Worldwide phenomenon. Perhaps it is the legacy of no discipline, no civility, no respect. Someone has thought the wrong principles to the young generation. Its a stomping of feet saying if I cant get what I want, you cant have it. Meanwhile the environment, heritage and civilisation is slowly disintegrating.
Mickeysavage – this attitude displayed [deleted] here is why we have a housing crisis.
I have one question for [deleted], given this is intensification rather than spread where else are the houses we need going to be built if not in this location?
It is far too easy to oppose development while at the same time bemoaning the fact we have a housing crisis. I think people who do that (e.g. [deleted]) should be asked to identify exactly where else houses are going to be built.
This development however is in the wrong area. The Unitary Plan already allows for dramatic intensification in the area and we are already seeing it happen. This is outside the intensification zones which cover a significant part of West Auckland thanks to our high quality rail system.
This development is outside what is considered a walkable catchment for the Sunnyvale Railway Station. People will be using their cars.
There are twin ten story apartment blocks in the middle of Glen Eden that the local board and I supported. It is next to the railway station and also provides a significant number of social housing. There is also a six story apartment building being constructed right now for older adult housing that we also supported.
Insisting that there are adequate parks and schools for intensification are not some form of nimbyism.
I used to live up West Coast road, and this development is a nonsense. Those locals up in the Oratia hills are a formidable lot though, as Watercare found to it's cost in 2017, so I doubt it will go ahead in it current form.
Why is it nonsense? It is almost 250 houses that Auckland desperately needs. If you can find some other location where 250 houses or units can be built in place of this then point it out.
The nimbyism in Auckland comes from your Peers Mickey. Not hte poor. They don't care which cage the government is throwing them into so as long they get a key to that cage. Keep that in mind. IT si the rich and well heeled who are Nimby. And they are Nimby in Titirangi as much as they are in Remuera. Its the same crowd, arrogant, overfed, and generally unpleasant.
Secondly, if you plant high density housing in Plattenbau, keep in mind that Plattenbau does not age well, it holds up for about 15 years. I consider that whomever the Party will import to build this crap will build it about as good as the Russians did with their mass housing in the 60/70, same as england, and yeah, shamefull comes to mind. Oh and it does not matter if you build three levels of that shit or ten. It does not age well.
Thirdly, i hope that the overpaid goon who signs of on this will realise that if you don't provide parks, outdoor recreation, and ease bus stops, access to trains stops your party will have build an awesome slum.
But maybe that is the intent.
Build crap, as it has been done in NZ since ages ago.
Just pointing to existing apartment buildings and stating these are the sort of houses that should be built is not good enough. There are almost 250 houses that are proposed to be built. Please show me a location where 250 houses/units can be built if this development does not go ahead. I think people who oppose new housing development (especially if they are involved with local politics) should be required to do that.
Stop misinterpreting what I say Gosman. Local board and I supported the construction of the Glen Eden apartment blocks when resource consent was applied for.
I am all for affordable housing. It is crazy that we have a city where teachers and police officers and nurses, let alone cleaners and supermarket workers, can barely afford to buy a house. But the Unitary Plan attempted to design a city where intensification could occur adjacent to major public transport routes and this development is outside of where this is intended. Intensification has to be done right.
Where are the current alternatives (not previously built ones) for the 246 houses that are proposed to be built? Is there NEW land that is being made available to build these 7 story apartment blocks close to transport routes? If so can you please point me to this land that will be made available to this developer in return for not building these 246 houses in Glen Eden?
There is a lot of vacant land around the Sunnyvale Railway Station. In Glen Eden there are a number of quarter and half acre sections that are seeing multiple unit developments being applied for.
It is funny Gossie. How does it feel to suddenly be part of the urban intensification part of twitter? I thought you were a right wing market will sort it out sort of guy.
Its not only about Land Mickey, its about decent smart town planning.
so to put a new development of single family houses with the biggest footprint possible on an ex orchard ( i lived there i know the area) with no public amenities is crap, to be polite.
Now there is Henderson, Sandringham Road, Remuera Fringe, Grey Lynn Fringe, heck Ponsonby Fringe that could and should be build up for these reasons alone
a. access to train stations and bus hubs
b. access to shops and doctors and medical clinics
c. schools
and here we are to applaud a wasted opportunity to build some crap houses that will look shite in less then 15 years, and worse if for sale will be to expensive to fix (see apartment buildings in town, see leaky house syndrom, see generally fucked up builds) and can only end up in Slums.
So gossy might not be from Akl, but living in wellington would still make him a kiwi, and if he pays taxes then he like me or you is financially underwriting this boondoggle.
Btw, don't we have some really nice very large Golf courses in Auckland that we could build some really nice developments with bus stops, roads wide enough to allow Fire Trucks to get in there is a fire (something that is not a given in the Hobsonville development Lol), maybe build a nice school to accomodate all the new people living htere, and rather then build a three story house or a four story house for one family, build four story buildings that house a flat on each floor – or even two ! – on the same foot print, but with a cellar for storage, a green area with play grounds and benches, etc.
Or is that in the too hard basket. I mean labour literally only had 9 years of Key to think about such.
Just as Gosman, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Read the comments & replies and read the links in these before you start your incessant barking again.
BTW, you seem to confuse local with central government. Do you pay rates in Auckland so that you can claim barking rights here again?
i used to pay rates in Auckland for nigh on 20 years.
Now i pay rates in rotorua. I pay income tax. I pay GST. I pay any other levy the government – local or regional sends me an invoice for.
Are you paying any rates anywhere dear Incognito?
other then that i have family in West Auckland. I have family in South Auckland. Does that qualify or do you need some more vitals to establish the right to have an opinion?
I know the area Incog because i lived there and my family still lives there.
Why are you saying that the buildings will not last more than 15 years? Is it the climate, soil moister or building material? Not sure what you are eluding to.
By and large it is a good thing to have buildings near transport, I hope they will get a supermarket too. Perhaps if necessary a police station to prevent the area being infiltrated by gangs etc…
It will be people who design the vibe. It will put to the test whether some care and pride is part of that. As we see with Paris and so many large cities, the general population will make or break a place.
only allowing intensification around major public transport routes, in a city with terrible public transport routes, will lead to the next generations slums.
And if they only option for development, they are likely to be purchased by the people they aren't intended for.
Development should be allowed if the developers away from public transport routes pay for the connections normally required of the council to connect the infrastructure. That way they will naturally be of a denser nature, without robbing the needy of the "affordable" and handy public transport located intense development.
If you stopped barking for a second and read the comments & replies, you may actually have something useful to offer instead of you bleating ad nauseam about your rights to have an opinion because you pay taxes & rates, your rights to express your ‘opinion’ here on this free forum, and your lamentable objections against people who allegedly try to shut you down here.
As MS already mentioned @ 2.1:
This development is outside what is considered a walkable catchment for the Sunnyvale Railway Station. People will be using their cars. [my emphasis]
Nope you catch a bus to the station. It costs no more if in the same zone. That's what I do in South Auckland. Im sure there are plenty of buses out west as well. The trains and buses are all very frequent. Sometimes I catch another bus from the train to my destination.
Is the land in Sunnyvale at the end of Seymour road near the railway line that is available for multi-story apartments available to be purchased and built on or is it currently already occupied and any developer will have to buy the existing properties and demolish houses before they start building?
No but you should make it easy to develop houses rather than just be a handbrake. Even your comments around the two 10 story building built right next to the railway line is indicative of the anti-development mindset of the local board. There were comments about the make up of the number of one bedroom apartments (what business is this of the board anyway?), the height, traffic issues, AND you wanted development slowed down by allowing local people have input by it being notified. Do you not realise that is a major factor why we aren't building enough housing?
It is the local board job to comment on proposals. And I always recommend notification. I think people should be allowed to find out what is happening in their communities.
Do you acknowledge that we are in a housing affordability crisis and that a major factor in that is the amount of time it takes for developments to get off the ground?
If you do, then you also have to acknowledge requesting developments should be notified is going to contribute to this slowness. If you are happy to be one of the causes of the problem then keep pushing for developments to jump through more planning approval than they have to.
Gee gossie I am really pleased that you have become a die hard leftie and are concerned about homelessness. Given your comments over the years I must admit that I am surprised.
nope, people have a right to point out if a planned development may not suit the site.
I lived on Strid Road in AKL and some geezer proposed a development of 110 dwellings on two half acre sections bordering a park.
110 dwellings = 220 cars (and i am lowballing), that is 220 cars that try to get onto a road that already is congested, no bus stop near by no train stop.
make that dwellings rather then houses/flats or homes, and you call for trouble. this is how do gooders with no idea fuck up whole areas and turn them into gigantic slums.
So yes, the lady has a reason to speak up. Between National and Labour the country has had nothing but horsemanure on the dinner plan when it comes to housing. Both parties are fucking useless at building anything then their own financial wellbeing.
You can build high density, but a good place to start would be around train stations, bus hubs and the likes. there are a whole heep of people in akl that don't have cars, are good with public transport and they also don't insist in gardens. But rather then building decent sized Apartment blocks with cellars for storage and balconies, we build dwellings that will look shit within 10 years.
Yeah you can always build higher density so long as it is somewhere you are not eh? Please provide the exact locations where people can build the same number of housing units that people are trying to stop being built?
There is a golden nugget at the end of this article on rent freezes.
But rental advocates argued there was still no limit on the size of an increase – only the requirement that it not exceed market rent, defined as the average rent for a similar house in the same area. And while tenants could apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to have rent reduced, the onus was on them to prove increases exceeded market rent.
Rogers wanted the law flipped, forcing landlords to justify a rent increase ahead of time, rather than tenants having to challenge an increase after the fact.
Eaqub agreed this might go some way to correcting an existing power imbalance.
But “as a tenant, are you really going to challenge a rent increase? The answer is no”.
There must be some way to make this feasible.
Another thing – has anyone modeled how average market rent is achieved? As long as people can’t move out of the rental market the rents would continue to spiral upwards because the majority of landlords keep pushing them up so the “average” is more indicating a driver of the market, no other value if that makes sense. Perhaps what is needed is a different method of establishing average market rent, eg demographics/wages of the area.
“The Market” will never build enough 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom houses needed to fix the housing crisis. There is not enough profit in a basic house and wage workers can’t afford McMansions. Government intervention is needed, bring back the Ministry of Works and bring in teams of Chinese builders!
good comment nic. leaving it to builders and developers gives us mcmansions, as there is waaaay more profit in a mcmansion than a small two bedroom house. dont know about the teams of chinese builders though. they are masters at not following plans correctly to save on time and materials(plenty of new builds fall over in china because of shonky workmanship.)I had brief involvement with builder checking and fixing new houses in waikato, that had been built by team of chinese builders. put in roof insulation, get council to inspect and sign off,then take insulation out and put into next house! unbelievable! wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it myself.
You actually saw workers remove all the ceiling insulation from one house and place it in another? That's one hell of a lot of work for little gain.
Sounds like the urban myth of contractors removing concrete floor steel reinforcing and placing it in the next build. Which of course is ludicrous. Anyone who has ever placed rebar steel for a concrete floor will know this.
Haha same happens with structural steel… get it inspected prior to the pour then lift it out and replace with half the amount…
This sort of stuff will get worse with a 15% jump in basic materials costs ie timber and steel about to hit.
Inflationary pressure is now building. Nearly every supplier I use has sent out letters flagging increases of 5 to 15 percent in the last 2‐3 months we're about to do the same.
Once inflation creeps up the Reserve bank will be forced to lift interest rates, the banks will follow and the increased costs on what are now very large mortgages will suck alot of discretionary spending out of the economy… thats when the rubber will really hit the road.
. And if no one can afford the houses the market builds, the government will pay the rents via the accomodation benefits, or does it did two weeks ago increases a government hand out to those that want to buy an affordable 700.000 dollar house.
Nic – Exactly, well said. They haven't cut corners to fit profit margins and produced leaky homes. Roads that were build under MOF are still being used with no major issues. And look at the Kapiti motorway. The waste water system that was build has lasted 100 years but alas the profit takers just let it rot. WCC deferred maintenance to put a plib lib sign on the hill to greet Airplane passengers with "Windy Wellington". The way Wellington is governed just makes my blood boil.
I well remember PM John Key cancelling his regular slot with RNZ radio. Iirc, he did not accept any RNZ invitations to speak on the station for several years. That was his prerogative. Did RNZ kick up a fuss? No. They continued to invite him and each time the news host would note he had been asked to comment but had declined. End of story. No histrionics.
Now we have this arrogant upstart, Hosking who has to turn it into a he said/she said fit of the sulks when he only had himself to blame. He constantly carped at her, refused to allow her to complete her replies, found non existent faults or misinterpreted (deliberately) everything she said and generally behaved like a misogynistic arsehole.
Jacinda will be grinning with glee that she doesn't have to waste any more of her precious time on his third rate show.
hoskings will do as his advertisers want. he is a poodle with advertisers holding his leash. we have seen overseas, other right wing bigmouths being told what to do and how to grovel by their paymasters(alan jones in aus, piers morgan in u.k.etc). his worth to advertisers has fallen sharply since the days of nightly tv shows, and the new trend in broadcasting is to give the expensive mouths the flick ,hire no-names who can read an autoprompter, and save $$$$.
He's a little boy who thinks that advertisers threw him money because he's so awesome, rather than because his particular flavour of nausea happened to catch the mood of a market segment with disposable cash.
Now he no longer catches that mood, folks are distancing themselves from him and he thinks it must be because they're the ones slowly getting further out of sync with the money that gave him a job.
Our little Piers Morgan, angry that angry dudes who can't take being rejected by a woman are slowly shrinking as a market segment.
Quite – the sooner Mike starts a job he's actually good at, the better. I understand there are many opportunities in animal husbandry for folk who love dirt.
Guy on Espiner recently told us that John Key declined only once to appear on Morning Report and gave the reason that he needed more time to prepare. Only once.
So why keep repeating this myth that he refused to appear on his regular spot on Morning Report?
Guyon, if quoted correctly, is wrong. I was a daily RNZ listener and I recall numerous occasions when he declined to speak to them. It went on for a long time.
It might have only happened to Espiner once but he wasn't at RNZ for the first two terms of the Key regime. He worked for TV1 then TV3.
Timed out. For the record. I didn't specify Morning Report anyway. I was talking RNZ per se… including Nine to Noon and the current affairs programme currently called Checkpoint.
TBF. She [PM Ardern] doesn't actually say anything when asked direct questions.
TBF, it's not credible to suggest that PM Ardern is mute when asked direct questions. I find her easy to hear, so you might be suffering from selective hearing (slightly more common in men, believe it or not), or even simple hearing loss – you and the Hosk could get tested together
How come commenters aren't spelled more often when they attempt to take over the discourse? The commenter variety has shrunk and it would be better to have fewer surely, than have those reiterating self-centred wilfully ignorant or a combination of these traits fill up the gaps. It trivialises what is an important political discussion outlet, and it is preferable to have light and enjoyable trivial stuff occasionally rather than having to suck on acid drops or gobstoppers so often.
They are unlikely to look like the harmless, bedraggled pooch in the picture that accompanied the article. In that part of the world they are more likely to be the nasty things much favoured by people who want a legal way of projecting their own aggression. On the surface, shooting sounds like a good option.
"I was not the first one to use violence as a suggestion unless you of course consider the shooting of dogs not part of the violence thing"
Quite right – it was me. Though it was more (I'd hope reluctantly) endorsing someone else's suggestion. Much as I care about animals, I don't have any tolerance for dogs that are a threat to humans or wildlife.
Directly or indirectly advocating violence in any shape or form (including ‘jest’ and advocating self-harm) to individuals or groups is simply not allowed. Moderators will have a no-tolerance humourless response as the only possible response. If you want to talk about political conflicts around the world, then do so being mindful of this proscription.
Who's funding Jordan Williams and his shitty wee scam?
McLachlan said ACT "weaponised" astroturfs.
He claimed the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union did a lot of the groundwork for the party in the 2020 election with their Campaign for Affordable Housing to fight the Green Party's proposal for an asset tax.
"So when they were saying 'This is a problem', it was actually a contrived problem that the ACT Party told them to create.
"That's the problem."
The campaign involved letters to thousands of householders, a website and media work.
What nonsense. The Taxpayers Union has around 60,000 subscribed members . Much more than ACT. In the early days of the TU it was overshadowing the ACT party and taking away potential donors.
"As an incorporated society, the Taxpayers' Union must file annual accounts with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies. That means we will be more transparent about our income and spending than most political parties. In relation to individual donations, we will publicise the identity of donors where they have requested public acknowledgment of their support. "
However, it was unlikely the Taxpayers' Union would now declare its financial relationship with British American Tobacco even though the company had outed itself.
Right from the horse's mouth – the greater the residential property investor's wealth the less likely removing interest as a tax write-off helps the housing crisis. The latest tinkering targets the wrong people, as per fucking ususal:
The solution to that lies with increasing the slope of the progressive tax system – the opposite of the trend since that freeloader, Roger Douglas, screwed everything up.
So he either pays more tax, or he buys fewer properties to pay down his debt, helping to cool off the property market for both renters and first home buyers?
How is this not part of a comprehensive housing policy?
“If you have no debt on your rental properties, there will be no interest to pay … My goal has always been to eventually have no debt on any properties and by bringing in this new rule, I may accelerate this and sell off some properties to reduce or eliminate the residential debt."
Chris the simple fact this hard done by property investor overlooks is people need somewhere affordable to live.
Home owners don't get a tax deduction on interest.
He has 70 houses but not much debt then claims he makes most of his money out of capital gains.Then hopes when National gets back in they will drop the tax.
Then he forgets that if he sells the home for more than he paid for it he has to pay the tax deductions back.
This is poor journalism a whinging very wealthy property investor who knows this is the only form of tax free money.
If he was in NSW he would have to pay CGT Victoria land tax Labour has finally got some balls to even the playing field which even National has been goading them.
Home owners don’t get a tax deduction on interest.
That’s correct, but the reason is that home owners don’t derive income from living in their family home unless you’d (ac)count forgone ‘rent’ as income.
Yeah lets not forget how the last National government reacted when an overseas person on benefit taunted a minister by sending them photos of themselves overseas. They made every single person on benefit have to reapply every year.
That is punishing the many for the few.
Or what about the puritan policy of anyone having a child while on a benefit not being able to get a sole parent benefit but having to look for work as a job seeker. That also obfuscated how many unemployed there were and still does today.
Not that labour has fixed either being national lite. Not that the media could (were willing) to work that out.
Making the poor jump through hoops – that's mean spirited. Wealthy people not being able to claim their interest back – meh. I don't think they'll be going hungry tonight.
On the National Programme today I think I heard an orchardist bemoaning the fact that migrant workers have not been available to work for him and as a result he has acres of exportable fruit just "rotting away".
I am certain that I have seen it written here, but why didn't he reassess his profit margins, pay inflated wages and bonuses to those who may have been available right here in New Zealand, and everyone would have been a winner. Unfortunately, because he has a fixed outlook on the world and what people are worth, he decided to let his crop rot. Brilliant!
Incidentally, if I was to buy some suitable land and plant it in fruit trees, and have wonderful yields. It would not mean that I was necessarily entitled to have that fruit picked…
I also notice they are not talking about whether they actually have markets to sell to or transport to get those apples to market. Typically there is over production in case of hail or drought. If anyone thinks they grow exactly the right number of apples they they have markets for they are sadly mistaken.
Of course the media will never ask that question – pictures of rotting fruit suit the capitalist agenda.
Would be interesting to know the gap between production and market. Watties were (and maybe still are) well known for requiring crops they don't need having to be destroyed.
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Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
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. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
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‘
Looks like a job for President ‘Not Sure’
Idiocracy; the prequal
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/staggering-photos-show-paris-has-become-a-rubbish-dump/7DDQRM6XJX77WEJAZQ44AOUSXA/?fbclid=IwAR3IQjPKnNod87kfOQF9hxwGBN90Jxc-T0gIZJ3w98xZ5yc1EU_sLa7pqfo
Worldwide phenomenon. Perhaps it is the legacy of no discipline, no civility, no respect. Someone has thought the wrong principles to the young generation. Its a stomping of feet saying if I cant get what I want, you cant have it. Meanwhile the environment, heritage and civilisation is slowly disintegrating.
The end of the beginning
Best of Idiocracy- Dr Lexus! – YouTube
Mickeysavage – this attitude displayed [deleted] here is why we have a housing crisis.
I have one question for [deleted], given this is intensification rather than spread where else are the houses we need going to be built if not in this location?
It is far too easy to oppose development while at the same time bemoaning the fact we have a housing crisis. I think people who do that (e.g. [deleted]) should be asked to identify exactly where else houses are going to be built.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/124716092/residents-concerned-about-impact-of-new-auckland-homes-that-look-like-prison-cells
[Don’t play that game again, Gosman, and don’t SHOUT – Incognito]
Here you go Gosman – http://gregpresland.com/the-nola-development/
Short version:
There are twin ten story apartment blocks in the middle of Glen Eden that the local board and I supported. It is next to the railway station and also provides a significant number of social housing. There is also a six story apartment building being constructed right now for older adult housing that we also supported.
Insisting that there are adequate parks and schools for intensification are not some form of nimbyism.
I used to live up West Coast road, and this development is a nonsense. Those locals up in the Oratia hills are a formidable lot though, as Watercare found to it's cost in 2017, so I doubt it will go ahead in it current form.
Why is it nonsense? It is almost 250 houses that Auckland desperately needs. If you can find some other location where 250 houses or units can be built in place of this then point it out.
I suspect you haven't actually read the posts on the topic.
+1
there are quite a few areas where decent medium rise up to 5 levels could occur.
Heck this site would be one.
But that would require to think about housing differently, and it seems that even you can't conceive of it.
As for the need, its National and labour that fucked up consistently in regards to housing. Keep that in mind.
I’ve moderated Gosman’s comment to avoid others doing the same kind of thing.
The nimbyism in Auckland comes from your Peers Mickey. Not hte poor. They don't care which cage the government is throwing them into so as long they get a key to that cage. Keep that in mind. IT si the rich and well heeled who are Nimby. And they are Nimby in Titirangi as much as they are in Remuera. Its the same crowd, arrogant, overfed, and generally unpleasant.
Secondly, if you plant high density housing in Plattenbau, keep in mind that Plattenbau does not age well, it holds up for about 15 years. I consider that whomever the Party will import to build this crap will build it about as good as the Russians did with their mass housing in the 60/70, same as england, and yeah, shamefull comes to mind. Oh and it does not matter if you build three levels of that shit or ten. It does not age well.
Thirdly, i hope that the overpaid goon who signs of on this will realise that if you don't provide parks, outdoor recreation, and ease bus stops, access to trains stops your party will have build an awesome slum.
But maybe that is the intent.
Build crap, as it has been done in NZ since ages ago.
Just pointing to existing apartment buildings and stating these are the sort of houses that should be built is not good enough. There are almost 250 houses that are proposed to be built. Please show me a location where 250 houses/units can be built if this development does not go ahead. I think people who oppose new housing development (especially if they are involved with local politics) should be required to do that.
Stop misinterpreting what I say Gosman. Local board and I supported the construction of the Glen Eden apartment blocks when resource consent was applied for.
I am all for affordable housing. It is crazy that we have a city where teachers and police officers and nurses, let alone cleaners and supermarket workers, can barely afford to buy a house. But the Unitary Plan attempted to design a city where intensification could occur adjacent to major public transport routes and this development is outside of where this is intended. Intensification has to be done right.
Where are the current alternatives (not previously built ones) for the 246 houses that are proposed to be built? Is there NEW land that is being made available to build these 7 story apartment blocks close to transport routes? If so can you please point me to this land that will be made available to this developer in return for not building these 246 houses in Glen Eden?
There is a lot of vacant land around the Sunnyvale Railway Station. In Glen Eden there are a number of quarter and half acre sections that are seeing multiple unit developments being applied for.
Do you get the feeling that Gosman is a local Westie or just stirring?
I am under the impression he lives in Wellington and yes he is stirring. Is also having a go at me on twitter.
It is more than just me that is objecting to your position on this on Twitter.
Are you a member of ACT, the Astroturf Conspiracy Team?
What Astroturf are you meaning?
Please keep up.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-04-2021/#comment-1787085
It is funny Gossie. How does it feel to suddenly be part of the urban intensification part of twitter? I thought you were a right wing market will sort it out sort of guy.
I'm sure Gosman wants lefties shaken, not merely stirred.
Its not only about Land Mickey, its about decent smart town planning.
so to put a new development of single family houses with the biggest footprint possible on an ex orchard ( i lived there i know the area) with no public amenities is crap, to be polite.
Now there is Henderson, Sandringham Road, Remuera Fringe, Grey Lynn Fringe, heck Ponsonby Fringe that could and should be build up for these reasons alone
a. access to train stations and bus hubs
b. access to shops and doctors and medical clinics
c. schools
and here we are to applaud a wasted opportunity to build some crap houses that will look shite in less then 15 years, and worse if for sale will be to expensive to fix (see apartment buildings in town, see leaky house syndrom, see generally fucked up builds) and can only end up in Slums.
So gossy might not be from Akl, but living in wellington would still make him a kiwi, and if he pays taxes then he like me or you is financially underwriting this boondoggle.
Btw, don't we have some really nice very large Golf courses in Auckland that we could build some really nice developments with bus stops, roads wide enough to allow Fire Trucks to get in there is a fire (something that is not a given in the Hobsonville development Lol), maybe build a nice school to accomodate all the new people living htere, and rather then build a three story house or a four story house for one family, build four story buildings that house a flat on each floor – or even two ! – on the same foot print, but with a cellar for storage, a green area with play grounds and benches, etc.
Or is that in the too hard basket. I mean labour literally only had 9 years of Key to think about such.
Just as Gosman, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Read the comments & replies and read the links in these before you start your incessant barking again.
BTW, you seem to confuse local with central government. Do you pay rates in Auckland so that you can claim barking rights here again?
i used to pay rates in Auckland for nigh on 20 years.
Now i pay rates in rotorua. I pay income tax. I pay GST. I pay any other levy the government – local or regional sends me an invoice for.
Are you paying any rates anywhere dear Incognito?
other then that i have family in West Auckland. I have family in South Auckland. Does that qualify or do you need some more vitals to establish the right to have an opinion?
I know the area Incog because i lived there and my family still lives there.
Why are you saying that the buildings will not last more than 15 years? Is it the climate, soil moister or building material? Not sure what you are eluding to.
By and large it is a good thing to have buildings near transport, I hope they will get a supermarket too. Perhaps if necessary a police station to prevent the area being infiltrated by gangs etc…
It will be people who design the vibe. It will put to the test whether some care and pride is part of that. As we see with Paris and so many large cities, the general population will make or break a place.
I've looked at the land around Sunnyvale station. Much of it is a carpark for park and ride. Are you pushing for this to be sold off?
You looked at the land? How did you do that, using Google Earth?
Tech idea: a google earth filter that lets people pretend they are slinging lightning bolts onto the ground, leaving scorched and burning patches.
That way they can pretend they are omnipotent as well as omniscient.
They don’t have to pretend being omnoxious.
damn, that's a good 'un
only allowing intensification around major public transport routes, in a city with terrible public transport routes, will lead to the next generations slums.
And if they only option for development, they are likely to be purchased by the people they aren't intended for.
Development should be allowed if the developers away from public transport routes pay for the connections normally required of the council to connect the infrastructure. That way they will naturally be of a denser nature, without robbing the needy of the "affordable" and handy public transport located intense development.
Demonstrably untrue:
New Lynn since 2004
Newmarket since 2002
Hobsonville since 2007
Takapuna since 2005
Mt Albert since 1980s
Avondale since 2009
And developers already pay for much infrastructure.
The rest is up to the public dollar, and you should only get that by delivering public policy objectives.
West Auckland rail is first class although it still has some historical maintenance problems.
if you have a car to get to the station.
You don’t get it, do you?
If you stopped barking for a second and read the comments & replies, you may actually have something useful to offer instead of you bleating ad nauseam about your rights to have an opinion because you pay taxes & rates, your rights to express your ‘opinion’ here on this free forum, and your lamentable objections against people who allegedly try to shut you down here.
As MS already mentioned @ 2.1:
Nope you catch a bus to the station. It costs no more if in the same zone. That's what I do in South Auckland. Im sure there are plenty of buses out west as well. The trains and buses are all very frequent. Sometimes I catch another bus from the train to my destination.
Is the land in Sunnyvale at the end of Seymour road near the railway line that is available for multi-story apartments available to be purchased and built on or is it currently already occupied and any developer will have to buy the existing properties and demolish houses before they start building?
Do you think the local board should dictate that it be sold to developers?
Isn't that cOMmuNIst?
Please don’t do that again. I could swear you’d written cOMnuDIst. Maybe it’s time for my monthly appointment …
Sorry!
No but you should make it easy to develop houses rather than just be a handbrake. Even your comments around the two 10 story building built right next to the railway line is indicative of the anti-development mindset of the local board. There were comments about the make up of the number of one bedroom apartments (what business is this of the board anyway?), the height, traffic issues, AND you wanted development slowed down by allowing local people have input by it being notified. Do you not realise that is a major factor why we aren't building enough housing?
It is the local board job to comment on proposals. And I always recommend notification. I think people should be allowed to find out what is happening in their communities.
Do you acknowledge that we are in a housing affordability crisis and that a major factor in that is the amount of time it takes for developments to get off the ground?
If you do, then you also have to acknowledge requesting developments should be notified is going to contribute to this slowness. If you are happy to be one of the causes of the problem then keep pushing for developments to jump through more planning approval than they have to.
Gee gossie I am really pleased that you have become a die hard leftie and are concerned about homelessness. Given your comments over the years I must admit that I am surprised.
nope, people have a right to point out if a planned development may not suit the site.
I lived on Strid Road in AKL and some geezer proposed a development of 110 dwellings on two half acre sections bordering a park.
110 dwellings = 220 cars (and i am lowballing), that is 220 cars that try to get onto a road that already is congested, no bus stop near by no train stop.
make that dwellings rather then houses/flats or homes, and you call for trouble. this is how do gooders with no idea fuck up whole areas and turn them into gigantic slums.
So yes, the lady has a reason to speak up. Between National and Labour the country has had nothing but horsemanure on the dinner plan when it comes to housing. Both parties are fucking useless at building anything then their own financial wellbeing.
You can build high density, but a good place to start would be around train stations, bus hubs and the likes. there are a whole heep of people in akl that don't have cars, are good with public transport and they also don't insist in gardens. But rather then building decent sized Apartment blocks with cellars for storage and balconies, we build dwellings that will look shit within 10 years.
Yeah you can always build higher density so long as it is somewhere you are not eh? Please provide the exact locations where people can build the same number of housing units that people are trying to stop being built?
Mt Albert.
Avondale.
New Lynn.
Henderson.
Albany.
Manukau.
All around rail lines or dedicated busways. All brownfields sites.
Are these available to be purchased now?
Did your landlord kick you out?
See my Moderation note @ 6:56 am.
Graeme Hart apparently lost around $2 billion last year!
There is a golden nugget at the end of this article on rent freezes.
There must be some way to make this feasible.
Another thing – has anyone modeled how average market rent is achieved? As long as people can’t move out of the rental market the rents would continue to spiral upwards because the majority of landlords keep pushing them up so the “average” is more indicating a driver of the market, no other value if that makes sense. Perhaps what is needed is a different method of establishing average market rent, eg demographics/wages of the area.
“The Market” will never build enough 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom houses needed to fix the housing crisis. There is not enough profit in a basic house and wage workers can’t afford McMansions. Government intervention is needed, bring back the Ministry of Works and bring in teams of Chinese builders!
good comment nic. leaving it to builders and developers gives us mcmansions, as there is waaaay more profit in a mcmansion than a small two bedroom house. dont know about the teams of chinese builders though. they are masters at not following plans correctly to save on time and materials(plenty of new builds fall over in china because of shonky workmanship.)I had brief involvement with builder checking and fixing new houses in waikato, that had been built by team of chinese builders. put in roof insulation, get council to inspect and sign off,then take insulation out and put into next house! unbelievable! wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it myself.
You actually saw workers remove all the ceiling insulation from one house and place it in another? That's one hell of a lot of work for little gain.
Sounds like the urban myth of contractors removing concrete floor steel reinforcing and placing it in the next build. Which of course is ludicrous. Anyone who has ever placed rebar steel for a concrete floor will know this.
Haha same happens with structural steel… get it inspected prior to the pour then lift it out and replace with half the amount…
This sort of stuff will get worse with a 15% jump in basic materials costs ie timber and steel about to hit.
Inflationary pressure is now building. Nearly every supplier I use has sent out letters flagging increases of 5 to 15 percent in the last 2‐3 months we're about to do the same.
Once inflation creeps up the Reserve bank will be forced to lift interest rates, the banks will follow and the increased costs on what are now very large mortgages will suck alot of discretionary spending out of the economy… thats when the rubber will really hit the road.
The market rent will be what the government is happy to pay in Accomodation benefits.
not talking about rents.
not talking to you btw, i answered to nic.
. And if no one can afford the houses the market builds, the government will pay the rents via the accomodation benefits, or does it did two weeks ago increases a government hand out to those that want to buy an affordable 700.000 dollar house.
bye now. .
Did Nic181 ask a question about rents?
It's presupposed since we wouldn't have a crisis if rents were reasonable.
Nope, but thanks for trying. Regardless, there was no question, was there?
Nic – Exactly, well said. They haven't cut corners to fit profit margins and produced leaky homes. Roads that were build under MOF are still being used with no major issues. And look at the Kapiti motorway. The waste water system that was build has lasted 100 years but alas the profit takers just let it rot. WCC deferred maintenance to put a plib lib sign on the hill to greet Airplane passengers with "Windy Wellington". The way Wellington is governed just makes my blood boil.
How infantile can you be:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/04/mike-hosking-says-he-doesn-t-want-pm-jacinda-ardern-back-on-radio-show-after-interview.html
I well remember PM John Key cancelling his regular slot with RNZ radio. Iirc, he did not accept any RNZ invitations to speak on the station for several years. That was his prerogative. Did RNZ kick up a fuss? No. They continued to invite him and each time the news host would note he had been asked to comment but had declined. End of story. No histrionics.
Now we have this arrogant upstart, Hosking who has to turn it into a he said/she said fit of the sulks when he only had himself to blame. He constantly carped at her, refused to allow her to complete her replies, found non existent faults or misinterpreted (deliberately) everything she said and generally behaved like a misogynistic arsehole.
Jacinda will be grinning with glee that she doesn't have to waste any more of her precious time on his third rate show.
hoskings will do as his advertisers want. he is a poodle with advertisers holding his leash. we have seen overseas, other right wing bigmouths being told what to do and how to grovel by their paymasters(alan jones in aus, piers morgan in u.k.etc). his worth to advertisers has fallen sharply since the days of nightly tv shows, and the new trend in broadcasting is to give the expensive mouths the flick ,hire no-names who can read an autoprompter, and save $$$$.
this can be said of anyone who has 'sponsors' be that advertising, or donations to public officials.
Nah.
He's a little boy who thinks that advertisers threw him money because he's so awesome, rather than because his particular flavour of nausea happened to catch the mood of a market segment with disposable cash.
Now he no longer catches that mood, folks are distancing themselves from him and he thinks it must be because they're the ones slowly getting further out of sync with the money that gave him a job.
Our little Piers Morgan, angry that angry dudes who can't take being rejected by a woman are slowly shrinking as a market segment.
heh
https://twitter.com/Mihi_Forbes/status/1379552680540971011
I should hope so – MF is one of the best journalists we've got. Hoskings, not so much.
has Mike (hell has no fury like a narcissist scorned) Hoskings just scored an own goal???
I would hope the PM doesn’t return.
Having listened to this morning’s interview I think it would be advantageous to both parties if she didn’t.
Quite – the sooner Mike starts a job he's actually good at, the better. I understand there are many opportunities in animal husbandry for folk who love dirt.
Hosking fancies himself at a job that's already taken. He knows he would be better than the incumbent.
I don't think God will step aside for him though.
God did for Jim Carrey.
Guy on Espiner recently told us that John Key declined only once to appear on Morning Report and gave the reason that he needed more time to prepare. Only once.
So why keep repeating this myth that he refused to appear on his regular spot on Morning Report?
Sorry my Dear little troll,
Guyon, if quoted correctly, is wrong. I was a daily RNZ listener and I recall numerous occasions when he declined to speak to them. It went on for a long time.
It might have only happened to Espiner once but he wasn't at RNZ for the first two terms of the Key regime. He worked for TV1 then TV3.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-cancels-regular-interview-slot-with-mike-hosking-on-newstalk-zb/NLJK5CP7SX4RRH6CIWRYLHFRVM/
Timed out. For the record. I didn't specify Morning Report anyway. I was talking RNZ per se… including Nine to Noon and the current affairs programme currently called Checkpoint.
TBF. She doesn't actually say anything when asked direct questions.
Shame, but it will bite her own arse in the end.
TBF, it's not credible to suggest that PM Ardern is mute when asked direct questions. I find her easy to hear, so you might be suffering from selective hearing (slightly more common in men, believe it or not), or even simple hearing loss – you and the Hosk could get tested together
public officials dont get replaced by anybody who can read an autoprompter.
How come commenters aren't spelled more often when they attempt to take over the discourse? The commenter variety has shrunk and it would be better to have fewer surely, than have those reiterating self-centred wilfully ignorant or a combination of these traits fill up the gaps. It trivialises what is an important political discussion outlet, and it is preferable to have light and enjoyable trivial stuff occasionally rather than having to suck on acid drops or gobstoppers so often.
Could DoC and Far Northern Maori kaitiaki get together to lessen or solve this problem? Dead kiwis are cropping up often up in the Far North I think.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/439916/feral-dogs-roaming-the-far-north-prompt-track-closures-warnings
They are unlikely to look like the harmless, bedraggled pooch in the picture that accompanied the article. In that part of the world they are more likely to be the nasty things much favoured by people who want a legal way of projecting their own aggression. On the surface, shooting sounds like a good option.
The SPCA and the pound are pretty useless in the Far Noth if they actually do still any work there with dumped dogs.
That pooch in that picture has been on its own for a while now.
how about we shoot the people that breed these dogs and then abuse them first? or would that be considered rude?
[How about you don’t suggest, advocate, or promote violence of any kind on this site? – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 1:43 pm.
I was not the first one to use violence as a suggestion unless you of course consider the shooting of dogs not part of the violence thing.
My comment was in jest, i forgot the snark emojicon. Sorry for the oversight, it will not happen again.
Apology accepted, thank you. Please don’t joke about violence either, with or without “the snark emojicon”.
"I was not the first one to use violence as a suggestion unless you of course consider the shooting of dogs not part of the violence thing"
Quite right – it was me. Though it was more (I'd hope reluctantly) endorsing someone else's suggestion. Much as I care about animals, I don't have any tolerance for dogs that are a threat to humans or wildlife.
Policy
Who's funding Jordan Williams and his shitty wee scam?
McLachlan said ACT "weaponised" astroturfs.
He claimed the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union did a lot of the groundwork for the party in the 2020 election with their Campaign for Affordable Housing to fight the Green Party's proposal for an asset tax.
"So when they were saying 'This is a problem', it was actually a contrived problem that the ACT Party told them to create.
"That's the problem."
The campaign involved letters to thousands of householders, a website and media work.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/439960/ex-act-staffer-grant-mclachlan-says-party-created-fake-grassroots-groups
What nonsense. The Taxpayers Union has around 60,000 subscribed members . Much more than ACT. In the early days of the TU it was overshadowing the ACT party and taking away potential donors.
Any proof of that membership other than their own say-so?
According to the Gospel of Gosman, it is nonsense, and he’d know, wouldn’t he?
What proof do you want considering there are privacy issues around releasing people's personal information?
I guess they could clear things up by doing what other unions are required to do and file an annual return.
Do you mean like they already do?
"As an incorporated society, the Taxpayers' Union must file annual accounts with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies. That means we will be more transparent about our income and spending than most political parties. In relation to individual donations, we will publicise the identity of donors where they have requested public acknowledgment of their support. "
https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/our_mission
Of course they do.
/
However, it was unlikely the Taxpayers' Union would now declare its financial relationship with British American Tobacco even though the company had outed itself.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/taxpayers-union-backed-by-tobacco-giant
Do Trade Unions list the members who pay subs?
And nor should they. OTOH, the TPU is book-ended by dirty politics and the dirty money of the purveyors of disease and addiction.
Let's get this clear.
You think organisations you disagree with politically should be forced to reveal their supporters details but not those you do support.
There are words to describe that view and they don't include free tolerant pluralistic and democratic.
Astroturfing and DP are the opposite of democratic, as they pervert the democratic process.
Got bored at work.
Lowest "Membership" costs $25. Most expensive option is $500.
TU 2019 accounts show $156k in membership fees.
If all members pay the minimum: $156000/25 = 6240.
If all members pay the maximum: $156000/500 = 192
Gossie is overstating the membership by a factor of anywhere between ten and two hundred, lol.
Right from the horse's mouth – the greater the residential property investor's wealth the less likely removing interest as a tax write-off helps the housing crisis. The latest tinkering targets the wrong people, as per fucking ususal:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/300270132/property-investor-braces-for-extra-45k-tax-bill
The solution to that lies with increasing the slope of the progressive tax system – the opposite of the trend since that freeloader, Roger Douglas, screwed everything up.
So he either pays more tax, or he buys fewer properties to pay down his debt, helping to cool off the property market for both renters and first home buyers?
How is this not part of a comprehensive housing policy?
“If you have no debt on your rental properties, there will be no interest to pay … My goal has always been to eventually have no debt on any properties and by bringing in this new rule, I may accelerate this and sell off some properties to reduce or eliminate the residential debt."
And there you have it…he has options.
Chris the simple fact this hard done by property investor overlooks is people need somewhere affordable to live.
Home owners don't get a tax deduction on interest.
He has 70 houses but not much debt then claims he makes most of his money out of capital gains.Then hopes when National gets back in they will drop the tax.
Then he forgets that if he sells the home for more than he paid for it he has to pay the tax deductions back.
This is poor journalism a whinging very wealthy property investor who knows this is the only form of tax free money.
If he was in NSW he would have to pay CGT Victoria land tax Labour has finally got some balls to even the playing field which even National has been goading them.
That’s correct, but the reason is that home owners don’t derive income from living in their family home unless you’d (ac)count forgone ‘rent’ as income.
who watched juddy do the histrionics in the house this arvo on the bubble bill.
poof!
putrid lump of bellyaching and irrational proposals all delivered with a snide twist.
not a good advertisement for proper governance at all
Yeah lets not forget how the last National government reacted when an overseas person on benefit taunted a minister by sending them photos of themselves overseas. They made every single person on benefit have to reapply every year.
That is punishing the many for the few.
Or what about the puritan policy of anyone having a child while on a benefit not being able to get a sole parent benefit but having to look for work as a job seeker. That also obfuscated how many unemployed there were and still does today.
Not that labour has fixed either being national lite. Not that the media could (were willing) to work that out.
Making the poor jump through hoops – that's mean spirited. Wealthy people not being able to claim their interest back – meh. I don't think they'll be going hungry tonight.
On the National Programme today I think I heard an orchardist bemoaning the fact that migrant workers have not been available to work for him and as a result he has acres of exportable fruit just "rotting away".
I am certain that I have seen it written here, but why didn't he reassess his profit margins, pay inflated wages and bonuses to those who may have been available right here in New Zealand, and everyone would have been a winner. Unfortunately, because he has a fixed outlook on the world and what people are worth, he decided to let his crop rot. Brilliant!
Incidentally, if I was to buy some suitable land and plant it in fruit trees, and have wonderful yields. It would not mean that I was necessarily entitled to have that fruit picked…
I also notice they are not talking about whether they actually have markets to sell to or transport to get those apples to market. Typically there is over production in case of hail or drought. If anyone thinks they grow exactly the right number of apples they they have markets for they are sadly mistaken.
Of course the media will never ask that question – pictures of rotting fruit suit the capitalist agenda.
Would be interesting to know the gap between production and market. Watties were (and maybe still are) well known for requiring crops they don't need having to be destroyed.