“The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille. But the history of non-democracies and authoritarian personality cults shows that things can stay bad and get worse for a long time, leaving unhealable wounds. Mao’s China, for example. Putin’s tubercular Russia.”
“Drawing on a unique, new Chatham House survey of more than 10,000 people from 10 European states, we can throw new light on what people think about migration from mainly Muslim countries. Our results are striking and sobering. They suggest that public opposition to any further migration from predominantly Muslim states is by no means confined to Trump’s electorate in the US but is fairly widespread.
In our survey, carried out before President Trump’s executive order was announced, respondents were given the following statement: ‘All further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped’. They were then asked to what extent did they agree or disagree with this statement. Overall, across all 10 of the European countries an average of 55% agreed that all further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped, 25% neither agreed nor disagreed and 20% disagreed.
Majorities in all but two of the ten states agreed, ranging from 71% in Poland, 65% in Austria, 53% in Germany and 51% in Italy to 47% in the United Kingdom and 41% in Spain. In no country did the percentage that disagreed surpass 32%.”
I’m opposed to anything more than the smallest trickle of Islamic migration. Let’s be honest, the jury is on on this one. Due to cretinous and andeluvian religious beliefs Muslims don’t assimilate easily, and that combined with an economy that no longer delivers plentiful good paying jobs to immigrants and an often radicalised clergy and you’ve got a recipe for serious social trouble.
Why import potential trouble when we have enough problems of our own? I only care about the plight of Syria and Iraq to a certain point. At the end of the day, Syrians belong in Syria, not Sandringham and we should do everything we can to end the civil war there and help them re-establish their lives in Syria. New Zealand has to many immigrants already – to the point I thinking of voting this September for the first party that says they are going to stop the flood of immigrants coming here.
We are pretty fortunate that we are one of the least religious and most institutionally secular, and most democratically reflexive and balanced countries around. Islam is as much a bother here as the Mormons.
I believe that most or all Muslim immigration be stopped and a tax imposed to pay for looking after them preferably back in their own countries. A strong prosperous NZ with full employment is more useful in the world than creating a further trouble spot
Their results are unsurprising and uncontroversial. If they’d asked whether Muslim immigration should be minimised rather than stopped they’d most likely have got overwhelming numbers saying yes. Immigrants who are adherents of fundamentally illiberal ideologies aren’t going to appeal to Europeans.
do you support the immediate stop of any bombing campaigns by the US/UK/SA/FR etc. Do you support the immediate stop of any weapons delivery to these countries by the US/UK/DE/FR etc.
Do you support to cut down on your life style a bit so as to gain independence from oil? Or other natural resources extracted in foreign countries via the aid of paid mercenaries, military campaigns and so on and so on.
Cause if they fucking don’t, refugees, be it war time refugees, climate change refugees, economic refugees, religious refugees will continue to come.
It really seems that the comfort of our time created nothing but a bunch of knicker twisting, pearl clutching fearful little wankers.
Interesting. Though I’d say the machine built “an entire house” in 24 hours is a little misleading. It is actually more of a stand-alone studio. No bedroom/s.
And it’s only the shell. This from the comments below the article:
I wanted to build a new office building printed in 3D because I had heard so much about it.
First of all: The real cost, and not just the walls came out more expensive then build by hand.
Second: The could only build basic forms. Why the hell would I want that?
Third: 24hours? They where talking about a timespan of 1 year to get all the regulations in order.
And the quality… nah… It’s all so much bullshit and if we where to build only by 3D printers, our buildings would look so ugly we’d think we live in a typical communist era.
And did anybody notice the size of the example? It’s the size of a parking spot. Who the hell wants to live in that?
And what about the pipes, wiring and all?
It’s all bullshit. A bricklayer would build the same in 24h and with better quality.
There’s also a big problem with concrete, GHG emissions and climate change, so I’d want to know that is true for this material they are using. Gearing up an industry based around conventional concrete is really really stupid.
Concrete does produce a shit load of GHG in manufacture, but the net over the finished item’s life of a couple of hundred years may be close to neutral as it absorbs CO2 throughout it’s life. There’s also huge passive benefits from concrete houses.
There’s also a big problem with concrete, GHG emissions and climate change, so I’d want to know that is true for this material they are using. Gearing up an industry based around conventional concrete is really really stupid.
Back to the future is a very viable option if cash is king.
And the latest bright spark from Gareith Morgan and the TOPs Party –
In the mean time we are pleased to announce the launch of our cannabis law reform process. This is our first experiment with a member-led policy development process, with the goal of involving people in the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives, as per the goals of our TOP Policy #4: Democracy Reset.
If you’d like to participate in the process you can become a member here.
Re TOP, all I’ve seen so far is a middle-management type consultation process. Doesn’t look particularly democratic to me. Bill did a post on it the other day, and I critiqued in the comments.
I think there is a tendency on the Standard to criticize TOP without actually reading the policies.
This is due either to Gareths history of being successful at making money , or his infamous stand against the real problem with moggies.
Try looking at the policies…. they are often more left than Labour/Greens.
I’m hoping that Nats who want some progress and effectiveness from their government will be drawn to TOPS, after all he has made money, so there must be something to him etc.
And his policies will be game changers, just have to watch that they are not too theoretical, and that he doesn’t run on targets, and short-term competitive funding for structural problems, which at present tend to be cynically treated as cyclical.
Which organisation today is – having unreasonable demands placed on its shoulders, having its funding dropped at a time of increased stress and hardship, or being dropped altogether? This probably in favour of some private outfit dreamed up by some retired or even serving politician having found a small hole in the government dam to siphon out taxes for their own benefit, and become legitimate beneficiaries while lambasting all the needy as illegitimate.
i have had more then one discussion witht he guy on his fb page and he lost me forever when he complained about ‘payee slaves’ (his words) aka workers not ‘revolting’ against the status quo which is him.
so a rich wanker, known only for being rich, wanking on about cats – but not spending a dime on de-sexing or feral cat population control or any of that shit, who is on record for not paying tax, who is on record for keeping his properties empty cause carpet and such, wants people who earn min wage to revolt.
Tell me garibaldi, who do you think would go to prison for rioting, the rich wanker inciting it or the poor fuck who goes out and says fuck yeah?
and then his policy of taxing the family home, cause it ain’t productive if it isn’t rented.
so yeah, that tosser can have a lot from me, but never my vote. I’d rather vote Legalize Aotearoa at least they have been campaigning for Cannabis reform for a long time and not just to get some votes.
to be so desperate to really just pick up anything beggars believe. Settle for anything, settles for nothing.
First of all: The real cost, and not just the walls came out more expensive then build by hand.
Second: The could only build basic forms. Why the hell would I want that?
That’s typical with new processes.
It really won’t be long until 3D printing of houses produces many different forms for less.
Third: 24hours? They where talking about a timespan of 1 year to get all the regulations in order.
Having the correct regulations in place is a once off thing. Once they’re in place then it’s all go.
And did anybody notice the size of the example? It’s the size of a parking spot. Who the hell wants to live in that?
Well, I would happily live in 36m^2. I’ve lived in 25m^2 and thought it was huge.
And what about the pipes, wiring and all?
What about them?
Have to put them in after the building’s built as per normal.
A bricklayer would build the same in 24h and with better quality.
A brick layer hasn’t got a hope in hell of laying it all down in 24 hours. That’s actually the major problem.
I live in a 51 square meter apartment. Have done for 19 years. I rattled in it when I was on my own.I would like another 10-15 m2 after my partner moved in about 9 years ago. It would.provide room for a separate office.
But I really don’t have time to deal with anything bigger than that.
@ianmac “How about linking 38sqm units to make 200sqm houses?”
Here you fall into the classic Kiwi trap. 200 sqm is TOO BIG.
In NZ now we need houses/apartments to be 38, 76 and 114 sqm, and no bigger. See the article below* that shows that apartments in Stockholm average 41 sqm
The 200 sqm house on a 700m2 section is history in terms of developing sustainable non-sprawling cities.
True although by choking first home loansdown, and pretty much cutting out investors with less than 40% cash available, they are a part of the solution to the debt crisis.
Using that ‘logic’ I assume you live in a bird house.
I was commenting on freedom of choice to build whatever the hell you like in reply to “In NZ now we need houses/apartments to be 38, 76 and 114 sqm, and no bigger”
Do you have anything to add to the conversation – or are you simply trolling and trying to start a flame war.
The 200m2 house could be too small for Maori [ or others ] who get together to build a multi-family home as recently in the news. While the 700m2 section provides outdoor living space by compacting the housing relative to ground area. I am sure with more thought wiring and pipes could be incorporated by the printer. Big houses are an unwelcome ‘americanism’ introduced by television shows boosting consumerism.
Builders displaced would/should be on the UBI so they retrain or create custom housing for the discerning. But most people simply need a roof over their heads rather than a bridge.
You all seem terribly keen to do away with builders, any idea on what jobs they should transfer to?
Maybe working at the call centre you’ll be phoning when you realise even ‘robots’ and their masters are fallible.
“May need tertiary degrees”….pretty sure R&D requires tertiary degrees, at the very least.
So a job that anyone could, potentially, access, will then be limited to those who can afford to go to University. And to those who have the skills/intellect/mindset to complete an academic qualification.
Not everyone can be ‘developed’ that way.
And throwing them onto a UBI isn’t the pathway to inclusiveness either.
So a job that anyone could, potentially, access, will then be limited to those who can afford to go to University.
Or we make university free again and a UBI.
And to those who have the skills/intellect/mindset to complete an academic qualification.
Not everyone can be ‘developed’ that way.
That’s a real narrow mindset thinking that only one way of thinking is worthwhile.
Just because some people don’t think the way that universities teach doesn’t mean that they don’t have ideas and it’s ideas that we want. It’s those ideas that we’re presently throwing away because of such narrow minded thinking.
And throwing them onto a UBI isn’t the pathway to inclusiveness either.
No but including them in the R&D in whatever capacity suits them is.
“That’s a real narrow mindset thinking that only one way of thinking is worthwhile”…that’s my point.
I’m not sure which University you attended, but I’ve found school/universities/techs to be very much geared up to ‘one way of thinking’.
And ofcouse…free university -with open and inclusive ways of teaching- with a UBI so people can retrain, paid for with proper taxation of housing and Corporations, and affordable rents and homes and all that….could you tell me who to vote for to get that stuff??? ‘Cos I’ll be there with bells on.
Autonomism would be top of my wish list.
Though the problem in NZ would be to convince the ‘working class’ that they are, infact, working class, and that there is a need to unite. ironically I think that being entirely excluded from housing security, be it home ownership or decent, secure and affordable rentals, is one way to encourage this new mindset of Unity.
lol except the stuff that’s practically achievable in the real world. That’s sort of the meaning of “practically achievable”. As opposed to the pipe dreams you demand should suddenly appear.
You do know that you could have an overall vision and work towards it by taking small steps don’t you?
That’s what the right-wing have been doing for the last 40 or 50 years or more and now we have radical RWNJ policy settings that, according to you, are impossible to change.
So, what would it take to have people engage in local democracy and have the politicians do what the people decide?
Here’s what happened over the past 40 or 50 years:
Two competitive schools of economic thought in academia, their difference driven largely by their respective calculations of the theoretical value of a multiplier that represents the velocity of money circulating through a system, had extended academic debates.
The dominant school of thought lost ground when faced with a number of different shocks in the 1970s, and the hardship caused by those shocks also contributed directly to the election of a number of tory politicians across the globe.
These tories latched on to the arguments of the second school of academics in order to justify policy measures that the politicians found self-serving and wanted to do anyway.
Wealthy tories who weren’t politicians also funded more of the second school of academics in order to justify a policy agenda the wealthy tories wished to see implemented.
With this assistance, and the occasional artificial crisis, politicians therefore had the political power to roll back the previous 40 or 50 years of social advances.
Unless you have intellectual credibility with the establishment or the funds to finance a “think tank” to say what you want, or you are a senior politician, chances are that you have taken zero “small steps” to achieve your isolationist, fully automated, direct local democracy pipe dream.
Because direct local democracy requires a complete reshape of local body politics, both in electoral system and a rewrite of the fundamental roles of elected and unelected local officials.
This won’t happen without a fundamental rewrite of the parliamentary laws regarding local bodies.
That requires the parliament to recognise the wishes of local democratic structures. Which is circular.
CV thought he was going to change the face of NZ politics. Yeah, nah. Don’t fall into the same trap. Personally, all this blogging stuff is recreational. I get my social worth from my job, in that I’m fortunate enough to be paid to be a very small cog in a wheel that helps bring some social issues to public attention. I’ve turned down other jobs that were less socially fulfilling, but I’m no monk. I’m just a guy who is lucky enough to like doing a job that contributes to the public good, rather than being a tobacco industry lobbyist.
These tories latched on to the arguments of the second school of academics in order to justify policy measures that the politicians found self-serving and wanted to do anyway.
And that differs from what I said how?
Unless you have intellectual credibility with the establishment or the funds to finance a “think tank” to say what you want, or you are a senior politician, chances are that you have taken zero “small steps” to achieve your isolationist, fully automated, direct local democracy pipe dream.
I’m making noise – that’s all I can do. I reach thousands of people everyday.
And my policies aren’t isolationist. I just iterate that a free-market must result in a minimisation of trade rather than the maximisation that our politicians and economists believe is what we should aim for. That’s the nature of limited resources and actually taking into account physical reality.
Right, we can make everything here and import nothing. Not isolationist at all. /sarc
anyhoo, it differs from what you said because there wasn’t much of a plan of small steps. It was a big step, using anything and everything as an excuse. Their opportunity rode largely on luck. If there’d been no initial disagreement between honest academic schools, there would never have been the tory revolution. If there hadn’t been the crises, there wouldn’t have been the tory revolution. But the important point is that it was a big step with the pretence of rational and impartial analysis behind it. It wasn’t so much a “popular” movement as a movement grudgingly accepted by a lot of the population as “There Is No Alternative”. Crises, remember?
You don’t have a popular movement, and you don’t have the pretence of institutional intellectual validity. So what are you going to change with your demands for dramatic policy changes?
So what are you going to change with your demands for dramatic policy changes?
Demands?
I try to explain why the present system doesn’t work and what needs to be done to make a sustainable system.
And, yes, I’m trying to get those changes to come about through discussion and building a popular support base.
Right, we can make everything here and import nothing. Not isolationist at all.
Well, we can make everything we need here but that’s not what I’ve said.
I’ve said, time and time again, that our international trade needs to be based upon standards but that once those standards have been set then trade will minimise because it really will be cheaper to make things here rather than to import.
And, yes, that is dependent upon automated manufacturing but that’s the way the entire world is going. If we don’t follow (preferably lead) we will become a basket-case economy.
“The question is could it withstand NZ conditions?”
It’s the same structure as with concrete block, just the “blocks” are formed in place and continuously. I’d say it’s got huge potential to produce outstanding housing at very low cost.
(Sounds like he is not considering decreasing immigration that is making up the demand on the city infrastructure (44,000 new cars in Auckland last year alone), nor looking at the corruption charges amongst the 1 billion of rate payers money given to Auckland Transport which is clearly not up to the job, or the 1 billion of failed IT that was never investigated by the council, or the corporate welfare like money spent on Westgate Mall that the rate payers were funding the private developers for, or the eye watering amounts spent on corporate private lawyers at the council who are spending up a storm helping Auckland council, do such things as helping Ports of Auckland steal the harbour, cutting down ancient Kauri trees in Titirangi, paying for prosecuting the corrupt Auckland Transport officials and their advice and evidence in the unitary plan which was so poor it got withdrawn after being challenged …, or wonder why they did not get transport in place before the SHA and zoning changes in particular at the outer limits.. )
Nope apparently in the neoliberal ‘user pays – he’s going to introduce congestion charges to the most poor in Auckland. (Because most rich people live in central suburbs and therefore don’t have to commute).
In Phil’s mythical Neoliberal land, workers can then tell their employers to ‘shove it’ as they won’t come into work between 8 – 6 pm as to expensive….
Then they wonder why many locals can’t afford the cost of living any more…
“Sounds like he is not considering decreasing immigration”
Auckland’s mayor has no power over immigration rates. That’s central govt.
“or the 1 billion of failed IT”
And that’s a line from the Act-aligned Taxpayers Onion and chums, never substantiated. Sure the Council overspent on their IT transition, but nowhere near that amount.
If you’ve never been to Oamaru – time to put it on your list.
The South Island town has recently been bumped up to fourth place on China’s largest international property website – meaning it’s about to become hot property for overseas buyers….
If you sell an $800,000 house in Auckland and can buy the same sized house in Oamaru for closer to $300,000, who do you think is going to do best in an auction? The Aucklander or the local? Do you think the prices will go up, down, or stay steady?
In addition to the foreign cash issues, there are other contributing factors to the NZ housing crises.
Unknown, but if Chinese investors start driving up property prices in Oamaru, the question of what effect that will have on rents isn’t a difficult one to answer.
I know Oamaru reasonably well. It is touristy, thrives on buzz and already has a number of overseas people. What it wants is jobs. I can’t see this change being net negative for the people there.
Show me three people who actually live there who think it’s a ‘crisis’ and I might be more impressed.
Also just because foreigners are buying up fancy houses on the hill behind Oamaru, doesn’t necessarily mean there’ll be much impact on house prices or rents in the more suburban parts.
> Oamaru is special and won’t be affected like other places in NZ by rising house prices.
It will be affected somewhat like other parts of NZ by immigration, some of the effects positive (like giving a boost to business or helping some home sellers), some negative (like making it harder for some home buyers).
> Oamaru has figured out how to restrict sale to only certain parts of town
No, it’s down to the nature of the houses in different parts of town.
Just as in Auckland, there are some areas where foreign buyers want to buy.
Have you been to Oamaru Weka, do you know the community there? Maybe you should talk to the community before deciding what it wants
I know Oamaru and I know people that live there. I’m not saying what Oamaru wants. As if there is any such thing as a single Oamaru community anyway. Please don’t put words in my mouth. Go back and reread what I said, I was clearly making a link between future increases in house prices in Oamaru and the likelihood of it joining the NZ housing crisis, based on what has happen in many other places in NZ. If you want to make an argument against that, fine, but don’t misuse my position.
Oh, I agree that this news may lead to a house price rise in Oamaru; my point is that I’m not convinced that the people of Oamaru will be overall worse off as a result. Perhaps you agree with that.
Weka, three years ago, I and a few others here said it loudly and often, AKL is just the biggest City to be sold to the highest bidder, but that this was a disease that would spread – we even pointed to other Cities that had started to show the same symptoms.
ha, we were told to move where we could afford to live.
There needs to be an understanding now happening in NZ, that Kiwis will never be rich enough to live anywhere but overseas if they have to compete with people coming from overseas, cashed up and ready to buy a shack for what they would consider peanuts – while at the same time the Kiwi is earning peanuts.
A few month ago we bought a little cottage / garden on the countryside. Over half of the village is empty houses with huge sheds to house speed boats and such – these guys don’t live here, they come for a weekend, stay at their houses, don’t spend a dime on anything and leave sunday eve. The people that live here, or used to live here have a . a hard time finding rentals, or b. paying rent, and the businesses that used to support them close shop cause the rents are now too high, the rates are too high, the line charges are to high and shit.
its not the Auckland Crisis, is the New Zealand Crisis, and us Aucklanders have begged people to see it as such just to be told to move where it was cheaper.
Stand by for all the spivs to make a killing and destroy one of the last bastions of old New Zealand.
Great place with great people but this year may be my last visit especially if the main street gets like Dominion Road.
Didums the poor snowflakes are offended, I suggest most don’t give a toss and don’t really need condasceding self interest lefty sympathy
[lprent: Diddums yourself. It is hard to see that has anything to do with the post. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
My point being that I was just following EXACTLY your interesting example of pointless abuse. I guess you don’t like receiving it? I guess you are a complete Wimp eh?…
Here’s the deal. Bill English has five mates, and he listens to them. Meanwhile, the only people who are prepared to work for the shitty wages and conditions they’re offering are stoners.
And that’s how the National Party makes immigration policy.
Thanks for advice Red. You are always so well based in your thoughts. Rock steady on Me good, others bad. Me know all, great white? (sounds like) chief. You must bless TS every day – a place for unthinking people to express their toxic emotions harmlessly to oneself. That’s lefty sympathy for you – Suckers!
lprent
Something’s changed, the site is moving okay today, though as mentioned before, was slow. Hope you are well and enjoying most of the sunshine, and ale.
Just another piece of PR fluff from the Auckland Property Flippers’ Herald to keep their well heeled readers comfortable.
Three Years Old And Already An Auckland Homeowner: Toddler Simon Brown owns four Titirangi properties already so why are you still renting? pic.twitter.com/hiVomGcizB— Nic Sampson (@NicSampson) March 5, 2017
Gen X/Y are so fucked. Up to eyeballs in education debt. Can’t buy houses. Probably no superannuation. Blinglish stealing funds from Kiwisaver.
English & Co. are fanning the flames of class war.
But student debt was designed to reflect the personal benefit to the student of their education (Todd report of the 1990s). Which means on average there’s no net return, anyway.
Secondly you’re confusing value with fiscal return, a common error that tory fuckwits fall prey to.
Thirdly, projecting which jobs will be “decent paying” in five years time is both fraught with error and well beyond the abilities of most people, matching their personal circumstances with aggregate government predictions.
Fuck, my longest term and highest paying job was the result of choosing a single paper literally because I liked saying the paper title and needed an extra six points to make fulltime study. It’s all luck.
Just to throw another angle into the mix. This debate is largely centred around middle class people right? Because when I bought a house in the 90s the only way I could do that was with the help of my parents. I was on a benefit and had no chance of saving for a deposit. My friends and peers who didn’t have parents with investment money had no chance of buying at all. So this is in no way a new phenomenon, it’s just that now the middle classes are being affected.
I’ve had more sympathy for the Gen Ys if they were radicalising around this, including around renter rights, but much of the selfish baby-boomer vs stupid Gen Y rhetoric is complaining that the neoliberal system fails another block of people now.
IMO we’re well past that being solvable. There is no return to a time when current young middle class people can do as well as their parents. Best we get to grips with that and get a different plan, because we are just about out of time in terms of the looking crisis riding in on climate change. That will make these squabbles look petty. By now we should be designing new ways of owning land and creating sustainable culture.
My Aunties and Uncles can well remember the Depression and the thought of the state simply rolling out new houses – for people to buy and to rent – both at reasonable prices, seemed a ludicrous bourgeoise conceit.
It was done.
So it’s been done before, and New Zealand society is well ready for public sector interventions in housing like that again. Just takes a really bold coalition government to do it.
There’s nothing in my comment that suggests the state shouldn’t be building houses, they should. Haven’t seen a good proposal to do that yet mind, but I agree that in principle it’s possible and necessary.
Yeah, but did it make the news when you bought your house?
NZ is well short of the sort of scartcities and population densities that still somehow make auckland one of the most expensive cities in the world. And part of the XY vs Boomer argument is that Boomers are seen to have both had the heavily subsidised if not free education (instigated by their parents), privatised (the public assets their parents created) when they were in positions of power, and now still zealously guard their retirement benefits from those coming after them.
Quite bluntly, the global problems we face aren’t an excuse for NZ’s local generational theft.
“Yeah, but did it make the news when you bought your house?”
No. Which is my point. The reason it’s news is not because people can’t afford to buy a home, it’s because middle class people can’t. Working class needs aren’t as newsworthy.
“Quite bluntly, the global problems we face aren’t an excuse for NZ’s local generational theft.”
Not sure what you are getting at there. Who should my parents have been voting for in the 70s and 80s? Who did you vote for in the 80s and 90s? It’s not like there was a lot of choice. But there was some. So we could say that anyone who voted National or Labour is culpable. Can we apply that reasoning now to middle class Gen Y?
And I’ll just keep pointing out, it’s not only an Auckland housing crisis, it’s a NZ one (or set of crises).
It is not the fault of ordinary Kiwis that the only political choices we had for the last 35 years was between neoliberal blairites or neocon tories. Thank God MMP is (at last) beginning to take effect, and arguably it curbed the worst excesses of austerity that fwits like Don Brash were dreaming of.
Rogernomics and Ruthanasia killed the kiwi dream. The myth of NZ being a land of opportunity is a tattered old fairy tale. This is definitely no longer a worker’s paradise
Exactly. Which is why I find the whole Boomer vs Y thing off. It’s a bunch of privileged people arguing on the Titanic.
(btw, if more NZers had voted Alliance and Green we’d be in a very different situation now, so it’s not like there was no choice. We bottled it, are still bottling it, so probably will continue having to suck it up).
Yep Ropata, that and many other reasons is why I left NZ to move over to the lucky country back in in early 98. I now have 2 houses, a bach with 20 acres of bush, 350K plus in super, 200K in shares and my dream car 1960 T Bird along with 110 Landie. Would I be able to do that NZ if I stayed? The answer is a big fat NO!! on the shit wages that NZ has and the way the country has been managed since 1978 to now as the Kiwi dream is now dead as the Moa and the Dodo.
BTW i’m a working class lad who was high school drop out.
a beneficiary might not have been able to buy a house, but lower-skilled workers could.
Yes, part of the reason it’s newsworthy now is because the middle classes are also being cut out of the housing market, but it’s the younger ones who are being cut out, the ones who couldn’t jump on the ladder back when houses were affordable (because they were still in school).
Actually I think many people are cut out irrespective of age or class just because the cost of housing has gone up so much. What I’m suggesting is that the whole Boomers are selfish fucks thing is the wrong target. We should be aiming our sights at neoliberalism. If Gen Xers want on that gravy train and then need to keep it going, just like their parents, they can get fucked.
The neoliberalism gravy train, or the own your own home, get healthcare and a decent pension gravy train?
Boomers introduced neoliberalism, ffs.
Many boomers are also shut out, but that’s the same with every privileged group that has grown comfortable at the expense of other groups. Different label, different method, but still the same timeless bullshit.
Are all boomers arseholes? Nope. Not at all. Some of my best parents are boomers. But there has been intergenerational theft. Even without the global problems, it will take generations to repair the socioeconomic and national environmental problems caused by the boomer generation.
Roger Douglas was born in the 1930s. NZ Labour was hijacked and NZ has never recovered.
Of course there has been intergenerational theft. But doing some more thieving isn’t an appropriate response to that IMO.
I’d still like to know who NZers should have voted for in 1984 and 1987 and 1990.
I’d also like to know what the plan is beyond blaming Boomers.
“The neoliberalism gravy train, or the own your own home, get healthcare and a decent pension gravy train?”
If they want a non-neoliberal gravy train, they’d best get working then eh? Voting as hard left as they can go might help. Using their resources to create new political and social structures might be a better bet (but vote anyway). Pushing for something that is no longer possible is a waste of fucking time, and worse, it’s rearranging the deck chairs.
Caygill, moore and prebble were all boomers. As were Richardson, Shipley, and lockwood smith.
They could have voted New Labour or Alliance from 1990 on, when it became obvious where lab4 was going.
Home ownership is perfectly possible. Pensions are possible. Healthcare and education are possible. Any scarcity in those basics are construct not even of the marketplace, they’re products of government policy.
As for voting “as hard left as they can go”, I would agree, but then there’ll probably be a party consisting of Dracos (or CVs) who make sweeping categorical policy statements without thinking through the nuances. Sort of leftist Trumps. So I’d say “as left as they can go before it looks like the party’s platform will have more unintended consequences than the actual intended outcomes”.
Heh, fair point. I was meaning as hard left as is possible currently ie. the Greens. Which Get X aren’t doing really right?
Home ownership is perfectly possible. Pensions are possible. Healthcare and education are possible. Any scarcity in those basics are construct not even of the marketplace, they’re products of government policy.
True, but as long as we have neoliberal parties, not much is going to change. I’d have more respect for the complaints if I saw some decent activism arising. At the moment it just looks self serving, and as I said, those wanting on a fairer neoliberal gravy train will not be getting much support from me. Those days are gone. That doesn’t mean it has to be bad, but we really need to pull our finger out and pining over missing out on housing investments just isn’t smart even if it is understandable.
My large, extended family (cousins, sisters) are all working class but were able to buy houses in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s by capitalising on the Family Benefit and getting a State Advances loan at reduced interest rates. My partner and I bought a 1 bedroom cottage in 1980 and got a State House loan. We had to save for the deposit as didn’t have kids, but at the time he was a postie and I was an artist with a part-time clerical job.
Home ownership was once accessible to low income people and there is no good reason for it not to be again. It just takes the political will.
the policy does not start to take effect until 2037, me thinks he got caught out and after a late night came up with something to maintain his credibility but in reality is meaningless. Imagine announcing a policy that is 20 years away…. Oh yes there is the 90% of waterways safe for swimming 2040. Nice to have long term solutions, pity about the more immediate issues 🙁
PM Bill English has announced the age of eligibility for superannuation will rise to 67 in gradual steps from 2037.
so the National Party Policy template is:
Read Labour’s policies from 2014;
Weaken and dilute it if at all possible; then
postpone any measurable outcome until 2040.
Which seams different to labours thought process. “We had a policy that was good and the right thing to do – but we might lose votes over it – so let’s drop it “
Masterful performance by Bill English. Let the media beat up his comments and scare the beejesus out of people then announce it will take forever to implement. Hurray. Anyway who under 30 really thought they could retire at 65?
This is about securing the brighter future.
Hundreds of people taking their money out of Kiwi saver to pay for their mortgages, rent etc. It’s all part of National’s Brighter Future for us Kiwis i guess. sarc.
Essentially many people will pay more in interest on their mortgages and debt. If they are sick, the savings should be able to be used for payments of treatments.
Savings should be accessible in hard times, if it is not what is the point saving.
Oh maybe in 35 years you get a few cents to the dollars that you put in if the world was not blown up, if we did not have another financial crisis that will do away with the savings, if if if.
Seriously, i would suggest to anyone who has debt and is serving a high interest rate to take that dead money and pay of the debt. life will improve immediately.
In saying that, you don’t seem to know that ‘People’ actually have to fill out forms, prove hardshit and such before they get a few pennies out of that dead money that serves no one but financial institutions and the government.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
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:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
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 ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
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. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
The alt-left and why it’s a problem too.
“The left’s romance with revolution has always been a reality-blinder, this thermodynamic belief that things need to get bad beyond the breaking point so that people will take the vape pens out of their mouths, rise up, and storm the Bastille. But the history of non-democracies and authoritarian personality cults shows that things can stay bad and get worse for a long time, leaving unhealable wounds. Mao’s China, for example. Putin’s tubercular Russia.”
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/why-the-alt-left-is-a-problem
That was a lot of fun.
Better than the mornings’ first mochaccino.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/what-do-europeans-think-about-muslim-immigration
“Drawing on a unique, new Chatham House survey of more than 10,000 people from 10 European states, we can throw new light on what people think about migration from mainly Muslim countries. Our results are striking and sobering. They suggest that public opposition to any further migration from predominantly Muslim states is by no means confined to Trump’s electorate in the US but is fairly widespread.
In our survey, carried out before President Trump’s executive order was announced, respondents were given the following statement: ‘All further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped’. They were then asked to what extent did they agree or disagree with this statement. Overall, across all 10 of the European countries an average of 55% agreed that all further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped, 25% neither agreed nor disagreed and 20% disagreed.
Majorities in all but two of the ten states agreed, ranging from 71% in Poland, 65% in Austria, 53% in Germany and 51% in Italy to 47% in the United Kingdom and 41% in Spain. In no country did the percentage that disagreed surpass 32%.”
I’m opposed to anything more than the smallest trickle of Islamic migration. Let’s be honest, the jury is on on this one. Due to cretinous and andeluvian religious beliefs Muslims don’t assimilate easily, and that combined with an economy that no longer delivers plentiful good paying jobs to immigrants and an often radicalised clergy and you’ve got a recipe for serious social trouble.
Why import potential trouble when we have enough problems of our own? I only care about the plight of Syria and Iraq to a certain point. At the end of the day, Syrians belong in Syria, not Sandringham and we should do everything we can to end the civil war there and help them re-establish their lives in Syria. New Zealand has to many immigrants already – to the point I thinking of voting this September for the first party that says they are going to stop the flood of immigrants coming here.
We are pretty fortunate that we are one of the least religious and most institutionally secular, and most democratically reflexive and balanced countries around. Islam is as much a bother here as the Mormons.
I believe that most or all Muslim immigration be stopped and a tax imposed to pay for looking after them preferably back in their own countries. A strong prosperous NZ with full employment is more useful in the world than creating a further trouble spot
Make the Mexicans pay for the wall…….just saying.
The Netherlands election will be a real bellwether for this.
And then, the French Presidential one.
After that, Merkel’s one.
If this set of elections triggers further exits It’s possible to see the EU really crack open into three or four blocs.
Our results are striking and sobering.
Their results are unsurprising and uncontroversial. If they’d asked whether Muslim immigration should be minimised rather than stopped they’d most likely have got overwhelming numbers saying yes. Immigrants who are adherents of fundamentally illiberal ideologies aren’t going to appeal to Europeans.
How many of those said yes to this question:
do you support the immediate stop of any bombing campaigns by the US/UK/SA/FR etc. Do you support the immediate stop of any weapons delivery to these countries by the US/UK/DE/FR etc.
Do you support to cut down on your life style a bit so as to gain independence from oil? Or other natural resources extracted in foreign countries via the aid of paid mercenaries, military campaigns and so on and so on.
Cause if they fucking don’t, refugees, be it war time refugees, climate change refugees, economic refugees, religious refugees will continue to come.
It really seems that the comfort of our time created nothing but a bunch of knicker twisting, pearl clutching fearful little wankers.
Onya Sabine.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-04/house-was-3d-printed-under-24-hours-cost-just-10000
Que dramatic music…
The question is could it withstand NZ conditions?
Interesting. Though I’d say the machine built “an entire house” in 24 hours is a little misleading. It is actually more of a stand-alone studio. No bedroom/s.
And it’s only the shell. This from the comments below the article:
There’s also a big problem with concrete, GHG emissions and climate change, so I’d want to know that is true for this material they are using. Gearing up an industry based around conventional concrete is really really stupid.
Concrete does produce a shit load of GHG in manufacture, but the net over the finished item’s life of a couple of hundred years may be close to neutral as it absorbs CO2 throughout it’s life. There’s also huge passive benefits from concrete houses.
http://www.sustainableconcrete.org.nz/page/co2-absorption.aspx The link in that page get’s right into it but is quite old now
Earthern houses have the same thermal mass benefits without the CO2 issues.
There’s also a big problem with concrete, GHG emissions and climate change, so I’d want to know that is true for this material they are using. Gearing up an industry based around conventional concrete is really really stupid.
Back to the future is a very viable option if cash is king.
http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2013/06/04/roman-concrete/
In NZ kitset –
room with loft $24,000
http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/portable-buildings/auction-1271537295.htm
and
Room can be shifted $6,000 –
many advertised on Trade me
and
Cabin- The Cottage $14,000
http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/portable-buildings/auction-1273161779.htm
and
Yurts
http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/other/auction-1271500190.htm
And the latest bright spark from Gareith Morgan and the TOPs Party –
In the mean time we are pleased to announce the launch of our cannabis law reform process. This is our first experiment with a member-led policy development process, with the goal of involving people in the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives, as per the goals of our TOP Policy #4: Democracy Reset.
If you’d like to participate in the process you can become a member here.
Re TOP, all I’ve seen so far is a middle-management type consultation process. Doesn’t look particularly democratic to me. Bill did a post on it the other day, and I critiqued in the comments.
I think there is a tendency on the Standard to criticize TOP without actually reading the policies.
This is due either to Gareths history of being successful at making money , or his infamous stand against the real problem with moggies.
Try looking at the policies…. they are often more left than Labour/Greens.
I have looked at some of their policies. Put a couple up that you think are worthy and I’ll have a look.
My criticisms of TOP above were quite specifically about process. If you think I am being unfair, please show how.
TOP could cost the left the election. Or rather, lefties who vote TOP could.
I’m hoping that Nats who want some progress and effectiveness from their government will be drawn to TOPS, after all he has made money, so there must be something to him etc.
And his policies will be game changers, just have to watch that they are not too theoretical, and that he doesn’t run on targets, and short-term competitive funding for structural problems, which at present tend to be cynically treated as cyclical.
Which organisation today is – having unreasonable demands placed on its shoulders, having its funding dropped at a time of increased stress and hardship, or being dropped altogether? This probably in favour of some private outfit dreamed up by some retired or even serving politician having found a small hole in the government dam to siphon out taxes for their own benefit, and become legitimate beneficiaries while lambasting all the needy as illegitimate.
i have had more then one discussion witht he guy on his fb page and he lost me forever when he complained about ‘payee slaves’ (his words) aka workers not ‘revolting’ against the status quo which is him.
so a rich wanker, known only for being rich, wanking on about cats – but not spending a dime on de-sexing or feral cat population control or any of that shit, who is on record for not paying tax, who is on record for keeping his properties empty cause carpet and such, wants people who earn min wage to revolt.
Tell me garibaldi, who do you think would go to prison for rioting, the rich wanker inciting it or the poor fuck who goes out and says fuck yeah?
and then his policy of taxing the family home, cause it ain’t productive if it isn’t rented.
so yeah, that tosser can have a lot from me, but never my vote. I’d rather vote Legalize Aotearoa at least they have been campaigning for Cannabis reform for a long time and not just to get some votes.
to be so desperate to really just pick up anything beggars believe. Settle for anything, settles for nothing.
That’s one of the best appraisals of TOP I’ve seen so far.
That’s typical with new processes.
It really won’t be long until 3D printing of houses produces many different forms for less.
Having the correct regulations in place is a once off thing. Once they’re in place then it’s all go.
Well, I would happily live in 36m^2. I’ve lived in 25m^2 and thought it was huge.
What about them?
Have to put them in after the building’s built as per normal.
A brick layer hasn’t got a hope in hell of laying it all down in 24 hours. That’s actually the major problem.
I live in a 51 square meter apartment. Have done for 19 years. I rattled in it when I was on my own.I would like another 10-15 m2 after my partner moved in about 9 years ago. It would.provide room for a separate office.
But I really don’t have time to deal with anything bigger than that.
Wow! And this technology will expand. How about linking 38sqm units to make 200sqm houses?
@ianmac “How about linking 38sqm units to make 200sqm houses?”
Here you fall into the classic Kiwi trap. 200 sqm is TOO BIG.
In NZ now we need houses/apartments to be 38, 76 and 114 sqm, and no bigger. See the article below* that shows that apartments in Stockholm average 41 sqm
The 200 sqm house on a 700m2 section is history in terms of developing sustainable non-sprawling cities.
* https://qz.com/264418/why-its-nearly-impossible-to-rent-an-apartment-in-stockholm/
You are pretty hard pressed to get a bank to load for anything smaller than 55m square.
yes, the banks are part of the problem in the housing crisis.
True although by choking first home loansdown, and pretty much cutting out investors with less than 40% cash available, they are a part of the solution to the debt crisis.
We can solve the population blowout by using the same procedure on people.
What about free choice. I have a large house. I like it.
I wouldnt want to go to anything smaller than 250m ish.
You can have any size you like as long as you’re willing to pay the taxes on it. The bigger the house the bigger the taxes.
James
I can see you need a large house to house your intellect.
Using that ‘logic’ I assume you live in a bird house.
I was commenting on freedom of choice to build whatever the hell you like in reply to “In NZ now we need houses/apartments to be 38, 76 and 114 sqm, and no bigger”
Do you have anything to add to the conversation – or are you simply trolling and trying to start a flame war.
The 200m2 house could be too small for Maori [ or others ] who get together to build a multi-family home as recently in the news. While the 700m2 section provides outdoor living space by compacting the housing relative to ground area. I am sure with more thought wiring and pipes could be incorporated by the printer. Big houses are an unwelcome ‘americanism’ introduced by television shows boosting consumerism.
Builders displaced would/should be on the UBI so they retrain or create custom housing for the discerning. But most people simply need a roof over their heads rather than a bridge.
/agreed
You all seem terribly keen to do away with builders, any idea on what jobs they should transfer to?
Maybe working at the call centre you’ll be phoning when you realise even ‘robots’ and their masters are fallible.
R&D in building.
May need tertiary degrees.
It’s not jobs that we need to protect but the development of both the people and the economy.
“May need tertiary degrees”….pretty sure R&D requires tertiary degrees, at the very least.
So a job that anyone could, potentially, access, will then be limited to those who can afford to go to University. And to those who have the skills/intellect/mindset to complete an academic qualification.
Not everyone can be ‘developed’ that way.
And throwing them onto a UBI isn’t the pathway to inclusiveness either.
Or we make university free again and a UBI.
That’s a real narrow mindset thinking that only one way of thinking is worthwhile.
Just because some people don’t think the way that universities teach doesn’t mean that they don’t have ideas and it’s ideas that we want. It’s those ideas that we’re presently throwing away because of such narrow minded thinking.
No but including them in the R&D in whatever capacity suits them is.
“That’s a real narrow mindset thinking that only one way of thinking is worthwhile”…that’s my point.
I’m not sure which University you attended, but I’ve found school/universities/techs to be very much geared up to ‘one way of thinking’.
And ofcouse…free university -with open and inclusive ways of teaching- with a UBI so people can retrain, paid for with proper taxation of housing and Corporations, and affordable rents and homes and all that….could you tell me who to vote for to get that stuff??? ‘Cos I’ll be there with bells on.
No, not inclusive ways of teaching but inclusive ways of learning.
Being able to listen to anybody with an idea and to help them develop it until it fails or it becomes viable.
Is it really that you want to wait until a political party has it or do you want the power to tell the politicians that’s what you want?
Autonomism would be top of my wish list.
Though the problem in NZ would be to convince the ‘working class’ that they are, infact, working class, and that there is a need to unite. ironically I think that being entirely excluded from housing security, be it home ownership or decent, secure and affordable rentals, is one way to encourage this new mindset of Unity.
Something practically achievable in the real world, especially in the next few months before the election, would be nice.
And while you’re waiting for that nothing ever fuken changes.
lol except the stuff that’s practically achievable in the real world. That’s sort of the meaning of “practically achievable”. As opposed to the pipe dreams you demand should suddenly appear.
You do know that you could have an overall vision and work towards it by taking small steps don’t you?
That’s what the right-wing have been doing for the last 40 or 50 years or more and now we have radical RWNJ policy settings that, according to you, are impossible to change.
So, what would it take to have people engage in local democracy and have the politicians do what the people decide?
Nope.
Here’s what happened over the past 40 or 50 years:
Two competitive schools of economic thought in academia, their difference driven largely by their respective calculations of the theoretical value of a multiplier that represents the velocity of money circulating through a system, had extended academic debates.
The dominant school of thought lost ground when faced with a number of different shocks in the 1970s, and the hardship caused by those shocks also contributed directly to the election of a number of tory politicians across the globe.
These tories latched on to the arguments of the second school of academics in order to justify policy measures that the politicians found self-serving and wanted to do anyway.
Wealthy tories who weren’t politicians also funded more of the second school of academics in order to justify a policy agenda the wealthy tories wished to see implemented.
With this assistance, and the occasional artificial crisis, politicians therefore had the political power to roll back the previous 40 or 50 years of social advances.
Unless you have intellectual credibility with the establishment or the funds to finance a “think tank” to say what you want, or you are a senior politician, chances are that you have taken zero “small steps” to achieve your isolationist, fully automated, direct local democracy pipe dream.
Because direct local democracy requires a complete reshape of local body politics, both in electoral system and a rewrite of the fundamental roles of elected and unelected local officials.
This won’t happen without a fundamental rewrite of the parliamentary laws regarding local bodies.
That requires the parliament to recognise the wishes of local democratic structures. Which is circular.
CV thought he was going to change the face of NZ politics. Yeah, nah. Don’t fall into the same trap. Personally, all this blogging stuff is recreational. I get my social worth from my job, in that I’m fortunate enough to be paid to be a very small cog in a wheel that helps bring some social issues to public attention. I’ve turned down other jobs that were less socially fulfilling, but I’m no monk. I’m just a guy who is lucky enough to like doing a job that contributes to the public good, rather than being a tobacco industry lobbyist.
And that differs from what I said how?
I’m making noise – that’s all I can do. I reach thousands of people everyday.
And my policies aren’t isolationist. I just iterate that a free-market must result in a minimisation of trade rather than the maximisation that our politicians and economists believe is what we should aim for. That’s the nature of limited resources and actually taking into account physical reality.
Right, we can make everything here and import nothing. Not isolationist at all. /sarc
anyhoo, it differs from what you said because there wasn’t much of a plan of small steps. It was a big step, using anything and everything as an excuse. Their opportunity rode largely on luck. If there’d been no initial disagreement between honest academic schools, there would never have been the tory revolution. If there hadn’t been the crises, there wouldn’t have been the tory revolution. But the important point is that it was a big step with the pretence of rational and impartial analysis behind it. It wasn’t so much a “popular” movement as a movement grudgingly accepted by a lot of the population as “There Is No Alternative”. Crises, remember?
You don’t have a popular movement, and you don’t have the pretence of institutional intellectual validity. So what are you going to change with your demands for dramatic policy changes?
Demands?
I try to explain why the present system doesn’t work and what needs to be done to make a sustainable system.
And, yes, I’m trying to get those changes to come about through discussion and building a popular support base.
Well, we can make everything we need here but that’s not what I’ve said.
I’ve said, time and time again, that our international trade needs to be based upon standards but that once those standards have been set then trade will minimise because it really will be cheaper to make things here rather than to import.
And, yes, that is dependent upon automated manufacturing but that’s the way the entire world is going. If we don’t follow (preferably lead) we will become a basket-case economy.
It seems to me like you’re confusing “describing the outcome” with saying “what needs to be done” to bring that outcome into reality.
That’s the one I linked to a couple of months ago.
And, yes, I think you’ll find that it can handle new Zealand conditions. It’s made out of concrete after all.
Wonder what it’ll take to get it to do multiple levels.
“The question is could it withstand NZ conditions?”
It’s the same structure as with concrete block, just the “blocks” are formed in place and continuously. I’d say it’s got huge potential to produce outstanding housing at very low cost.
Judith Collins would love this; better than a steel shipping container.
I wonder if it would be better to 3D print formwork for the concrete then try and print the concrete itself.?
Or a combination of the two? that way you might be able to 3D a roof?
Maybe all Trump cares about is getting attention, good or bad, and doesn’t care if he never actually accomplishes anything.
In which case, he’s winning, bigly.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/opinion/sunday/how-donald-trump-wins-by-losing.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
For the past couple of days TS has been loading at a < 28k dial-up speed.
Anyone else?.
BM had a solution that seems to work for me and weka. If it’s the secure.statcounter.com plugin that’s slowing you down too.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05032017/#comment-1306780
Ta, works a treat.
Credit goes to BM for that one.
Gawd I can’t believe I’ve just been forced to acknowledge BM makes useful contributions. It hurts.
could’ve been worse. Could have been man-in-the-middle or acrophobic 🙂
CV or Pete George. They’d be the most painful I can think of.
Goff bemoans $4b shortfall to cover city’s needs…
(Sounds like he is not considering decreasing immigration that is making up the demand on the city infrastructure (44,000 new cars in Auckland last year alone), nor looking at the corruption charges amongst the 1 billion of rate payers money given to Auckland Transport which is clearly not up to the job, or the 1 billion of failed IT that was never investigated by the council, or the corporate welfare like money spent on Westgate Mall that the rate payers were funding the private developers for, or the eye watering amounts spent on corporate private lawyers at the council who are spending up a storm helping Auckland council, do such things as helping Ports of Auckland steal the harbour, cutting down ancient Kauri trees in Titirangi, paying for prosecuting the corrupt Auckland Transport officials and their advice and evidence in the unitary plan which was so poor it got withdrawn after being challenged …, or wonder why they did not get transport in place before the SHA and zoning changes in particular at the outer limits.. )
Nope apparently in the neoliberal ‘user pays – he’s going to introduce congestion charges to the most poor in Auckland. (Because most rich people live in central suburbs and therefore don’t have to commute).
In Phil’s mythical Neoliberal land, workers can then tell their employers to ‘shove it’ as they won’t come into work between 8 – 6 pm as to expensive….
Then they wonder why many locals can’t afford the cost of living any more…
“Sounds like he is not considering decreasing immigration”
Auckland’s mayor has no power over immigration rates. That’s central govt.
“or the 1 billion of failed IT”
And that’s a line from the Act-aligned Taxpayers Onion and chums, never substantiated. Sure the Council overspent on their IT transition, but nowhere near that amount.
Not according to many commentators….
Council’s $1b in IT costs ‘wasted’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11597160
Hey who cares about a few missing millions at Auckland City? Clearly not the CEO or Mayor…
Not bothered about all the rest of the corruption either, by looks of it at AT.
Orsman is a hack. No examination of what the overall IT spend includes, yet that’s the figure he’s parroting from the Onion and their chums.
If you’ve never been to Oamaru – time to put it on your list.
The South Island town has recently been bumped up to fourth place on China’s largest international property website – meaning it’s about to become hot property for overseas buyers….
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/03/why-oamaru-is-hot-property-right-now.html
Fuck. Perhaps now we can stop talking about the “Auckland” housing crisis. NZ has a housing crisis.
New Zealand has a foreign buyer crisis – we have far too many of them.
One is far too many.
We have a foreign *funder* crisis.
In fact it doesn’t matter if the money comes from China, the U.K. Or Auckland, it will still fuck the local economy.
It’s the cheapness of overseas money compared with ours, and our incredibly weak investment regulations.
If you sell an $800,000 house in Auckland and can buy the same sized house in Oamaru for closer to $300,000, who do you think is going to do best in an auction? The Aucklander or the local? Do you think the prices will go up, down, or stay steady?
In addition to the foreign cash issues, there are other contributing factors to the NZ housing crises.
Yeah, pretty much.
Bet the good people of Oamaru don’t feel like they’re having a ‘crisis’
A.
Ah, by “good” you must mean “comfortably wealthy and already own their home, rather than looking to buy in the next five years”.
Good for who owns a home or owns or works in a business there…
Not so good obviously for who is set on buying their own house there
A.
Or those who may be comfortably off themselves, but also have empathy. Look it up sometime.
Well, but you can also have empathy for those who work in Oamaru and are looking forward to a buoyant economy with a bit more money doing the rounds
A.
That’s like having empathy for sweatshop owners and slumlords. Sort of overshadowed by empathy for their victims
You are saying that all workers are like sweatshop owners and slumlords???
Don’t be a moron.
Read the second sentence again.
or those who are renting
How are rents in Oamaru trending?
A.
No idea, but some of those property owners will want a return on investment
Unknown, but if Chinese investors start driving up property prices in Oamaru, the question of what effect that will have on rents isn’t a difficult one to answer.
And the reason it’s not difficult to answer is because we’ve seen this play out a number of times before. Which Antoine should know.
I know Oamaru reasonably well. It is touristy, thrives on buzz and already has a number of overseas people. What it wants is jobs. I can’t see this change being net negative for the people there.
Show me three people who actually live there who think it’s a ‘crisis’ and I might be more impressed.
A.
Ok, sure, Oamaru is special and won’t be affected like other places in NZ by rising house prices.
Also just because foreigners are buying up fancy houses on the hill behind Oamaru, doesn’t necessarily mean there’ll be much impact on house prices or rents in the more suburban parts.
Oamaru has figured out how to restrict sale to only certain parts of town? Good for them.
> Oamaru is special and won’t be affected like other places in NZ by rising house prices.
It will be affected somewhat like other parts of NZ by immigration, some of the effects positive (like giving a boost to business or helping some home sellers), some negative (like making it harder for some home buyers).
> Oamaru has figured out how to restrict sale to only certain parts of town
No, it’s down to the nature of the houses in different parts of town.
Just as in Auckland, there are some areas where foreign buyers want to buy.
Have you been to Oamaru Weka, do you know the community there? Maybe you should talk to the community before deciding what it wants
A.
I know Oamaru and I know people that live there. I’m not saying what Oamaru wants. As if there is any such thing as a single Oamaru community anyway. Please don’t put words in my mouth. Go back and reread what I said, I was clearly making a link between future increases in house prices in Oamaru and the likelihood of it joining the NZ housing crisis, based on what has happen in many other places in NZ. If you want to make an argument against that, fine, but don’t misuse my position.
Oh, I agree that this news may lead to a house price rise in Oamaru; my point is that I’m not convinced that the people of Oamaru will be overall worse off as a result. Perhaps you agree with that.
A.
I think it’s the wrong way to measure things. Letting some people fall through the cracks because more people are doing ok is not the NZ I want.
I understand
Weka, three years ago, I and a few others here said it loudly and often, AKL is just the biggest City to be sold to the highest bidder, but that this was a disease that would spread – we even pointed to other Cities that had started to show the same symptoms.
ha, we were told to move where we could afford to live.
There needs to be an understanding now happening in NZ, that Kiwis will never be rich enough to live anywhere but overseas if they have to compete with people coming from overseas, cashed up and ready to buy a shack for what they would consider peanuts – while at the same time the Kiwi is earning peanuts.
A few month ago we bought a little cottage / garden on the countryside. Over half of the village is empty houses with huge sheds to house speed boats and such – these guys don’t live here, they come for a weekend, stay at their houses, don’t spend a dime on anything and leave sunday eve. The people that live here, or used to live here have a . a hard time finding rentals, or b. paying rent, and the businesses that used to support them close shop cause the rents are now too high, the rates are too high, the line charges are to high and shit.
its not the Auckland Crisis, is the New Zealand Crisis, and us Aucklanders have begged people to see it as such just to be told to move where it was cheaper.
Newsflash, there ain’t no cheaper anymore.
+1
Exactly.
Allowing foreign ownership is pricing NZ out of the range of NZers.
+2 The problems are now well beyond some tinkering with the market.
Stand by for all the spivs to make a killing and destroy one of the last bastions of old New Zealand.
Great place with great people but this year may be my last visit especially if the main street gets like Dominion Road.
There’s a whiff of fascism in the wind
Bit more than a whiff…
One of the best I’ve read on the subject. Thanks to Bryan Gould for articulating it so clearly.
Didums the poor snowflakes are offended, I suggest most don’t give a toss and don’t really need condasceding self interest lefty sympathy
[lprent: Diddums yourself. It is hard to see that has anything to do with the post. ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
My point been I don’t think young people or stoners really give a toss what BE says, petals like greywarshark obviously do
And complete arseholes like drug dealers and you don’t eh?
I am not joining the dots here, why so exercised
Better start joining the dots ‘cos I think you’re on a warning.
My point being that I was just following EXACTLY your interesting example of pointless abuse. I guess you don’t like receiving it? I guess you are a complete Wimp eh?…
Here’s the deal. Bill English has five mates, and he listens to them. Meanwhile, the only people who are prepared to work for the shitty wages and conditions they’re offering are stoners.
And that’s how the National Party makes immigration policy.
Thanks for advice Red. You are always so well based in your thoughts. Rock steady on Me good, others bad. Me know all, great white? (sounds like) chief. You must bless TS every day – a place for unthinking people to express their toxic emotions harmlessly to oneself. That’s lefty sympathy for you – Suckers!
[lprent: reply to red above..]
lprent
Something’s changed, the site is moving okay today, though as mentioned before, was slow. Hope you are well and enjoying most of the sunshine, and ale.
3How low are the gnats? Leaderless they spin around the plughole like a greasy bit of hairy soap.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/325904/govt-spends-$700k-fighting-state-abuse-compo-claim
Oh look, another story on how young people can buy homes as long as their parents are in a position to help significantly.
Just another piece of PR fluff from the Auckland Property Flippers’ Herald to keep their well heeled readers comfortable.
Gen X/Y are so fucked. Up to eyeballs in education debt. Can’t buy houses. Probably no superannuation. Blinglish stealing funds from Kiwisaver.
English & Co. are fanning the flames of class war.
“Up to eyeballs in education debt”
Like any debt – it is smart to get debt that gives a return, not on something that gets no value.
So – nothing wrong with education debt if it helps you get a job, and you earn a decent wage. Heck – after the threshold you are only paying back 12%.
Its all the people who use it for useless or hobbie courses, that are unable to use it for a decent job, who have useless education debt.
Personally – I think that the smartest thing they can do is limit the borrowing on useless courses that cannot return decent paying jobs.
Yes, ban pilot training, journalism, photography, nursing and teaching, then realise James is an idiot who just wanted to display one unthinking right wing prejudice or other, and un-ban them again.
Hey – if you want to ban those courses thats up to you.
That says more about you than me.
I was thinking more along the lines of dance studies, fine arts, Gender studies, and Theologiy.
That definitely says a lot about you.
Which says something about you, and nothing whatsoever about those various disciplines. Thanks for confirming my prediction.
I’m curious as to why you want to destroy a multi-million dollar industry though. You must be some very special kind of stupid.
But student debt was designed to reflect the personal benefit to the student of their education (Todd report of the 1990s). Which means on average there’s no net return, anyway.
Secondly you’re confusing value with fiscal return, a common error that tory fuckwits fall prey to.
Thirdly, projecting which jobs will be “decent paying” in five years time is both fraught with error and well beyond the abilities of most people, matching their personal circumstances with aggregate government predictions.
Fuck, my longest term and highest paying job was the result of choosing a single paper literally because I liked saying the paper title and needed an extra six points to make fulltime study. It’s all luck.
Just to throw another angle into the mix. This debate is largely centred around middle class people right? Because when I bought a house in the 90s the only way I could do that was with the help of my parents. I was on a benefit and had no chance of saving for a deposit. My friends and peers who didn’t have parents with investment money had no chance of buying at all. So this is in no way a new phenomenon, it’s just that now the middle classes are being affected.
I’ve had more sympathy for the Gen Ys if they were radicalising around this, including around renter rights, but much of the selfish baby-boomer vs stupid Gen Y rhetoric is complaining that the neoliberal system fails another block of people now.
IMO we’re well past that being solvable. There is no return to a time when current young middle class people can do as well as their parents. Best we get to grips with that and get a different plan, because we are just about out of time in terms of the looking crisis riding in on climate change. That will make these squabbles look petty. By now we should be designing new ways of owning land and creating sustainable culture.
I just reject that.
My Aunties and Uncles can well remember the Depression and the thought of the state simply rolling out new houses – for people to buy and to rent – both at reasonable prices, seemed a ludicrous bourgeoise conceit.
It was done.
So it’s been done before, and New Zealand society is well ready for public sector interventions in housing like that again. Just takes a really bold coalition government to do it.
There’s nothing in my comment that suggests the state shouldn’t be building houses, they should. Haven’t seen a good proposal to do that yet mind, but I agree that in principle it’s possible and necessary.
How would you bring the price of land down?
Yeah, but did it make the news when you bought your house?
NZ is well short of the sort of scartcities and population densities that still somehow make auckland one of the most expensive cities in the world. And part of the XY vs Boomer argument is that Boomers are seen to have both had the heavily subsidised if not free education (instigated by their parents), privatised (the public assets their parents created) when they were in positions of power, and now still zealously guard their retirement benefits from those coming after them.
Quite bluntly, the global problems we face aren’t an excuse for NZ’s local generational theft.
“Yeah, but did it make the news when you bought your house?”
No. Which is my point. The reason it’s news is not because people can’t afford to buy a home, it’s because middle class people can’t. Working class needs aren’t as newsworthy.
“Quite bluntly, the global problems we face aren’t an excuse for NZ’s local generational theft.”
Not sure what you are getting at there. Who should my parents have been voting for in the 70s and 80s? Who did you vote for in the 80s and 90s? It’s not like there was a lot of choice. But there was some. So we could say that anyone who voted National or Labour is culpable. Can we apply that reasoning now to middle class Gen Y?
And I’ll just keep pointing out, it’s not only an Auckland housing crisis, it’s a NZ one (or set of crises).
It is not the fault of ordinary Kiwis that the only political choices we had for the last 35 years was between neoliberal blairites or neocon tories. Thank God MMP is (at last) beginning to take effect, and arguably it curbed the worst excesses of austerity that fwits like Don Brash were dreaming of.
Rogernomics and Ruthanasia killed the kiwi dream. The myth of NZ being a land of opportunity is a tattered old fairy tale. This is definitely no longer a worker’s paradise
Exactly. Which is why I find the whole Boomer vs Y thing off. It’s a bunch of privileged people arguing on the Titanic.
(btw, if more NZers had voted Alliance and Green we’d be in a very different situation now, so it’s not like there was no choice. We bottled it, are still bottling it, so probably will continue having to suck it up).
Have a look at this thread,
https://twitter.com/LI_politico/status/838605873459130368
Yep Ropata, that and many other reasons is why I left NZ to move over to the lucky country back in in early 98. I now have 2 houses, a bach with 20 acres of bush, 350K plus in super, 200K in shares and my dream car 1960 T Bird along with 110 Landie. Would I be able to do that NZ if I stayed? The answer is a big fat NO!! on the shit wages that NZ has and the way the country has been managed since 1978 to now as the Kiwi dream is now dead as the Moa and the Dodo.
BTW i’m a working class lad who was high school drop out.
a beneficiary might not have been able to buy a house, but lower-skilled workers could.
Yes, part of the reason it’s newsworthy now is because the middle classes are also being cut out of the housing market, but it’s the younger ones who are being cut out, the ones who couldn’t jump on the ladder back when houses were affordable (because they were still in school).
Actually I think many people are cut out irrespective of age or class just because the cost of housing has gone up so much. What I’m suggesting is that the whole Boomers are selfish fucks thing is the wrong target. We should be aiming our sights at neoliberalism. If Gen Xers want on that gravy train and then need to keep it going, just like their parents, they can get fucked.
The neoliberalism gravy train, or the own your own home, get healthcare and a decent pension gravy train?
Boomers introduced neoliberalism, ffs.
Many boomers are also shut out, but that’s the same with every privileged group that has grown comfortable at the expense of other groups. Different label, different method, but still the same timeless bullshit.
Are all boomers arseholes? Nope. Not at all. Some of my best parents are boomers. But there has been intergenerational theft. Even without the global problems, it will take generations to repair the socioeconomic and national environmental problems caused by the boomer generation.
Roger Douglas was born in the 1930s. NZ Labour was hijacked and NZ has never recovered.
Of course there has been intergenerational theft. But doing some more thieving isn’t an appropriate response to that IMO.
I’d still like to know who NZers should have voted for in 1984 and 1987 and 1990.
I’d also like to know what the plan is beyond blaming Boomers.
“The neoliberalism gravy train, or the own your own home, get healthcare and a decent pension gravy train?”
If they want a non-neoliberal gravy train, they’d best get working then eh? Voting as hard left as they can go might help. Using their resources to create new political and social structures might be a better bet (but vote anyway). Pushing for something that is no longer possible is a waste of fucking time, and worse, it’s rearranging the deck chairs.
Caygill, moore and prebble were all boomers. As were Richardson, Shipley, and lockwood smith.
They could have voted New Labour or Alliance from 1990 on, when it became obvious where lab4 was going.
Home ownership is perfectly possible. Pensions are possible. Healthcare and education are possible. Any scarcity in those basics are construct not even of the marketplace, they’re products of government policy.
As for voting “as hard left as they can go”, I would agree, but then there’ll probably be a party consisting of Dracos (or CVs) who make sweeping categorical policy statements without thinking through the nuances. Sort of leftist Trumps. So I’d say “as left as they can go before it looks like the party’s platform will have more unintended consequences than the actual intended outcomes”.
Heh, fair point. I was meaning as hard left as is possible currently ie. the Greens. Which Get X aren’t doing really right?
Home ownership is perfectly possible. Pensions are possible. Healthcare and education are possible. Any scarcity in those basics are construct not even of the marketplace, they’re products of government policy.
True, but as long as we have neoliberal parties, not much is going to change. I’d have more respect for the complaints if I saw some decent activism arising. At the moment it just looks self serving, and as I said, those wanting on a fairer neoliberal gravy train will not be getting much support from me. Those days are gone. That doesn’t mean it has to be bad, but we really need to pull our finger out and pining over missing out on housing investments just isn’t smart even if it is understandable.
My large, extended family (cousins, sisters) are all working class but were able to buy houses in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s by capitalising on the Family Benefit and getting a State Advances loan at reduced interest rates. My partner and I bought a 1 bedroom cottage in 1980 and got a State House loan. We had to save for the deposit as didn’t have kids, but at the time he was a postie and I was an artist with a part-time clerical job.
Home ownership was once accessible to low income people and there is no good reason for it not to be again. It just takes the political will.
Oh dear, he’s scrambling. Embarrassing non-answers yesterday turn into rushed ‘overnight policy’ today. His minders must be furious.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11812931
So he didn’t touch the 45-65 bracket – his voter base. How cynical.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/90111640/live-super-announcement-from-bill-english
In response to the rich using housing as a retirement fund, asset-testing Super should come in immediately, imo.
the policy does not start to take effect until 2037, me thinks he got caught out and after a late night came up with something to maintain his credibility but in reality is meaningless. Imagine announcing a policy that is 20 years away…. Oh yes there is the 90% of waterways safe for swimming 2040. Nice to have long term solutions, pity about the more immediate issues 🙁
PM Bill English has announced the age of eligibility for superannuation will rise to 67 in gradual steps from 2037.
Lol
so the National Party Policy template is:
Read Labour’s policies from 2014;
Weaken and dilute it if at all possible; then
postpone any measurable outcome until 2040.
Sigh.
Which seams different to labours thought process. “We had a policy that was good and the right thing to do – but we might lose votes over it – so let’s drop it “
Masterful performance by Bill English. Let the media beat up his comments and scare the beejesus out of people then announce it will take forever to implement. Hurray. Anyway who under 30 really thought they could retire at 65?
This is about securing the brighter future.
Yes is it clever politics, and deeply deceitful as well. Congratulations.
Hundreds of people taking their money out of Kiwi saver to pay for their mortgages, rent etc. It’s all part of National’s Brighter Future for us Kiwis i guess. sarc.
and so they should.
Essentially many people will pay more in interest on their mortgages and debt. If they are sick, the savings should be able to be used for payments of treatments.
Savings should be accessible in hard times, if it is not what is the point saving.
Oh maybe in 35 years you get a few cents to the dollars that you put in if the world was not blown up, if we did not have another financial crisis that will do away with the savings, if if if.
Seriously, i would suggest to anyone who has debt and is serving a high interest rate to take that dead money and pay of the debt. life will improve immediately.
In saying that, you don’t seem to know that ‘People’ actually have to fill out forms, prove hardshit and such before they get a few pennies out of that dead money that serves no one but financial institutions and the government.