I'm a craven coward when it comes to needles. I'm not quite needle-phobic, but I totally get why some people are. I've had more vaccinations than most people will ever get, but it still takes me a huge effort of will to make the appointment and then front up to get jabbed.
When that moment comes, usually I remember to say something about it. The people administering the jab then go out of their way to make it all go as smoothly as possible. Dealing with that kind of discomfort and outright fear is not an inconvenience to them, it's a part of their job, and they really are experts at helping people through it.
In the piece below, an outright needle-phobic describes their experience and how they got through it.
I think that mostly depends on the properties of what's going in (or out) and how much. But yeah, a tiny syringe with a hair-thin needle is a lot easier to brace myself for than a caulking gun with a harpoon on the end of it.
Had my first covid injection the other day day. Didn't feel a thing. The person giving the dose had to tell me that it has been administered. Turned down my lollipop 🍭 though. Only visible evidence was my sticker. 🏅
I didn't get a sticker – not even the cotton bud & sticky tape kind that you get after blood tests. Didn't see any droplet of blood even uncovered, but that arm did get a bit sore whenever I lifted it above my head for long for a couple of days after (took maybe an hour for the soreness to develop – also with children, I keep a lot of stuff out of temptations up in high cupboards, so may reach up over my head more than average).
Though I am delaying my second jab for a couple of months; the 3 week inter-dose interval seems a bit short, compared to the original 12 weeks recommendation. I have linked to the original (pre-print) PITCH study before, but this fortnight old Guardian summary is much less technical. It seems likely that a longer wait between jabs may mean less jabs overall (though study on comparative protection decay rates is ongoing rather than conclusive as yet).
when compared with a four-week gap, a 10-week interval between the doses produces higher antibody levels, as well as a higher proportion of a group of infection-fighting cells in the body known as “helper” T-cells.
The three week interval between Pfizer doses was merely what was used for the Phase 3 trials and therefore the Emergency Use Authorisation. I haven't yet seen any write-ups of whether that was based on actual data from Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials, or was merely Pfizer's best guess at a good interval.
Then when an infection wave hit and vaccine deliveries were slow, the UK made the decision it was better to give more people the partial protection of the first dose rather than fewer people the protection of the second dose. At the time, is was purely a management and values decision, rather than a data driven one. So it's fortunate in that it's given us a natural experiment that seems to be working out well, but it's going to take a lot of number crunching to come to any conclusions about whether it truly was a good decision from an overall population health perspective. I have the sense the UK has had a lot more breakthrough infections than the US, but I've no idea whether that's due to the UK using a lot of Astra Zeneca, or differences in how hard they're looking for and reporting breakthrough infections.
The only potential downside I can think of for you is if there's an outbreak in your area in the 5 to 10 week interval from now. Ie, when you would have been fully vaccinated if you followed the normal 3 week interval, and when the full vaccination protection kicks in two weeks after your planned 8-week interval. Seems to me you'd have to be really unlucky for that kind of bad luck to find you in that tight a vulnerable interval.
Was re-watching Ken Burns' American Civil War doco recently. Those field amputations of arms and legs without anaesthetic seemed a bit challenging. So I suppose we can be grateful that it's only a needle – and not looking helps!
I'm eternally grateful my own rationality is strong enough to overcome my near-phobia on this topic. But I really feel for those that have a bigger obstacle to get over than I do.
Also needle phobic – which probably saved my life in the 80's…
I also let them know I'm phobic when getting shots/blood tests etc. They're always really good about it. Only had one who was a clumsy oaf – Doctor not a nurse, go figure.
The vax centre was run really smothly – steady progress, everyone was almost disconcertingly friendly, and the actual process was quick and very mild – better than most flu shots, I reckon.
As it happens, that's a live question for me. My reckons of the moment are:
It's not going into investment property. Comments on this forum have persuaded me that tenants are a headache I just don't need, let alone compliance with all kinds of new regulations.
It's probably not going back into the bank, they aren't interested in it enough to pay a reasonable return on use of that money.
It's not going into financial bonds. They aren't paying much for the use of that money either. Even worse that market is a closed shop run by a predatory financial industry that help themselves to a huge slice of what meager returns are actually there.
It's not going into crypto. Crypto is the ultimate example of something that has value purely because a bunch of people have deluded themselves it has value. In any kind of tangible terms, it's nothing more than a certificate of gratuitously wasted electricity. With an ongoing gratuitous waste of electricity just to keep that certificate's continuing cyber-existence.
It might go into some kind of home improvement that lowers ongoing expenses or otherwise improves my life. Such as solar hot-water. But there's nothing really obvious that suits my home at the moment that doesn't have a lot of nonsense council regulatory bullshit to deal with.
But most likely it will go into a stock market or something based on a stock market somewhere. Which is going to take quite a few hours of research in the current environment to choose something I'm comfortable with.
But do you know exactly what that fund is invested in? NZ or overseas? What investment strategy do they really have? Growth companies or dividend companies or are they sector oriented (such as a green energy fund)? How much is in cash and fixed interest? For a lot of funds I've taken a close look at, what's on the label doesn't really match what's in the box.
As it happens, I've got enough experience with stock markets that I've got strategies I'm comfortable with. But without that experience it would certainly be an intimidating shark tank, and some kind of unit trust or index fund is a good way to just dip a toe in that tank.
If you are confident and know what you are doing, and have the time, invest in the sharemarket yourself, but for the majority of people, it is safer to go with the éxperts' that have the time and are able to invest in generally balanced portfolios and companies normal investors do not have access to. Milford Asset management or Fisher Funds seem ok.
That depends on a lot of factors, such as your power and water use profile, technical ease of installation, local regulatory factors, how much money you can put into it.
A factor in my case is trees around the house. Yesterdays winds blew a lot of fairly big stuff onto my roof that would fairly likely have damaged any kind of panel, so cost and ease of repair is a significant factor for anything I might put on my roof.
Evacuated tube solar water heater then. Those tubes are pretty robust. Plumb it into a wetback in a clean burning wood burner and you'll never pay for hot water again.
Spend your wealth on reducing your carbon foot print.
Personally I'd just look at the manged funds that are kiwisaver.
As investment funds, even in the banks, if you pick the right risk levels they have offered reasonable returns. Personally I wouldn’t use bank kiwisavwe funds – they appear to be lousy pickers of profitable investments outside of property
There is a lot of reasonably independent information about the fees and past performance rather than the usual bullshit and hype. They are also of a sufficient size to make decent sized investments widely as well – reducing the ability of analysts to screw up too badly.
If you're over 65, you may not get the employer and govt enhancements, but you don't need to buy a first home to extract the money out either. And you can now continue in your favorite kiwisaver after starting to get super.
Easier than trying to gamble on you own stocks as well. Don't know about anyone else – but I am chronically short of time.
Brought the whole of stellaris a fee months ago because civ6 is getting boring at king level (I win too often). Haven't had more than  a few stray hours to make any mistakes with yet.
Slap solar on all property. Hell, work out a small enterprise and slap up some more to run it. Put up more to charge an EV. Power saving will be a far better return than any bank today.
Get an EV. I'm just getting a bike for now, a vehicle would be nice.
Convert lawn to food forest. Aiming for a cottage garden look with many species and support species so it looks beautiful but provides for the household. Extras always welcome at food banks and charity kitchens.
Maybe, according to energy efficiency of housing, get a really efficient wood burner. For aesthetics, ambience, heating, and for dealing with food forest pruning.
Invest in an engineer to bring some green-tech inventions of mine to life. Including designs to pull nutrients straight out of our dirtiest rivers.
Invest in WeTheBleeple with an EV for clean comedy tours, and an engineer for clean BBQ's and clean(er) rivers.
Water capture. With my own power, gardens and water, apocalypse be damned.
Half this stuff is already done or in the pipeline, but no harm in lending out good ideas to invest in self.
Is solar on the roof 'growth ' however? …we currently have power to pretty much every home, solar on the roof is replacing that which exists, it can be considered maintenance (or substitution), it dosnt necessarily) expand output……that is not to say it is a bad idea.
Well, if you're paying a power bill every month, which is par for the course of living in a dwelling, solar is an investment. An investment that will return, in savings, more than any bank is offering. I'm not so sure about growth, cancer is a growth, and growth of economy a cancer of the planet.
But, as one saves in one area it frees money for another. It's possible to markedly improve ones lot over time using very little starting capital. Any economist worth their salt understands that spending money to reduce expenditure is a wise investment. Those things we get that save or earn for us are true assets.
The rich love to have their money working for them. This they say is working smarter. A lot of it is plain mooching, but within the rules yadda yadda. Adding nothing to the planet or society, but greedily extracting all they can. Housing, shares in corporation who use dodgy supply chains and glossy PR, planet's got no more time for that garbage. Sure, invest, but do it with ethics. Intangible value is still value.
As said its not necessarily a bad idea but i am talking in aggregate…..for example NZ could indeed grow for a considerable period but only at the expense of other parties, but in total the growth has reversed,
You will see it as an investment that provides a return but the return is less than what it has replaced and it will become increasingly so everytime it occurs…..ultimately we will do without that which we cannot afford as more and more 'money' chases less and less goods.
Perhaps. I think ultimately the rich will have to tighten their belts as their level of consumption is simply ridiculous. But those, like me, slowly building resilience into systems will continue to accrue the benefits of working with nature, community, peers and those I might help up.
It's going to be a brave new world, like it or not. How that shapes up will depend on both individual and government effort. The rich, who cares about these people anymore, they suck.
I had one complaining recently her maid was no longer available as she had to care for her covid stricken father and had no health insurance (USA). She's the employer but failed to see the problem was her own cheapskate employment namely get a Mexican to do it and screw the paperwork and insurance.
I realised it would be taken as a reference to the current housing market but it is a more comprehensive question…..what do those (including on our behalf e,g, managed funds) do with savings? and why?…they seek return, even if only small , however if that return disappears what then will happen?…under the metaphorical mattress?
Return (interest) requires growth of output (that can be substituted by credit growth, but only temporarily) so when growth ceases (id argue it has in reality) there is no longer the possibility of return (in aggregate)…the current monetary system ceases to function.
We (the public) just havnt realised it yet .
What follows?
The basis of our existence (supply of goods and services) currently requires confidence that those numbers on the bank statement can be traded for (crucially) available goods and services.
Hey, it happens to everyone. And I wasn't meaning to refer to you specifically as a mug. It is the way the Banks tend to think though.
I am very much on the side of the freeloaders. I put everything I can on my credit card, providing the person I'm buying from doesn't charge extra, and then let the Bank automatically debit the full amount due on the card at the last possible date. I don't have to worry about having enough money in my current account except on the actual day the credit card payment will be charged so I am much less likely to go into an overdraft situation..
It is simply too much trouble to try and keep track of all the fine details of where my money actually is all the time. I probably take a great deal more care than most and I still miss things though. You can't ever win.
Teenagers at school should be taught how to use a credit card, paying off monthly is smart use of money. Not sure what they charge now on balances not paid monthly, 19%? 21%?
Like you, I put everything on the credit card and pay off on the last day.
So let's say putting money in the bank costs money.
That doesn't mean the end of the economic system. It just means that banks won't make their money from lending yours, unless they provide you with some benefit other than paying interest.
Security, for one. Sure, there is a known cost for that security, just as you'd have to pay the guards to watch your treasure chests if you stored your cash like a merchant in Thief . But being able to know that if you put $50 in today means you'll get $45 back in two years guaranteed is possibly worth something.
Universality in payments – cash is good, but not as good as cards, e-transactions, person-person direct credits… old style wire-transfer companies like Western Union charge for that, so do banks.
I'm sure there are other benefits, like not getting mugged as you walk out the factory on pay day.
First off banks dont lend your money (deposits)…..they are security.
Secondly if you have zero or negative interest rates what are you doing?…..destroying money, just as you do when principal is repaid…..difficult to increase money supply (growth) when you have a structural mechanism that works in the opposite direction…the expected consequence is that deposits will exit the banking system should this occur (one reason CBDCs are being set up currently)
Zero / negative interest rates are an admission that there is no projected growth in the future and as said without growth there is no interest……no return= no investment….thats everything, pension funds, managed funds, etc.
Everything we have designed our societies around is based on the expectation there will be more tomorrow.
Those railing against Degrowth as a strategy may not know it but its already happening.
It is apparent you have no counter argument….fair enough, we wont get hung up on our and our offsprings future, we'll just buy another inflated bit of real estate and pretend its all good.
Managed funds dont frequent bank deposits….but bonds on the other hand.
Ask yourself why that might be….particularly if youre thinking of investing in crypto.
My argument is that banks aren't anywhere close to being the only investment around town. Their rates are fixed according to their priorities, which aren't always the same as the macroeconomic conditions (any more than the bookie's favourite is always the same as the horse most likely to win).
Sure, property is an option. Or local startups, or cowdfunded investments like Pledge Me.
Just because one part of the system is cooling down it doesn't mean the entire system is screwed. Heck, it could be what's stopping the entire thing from overheating, if another part (property) is still running far too hot.
Well, you started with a simple "Would you place your money in a bank if you knew you would get less back when you wanted it?"
so, the answer was yes, if they offer some other service.
Now you seem to be plugging a sort of reverse of the "banks create money from thin air" thing, where negative interest destroys money? And that this will lead to an end to economic growth and the collapse of the system as we know it? Is that your point?
Mate, I’m still trying to figure out what it might mean to have “spare money” and be in a position to “invest”.
QFT, which is why I asked whether Pat was serious (and they are). When you have a mortgage, for example, banks force you to have all your ‘business’ with them and a big chunk of your wages disappear straight into a black hole.
That article discusses several different mechanisms. A negative OCR rate is not the same as paying less than face value for returned notes, is it?
If that gets passed on, the bank is getting paid to borrow money. Maybe paying me for the same service doesn't seem so sensible if it can be paid by the govt to get more bonds. It might even start paying people to borrow from it, for cars or businesses or homes. As long as they pay less to people to borrow bank cash than the bank pays the government, the bank still makes money. People borrow and spend rather than save. There's still money going around the economy.
A negative OCR (or bond) is effectively the same as paying less than face value on a note.
The bank isnt being paid to borrow money, it is being charged to hold it at the central bank to encourage them to lend it out…..but in an contractionary environment there are a dearth of takers….the risk of default or losses is too high. And whose money is being held there?…depositors.
How long will it remain there when the balance is decreasing?
Of course there may be compulsion to capture those savings in the system and the loses are then unavoidable….and the Bastille may be stormed again.
And yes there is still money going round the system, but increasingly less and at a slower velocity.
A negative OCR (or bond) is effectively the same as paying less than face value on a note.
Only if you knew you were going to get less than the face value back when you wanted access to the money.
Lower income folks have dealt with negative interest rates for decades: they're called "bank fees", and they're a much bigger effect on income than the interest you're supposed to get from the bank for your deposit.
The difference is that the poor pay even more to borrow money than they pay to have the bank hold it for them.
Also, depositors' money isn't held in the RB settlement accounts. The banks' money is. Deposits are guaranteed by the government for most banks, no?
But the main question is whether overall negative rates would have a cooling effect on the economy. Well, no. Surely the opposite? The flipside of charging people to be in credit is that you pay them if they are in debit. So banks borrow more from the RBNZ so their accounts are in debit. More money in the economy.
"Also, depositors' money isn't held in the RB settlement accounts. The banks' money is. Deposits are guaranteed by the government for most banks, no?"
The banks money are the deposits…and its not guaranteed (see bail in) though there is talk of deposit insurance in the future but that can be potentially made invalid by bail in.
holy shit, you're right. We're apparently the only country in the OECD without deposit guarantees. Although govt's slowly progressing on that front.
But in a negative OCR environment, the banks are still being paid to borrow, rather than being paid to be in credit. So they'll be able to either take that profit or pass on that cheaper credit to retail borrowers (more borrowers = more business = more profit). Essentially a cash injection into the domestic economy from the Reserve Bank.
"A negative OCR would mean the Reserve Bank of New Zealand charges retail banks, such as ANZ, to deposit their funds, or excess reserves, with them overnight. By doing this, the central bank is incentivising these banks to lend out more money to their clients, even if it’s at a reduced rate. "
And OCR is thin end of the wedge…..negative yielding bonds are when things get interesting.
By doing this, the central bank is incentivising these banks to lend out more money to their clients, even if it’s at a reduced rate.
Didn't I say something similar?
Banks borrow from RBNZ. People borrow to spend rather than saving in the bank. People with too much spare cash (lol) find more random things to spend on – companies, luxury goods, property. Goods companies increase inventory assets or facitilies rather than cash+lean production.
If that goes too far, they'll push up interest rates and shift the balance back towards saving for them that can.
ok, so I'll rephrase it to "banks [minimise their deposits at RBNZ. Banks lend the non-deposited funds to people and companies at a lower rate than they otherwise would have]. People borrow to spend rather than saving in the bank…." etc
the effect would be restricted to the reserves you suggest….not really because if you read any of the links I have posted you will see there are flow on effects through the system, but even more so as i stated earlier it is the thin end of the wedge…experience to date suggests that to have the desired effect (spurring growth through risky lending) then the rates need to be deeply negative (-4% or more) ….and if the OCR is negative then bonds will follow (though they may even without a negative OCR) and that is where the slow motion default occurs.
In short, the RBNZ is buggered whichever way it goes.
Either the flow-on effects will be more significant than RBNZ expects, or it needs to go lower than -4% to have the desired effect, surely?
OCR is one accelerator/brake on the economy, applied gently. If things start going south, RBNZ can lift back into positive OCR.
Personally, I think giving the govt some preferred low interest bonds for infrastructure is a better idea than focusing on OCR as the main tool. I'm not quite full social credit by any means, but some solid public investment in housing in particular might be an idea.
I fear you are missing the intent of negative rates…..it isnt designed to assist public policy, it is designed (hoped?) to force high risk lending to promote growth…..what good outcomes do you see there even if it achieves its desired effect, despite the fact it has failed to date where it has been implemented.
Yeah the OCR is strictly a tool to heat up or cool down economic activity.
I just figure might as well kill two birds with one stone if they're looking to keep bunging money into the economy.
Trouble is that the current economy is skewed in a couple of different ways – unemployment down, labour shortage, house prices through the roof, but non-property inflation is still quite low. So money is going into property rather than pay packets. Which means employees aren't spending more.
A lot of this might be covid and the global economy, but it might also be a byproduct of the housing market.
The number of people unemployed in New Zealand has been dropping by more than 1000 a week in recent months.
Looking forward to seeing the government feeling the pressure like everyone else of not being able to get overseas staff, having to pay more such as to nurses, and having their service offering affected by simply having their staff poached all the time.
When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who have a combination of: been in jail, been on drugs, have no qualifications, have mental illness or substantial disability, have no work discipline like turning up, and need vast amounts of training and support $$ put into them to get them useful and functioning for sustained work.
That's a good pressure for employers and public service alike to face up to. See if we can get to 3% and do real deep good for the country.
would be even better if we managed to get a fair number of rentiers doing something productive as well…..and that 4% figure is only of those available and actively seeking work, so your description may be somewhat inaccurate.
Underemployed people are those who are employed part-time (working less than 30 hours a week) and have both the desire and availability to increase the number of hours they work.
So, as I was saying, those working 30+hrs/week who have the desire and the availability to increase the number of hours they work are not classified as underemployed. Perhaps I should have said underemployment is not measured accurately.
When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who have a combination of: been in jail, been on drugs, have no qualifications, have mental illness or substantial disability, have no work discipline like turning up, and need vast amounts of training and support $$ put into them to get them useful and functioning for sustained work.
No doubt you have this information from employers who, by lying their asses off, managed to almost entirely supplant NZ workers from many of our major industries. These employers are mostly greedy, dishonest, abusive, unreliable, incompetent, and strangers to the truth. Small wonder that they struggle to attract workers – and the way to do so begins with respect – not slagging everyone off.
No I get this information from working for many years in one of the largest private employers in New Zealand who face labour shortages every day at every single level of the business.
We pay well over the odds, have deep, multi-year extensive programmes taking in recommended individuals from MSD, Corrections, MoJ, NZDF, NZTA, iwi corporates, and others, and have massive training programmes that cost tens of millions to run to help these people function.
It ain't lack of respect that stops people getting good jobs.
I'm sure what you write is consistent with your experience. What I wrote is consistent with mine.
There are a significant group of employers who have illegally, and in a way that is frankly racist, avoided employing NZ staff for a good long while now.
Nor is it unheard of for institutional recruiting to create its own problems.
"When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who …"
Impressive list that maybe tends towards stereotype. Either way, I think "60 or over" might possibly be added to it. Though the fact that it used to be "55 or over" is an improvement.
Not enough toilets to cry in! Does the new Dunedin hospital need to be designed with specially designed individual staff-distress rooms (because seeking out the least sterile place imaginable in a hospital, and touching your watering eyes there, seems like a really bad idea for an ED nurse)? I am guessing that they don't want to go to the shared staff-rooms and weep in front of their already stressed colleagues.
Pressure of high patient numbers and low staffing levels routinely meant staff went into the toilets to cry, emergency department health and safety representative Anne Daniels said.
Last Thursday, after a nurse told her there were no toilets free to cry in, Ms Daniels lodged a provisional improvement notice (Pin) with the Southern District Health Board.
The notice, an action under the Health and Safety at Work Act, requires a workplace to display the notice and take steps within eight days to address the safety issues raised or face possible further action…
SDHB senior staff met Ms Daniels and emergency staff and management on Monday to discuss the Pin and will meet again tomorrow.
But it's not just the SDHB, it is the entire health system – though the old Dunedin hospital in particular does have its own issues. This may at least coax them into long overdue action, which to me is more important than who gets saddled with the blame.
The next step would be prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, which has severe penalties for running an unsafe workplace. The officers of the DHB are individually liable (and legally cannot be insured), and face fines of up to $300,000. If they're found to be reckless – which a long history of ignoring safety complaints should establish – then they could go to jail. Which you'd think would provide an incentive. And it also shows what else nurses could do if their concerns about safe staffing continue to be ignored. DHB's can either address them cooperatively through the bargaining process, or they can defend themselves against prosecution by WorkSafe. Their choice.
The head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre Dr John Coyne is aghast. "They're very naive," he said.
"They're buying into a very dated view of globalisation, and they certainly haven't learned the lessons from Covid-19, around secure supply chains and national resilience."
The pandemic disproved assumptions that global supply chains could readily deliver, whether it was vaccines or oil, he said. "If you listen to the oil companies, they'll tell you that all the risk is under control."
But they could not manage the complexities, when conflicts could escalate very quickly, trade splits were deepening, and one natural disaster might pile on top of another, he said.
"If the oil refinery in New Zealand closes, you are totally reliant on oil companies doing the right things … a really dangerous proposition."
It is easy to see how conspiracy theories form, take shape, and grow. It can start with a plausible story that one starts to believe as true and accurate and then helps to spread. When it comes to Auckland’s so-called ghost houses I have been guilty of this too (and on the record here).
The Jackal has just penned a blog on this and makes a few misinformed statements.
In 2015, Vector found around 8000 homes in Auckland – or 1.6 per cent of all dwellings at the time – were unoccupied, meaning they had used less than 400W of power a day for 100 days or more.
Most of them were in northern beach suburbs and Waiheke Island, which led the company to conclude they were holiday homes and baches.
So, on the preponderance of very little and a lot of bias and ‘common sense’ many, myself included, have jumped to conclusions. No wonder we jump up & down because the authorities do next-to-nothing, as usual …
Other than residents that were away on Census night, there is no other information explaining why 22,000 dwelling were empty. Obvious reasons are that the unoccupied dwellings are being repaired or renovated, or they could be baches or holiday homes.
". It is difficult to accurately quantify the number of unoccupied houses. 2018 census data suggested there were close to 200,000 empty homes nationwide on census night, with approximately 39,000 unoccupied dwellings in the greater Auckland area, but this data is likely to overstate the size of the issue."
It is difficult…but not impossible if the will is there
"In considering whether to recommend a tax on vacant properties, the most recent Tax Working Group referenced this study and recommended not doing further work. The Group noted that international evidence showed limited effectiveness of such taxes in reducing the number of vacant properties. MBIE is now working with the Electricity Authority to try and obtain electricity usage data more broadly, as part of an Energy Poverty initiative (in partnership with HUD, EECA and others). We understand that little progress has been made on this, in part due to concerns about commercial sensitivity of the data."
Our old friend 'commercial sensitivity'
"Wise Group has been in discussion with HUD and its predecessors since 2016, seeking funding for the development of the Empty Homes initiative. The original proposal sought funding for $2 million, over 2 years, to undertake a proof of concept and subsequent rollout of the initiative. In late 2019, Wise Group approached HUD with a unique unsolicited proposal to identify the scale of empty homes in Auckland, and to test property owners’ appetite and willingness to rent these properties to middle income families/New Zealand’s key workers. Ministers agreed to allocate $500,000 from the Budget 2019 homelessness contingency towards this initiative, as a grant. In consultation with HUD, Wise Group has refined the proposal to focus on Waikato instead of Auckland, and a grant offer was provided to Wise Group on 24 December 2020. 163. If the offer is accepted, the project will commence from 31 January 2021 and HUD will receive the first report back in early April. Wise Group's preference is not to do any significant announcement until the project is underway. HUD will keep Ministers updated on progress and results."
We'll get round to it but lets try somewhere likely to be a little less contentious and where we might get more favourable results…..and too late to impact the next election.
I'm still not getting it. What's the conspiracy theory? Or the problem? That people say there are empty houses when there aren't? Or the reasons for them being empty?
At the end of our 6 year motorhome exploration of New Zealand, we lived parked on our property( a 2 bed unit) while we stripped out the unit kitchen and bathroom, as it had been 21 years since the last revamp.
That work, plus flooring and painting took 8 weeks. Doubtless there are many revamping properties before sale or retirement? Homes are empty for a variety of reasons. Not all are second homes either. 40 000 does not seem too many out of 540 000 properties. Stats may be misleading at times.
As an engineer, I have no idea what is meant by "400W a day", and I get really wary of any journalist that misuses units that way.
Daily electricity consumption is charged in kilowatt-hours. My average daily consumption is about 5 kWhr per day, averaging 208 watts over 24 hours. But my peak half-hourly consumption is up around 1 kwhr, meaning I'm using upwards of 2000 W continuously for that half hour. That happens when pizza is in the oven, or the 1800W water heater has just kicked on at 11pm.
As an engineer, I have no idea what is meant by “400W a day”, and I get really wary of any journalist that misuses units that way.
This time, it doesn’t seem to come from a journalist; it is also quoted in Government and Treasury documents. It was a joined (?) MBIE/Vector report, which I’m still trying to track down.
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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 ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
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 ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
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 ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
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. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
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 ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
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, ...
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, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
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 ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
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 ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
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 ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
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 ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University A year ago, the AUKUS agreement was formally announced between Australian and UK Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden. The agreement mapped out the “optimal ...
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The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has stopped a byelection for the Madang Open seat being held until an appeal filed by former MP Bryan Kramer is concluded. Kramer had appealed to the Supreme Court over a National Court decision not to review his application of the Leadership Tribunal decision ...
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The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud is a sadder and slower entry into his canon of true story-telling, leaning heavily on a verdict about the cost of a single work of art. Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Murphy has had a bit of “ick” about him in the last few years. ...
I'm a craven coward when it comes to needles. I'm not quite needle-phobic, but I totally get why some people are. I've had more vaccinations than most people will ever get, but it still takes me a huge effort of will to make the appointment and then front up to get jabbed.
When that moment comes, usually I remember to say something about it. The people administering the jab then go out of their way to make it all go as smoothly as possible. Dealing with that kind of discomfort and outright fear is not an inconvenience to them, it's a part of their job, and they really are experts at helping people through it.
In the piece below, an outright needle-phobic describes their experience and how they got through it.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/needle-phobia-covid-vaccination-trypanophobia_n_61004bcce4b00fa7af7c9500
I think the needles have become much sharper and finer too.
I think that mostly depends on the properties of what's going in (or out) and how much. But yeah, a tiny syringe with a hair-thin needle is a lot easier to brace myself for than a caulking gun with a harpoon on the end of it.
Had my first covid injection the other day day. Didn't feel a thing. The person giving the dose had to tell me that it has been administered. Turned down my lollipop 🍭 though. Only visible evidence was my sticker. 🏅
Don't panic when you take the sticker off. Apparently it fades fairly quickly.
https://twitter.com/freedominguez/status/1367646641403006983
I didn't get a sticker – not even the cotton bud & sticky tape kind that you get after blood tests. Didn't see any droplet of blood even uncovered, but that arm did get a bit sore whenever I lifted it above my head for long for a couple of days after (took maybe an hour for the soreness to develop – also with children, I keep a lot of stuff out of temptations up in high cupboards, so may reach up over my head more than average).
Though I am delaying my second jab for a couple of months; the 3 week inter-dose interval seems a bit short, compared to the original 12 weeks recommendation. I have linked to the original (pre-print) PITCH study before, but this fortnight old Guardian summary is much less technical. It seems likely that a longer wait between jabs may mean less jabs overall (though study on comparative protection decay rates is ongoing rather than conclusive as yet).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/23/pfizer-vaccine-second-dose-has-sweet-spot-after-eight-weeks-uk-scientists-say
The three week interval between Pfizer doses was merely what was used for the Phase 3 trials and therefore the Emergency Use Authorisation. I haven't yet seen any write-ups of whether that was based on actual data from Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials, or was merely Pfizer's best guess at a good interval.
Then when an infection wave hit and vaccine deliveries were slow, the UK made the decision it was better to give more people the partial protection of the first dose rather than fewer people the protection of the second dose. At the time, is was purely a management and values decision, rather than a data driven one. So it's fortunate in that it's given us a natural experiment that seems to be working out well, but it's going to take a lot of number crunching to come to any conclusions about whether it truly was a good decision from an overall population health perspective. I have the sense the UK has had a lot more breakthrough infections than the US, but I've no idea whether that's due to the UK using a lot of Astra Zeneca, or differences in how hard they're looking for and reporting breakthrough infections.
The only potential downside I can think of for you is if there's an outbreak in your area in the 5 to 10 week interval from now. Ie, when you would have been fully vaccinated if you followed the normal 3 week interval, and when the full vaccination protection kicks in two weeks after your planned 8-week interval. Seems to me you'd have to be really unlucky for that kind of bad luck to find you in that tight a vulnerable interval.
Was re-watching Ken Burns' American Civil War doco recently. Those field amputations of arms and legs without anaesthetic seemed a bit challenging. So I suppose we can be grateful that it's only a needle – and not looking helps!
Phobia is not rational.
Don't I know it!
I'm eternally grateful my own rationality is strong enough to overcome my near-phobia on this topic. But I really feel for those that have a bigger obstacle to get over than I do.
I know exactly what you mean, but I’d rather not talk about it.
Also needle phobic – which probably saved my life in the 80's…
I also let them know I'm phobic when getting shots/blood tests etc. They're always really good about it. Only had one who was a clumsy oaf – Doctor not a nurse, go figure.
1st shot Friday.
Had my first one yesterday.
The vax centre was run really smothly – steady progress, everyone was almost disconcertingly friendly, and the actual process was quick and very mild – better than most flu shots, I reckon.
Would you place your money in a bank if you knew you would get less back when you wanted it?
Depends on what the alternatives are.
Fair enough…perhaps the question needs rephrasing….you have extra/spare money, what are you going to do with it?
As it happens, that's a live question for me. My reckons of the moment are:
It's not going into investment property. Comments on this forum have persuaded me that tenants are a headache I just don't need, let alone compliance with all kinds of new regulations.
It's probably not going back into the bank, they aren't interested in it enough to pay a reasonable return on use of that money.
It's not going into financial bonds. They aren't paying much for the use of that money either. Even worse that market is a closed shop run by a predatory financial industry that help themselves to a huge slice of what meager returns are actually there.
It's not going into crypto. Crypto is the ultimate example of something that has value purely because a bunch of people have deluded themselves it has value. In any kind of tangible terms, it's nothing more than a certificate of gratuitously wasted electricity. With an ongoing gratuitous waste of electricity just to keep that certificate's continuing cyber-existence.
It might go into some kind of home improvement that lowers ongoing expenses or otherwise improves my life. Such as solar hot-water. But there's nothing really obvious that suits my home at the moment that doesn't have a lot of nonsense council regulatory bullshit to deal with.
But most likely it will go into a stock market or something based on a stock market somewhere. Which is going to take quite a few hours of research in the current environment to choose something I'm comfortable with.
You could go in to the stock market via a unit trust type fund. My Kiwi Saver growth fund is currently doing ok. It mainly invests in shares.
Sure.
But do you know exactly what that fund is invested in? NZ or overseas? What investment strategy do they really have? Growth companies or dividend companies or are they sector oriented (such as a green energy fund)? How much is in cash and fixed interest? For a lot of funds I've taken a close look at, what's on the label doesn't really match what's in the box.
As it happens, I've got enough experience with stock markets that I've got strategies I'm comfortable with. But without that experience it would certainly be an intimidating shark tank, and some kind of unit trust or index fund is a good way to just dip a toe in that tank.
If you are confident and know what you are doing, and have the time, invest in the sharemarket yourself, but for the majority of people, it is safer to go with the éxperts' that have the time and are able to invest in generally balanced portfolios and companies normal investors do not have access to. Milford Asset management or Fisher Funds seem ok.
Solar power is more flexible then solar water heating.
That depends on a lot of factors, such as your power and water use profile, technical ease of installation, local regulatory factors, how much money you can put into it.
A factor in my case is trees around the house. Yesterdays winds blew a lot of fairly big stuff onto my roof that would fairly likely have damaged any kind of panel, so cost and ease of repair is a significant factor for anything I might put on my roof.
Evacuated tube solar water heater then. Those tubes are pretty robust. Plumb it into a wetback in a clean burning wood burner and you'll never pay for hot water again.
Spend your wealth on reducing your carbon foot print.
So far this year it hasn't got cold enough for me to feel the need to light a fire.Or use any heaters. So a wetback isn't going to do much for me.
Personally I'd just look at the manged funds that are kiwisaver.
As investment funds, even in the banks, if you pick the right risk levels they have offered reasonable returns. Personally I wouldn’t use bank kiwisavwe funds – they appear to be lousy pickers of profitable investments outside of property
There is a lot of reasonably independent information about the fees and past performance rather than the usual bullshit and hype. They are also of a sufficient size to make decent sized investments widely as well – reducing the ability of analysts to screw up too badly.
If you're over 65, you may not get the employer and govt enhancements, but you don't need to buy a first home to extract the money out either. And you can now continue in your favorite kiwisaver after starting to get super.
Easier than trying to gamble on you own stocks as well. Don't know about anyone else – but I am chronically short of time.
Brought the whole of stellaris a fee months ago because civ6 is getting boring at king level (I win too often). Haven't had more than  a few stray hours to make any mistakes with yet.
Slap solar on all property. Hell, work out a small enterprise and slap up some more to run it. Put up more to charge an EV. Power saving will be a far better return than any bank today.
Get an EV. I'm just getting a bike for now, a vehicle would be nice.
Convert lawn to food forest. Aiming for a cottage garden look with many species and support species so it looks beautiful but provides for the household. Extras always welcome at food banks and charity kitchens.
Maybe, according to energy efficiency of housing, get a really efficient wood burner. For aesthetics, ambience, heating, and for dealing with food forest pruning.
Invest in an engineer to bring some green-tech inventions of mine to life. Including designs to pull nutrients straight out of our dirtiest rivers.
Invest in WeTheBleeple with an EV for clean comedy tours, and an engineer for clean BBQ's and clean(er) rivers.
Water capture. With my own power, gardens and water, apocalypse be damned.
Half this stuff is already done or in the pipeline, but no harm in lending out good ideas to invest in self.
Is solar on the roof 'growth ' however? …we currently have power to pretty much every home, solar on the roof is replacing that which exists, it can be considered maintenance (or substitution), it dosnt necessarily) expand output……that is not to say it is a bad idea.
Well, if you're paying a power bill every month, which is par for the course of living in a dwelling, solar is an investment. An investment that will return, in savings, more than any bank is offering. I'm not so sure about growth, cancer is a growth, and growth of economy a cancer of the planet.
But, as one saves in one area it frees money for another. It's possible to markedly improve ones lot over time using very little starting capital. Any economist worth their salt understands that spending money to reduce expenditure is a wise investment. Those things we get that save or earn for us are true assets.
The rich love to have their money working for them. This they say is working smarter. A lot of it is plain mooching, but within the rules yadda yadda. Adding nothing to the planet or society, but greedily extracting all they can. Housing, shares in corporation who use dodgy supply chains and glossy PR, planet's got no more time for that garbage. Sure, invest, but do it with ethics. Intangible value is still value.
As said its not necessarily a bad idea but i am talking in aggregate…..for example NZ could indeed grow for a considerable period but only at the expense of other parties, but in total the growth has reversed,
You will see it as an investment that provides a return but the return is less than what it has replaced and it will become increasingly so everytime it occurs…..ultimately we will do without that which we cannot afford as more and more 'money' chases less and less goods.
Perhaps. I think ultimately the rich will have to tighten their belts as their level of consumption is simply ridiculous. But those, like me, slowly building resilience into systems will continue to accrue the benefits of working with nature, community, peers and those I might help up.
It's going to be a brave new world, like it or not. How that shapes up will depend on both individual and government effort. The rich, who cares about these people anymore, they suck.
I had one complaining recently her maid was no longer available as she had to care for her covid stricken father and had no health insurance (USA). She's the employer but failed to see the problem was her own cheapskate employment namely get a Mexican to do it and screw the paperwork and insurance.
What money?
The verb “place” implies a voluntary act, one which might be based on informed consent and thoughtful consideration (and calculation).
Are you serious?
Deadly serious.
I realised it would be taken as a reference to the current housing market but it is a more comprehensive question…..what do those (including on our behalf e,g, managed funds) do with savings? and why?…they seek return, even if only small , however if that return disappears what then will happen?…under the metaphorical mattress?
Return (interest) requires growth of output (that can be substituted by credit growth, but only temporarily) so when growth ceases (id argue it has in reality) there is no longer the possibility of return (in aggregate)…the current monetary system ceases to function.
We (the public) just havnt realised it yet .
What follows?
The basis of our existence (supply of goods and services) currently requires confidence that those numbers on the bank statement can be traded for (crucially) available goods and services.
Just as an aside.
Recently I had 2 accounts with matching balances, except one was $1000 in debit, the other $1000 in credit.
I was charged $6 (for the month) on the debit.
I was given $0.10 interest for the credit.
Banks, pfft. Who'd invest in banks?
That's how banks make their money and record massive profits! They love customers that owe them money.
Indeed they do. The term for a person who pays off their credit card in full every month and never exceeds their credit limit is a freeloader.
It isn't meant in a complimentary way of course. And they don't really like you that much.
As far as WTB's story above goes, I'd invest (buy shares in) any Bank that had lots of customers like him. Those are the good customers to have.
Or they are mugs, if you prefer the term.
It was one of those 'interest free' student loans (with monthly fees). But, when no longer a student, they pounce!
I'll go in, pay it off and shut it down. Cheeky buggers.
Hey, it happens to everyone. And I wasn't meaning to refer to you specifically as a mug. It is the way the Banks tend to think though.
I am very much on the side of the freeloaders. I put everything I can on my credit card, providing the person I'm buying from doesn't charge extra, and then let the Bank automatically debit the full amount due on the card at the last possible date. I don't have to worry about having enough money in my current account except on the actual day the credit card payment will be charged so I am much less likely to go into an overdraft situation..
It is simply too much trouble to try and keep track of all the fine details of where my money actually is all the time. I probably take a great deal more care than most and I still miss things though. You can't ever win.
I am a freeloader then. I had never heard that before.
That is the polite word. In the US a more common term is deadbeat.
Teenagers at school should be taught how to use a credit card, paying off monthly is smart use of money. Not sure what they charge now on balances not paid monthly, 19%? 21%?
Like you, I put everything on the credit card and pay off on the last day.
Some are 13%
They make most of their money charging interest on loans they create. Commonly known are mortgages
At least you can sleep on a mattress.
So let's say putting money in the bank costs money.
That doesn't mean the end of the economic system. It just means that banks won't make their money from lending yours, unless they provide you with some benefit other than paying interest.
Security, for one. Sure, there is a known cost for that security, just as you'd have to pay the guards to watch your treasure chests if you stored your cash like a merchant in Thief . But being able to know that if you put $50 in today means you'll get $45 back in two years guaranteed is possibly worth something.
Universality in payments – cash is good, but not as good as cards, e-transactions, person-person direct credits… old style wire-transfer companies like Western Union charge for that, so do banks.
I'm sure there are other benefits, like not getting mugged as you walk out the factory on pay day.
First off banks dont lend your money (deposits)…..they are security.
Secondly if you have zero or negative interest rates what are you doing?…..destroying money, just as you do when principal is repaid…..difficult to increase money supply (growth) when you have a structural mechanism that works in the opposite direction…the expected consequence is that deposits will exit the banking system should this occur (one reason CBDCs are being set up currently)
Zero / negative interest rates are an admission that there is no projected growth in the future and as said without growth there is no interest……no return= no investment….thats everything, pension funds, managed funds, etc.
Everything we have designed our societies around is based on the expectation there will be more tomorrow.
Those railing against Degrowth as a strategy may not know it but its already happening.
Except the managed funds will move even further away from bank deposits than they already have.
Don't get hung up on thresholds. Interest rates are pretty darn low at the moment, and the rest of the economy is still ticking along nicely.
It is apparent you have no counter argument….fair enough, we wont get hung up on our and our offsprings future, we'll just buy another inflated bit of real estate and pretend its all good.
Managed funds dont frequent bank deposits….but bonds on the other hand.
Ask yourself why that might be….particularly if youre thinking of investing in crypto.
lol Andre summarised crypto pretty well.
My argument is that banks aren't anywhere close to being the only investment around town. Their rates are fixed according to their priorities, which aren't always the same as the macroeconomic conditions (any more than the bookie's favourite is always the same as the horse most likely to win).
Sure, property is an option. Or local startups, or cowdfunded investments like Pledge Me.
Just because one part of the system is cooling down it doesn't mean the entire system is screwed. Heck, it could be what's stopping the entire thing from overheating, if another part (property) is still running far too hot.
You have completely missed the foundation of the point
agregate
adjective
/ˈaɡrɪɡət/
ECONOMICS
denoting the total supply or demand for goods and services in an economy at a particular time.
Well, you started with a simple "Would you place your money in a bank if you knew you would get less back when you wanted it?"
so, the answer was yes, if they offer some other service.
Now you seem to be plugging a sort of reverse of the "banks create money from thin air" thing, where negative interest destroys money? And that this will lead to an end to economic growth and the collapse of the system as we know it? Is that your point?
^”aggregate”
follow the thread….it has progressed.
I note your original comment was under 2.2.1 so you know that.
Mate, I'm still trying to figure out what it might mean to have "spare money" and be in a position to "invest".
But if the banks start charging people money to keep deposits, people won't do it if they don't have to.
QFT, which is why I asked whether Pat was serious (and they are). When you have a mortgage, for example, banks force you to have all your ‘business’ with them and a big chunk of your wages disappear straight into a black hole.
Banks require your wages/salary to be deposited (usually)….they currently dont determine whether it remains there.
A considerable portion of the population lacking 'spare' money simply highlights the issue.
@ McFlock
Do you contribute to Kiwisaver?…if so would you continue to do so if the balance was reducing rather than growing?
So I switch out my kiwisaver choice. How does that destroy money?
You changing your provider or fund dosnt…..negative returns do however.
No they don't. Negative returns just mean I made a loss. It's not like burning $50 notes.
In aggregate…think systemic.
with negative rates 'you' havnt made a loss….everyone has made a loss….it isnt zero sum, its a slow motion default by the issuer.
A straight forward explanation in the link.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-negative-interest-rates-would-work-2015-11?r=US&IR=T
That article discusses several different mechanisms. A negative OCR rate is not the same as paying less than face value for returned notes, is it?
If that gets passed on, the bank is getting paid to borrow money. Maybe paying me for the same service doesn't seem so sensible if it can be paid by the govt to get more bonds. It might even start paying people to borrow from it, for cars or businesses or homes. As long as they pay less to people to borrow bank cash than the bank pays the government, the bank still makes money. People borrow and spend rather than save. There's still money going around the economy.
A negative OCR (or bond) is effectively the same as paying less than face value on a note.
The bank isnt being paid to borrow money, it is being charged to hold it at the central bank to encourage them to lend it out…..but in an contractionary environment there are a dearth of takers….the risk of default or losses is too high. And whose money is being held there?…depositors.
How long will it remain there when the balance is decreasing?
Of course there may be compulsion to capture those savings in the system and the loses are then unavoidable….and the Bastille may be stormed again.
And yes there is still money going round the system, but increasingly less and at a slower velocity.
Only if you knew you were going to get less than the face value back when you wanted access to the money.
Lower income folks have dealt with negative interest rates for decades: they're called "bank fees", and they're a much bigger effect on income than the interest you're supposed to get from the bank for your deposit.
The difference is that the poor pay even more to borrow money than they pay to have the bank hold it for them.
Also, depositors' money isn't held in the RB settlement accounts. The banks' money is. Deposits are guaranteed by the government for most banks, no?
But the main question is whether overall negative rates would have a cooling effect on the economy. Well, no. Surely the opposite? The flipside of charging people to be in credit is that you pay them if they are in debit. So banks borrow more from the RBNZ so their accounts are in debit. More money in the economy.
RBNZ seems somewhat phlegmatic about the prospect.
"Also, depositors' money isn't held in the RB settlement accounts. The banks' money is. Deposits are guaranteed by the government for most banks, no?"
The banks money are the deposits…and its not guaranteed (see bail in) though there is talk of deposit insurance in the future but that can be potentially made invalid by bail in.
holy shit, you're right. We're apparently the only country in the OECD without deposit guarantees. Although govt's slowly progressing on that front.
But in a negative OCR environment, the banks are still being paid to borrow, rather than being paid to be in credit. So they'll be able to either take that profit or pass on that cheaper credit to retail borrowers (more borrowers = more business = more profit). Essentially a cash injection into the domestic economy from the Reserve Bank.
"A negative OCR would mean the Reserve Bank of New Zealand charges retail banks, such as ANZ, to deposit their funds, or excess reserves, with them overnight. By doing this, the central bank is incentivising these banks to lend out more money to their clients, even if it’s at a reduced rate. "
And OCR is thin end of the wedge…..negative yielding bonds are when things get interesting.
https://www.anz.co.nz/personal/investing-kiwisaver/tips-tools/news-and-views/What-a-negative-Official-Cash-Rate-could-mean-for-you/
Didn't I say something similar?
Banks borrow from RBNZ. People borrow to spend rather than saving in the bank. People with too much spare cash (lol) find more random things to spend on – companies, luxury goods, property. Goods companies increase inventory assets or facitilies rather than cash+lean production.
If that goes too far, they'll push up interest rates and shift the balance back towards saving for them that can.
"Banks borrow from RBNZ."
Banks could (until recently) get cheap funding from the RBNZ via the TLF, but that was barely used.
Banks create credit , the only funding they need is to meet their reserve requirements, not for lending.
ok, so I'll rephrase it to "banks [minimise their deposits at RBNZ. Banks lend the non-deposited funds to people and companies at a lower rate than they otherwise would have]. People borrow to spend rather than saving in the bank…." etc
There are rules to be met around what banks have to keep at the RBNZ.
Which means that even if your concerns about negative interest rates were bang on the money, the impact of them would be limited by those rules.
the effect would be restricted to the reserves you suggest….not really because if you read any of the links I have posted you will see there are flow on effects through the system, but even more so as i stated earlier it is the thin end of the wedge…experience to date suggests that to have the desired effect (spurring growth through risky lending) then the rates need to be deeply negative (-4% or more) ….and if the OCR is negative then bonds will follow (though they may even without a negative OCR) and that is where the slow motion default occurs.
In short, the RBNZ is buggered whichever way it goes.
Either the flow-on effects will be more significant than RBNZ expects, or it needs to go lower than -4% to have the desired effect, surely?
OCR is one accelerator/brake on the economy, applied gently. If things start going south, RBNZ can lift back into positive OCR.
Personally, I think giving the govt some preferred low interest bonds for infrastructure is a better idea than focusing on OCR as the main tool. I'm not quite full social credit by any means, but some solid public investment in housing in particular might be an idea.
I fear you are missing the intent of negative rates…..it isnt designed to assist public policy, it is designed (hoped?) to force high risk lending to promote growth…..what good outcomes do you see there even if it achieves its desired effect, despite the fact it has failed to date where it has been implemented.
Yeah the OCR is strictly a tool to heat up or cool down economic activity.
I just figure might as well kill two birds with one stone if they're looking to keep bunging money into the economy.
Trouble is that the current economy is skewed in a couple of different ways – unemployment down, labour shortage, house prices through the roof, but non-property inflation is still quite low. So money is going into property rather than pay packets. Which means employees aren't spending more.
A lot of this might be covid and the global economy, but it might also be a byproduct of the housing market.
Official Stats NZ unemployment rate down to 4%. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/unemployment-plunges-to-4-per-cent-biggest-quarterly-fall-in-35-years/P6OEE5X4G2C7WTN67NEC3APTEI/
The number of people unemployed in New Zealand has been dropping by more than 1000 a week in recent months.
Looking forward to seeing the government feeling the pressure like everyone else of not being able to get overseas staff, having to pay more such as to nurses, and having their service offering affected by simply having their staff poached all the time.
When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who have a combination of: been in jail, been on drugs, have no qualifications, have mental illness or substantial disability, have no work discipline like turning up, and need vast amounts of training and support $$ put into them to get them useful and functioning for sustained work.
That's a good pressure for employers and public service alike to face up to. See if we can get to 3% and do real deep good for the country.
would be even better if we managed to get a fair number of rentiers doing something productive as well…..and that 4% figure is only of those available and actively seeking work, so your description may be somewhat inaccurate.
Also a 30hr a week position is classified as a full time job, so the level underemployment is not be measured and will still be an issue.
the narrative must not be challenged…..we are an economic superstar and the economy is firing on all cylinders.
Under-employment is measured.
Right.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/reports/characteristics-of-the-underemployed-in-new-zealand
So, as I was saying, those working 30+hrs/week who have the desire and the availability to increase the number of hours they work are not classified as underemployed. Perhaps I should have said underemployment is not measured accurately.
When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who have a combination of: been in jail, been on drugs, have no qualifications, have mental illness or substantial disability, have no work discipline like turning up, and need vast amounts of training and support $$ put into them to get them useful and functioning for sustained work.
No doubt you have this information from employers who, by lying their asses off, managed to almost entirely supplant NZ workers from many of our major industries. These employers are mostly greedy, dishonest, abusive, unreliable, incompetent, and strangers to the truth. Small wonder that they struggle to attract workers – and the way to do so begins with respect – not slagging everyone off.
No I get this information from working for many years in one of the largest private employers in New Zealand who face labour shortages every day at every single level of the business.
We pay well over the odds, have deep, multi-year extensive programmes taking in recommended individuals from MSD, Corrections, MoJ, NZDF, NZTA, iwi corporates, and others, and have massive training programmes that cost tens of millions to run to help these people function.
It ain't lack of respect that stops people getting good jobs.
I'm sure what you write is consistent with your experience. What I wrote is consistent with mine.
There are a significant group of employers who have illegally, and in a way that is frankly racist, avoided employing NZ staff for a good long while now.
Nor is it unheard of for institutional recruiting to create its own problems.
" largest private employers"
Warehouse? McDonalds?
Does this large private employer offer 'good jobs'?
Silly question, why do you think Ad is moonlighting here on The Standard?
recruiting 🙂
Nah you all sound retired.
Seem a somewhat bolshie bunch, too. Not sure I'd want the job of trying to manage this lot.
Come to think of it, I wouldn't want the job of trying to be my manager, neither.
Puh-leeeze.
Lack of respect is exactly what stops many disabled people from getting jobs they are perfectly capable of doing.
"When you get down to 4% the kinds of people left for labour are those who …"
Impressive list that maybe tends towards stereotype. Either way, I think "60 or over" might possibly be added to it. Though the fact that it used to be "55 or over" is an improvement.
Not enough toilets to cry in! Does the new Dunedin hospital need to be designed with specially designed individual staff-distress rooms (because seeking out the least sterile place imaginable in a hospital, and touching your watering eyes there, seems like a really bad idea for an ED nurse)? I am guessing that they don't want to go to the shared staff-rooms and weep in front of their already stressed colleagues.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/someone-will-die-ed-staff-take-legal-action-work-conditions
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/448342/nursing-union-dhbs-at-odds-over-impact-of-employment-court-action
That Southern DHB has had a massive report last month into systemic failures including at a governance level.
Not quite sure how the Chair Pete Hodgson survives.
Hey Minister: how does a full merger of all DHB's assist this situation when we are so deep in a service hole?
Didn't he only get the job recently?
Getting on for 9 months now; McFlock, Cull was getting a bit sick to do the job:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/hodgson-named-new-head-sdhb
But it's not just the SDHB, it is the entire health system – though the old Dunedin hospital in particular does have its own issues. This may at least coax them into long overdue action, which to me is more important than who gets saddled with the blame.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/08/one-way-of-fixing-it.html
Time flies, huh.
The worksafe prosecution will probably arrive just in time for the DHB to be disestablished [he said pessimistically]
I hope the Dunedin nurses get a better result with their PIN than what our DHB came up with.
In short a unit to take the excess when it gets busy. They were a bit vague on how it will be staffed.
Does anyone know the outcome of the PIN at Wellington Hospital?
Do you have a link about the Wellington PIN?
I have just gone looking and came up with an answer to my question.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/security-issues-short-staffing-concerns-addressed-in-wellingtons-overcrowded-ed/ASBDIBHKGZ4SM2PXLXCHLF5J74/
The earlier article.on stuff i am struggling to find.
Cheers. Molly found another one about Palm Nth that links to an earlier story about Welli.
Employment rate high so increase interest rates!!!
So cost more to borrow, so can't won’t employ more!!!!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/448417/nz-naive-to-shut-down-marsden-point-australian-analyst
The government has received starkly different advice, but the latest and most substantial advice downplays the risks.
The head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre Dr John Coyne is aghast.
"They're very naive," he said.
"They're buying into a very dated view of globalisation, and they certainly haven't learned the lessons from Covid-19, around secure supply chains and national resilience."
The pandemic disproved assumptions that global supply chains could readily deliver, whether it was vaccines or oil, he said.
"If you listen to the oil companies, they'll tell you that all the risk is under control."
But they could not manage the complexities, when conflicts could escalate very quickly, trade splits were deepening, and one natural disaster might pile on top of another, he said.
"If the oil refinery in New Zealand closes, you are totally reliant on oil companies doing the right things … a really dangerous proposition."
And not just oil….of that which is critical what is produced in NZ?
Very little.
It is easy to see how conspiracy theories form, take shape, and grow. It can start with a plausible story that one starts to believe as true and accurate and then helps to spread. When it comes to Auckland’s so-called ghost houses I have been guilty of this too (and on the record here).
The Jackal has just penned a blog on this and makes a few misinformed statements.
http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2021/08/people-could-live-in-those-ghost-houses.html
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-council-wants-to-fill-thousands-of-ghost-houses-but-may-have-to-get-around-privacy-concerns-first/S42YSJRWJP6OJZVTOWEAIQSVLI/
Unfortunately, and despite good intentions, legalistic bureaucracy seems to sink any efforts to get to the bottom of this.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/01/push-for-people-to-allow-homeless-to-live-in-empty-investment-properties.html
But wait, there’s more!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-council-wants-to-fill-thousands-of-ghost-houses-but-may-have-to-get-around-privacy-concerns-first/S42YSJRWJP6OJZVTOWEAIQSVLI/
So, on the preponderance of very little and a lot of bias and ‘common sense’ many, myself included, have jumped to conclusions. No wonder we jump up & down because the authorities do next-to-nothing, as usual …
Sorry, which is the inaccurate bit?
The conclusions drawn from the Census data regarding the number of ghost houses in Auckland, for example.
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-04/tax-housing-4417128.pdf [very interesting document entitled Taxation of vacant land and vacant dwellings from Treasury to the Minister of Finance (Grant Robertson)]
https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2019-02/twg-bg-4037441-taxing-vacant-property.pdf [document entitled Taxing vacant property, a Position Paper of the Tax Working Group]
https://www.hud.govt.nz/assets/News-and-Resources/Proactive-Releases/4-BRF2021010838-Improving-housing-supply-more-information-REDACTED.pdf [a third document, for good measure; search on “Vector” (one hit)]
". It is difficult to accurately quantify the number of unoccupied houses. 2018 census data suggested there were close to 200,000 empty homes nationwide on census night, with approximately 39,000 unoccupied dwellings in the greater Auckland area, but this data is likely to overstate the size of the issue."
It is difficult…but not impossible if the will is there
"In considering whether to recommend a tax on vacant properties, the most recent Tax Working Group referenced this study and recommended not doing further work. The Group noted that international evidence showed limited effectiveness of such taxes in reducing the number of vacant properties. MBIE is now working with the Electricity Authority to try and obtain electricity usage data more broadly, as part of an Energy Poverty initiative (in partnership with HUD, EECA and others). We understand that little progress has been made on this, in part due to concerns about commercial sensitivity of the data."
Our old friend 'commercial sensitivity'
"Wise Group has been in discussion with HUD and its predecessors since 2016, seeking funding for the development of the Empty Homes initiative. The original proposal sought funding for $2 million, over 2 years, to undertake a proof of concept and subsequent rollout of the initiative. In late 2019, Wise Group approached HUD with a unique unsolicited proposal to identify the scale of empty homes in Auckland, and to test property owners’ appetite and willingness to rent these properties to middle income families/New Zealand’s key workers. Ministers agreed to allocate $500,000 from the Budget 2019 homelessness contingency towards this initiative, as a grant. In consultation with HUD, Wise Group has refined the proposal to focus on Waikato instead of Auckland, and a grant offer was provided to Wise Group on 24 December 2020. 163. If the offer is accepted, the project will commence from 31 January 2021 and HUD will receive the first report back in early April. Wise Group's preference is not to do any significant announcement until the project is underway. HUD will keep Ministers updated on progress and results."
We'll get round to it but lets try somewhere likely to be a little less contentious and where we might get more favourable results…..and too late to impact the next election.
I'm still not getting it. What's the conspiracy theory? Or the problem? That people say there are empty houses when there aren't? Or the reasons for them being empty?
At the end of our 6 year motorhome exploration of New Zealand, we lived parked on our property( a 2 bed unit) while we stripped out the unit kitchen and bathroom, as it had been 21 years since the last revamp.
That work, plus flooring and painting took 8 weeks. Doubtless there are many revamping properties before sale or retirement? Homes are empty for a variety of reasons. Not all are second homes either. 40 000 does not seem too many out of 540 000 properties. Stats may be misleading at times.
Most renos use more than 400W of power a day, surely? Lights, tools, etc?
Would 400W even cover a hot water cylinder?
As an engineer, I have no idea what is meant by "400W a day", and I get really wary of any journalist that misuses units that way.
Daily electricity consumption is charged in kilowatt-hours. My average daily consumption is about 5 kWhr per day, averaging 208 watts over 24 hours. But my peak half-hourly consumption is up around 1 kwhr, meaning I'm using upwards of 2000 W continuously for that half hour. That happens when pizza is in the oven, or the 1800W water heater has just kicked on at 11pm.
hmmm.
Fair call.
I was just viewing it as watt-hours, i.e. running a 1kw heater for just under half an hour.
This time, it doesn’t seem to come from a journalist; it is also quoted in Government and Treasury documents. It was a joined (?) MBIE/Vector report, which I’m still trying to track down.
Seems about enough to run an alarm system 24/7. Maybe?