social good 🤷♀️
I don't feel disempowered, so I suppose that's part of why I see the power in voting.
I vote as a civic duty (if I don't vote in elections, I believe I forfeit the right to complain about the results for the next 3 years – a fate too dire to contemplate) (joke)
In the Auckland local body elections – even given the relatively significant divergence of the candidates at the mayoral level – I don't have a lot of confidence that much will change in the AC bureaucracy (and especially not with the council owned entities – like AT) – no matter who is elected.
At the local level – the Community Boards are basically powerless. They are blatantly ignored (and even lied to) by the likes of AT – and have little power to change or influence AC bureaucratic policy.
I admire the people who put their hats in the ring (without having any desire to emulate them); and I know they work hard in an often thankless job.
Truly. We have to find a way to give back more power at the local level. So that people can really see that their candidate (i.e. their vote) can make a difference in their community.
TOP will support National into government if it suits them. They've had major problems with their policies conflicting with welfare. I see they've made some changes on that, but haven't looked at the details yet.
They also wanted to asset strip elderly when they die by deferring the land tax. Don't know if that's still true.
Given they've specifically said they're a Centrist party – then that goes with the territory – supporting Labour or National depending on the policy gains they can get.
They've specifically said that the land tax can be deferred – so the 'asset stripping the elderly' would still apply (as it does to any land tax or CGT which includes land value, and has the capacity to be deferred).
A one-off land tax applied at death (aka death duties) is a known cost. (you know it's x% of whatever the value is)
A deferred tax simply goes on adding up – depending on how long it takes to die or sell. So, potentially could be a lot more, when added up over 20 years or so….
Can see them getting hammered on their property tax. When most landlords are operating on 2-3% real return, at best, (the money's in the capital gain) a 0.75% Property Tax is going to put 25 – 40% on the rent initially until property values crash.
Like CGT a good idea in a perfect world, but getting from here to there has got a few knobs on it.
I'd like to see a breakdown of parts of New Zealand where the gain from reduced income tax is equal or greater than what the homeowner will pay in Property Tax. It'll be an interesting relationship between property values and income, desirable places with poor wages will get hammered, others not so much. Can see a lot of wailing from people who have to sell their homes because they can't afford the tax payments.
I seem to remember Morgan's property tax proposal 10 years back wasn't quite so stark and was around equity so you could borrow and invest something other than property to reduce your liability.
There are some decent ideas in their tax policy. Worth considering.
Sadly, they won't get anywhere with the wider public for 2 reasons:
1) The 5% threshold is too high, and unfair. Proposals to lower it have been consistently blocked by National.
2) TOP killed their own brand when Gareth Morgan and Sean Plunkett decided to insult as many people as possible, which turned out not to be a vote-winning tactic. Who'd have guessed?
Of course TOP today is not the same as it was then. But you only get one chance to be a new, fresh party, and they blew it.
Again, they do have good ideas. Sadly, nobody is going to talk about them, outside a tiny minority of us on poli-blogs.
That Morgan meltdown of his own party was quite something to witness. New people now who seem to be doing good things. I value diversity in politics and it's been good to see them updating their policy as they get feedback on the holes in it. Still have some major issues with their positioning (they will support Nact into govt if it suits them). They've improved some of the stuff that was going to impact negatively on welfare*, but haven't looked at the details yet.
*they're also smart in some ways. Increasing disability allowance is both good for people who can't work and is non taxable and won't be affected by earnings and the WINZ rebate, but also there are a lot of people fucked off with Labour over them ignoring disabled people in benefits.
This is the first tax policy I have seen that will help the poor and pay for it by taxing landowners.
Top will also right off beneficiary debt. I am surprized more on the left aren't cheering it.
There are a lot of dissaffected Labour voters who can't bring themselves to vote National, especially having seen how disastrous the UK tax cuts have been (in all of 5 minutes). I think this policy will appeal. Many of us want some redistribution of wealth. Labour have increased inequality and made a lot of weatlhy people even wealthier.
This is the first tax policy I have seen that will help the poor and pay for it by taxing landowners.
It will tax rich and poor landowners alike. The Greens's policy targets people with a lot of wealth and directly helps all beneficiaries.
Top will also right off beneficiary debt. I am surprized more on the left aren't cheering it.
Most won't be aware of it yet. There are some good things in the policy for low income people. I'm not seeing an overall plan that's better than the GP's.
The land tax would replace current the bright line test, not apply to rural, Māori and conservation land and could be deferred for superannuitants.
Suspect they may not have thought this through. Replacing the bright line test, takes us right back to the property price inflation (buy and sell for capital gain) – though, it might look more appealing in an era of falling/settling property values. Rural land exempt? Farmers will be delighted: a massive tax cut, and no compensatory tax increase.
Manji also announced that he would run in the seat of Ilam, which was lost by long-term MP Gerry Brownlee to Labour’s Sarah Pallett in 2020. Manji won 23% of the vote in the seat running as an independent in 2017
“If we win Ilam, every single vote will count, so that will be our focus and the team is ready to go”, he said.
Looks like a well-thought through strategy there. Labour has little hold on the seat, and it would depend mightily on who National chose to put up against him (will Brownlee stay or go?). He's clearly got a strong local profile in the seat – so may be able to capitalize on this – even if only as a protest vote. And, if he looks like a winner in Ilam – then waverers are more inclined to risk their vote on TOP.
Oh, I absolutely agree the Swarbrick showed it was possible.
And, it looks as though Manji has the right local profile to give it a good shot.
I wouldn't expect Labour to hold this seat, even if TOP didn't stand – it's one of the ones which they won in the 2020 Jacinda landslide, and couldn't realistically have believed they'd hold.
It all depends on who National puts up.
Options:
Brownlee has high local and national profile (you may not like him but you certainly know who he is). However, he's already said he's going list only (with the aim of Speaker, if the Right wins). I don't see him standing in Ilam as a likely alternative.
National could parachute another high-profile list MP in (not a lot of options here, given their clean out in 2020)
National could head-hunt a local high-profile candidate [better get the selection right 😉 ] – with the specific goal of knee-capping Manji.
National could put up a standard candidate, and see how the chips fall. [I don't think they'd be happy with this option – and would prefer no. 3]
I can't see National doing a cup of tea with Manji – but they have history of working with centrist MPs and parties (Peter Dunn).
We don't have a good picture on how the resurgent ACT would play here either. Historically, this hasn't been a good seat for them – but the figures have changed a lot since 2020.
This will be a seat to watch with interest, once electoral polling gets going at the regional/seat level.
The Greens ran Auckland Central as if it were a by-election. They threw everything at it – they had people from as far away as Riverton working in Auckland Central. They also piled on the emotional blackmail to Labour people trying to get them to give the electorate vote to Swarbribk as some sort of insurance policy "how would you feel if Labour was not in government because they did not have the Green Party to support them"?
Do you think Swarbrick will hold Auckland Central?
I wouldn't bet against her. National profile, and she's visible and articulate at a local level as well.
I'd be surprised if Helen White (in parliament on a list seat) takes it from her. White hasn't shone in Parliament (I know, difficult when you're a new back bencher), and doesn't seem to be getting cut-through locally, either.
Don't know who National will stand. A Nikki Kaye clone would have the possibility of coming through the middle, with the left vote split between Swarbrick and White. But it's a big ask for a newcomer. Emma Mellow (previous Nat candidate) has gone to Australia (I think) – so will almost certainly be a new face.
My gut says that Swarbrick will hold the electorate.
I usually ignore Avaaz campaigns. This time I'm going to ignore the WC and sign the campaign petition.
In just two months, more than a million fans will watch the World Cup from seats built with the blood of Qatar’s migrant workforce. These seven gleaming stadiums, dozens of new hotels, and other construction cost the lives of 6,500 modern day slaves.
That’s 39 lives for every goal expected at the World Cup.
Qatar is expected to rake in $17 billion in profit from hosting the games. FIFA will grab $6 billion. The winning teams will take home $440 million. Migrant workers make as little as $1 per hour.
It is clear Qatar did not value the lives lost preparing for the World Cup. But we can make sure that the hundreds of thousands of workers and their families are compensated for the serious abuses they faced and continue to face.
Human rights organizations around the world are calling on FIFA and everyone else profiting from the World Cup to set aside $440 million in compensation funds for the migrant workers exploited in preparing for the World Cup – the same amount that will be awarded to the winning teams.
FIFA is ignoring the call to action – but pressure is mounting. Just this week England’s top football organization publicly backed the campaign. And if FIFA hears a massive outcry from people all around the world – they may be forced to act! So add your voice today and we’ll deliver our petition straight to FIFA.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 KotahiThe fact that a ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
“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 ...
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, ...
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, ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 → ...
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 ...
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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 ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track 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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
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 publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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,” ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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'
The ghost that will not rest.
(at least not until the government does something about it)
Another biased pro-owner study of the problem has been released.
The brief of this new study exclusively focused on more carrot for rich people, and not sticks to encourage them to rent or put their empty houses up for sale.
Despite the authors of the study admitting that the carrot based strategy has had very limited success.
https://waikanaewatch.org/2022/08/23/number-of-kids-living-in-cars-has-jumped-447-under-the-jacinda-government/
We all know an administration convinced of the justice of neo-liberal trickle down theory, is chary of putting any tax on the lucky rich people with more than one house that they can keep empty, while other families live in cars..
I suggest calling it a fine, instead of a tax.
Rich people, love disproportionately fining poor people.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6347272/not-feasible-income-based-fines-not-an-option-barr-says/
How about a fine that disproportionately fines the fortunate owners of one or more empty homes?
Would that be more palatable to a neo-liberal administration that has no hestatation on fining low income people for the slightest parking or compliance infraction, yet never call it a tax.
We can fine someone for overparking depriving someone else of a carpark.
Why can't we fine someone for keeping their property/properties empty depriving someone else of somewhere to live?
Maybe check whether "full and undisturbed possession of their lands' applies to all. TOW article 2
I agree with encouraging owners to put ghost houses out for rent.
But why go punative? Why not create incentives for owners to rent out their houses? This will likely be more effective than more taxes, because that will just encourage people to look for ways to avoid the tax, so will be a lot less effective than positive incentives to make it worthwhile for Landlords to rent out the houses..
Hi Smithy what sort of incentive for owners do you think the government should apply. Money incentives?
Now there's an idea, let's subsidise the rich folk (again). If we could just shovel enough money toward the top end of town, trickledown economics could work.. And, a subsidy for the rich folk would be well in line with this government's convinced neoliberal economic agenda.
Unfortunately I am not convinced that more 'carrot' for rich folk (their word) would work, neither are the writers of the report. Even though their brief ruled out "sticks" they had to admit that 'carrot's weren't working. Even the creepy government vetting of tenants to satisfy the wealthy empty home owners, couldn't convince these rich folk to let their empty houses out.
Rather than upset rich folk, better we let kids live in cars. We know homeless kids and their families are never going to give us any party donations. But rich people can and do.
I came across a few of those "ghost houses" when I was working for Auckland Council. The ones I knew about – I doubt that the owners were tax residents in New Zealand – or has much interest in being landlords here at the time. One very large house on an expensive section on the North Shore was just abandoned when its owners went back to their homeland very suddenly. They just packed up and left – even the power was still on in the house. It was a while before the local kids discovered the place was empty as it was a rear site. The neighbours were concerned about squatters and because the lawns were getting long and rank in the summer heat and were a fire hazard. Council eventually made an arrangement to get the lawns mowed and charged the homeowner. The bills were still paid but the house was empty for years.
Vancouver has just such a tax, see:
https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/empty-homes-tax.aspx
There is a report available for the 2020 year. It seems to be a well thought out which is working – raising money to both cover costs and assist non-profit providers of housing.
See also https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax
My perception is that this would be good in Wellington and Auckland; possibly less useful for Christchurch and Rotorua . . .
On the good news front;
The Russian Federation's neo-imperialist and colonialist project in Ukraine suffers another setback.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJKbbI2EbH0
Victory in Lyman appears to be accompanied by an unimaginable slaughter of the fleeing defeated enemy Russian army. Never forget the human cost of this utterly wanton war of aggression.
Caution – read only if you are of a strong constitution. Erich Maria Remarque meets Ernst Jünger. I just thought Jesus Christ, this is happening now in 2022 and while the Ukrainians at least have agency to make sense of what they are going through the Russians are dying for absolutely nothing other than the blood sacrifice demanded from them by their demented dictator. Putin's war is an unspeakable evil where thousands die pathetic deaths and calling for their mothers.
Yes, and not only Lyman. I think the whole Luhansk front will collapse. Very soon the Ukrainians will hold several more key towns for supply of Russian logistics to the whole Donbass region.
Running for their lives but they couldn't abandon booty for the fam'.
(women's tights and immersion blender in the red bag)
https://twitter.com/radiosvoboda/status/1576239984675364865
Just been reading about the rout in Lyman. It was untenable last week. I could speculate about the political motivations that allowed an effective encirclement without withdrawal. But really just saying that Putin has all of military genius of Hitler just about covers it. It sounds like they were told to hold so it didn’t disrupt a political rally in Moscow.
Just been reading about the rout in Lyman. It was untenable last week. I could speculate about the political motivations that allowed an effective encirclement without withdrawal. But really just saying that Putin has all of military genius of Hitler just about covers it. It sounds like they were told to hold so it didn’t disrupt a political rally in Moscow.
Lyman cuts out a large chunk of the Russian logistics pipeline to their June to August occupation areas. That is going to make life very difficult for those regions when they are attacked.
Breaking news. video on the internet of large explosions at a Russian airbase in Crimea.
This will be the second time that Russian Federation airbases in Crimea have been rocked by explosions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGe1wiV9Y2Y
Barking.
https://twitter.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1576126809993011205
https://twitter.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1575853684852150272
https://konstantinkisin.substack.com/p/putin-the-end-of-western-hegemony?
Yes, it makes the term "bat-shit crazy" seem like a synonym for "rationale".
Despite all the crazy rhetoric, from what I have seen, a lot in Russia are not buying it. Especially those fleeing and those in the poorer regions who are being disproportionately targeted for mobilisation.
I am not too worried about Russia using nukes. An interesting video from an interview with George Friedman that covers that threat amongst other things. He makes the point that so far as tactical nukes go, there are other weapons better for the job, and so far as strategic nukes, the fact that they are being implicitly threatened means they are unlikely to be used, due to the fact that making the threat gives up first strike advantage which is seen as critical in nuclear war.
I think Russian mobilisation will be a complete disaster. Excellent analysis on that by Perun. It is a long video, but his stuff is well-researched and comprehensive. Also, Peter Zeihan makes some great points in a video on this.
So, I think Russia is in deep trouble. They are shoving mobilised people to the front line at the moment without any training. Their logisitics is terrible, and struggles to support what they have there now. And human wave tactics don't work in an age of modern weapons.
Of course he's a defrocked Orthodox priest.
https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1575863539939823616
https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1575868888327524352
Do a twitter search using "Kherson". Looks like the Ukrainians are making their play there at the moment, after spending weeks destroying Russian logistics and supplies. They must think the Russians are now too weak to resist.
By morning over there Kherson might be liberated.
That would be a major issue for Russia continuing the war. That is because Ukraine is about to cut supply lines to the Donbass area. Taking Kherson would cut supply lines enable Ukraine to cut supply lines running from Crimea to the other end of Ukraine.
It would basically be game over then.
Even according to favourable media, Ukraine was suffering heavy losses in Kherson a month ago. By now the losses must be enormous.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/07/ukraine-kherson-offensive-casualties-ammunition/
We will see. But Ukraine has been working on destroying logistics and supplies in Kherson. The Russians may not have anything to fire back now.
Yup, getting big 1905 vibes about this…
You must be very old.
OK – Early reports indicate the Russians planned to hold Lyman and reinforce it with some of their poorly trained newly mobilised troops. However the situation moved faster than they anticipated and the Ukrainians shut off the road between Lyman and Zarichne – effectively surrounding the Russian garrison. The Russians were instead forced to commit the newly arrived troops into a hasty unprepared counter-attack to try and relieve the trapped troops. A dramatic and intense battle ensued. The Russian assault was partially successful but at the cost of catastrophic losses both on the retreating units and the relieving assault. Lots of video showing literally piles of dead Russian bodies.
Sounds like the Ukrainians have suffered many losses as well. What a shit show. Fuck Putin.
Indeed.
https://twitter.com/CasualArtyFan/status/1576188496255254529
Another Lyman scale route and these people in Poots’ ear?
All bets will be off, I reckon.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen republic, said that Putin could use "low-yield" nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
In a statement slamming Russian generals in the wake of Russia’s withdrawal of its forces from the strategic town of Lyman, Kadyrov said it was time for the Kremlin to make use of every weapon at its disposal.
Earlier last week, Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president between 2008 and 2012, also discussed nuclear weapons use on his Telegram channel, saying it was permitted if the existence of the Russian state was threatened by an attack even by conventional forces.
“If the threat to Russia exceeds our established threat limit, we will have to respond … this is certainly not a bluff,” he wrote.
https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-10-01-22#h_33f48bf1d4d8f1898e12a4ff46407fae
I think two factors are at play there. Firstly, as mentioned in my previous post, it isn't clear tactical nukes are more effective than other weapons. Secondly, NATO has made it clear to Russia about specific devastating threats if they went down that route.
So, some of the conventional weapons that have similar effects might be preferred. For instance FABs (Father of all bombs) would have a similar effect to low-yield nukes without the international blow-back.
And, the Ukrainians are moving so quickly that they may not provide an easy mass target for either of those weapons.
I am always suspicious when people have to say things like "this is not a bluff", because it sounds like they are having to reinforce a weak position that indicates they could be bluffing.
Though who knows. Time will tell I guess.
Wonder if some people in Florida will figure out what Federal government is for now.
Yup – it is manipulating the weather to punish Trump voters.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1575874385948598272
Don't worry, we've got 'em in NZ, too.
Remember Bishop Brian saying the earthquakes were God's revenge for our homosexual law reform? https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2016/11/destiny-church-leader-brian-tamaki-blames-earthquake-on-gays.html
Yesterday in the The Press a perennial mayoral candidate, Tubby Hansen, alleged a maser was being used to attack his knee along with his old truck being sabotaged to hinder his political career.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/130023313/tubby-hansen-the-man-who-has-run-unsuccessfully-in-every-christchurch-election-since-1969
In the pub on Friday night a former Green MP, an anti-vaxxerr and critic of mandates, warned me that the Covid vaccines could harm unborn babies. "Unproven", he said……..
Its their hurricane season for God's sake. If "they" had the technology to manipulate the weather then they are God!
The insanity and the ignorance is beyond…….. words.
Credit to the Herald layout people. They didn't put stories of people living in poverty or trying to survive living in motels next to their walled story about Auckland's newest golf course.
"Inside Auckland's newest golf course Te Arai Links (Mangawhai, Northland) and what members get for a $48k joining fee" is the headline.
"As the Herald reported last month, cost of membership is just shy of a $50,000 joining fee and $10,000 a year for a family membership… The club already has around 475 members, made up of New Zealanders and international golfers with a plan to potentially cap the membership towards the 600 mark."
What they get for their fees is the ability to escape the hoi polloi and the reality of the world. I do appreciate they worked so hard all their lives to afford that and so deserve to escape the slackers who didn't.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/inside-aucklands-newest-golf-course-te-arai-links-and-what-members-get-for-a-48k-joining-fee/7P4QGMPGMGTXRR4FE3L3LLEUR4/
Would be interesting to know who these slime "hecklers" are..and who they are associated with ? Also the Council absolutely needs to ensure the Safety of Candidates..and members of Public..from these type of people. None should be fearful in anyway. Maybe Police need to have a look in?
Voices For Freedom.
Oh, I had wondered : (. I really like Tory Whanau. This ugly heckling (racist as well to her, Paul Eagle, others). But of course NONE of the Candidates….or Public attending, should have to put up with any of this ugly shit..from the ugly VFF…or their fellow 'travellers"
The heckling was racist? Citation please…
American journalist Luke Mogelson has some insights about such groups in the US. As I interpret it, he identifies 3 interesting points:
I suspect a closer look at similar groups here might show similar characteristics and forces at play. They do seem to be on the move everywhere.
Trump's 'rhetoric of inversion' as Luke Mogelson describes it, is playing out in our theatre of disinformation as well. If this review is worth a read, his book will be even more interesting.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/07/the-storm-is-here-by-luke-mogelson-review-america-on-the-brink
In times gone by this would have been written up in the local rag as lively debate, as politicians were tested by tough questions from passionate local constituents.
Sadly this is just another sign (like the <50% voter turnouts) that our democracy is in a terrible state of affairs.
So, this is both HDPA (anathama to many Standardistas, I know) and Herald premium content (you can read through PressReader via most libraries – certainly the big city ones)
However, setting aside her clear preference for much of the ACT agenda, it's the first article that's clearly come out and said that ACT are likely to be heavily influential in a National/ACT government (which, is certainly an option given the current polling).
Selected excerpts:
[HDPA specifically addresses ACT policy on cutting public servant numbers, education vouchers (she doesn't use that word, but that's what she means), and a referendum on co-governance.]
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/heather-du-plessis-allan-national-needs-to-watch-its-hand-with-act-holding-the-cards/GVFBYG22RH7TGGQ2QKMCB6ZYTA/?c_id=1&objectid=12555717&ref=rss
It seems as though Seymour and ACT have a much stronger grasp on their policy outcomes than National does. And, (IMO) Seymour is a stronger character than Luxon – I wouldn't say ACT would blink first in negotiations. [This is me, not HDPA]
Whatever applies to ACT, in this – should also apply to the Greens (especially after Shaw's recent shake up with the membership). They, too, will be looking for very significant policy gains from Labour – and are unlikely to be fobbed off with minor portfolios and/or meaningless titles.
In 2023 – policy may shift much more radically to either left or right, than the centre parties are likely to be comfortable with.
The Sunday lesson (Kipling)
https://mobile.twitter.com/DaveTaylorNews/status/1576137253734076418?cxt=HHwWhMCi4eieyN8rAAAA
https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1576208659486412802
The dodgy debt they couldn't flog?
Credit Suisse has asked hedge funds and other investors to destroy documents relating to its richest clients’ yachts and private jets, in an attempt to stop information leaking about a unit of the bank that has made loans to oligarchs who were later sanctioned.
Investors this week received letters from the Swiss bank requesting that they destroy the documents relating to a securitisation of loans backed by “jets, yachts, real estate and/or financial assets”, according to three people whose firm received the request.
The letters tell the investors to “destroy and permanently erase” any confidential information Credit Suisse previously provided in relation to the transaction, citing a “recent data leak to the media” that it said had been “verified by our investigators”.
Credit Suisse took the action after a Financial Times report last month detailing how it offloaded the risks relating to $2bn of loans to a group of hedge funds.
https://archive.ph/g9jeI (ft)
More the appreciation of the credit default swaps against CS.
Kipling and Bismark in one post….things must indeed be dire.
If the financial risk of the UK is fragile (without the fairy tail economics) prior,there is a substantive misalignment to be undertaken on currency risk alone.Where the Kiwi due to the same problems as the UK,such as high increasing internal debt,large current account deficit,overvalued currency.
These are the drivers of instability in the Global markets,where they are looking for the next storm.and where the wobbly domino appears.
https://twitter.com/RobinBrooksIIF/status/1575107614647603200
And liquidity disappears in an instant….a greatly underestimated risk.
Largest risk,as they (the hedge funds etc) need cash to meet margin calls.There has been a large switch from the long end to short dated cash from large investment groups in the last 3 months.
I remember Brash complaining about why we were overvalued 20 years ago.
Granted all those July predictions that NZ inflation would peak by the end of the year look optimistic with oil esp diesel going up fast.
But in reality we're pretty good.
Our GDP has stabilised after 2020-21 and is strong
Economy | Stats NZ
Jobs growth looking good still
Employment indicators: Weekly as at 26 September 2022 | Stats NZ
Unemployment still the lowest it's ever been
New Zealand Unemployment Rate – 2022 Data – 2023 Forecast – 1985-2021 Historical (tradingeconomics.com)
New building consents and construction still gangbusters
Building consents issued: August 2022 | Stats NZ
Cars and trucks are busy on the roads again
ANZ Truckometer | NZ economic indicator | ANZ
Food and fibre exports are strong and dairy in particular is very strong in both price and production
Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz)
We're in about the best place in the world. No panic.
Oil is falling in value due to demand destruction,cracked products such as diesel is short due to industry and power generators switching from gas.
Electricity is not a driver of inflation in NZ (excluding changes to pricing increases in line charges) Gas similar with lower demand due to some switching to electricity which has allowed the second train at Motunui to start up to meet export demand.
Food and Fibre will still be in demand due to shortages in NH forced by energy constraints.
Both local and central government spending on capital projects,is on borrowed debt with increasing interest risk as new issues for both maturing debt,and increased debt are over 4.1% for the government at the short end moving to 4.5 at the long end.
S&P moved the UK to negative watch late Friday,warning bells are ringing here as each move of 1% in GDP or interest rates changes the interest costs by 1 billion,
Surely it would take mortgages to get to 10% before we start to see big changes in mortgagee sales. In April the NZ mortgagee sales were at a 15 year low.
Perhaps a wee shakeout of investors away from property is just what we need.
More the top end of town,with corporate borrowing becoming more expensive.
Also Government interest costs are well beyond forecast (more if we count SOE) an extra 2b this year,doubling next and net debt increasing 4-6b it isnt coming down.
Property market needs shakeup,as well above realistic valuation,removing a few zombie companies is always good.
Civics education is already part of the curriculum. I don't know what McAnulty's high school taught – but political process (including MMP) has been part of the social studies curriculum in high school for a lot longer than 20 years.
It's not, however, a topic which readily engages kids.
Disengaged teachers droning on to disengaged youth isn't a recipe to change anything about democratic engagement.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/300701729/civics-education-floated-to-combat-voter-disengagement-distrust
Actually changing legislation so that people can make bureaucracy change, especially at a local level, is what's needed. Anyone who's ever engaged the the behemoth which is Auckland Council, knows that achieving even the most obviously beneficial of changes is a multi-year process – requiring commitment and dedication from the individual or group. It's not surprising that youth don't see that this is a winning strategy.
"Disengaged teachers droning on" would turn me off – I recall having mostly excellent teachers (the engaged, non-droning kind), and certainly appreciate that now.
The public service profession of teaching is in decline – how to turn this around?
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/06/30/deciphering-the-decline-in-literacy-of-new-zealand-students.html
Negative perceptions of teaching as a profession are very well deserved. It's been regularly said over years we want, we need, our best and brightest to go teaching.
We want creatives, flexible and adaptable, personable and empathetic, dedicated with a sense of wanting to make a difference.
Anyone with those qualities doesn't want to be treated like shit by all the unqualified experts without the balls or inclination to take the job on themselves. They're not going to accept being treated like drones by drones who kowtowed to the ignorant crap and have nobbled and sabotaged meaningful teaching as a worthy profession.
How to turn around the public service profession of teaching? It is not possible. To mangle an aged adage: The necessary changes are more difficult than pushing shit to the top of Mt Everest with a marshmallow rake.
That's depressing Peter – although there are some excellent NZ teachers, I fear you may be right. Another example of the general decline that threatens to overwhelm society's ability to continue in the manner to which we have become accustomed?
I think that if you discuss the quality of teaching/teachers with almost any parent with kids in the current school system, you'd come to a different conclusion.
That's not to say there aren't excellent teachers out there: because there are. However, there are also a number, and a significantly higher number, of teachers who are not.
If you're lucky, you'll get one or two inspirational teachers during your entire schooling career. And they aren't always the same (e.g. a teacher can be inspirational for kid A, but not for kid B).
A much better goal to aim for is excellence – a teacher who thoroughly understands the topic/s they are teaching, is an engaging presenter of material (which may not always be seen as relevant by the kids), and has multiple educational strategies to cut through to kids who don't necessarily 'get' the standard presentation; as well as being able to manage the necessary class discipline for learning.
The numbers of those teachers in the education system is dropping, and dropping rapidly.
Love to know where you get that information from BD.
Looks like unreliable anecdata to me.
What, you believe that the quality of teachers is better now, than it was 20 years ago?
In that case, why have educational levels (you know, the basic ability to read and write) been on a continuous downward trend in virtually every measure?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/why-literacy-rates-are-falling-in-nz-schools/YTQJAYXYV4SG6XTJFWIRI5E3CA/
Why are articles like these common:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300368442/our-education-system-is-in-decline-but-nobody-wants-to-fix-it
Yes. Anecdata. In that I do have a kid in the schooling system; do talk to other parents (in primary, a major topic of conversation was how to angle your kid into the class with the 'good' teacher – and you bet it made a difference); do pay attention to the education figures and statistics.
Rather than dump on teachers, maybe look at the Ministry. They’re the ones who set the curriculum and liase with training organisations.
The range of quality of teaching probably mirrors the range of every other profession. Doctors and lawyers included.
That is entirely probable. And may well be a contributing factor to the observed dropping standards.
The great experiment in Modern Learning Environments (open plan large scale classrooms with 2-4 classes and teachers in a single space), entirely driven by MoE theorists – looks as though it may be coming home to roost [sorry for the mixed metaphors]. With zero evidence that it makes any positive difference to learning, and lots of evidence that it disadvantages kids with learning challenges (hearing, ADHD, etc.) and anecdotal evidence that it damages the teacher-student relationship (it's not realistic for teachers to have a personal relationship with up to 120 primary school kids in a class).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018859439/no-evidence-modern-learning-environments-work-report
Every new or refurbished classroom for the last 10 years has been built in this style.
However, teachers are (they have to be) a big factor in children's learning. They're the people on the ground, rather than the MoE bureaucrats issuing directives from Wellington.
And teacher unions are adamantly opposed to teacher quality evaluation and/or measurable educational standards (at least before NCEA level), and/or increased pay for high-quality teachers (those delivering above average results, regardless of the educational starting level)- which makes it a bit of a chicken and egg scenario so far as Ministerial quality standards go.
Your examples of comparable professions are interesting.
It's an incredibly high educational bar to get into Med school, requires 7 years of training, and then another couple to be fully qualified, and/or specialize.
Again, you need high results to get into law school – and these need to be maintained each year of your degree (drop down and you drop out). You have to work in a law form for a year before you can sit a bar exam (and you have to pass – not just serve your time).
To get into teacher training, you just need a bare UE pass & a C-grade pass for a 3 year undergraduate degree. (Yes, there are other pathways in, but that's the minimum).
Perhaps, but there's no doubt in my mind that the state school teachers who educated me (50+ years ago) were mostly excellent.
There will be many hypotheses about why education and other 'sectors' of society are apparently in decline – maybe someone will present a cogent summary of the root causes for Kiwis to fulminate over as we twiddle our collective thumbs.
I have no reason to disbelieve you – though have no direct knowledge of the state of teaching 50+ years ago 😉
I don't know what the answer is in the education system. Though, don't feel inclined to either accept the status quo as the best we can get; or junk the whole system.
Would be great if successive NZ governments could craft a bipartisan programme to significantly strengthen the 'education brand', but judicious tweeking of the teaching status quo is perhaps the best Kiwis can hope for.
Glad I 'went through' the NZ school system in the 60s/70s.
I agree the Finnish education system is world-leading by a whole raft of measures.
And would love a bi (or multi-party) partisan approach to providing a pathway to a similar result. The question is how to get there.
However, I don't have any confidence that the MoE is the right agency to be leading the way. They are very captured by their own dogma – and have proved unwilling to rock the boat in any way.
I think we need more than just tweaking the status quo. With the dropping attendance levels (yes, Covid, but they haven't bounced back in significant areas post-Covid), as well as the falling literacy rates – we need to take action.
And, education is one area where you don't have the luxury of time. Kids only have around 10-12 years in the education system from beginning to end. And the crucial years are the first 4 – the years when you learn the basic building blocks.
Please expand your 'captured by dogma' critique – when did the rot set in?
Similarly, examples to supporting your impression would be welcome.
My recent experience in the tertiary education sector is that since TEC (Government) funding has been linked to the number of students passing courses and completing degrees, the twins ‘evils’ of dumbing down content and grade inflation have been given freer reign – what a surprise.
The NZ MoE once crafted a world class education system. Imho it’s important to understand why/how outcomes went downhill [quickly?] if that system is to regain and then sustain its former levels of achievement.
The MLE linked earlier is one example.
https://www.nzinitiative.org.nz/reports-and-media/media/media-release-school-classrooms-experiment-has-been-based-on-ideology-report/
The MoE couldn't even produce any research (on improved student outcomes) which led them to the conclusion that open plan classrooms were a winning learning strategy before the new plan was implemented.
They commissioned a literature review, only after they had started rolling these out (initially in Christchurch following the quake). I note with incredulity, that they even acknowledge that the vast majority of the 'research' they cite – originates from themselves….
https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Documents/Primary-Secondary/Property/Design/Flexible-learning-spaces/FLS-The-impact-of-physical-design-on-student-outcomes.pdf
Nor did they invest in evaluation of student experience and learning outcomes once they were implemented. And, even when they've been called into question (research showing poorer educational outcomes, especially for students with learning disabilities – and no educational improvement for anyone) – MoE still mandate all new or renovated builds in schools must be open plan MLE.
But the worst (and most long-standing one) is the MoE's attachment to 'balanced literacy' (i.e. learning to read using visual cues, rather than decoding words), even after multiple studies showing that it is not a suitable approach for teaching reading for a large group of children.
https://iowareadingresearch.org/blog/structured-and-balanced-literacy
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/472783/government-s-new-literacy-plan-met-with-some-skepticism
People are sceptical (in the above article) because they've been there before with MoE – they'll invest in developing a 'strategy' which takes 3 years – and then the government changes, or there's a new Minister – and they go back to the drawing board. I regard this as professional or bureaucratic capture, rather than a failure of vision from the Minister concerned.
There is a very strong culture of 'we know best' at the MoE – which is not justified by the educational results of kiwi kids.
Thanks Belladonna – the MoE's MLE experiment started in 2011, and the report on MLE you linked to is dated November 2016, so these ‘time points’ coincide with my three links (2012, 2014 and 2016) vis-à-vis when the rot set in at the MoE. It's important (imho) to understand why/how rot sets in, in order to learn from mistakes.
The RNZ item you linked to suggests that the MoE is considering moving away from 'balanced literacy' towards the 'structured literacy' strategy favoured by Lifting Literacy Aotearoa.
I hope that the (cautious?) moves currently afoot are in the right direction, and that your assertion the MoE are "unwilling to rock the boat in any way" is a tad hyperbolic. I agree that new initiatives are needed in NZ education, and that making education a political football has the potential to undermine positive change.
https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/structured-literacy-provides-solid-foundations/
https://pld.education.govt.nz/find-pld/bsla-professional-support
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/budget-2022/education-summary-of-initiatives-2022/
"Very strong" might be a bit strong, but yes, that seems typical of all Governments, Ministries, private companies and individuals. Mind you, sometimes they probably do 'know best', "lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong."
MoE has been strongly pro the 'whole language' or 'balanced literacy' (the phrasing changes over time) approach to teaching reading – since at least the 1990s
https://www.nzcpr.com/doris-ferry-and-the-phonics-debate/
We tend to forget that much content, earlier than the mid 2000s isn't readily available online, and gets missed from our searches.
There have, during that time, been multiple studies showing that a structured or phonics based approach has a better result for more children (i.e. kids who would learn using balanced literacy, also learn using structured literacy; and the kids who would fail using balanced literacy are more likely to succeed using structured literacy)
That's more than 30 years of MoE clinging to an approach which has demonstrably failed. To me, that qualifies as a "very strong 'we know best' culture".
Let’s hope that MoE public servants continue to believe that they know best, now that they are adopting strategies you support – "lest our readers think that all we ever do is complain about what’s wrong."
To my mind, the apparent shift to a ‘structured literacy’ approach is evidence that MoE public servants can ‘change their dogma’ (ha!) – maybe not rocking the boat, just swaying a little.
You're not going to get inspirational people, the 'best and brightest,' in the job and have them stay there because they're going to the treated like shit.
They can be trained and knowledgeable and become experienced but they will never be as expert as the self-centred, know-it-all, chip on their shoulder parents and the school managers who are driven buy checklists.
Of course the numbers of those with the qualities you want is dropping, and dropping rapidly.
From the era of the likes of Dr C E Beeby and Elwyn Richardson came the expression of New Zealand having a 'world class education system.' The further we moved from their philosophy the more the headlines are about failure.
The discussion started around Civics and topics readily engaging kids. Are we really interested in kids learning about civics and being really engaged? Or is the starting and ending point checklists, accountability charts and administrative paperwork?
Civics education is already part of the curriculum. I don't know what McAnulty's high school taught – but political process (including MMP) has been part of the social studies curriculum in high school for a lot longer than 20 years.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/6r8/richardson-elwyn-stuart
Not everyone believes C.E. Beeby was the great educator you portrait . When he was around (mid 20th century )NZ did have a world class education but his drasticchanges to progressive education away from traditional liberal education have been the cause of our present educational woes. This was predicted by wise educators of Beeby's era .
Please note it is well recorded that Beeby , at the end of his seemingly illustrious life greatly regretted the changes he had made to NZ s excellent education .. He saw the damage they had done even in his life time .
We need to reverse our entire educational philosophy to return to traditional values which believed in universal literacy and numeracy by phonics , spelling, tables some some rote learning , correction of work , proper handwriting , comprehension exercises ,etc .
Traditional learning would never had excluded art and crafts and civics but progressive education condemned the above mentioned subjects,
Lack of civics education doesn't account for a massive decline in local government voter turnout in one year.
If MPs wanted more public engagement about what they do, they could get those feckless and otherwise utterly $170k useless list MPs to go do some actual work in the community. There's enough of them.
The cynicism about bothering to vote in local body elections is very real — almost no one at work (100+ employees) is going to bother. The few who will, are 50+, and doing so as an act of civic virtue, rather than in any belief that their vote will make a difference.
The problem is in the age of the individual, where most of us don't have regular contact with large parts of our own community, I've got nothing to base my vote on other than guessing.
this is why we have shit in our rivers.
We also have people saying stuff like this,
https://twitter.com/justadiver1999/status/1576042955164766209
234 people agree with him.
However, it's the older people who are (anecdotally, at least – I recognize this is just my own lived experience) the ones bothering to vote.
How do you motivate younger people to care? When everything around them is showing that voting doesn't change anything.
Dropping the electoral limit age below 70 is probably a good thing (we can certainly see instances of where politicians have remained beyond their use-by date – Shadbolt should have gracefully retired at the last election)
But, I don't see that electing a bunch of people in their 50s and 60s is going to be a whole lot better. And, many of the ones elected younger just become an institutional part of the system.
Given the stress and family-unfriendly hours and conditions – it's not realistic to expect many politicians in their 30s and 40s.
Perhaps a total limit on the number of years you can serve as an elected representative. 12 years (3 terms). And then a mandatory break of at least one term (3 years) before you can serve another 3 terms. After that, not eligible. Time served at both national and regional/local level to count.
I don't believe that we've been particularly well served by MP retreads at local body level.
But, none of that addresses the engagement factor.
Coming from Auckland, I'd say the biggest factor is the inertia of the local bureaucracy. Quite simply, I don't believe that any elected representatives have the ability to make change happen.
quite. I ended up in a conversation off that tweet which was saying that if we get rid of the olds, young people will vote. I think this is dangerous (messing with enfranchisement), discriminatory (ageist), and lacking in class analysis (why exclude older women, Māori, working class people and as you say end up with a bunch of late Pākehā middle agers top heavy with blokes).
It's also daft. Young people don't vote for a range of reasons including that they're busy doing other things they deem more important. I agree that people feel their vote doesn't change anything, but patently it does. So many people seem to believe that their vote is about their personal gratification, even politically aware people hold this view that. I see voting as an act of solidarity with my community and as a social good 🤷♀️
I don't feel disempowered, so I suppose that's part of why I see the power in voting.
I vote as a civic duty (if I don't vote in elections, I believe I forfeit the right to complain about the results for the next 3 years – a fate too dire to contemplate) (joke)
In the Auckland local body elections – even given the relatively significant divergence of the candidates at the mayoral level – I don't have a lot of confidence that much will change in the AC bureaucracy (and especially not with the council owned entities – like AT) – no matter who is elected.
At the local level – the Community Boards are basically powerless. They are blatantly ignored (and even lied to) by the likes of AT – and have little power to change or influence AC bureaucratic policy.
I admire the people who put their hats in the ring (without having any desire to emulate them); and I know they work hard in an often thankless job.
Truly. We have to find a way to give back more power at the local level. So that people can really see that their candidate (i.e. their vote) can make a difference in their community.
At the very least, voting is holding a line. Even if there is only one worthy candidate, it's worth voting just to support them.
Agree about community democracy.
Potholes . . .
https://twitter.com/michaelwoodnz/status/1576090159749115905?cxt=HHwWgsCtncvpst8rAAAA
TOp has just released their tax policy. Will try and link. It looks bloody fantastic. They may well get my vote
TOP will support National into government if it suits them. They've had major problems with their policies conflicting with welfare. I see they've made some changes on that, but haven't looked at the details yet.
They also wanted to asset strip elderly when they die by deferring the land tax. Don't know if that's still true.
Given they've specifically said they're a Centrist party – then that goes with the territory – supporting Labour or National depending on the policy gains they can get.
They've specifically said that the land tax can be deferred – so the 'asset stripping the elderly' would still apply (as it does to any land tax or CGT which includes land value, and has the capacity to be deferred).
Is there a difference between applying a land tax on death, as opposed to applying one yearly and deferring it until death or sale?
Mostly a matter of amount and certainty.
A one-off land tax applied at death (aka death duties) is a known cost. (you know it's x% of whatever the value is)
A deferred tax simply goes on adding up – depending on how long it takes to die or sell. So, potentially could be a lot more, when added up over 20 years or so….
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130049986/the-opportunities-party-releases-65b-tax-cut-plan-to-get-back-on-political-map
TOPs tax policy. First 15,000 not taxed. Forgive the debt owed by beneficiaries. Pay for it all by a small land tax.75%. Retirees can defer payment.
Interesting ,nz needs top, if he's got a chance of a seat I might vote top again, (voted once for them , 3 elections ago if I remember rightly)
Can see them getting hammered on their property tax. When most landlords are operating on 2-3% real return, at best, (the money's in the capital gain) a 0.75% Property Tax is going to put 25 – 40% on the rent initially until property values crash.
Like CGT a good idea in a perfect world, but getting from here to there has got a few knobs on it.
I'd like to see a breakdown of parts of New Zealand where the gain from reduced income tax is equal or greater than what the homeowner will pay in Property Tax. It'll be an interesting relationship between property values and income, desirable places with poor wages will get hammered, others not so much. Can see a lot of wailing from people who have to sell their homes because they can't afford the tax payments.
I seem to remember Morgan's property tax proposal 10 years back wasn't quite so stark and was around equity so you could borrow and invest something other than property to reduce your liability.
They aren't and never have chased the wealthy house owners vote
There are some decent ideas in their tax policy. Worth considering.
Sadly, they won't get anywhere with the wider public for 2 reasons:
1) The 5% threshold is too high, and unfair. Proposals to lower it have been consistently blocked by National.
2) TOP killed their own brand when Gareth Morgan and Sean Plunkett decided to insult as many people as possible, which turned out not to be a vote-winning tactic. Who'd have guessed?
Of course TOP today is not the same as it was then. But you only get one chance to be a new, fresh party, and they blew it.
Again, they do have good ideas. Sadly, nobody is going to talk about them, outside a tiny minority of us on poli-blogs.
That Morgan meltdown of his own party was quite something to witness. New people now who seem to be doing good things. I value diversity in politics and it's been good to see them updating their policy as they get feedback on the holes in it. Still have some major issues with their positioning (they will support Nact into govt if it suits them). They've improved some of the stuff that was going to impact negatively on welfare*, but haven't looked at the details yet.
*they're also smart in some ways. Increasing disability allowance is both good for people who can't work and is non taxable and won't be affected by earnings and the WINZ rebate, but also there are a lot of people fucked off with Labour over them ignoring disabled people in benefits.
This is the first tax policy I have seen that will help the poor and pay for it by taxing landowners.
Top will also right off beneficiary debt. I am surprized more on the left aren't cheering it.
There are a lot of dissaffected Labour voters who can't bring themselves to vote National, especially having seen how disastrous the UK tax cuts have been (in all of 5 minutes). I think this policy will appeal. Many of us want some redistribution of wealth. Labour have increased inequality and made a lot of weatlhy people even wealthier.
It will tax rich and poor landowners alike. The Greens's policy targets people with a lot of wealth and directly helps all beneficiaries.
Most won't be aware of it yet. There are some good things in the policy for low income people. I'm not seeing an overall plan that's better than the GP's.
there's some good stuff in here, I'll wait for the details.
https://www.top.org.nz/the_status_quo_must_go
Suspect they may not have thought this through. Replacing the bright line test, takes us right back to the property price inflation (buy and sell for capital gain) – though, it might look more appealing in an era of falling/settling property values. Rural land exempt? Farmers will be delighted: a massive tax cut, and no compensatory tax increase.
Looks like a well-thought through strategy there. Labour has little hold on the seat, and it would depend mightily on who National chose to put up against him (will Brownlee stay or go?). He's clearly got a strong local profile in the seat – so may be able to capitalize on this – even if only as a protest vote. And, if he looks like a winner in Ilam – then waverers are more inclined to risk their vote on TOP.
Swarbrick broke the mold for Labour holding a seat. It would improve MMP if they win (although some of their policies are problematic from a lw pov).
Oh, I absolutely agree the Swarbrick showed it was possible.
And, it looks as though Manji has the right local profile to give it a good shot.
I wouldn't expect Labour to hold this seat, even if TOP didn't stand – it's one of the ones which they won in the 2020 Jacinda landslide, and couldn't realistically have believed they'd hold.
It all depends on who National puts up.
Options:
I can't see National doing a cup of tea with Manji – but they have history of working with centrist MPs and parties (Peter Dunn).
We don't have a good picture on how the resurgent ACT would play here either. Historically, this hasn't been a good seat for them – but the figures have changed a lot since 2020.
This will be a seat to watch with interest, once electoral polling gets going at the regional/seat level.
thanks Belladonna, appreciate that analysis and insight.
The Greens ran Auckland Central as if it were a by-election. They threw everything at it – they had people from as far away as Riverton working in Auckland Central. They also piled on the emotional blackmail to Labour people trying to get them to give the electorate vote to Swarbribk as some sort of insurance policy "how would you feel if Labour was not in government because they did not have the Green Party to support them"?
that's not emotional blackmail, that's reminding people how MMP works 😉
Do you think Swarbrick will hold Auckland Central?
I wouldn't bet against her. National profile, and she's visible and articulate at a local level as well.
I'd be surprised if Helen White (in parliament on a list seat) takes it from her. White hasn't shone in Parliament (I know, difficult when you're a new back bencher), and doesn't seem to be getting cut-through locally, either.
Don't know who National will stand. A Nikki Kaye clone would have the possibility of coming through the middle, with the left vote split between Swarbrick and White. But it's a big ask for a newcomer. Emma Mellow (previous Nat candidate) has gone to Australia (I think) – so will almost certainly be a new face.
My gut says that Swarbrick will hold the electorate.
Public Opinion News. Net approval ratings for Prime Ministers (positive, minus negative) …
1) Wicked Dictator Cindy: + 15. Worst Government Ever, End Of, Fact!!111!!
2) Bright New Tax-Cutting Tory: – 37.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/01/liz-truss-poll-ratings-plummet-lower-than-boris-johnsons-before-he-was-forced-out
"The Conservative Party and the National Party enjoy many shared values and I hope both parties will continue to build on that." (Christopher Luxon)
And this amazing remarkable stat on Sir Keith considering an alleged 33 point poll lead.
‘His net score is now +9, up from -4 last week. ’
I usually ignore Avaaz campaigns. This time I'm going to ignore the WC and sign the campaign petition.
In just two months, more than a million fans will watch the World Cup from seats built with the blood of Qatar’s migrant workforce. These seven gleaming stadiums, dozens of new hotels, and other construction cost the lives of 6,500 modern day slaves.
That’s 39 lives for every goal expected at the World Cup.
Qatar is expected to rake in $17 billion in profit from hosting the games. FIFA will grab $6 billion. The winning teams will take home $440 million. Migrant workers make as little as $1 per hour.
It is clear Qatar did not value the lives lost preparing for the World Cup. But we can make sure that the hundreds of thousands of workers and their families are compensated for the serious abuses they faced and continue to face.
Human rights organizations around the world are calling on FIFA and everyone else profiting from the World Cup to set aside $440 million in compensation funds for the migrant workers exploited in preparing for the World Cup – the same amount that will be awarded to the winning teams.
FIFA is ignoring the call to action – but pressure is mounting. Just this week England’s top football organization publicly backed the campaign. And if FIFA hears a massive outcry from people all around the world – they may be forced to act! So add your voice today and we’ll deliver our petition straight to FIFA.
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/make_fifa_pay_21/
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/what-is-the-human-cost-of-the-world-cup-in-qatar/m3zrnp26l
They'll investigate until they wear the skin off.
https://twitter.com/AymanMSNBC/status/1575553496539078656