Promoting the end of the petrol tax in Auckland nationwide.
The well to do driving our of Auckland, while Auckland RC has a funding crisis dealing with the hole in its budget.
Public servants driving out of Wellington looking for work.
Those in flood areas looking to relocate, before the consequences of National looting the climate change fund for tax cut money impacts on local property values.
Since August 2020, rent increases have been limited to once every 12 months, with at least 60 days’ written notice.
The law does not limit how much landlords can increase the rent by, but tenants who think their rent is too high can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
Evidence of a tight market
David Pearse, chairman of the Residential Property Mangers Association, said he was aware that some tenants were offering to pay more than advertised rent to secure houses.
Likelihood of continuing rise in rent
Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac, said the Stats NZ data was showing quite a lot of strength.
Rent was an important component of domestic inflation, he said.
”It’s stemming from really strong migration and population growth. …He said the trend would probably continue because migration was not showing any sign of easing.
He said rent inflation this high would make it hard for the Reserve Bank to get back to its target range.
Economists were forecasting a fairly significant fall in inflation soon. “Things like this raise a question about whether that’s really going to happen.”
The Greens policy of a future 3% cap to rent rises seems wise.
3% increase tops per year seems fine unless you are facing interest rate rises as the landlord of more than 3% per year and rates going up more than 7-10% per year.
Don't believe the bull about inflation in either food or electricity or petrol coming down any time this year.
Inflation globally is caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine: at least 3 more years to go.
The experts predict 4% CPI by the end of this year and 3% by the end of next year.
Inflation is going down, despite that conflict continuing.
The impact on global distribution (from the pandemic and division because of sanctions) has already occured – a one off cost. Our weather events (the La Nina/El Nino change reduces NI flood risk) and one offs – gib board and eggs are done.
3% increase tops per year seems fine unless you are facing interest rate rises as the landlord of more than 3% per year and rates going up more than 7-10% per year.
Cry me a river. The mortgage rates are not going up in the next year, they are flat. And this is the major cost for most, so the average cost increase for landlords is way down (they've already met the cost of rental standards).
My mother's rent up enormously when the landlord moved have a rental agency deal with his property. He was previously making a good profit as the mortgage was paid off years ago. Company insisted it b put up to market rent – increased by $100-00 per week only cause he refused to put it up by their recommended $140-00. Nothing to do with increased costs at all even allowing for agency charges.
Market rates – equals as much as you can get away with.
Over the last 20 years, wage rises and the relative supply and demand of homes were the 2 key drivers of rents at both the national and regional level, the paper shows.
The study found rents increase when mortgage interest rates rise, but the impact is quite small. This is consistent with previous analysis done by the Housing Technical Working Group on the impact of land supply restrictions. This is because when land supply is highly constrained, we would expect financial factors, such as interest rates, to have a greater impact on house prices than rents.
Over the last 20 years, wage rises and the relative supply and demand of homes were the 2 key drivers of rents at both the national and regional level, the paper shows.
The key thing is that a restraint on rent rises (whether a freeze of a 3% cap) does not impact on new build rents as they are directly part of market supply and demand pricing.
Thus a government could contain rent costs of existing tenants without impact on new housing supply
When the effect of other factors is excluded, a 1% increase in nominal wages leads directly to a 1% increase in new tenancy rents; the paper's authors say. New tenancy rents respond more quickly to market changes than rents paid by sitting tenants.
If the Greens want to increase their vote they should announce a strong and effective policy to bring about significant competition to the supermarkets as quickly as possible.
Labour should emphasize they have work in this area "underway" and promise to prioritize this next term.
“A report released today says that the Government’s proposed reforms will not be enough to address the high cost of groceries,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for commerce and consumer affairs, Ricardo Menéndez March.
“The report agrees with what the Green Party has been saying for a really long time: that the time is now to break up the supermarket duopoly.
“Not only that but the government can take immediate action with a tax on excessively high supermarket profit and use the money to help people.
“The report comes only a day after Statistics NZ announced the highest food price inflation since 1987. This cannot be allowed to continue.
“At the same time, the two largest supermarket corporations in Aotearoa are making $1 million in profits per day while whānau struggle to put food on the table.
“We’re long overdue a serious look at forcing supermarkets to divest their subsidiary companies. The Green Party is the only party with the solutions that work and with more MPs we can make sure supermarkets work for people, not profit,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins believes there are better ways to bring down the cost of housing, electricity and groceries than new taxes.
But in at least three of those areas – electricity, banking and groceries – a third-term Labour-led government would not rule out taxes on excessive profits, should other measures fail to rein them in.
"Tax is not the only way you can tackle inequality," Hipkins – whose grasp on the prime ministership is looking shakier with every poll – told Mata this week.
It is being done, even if it is not widely reported.
As an aside, I would be interested in what 'ways' Hipkins is referring to specifically when he talks of 'tackling inequality' if not tax given that progressive taxation has long been the most common and effective method of redistribution.
What voters? Last time I looked the left block was sitting on 40+ %. If you want to be taken seriously, stop with the inane generalisations.
The issue is swing voters, and we don't quite know why they are voting the way that they are. I'm a fan of Lynn's theory about voters rating perception of competency highly. And sure, crime, co-governance and cost of living a issues.
But it's not a simple as you make out. Labour turned around the 2017 election with a change of leader.
so no evidence for your claim then, nor even any meaningful argument.
If you said something like "I reckon the issue is many swing voters want action on crime, cost of living", that's opinion. What you did was spout FB-esque reckons as if they are fact.
you're still missing the point. You said voters believe Labour is soft on crime etc. It's not so much about hard evidence as any evidence at all. You're running some talking points. I'm saying we deserve a more indepth analysis here, and you are quite capable of doing that rather than treating TS like FB or twitter.
You may decree the 'issue is swing voters' on open mike.
If you choose to believe that perception is irrelevant and no proof exists that it is very pertinent,why do you think Labours fortunes changed dramatically with Ardern,becoming…leader?
Fyi ,I do not participate in FB or twitter.I presume you…do.
I don’t come to open mike to read hard hitting facts and analysis. I come to open mike to see what people are thinking and what opinions people have on the news of the day. I don’t want to be assaulted by a page of links and screeds of detailed analysis. If I want that I’ll read Mickey Savages posts which are concise and well written with cogent analysis. If I want a lecture, Ill read your posts Weka.
otherwise Ill scroll down the page, engage with those opinions I’ve read news of, and might correct if the OP is misunderstood.
Weka, your need for links for every comment on open mike is killing the joy.
I don’t come to open mike to read hard hitting facts and analysis. I come to open mike to see what people are thinking and what opinions people have on the news of the day. I don’t want to be assaulted by a page of links and screeds of detailed analysis.
Indeed. OM is a mix of opinion, news of the day, and links people might be interested in. We don’t in fact allow screed of links, the spam filter will block comments with too many.
The key point here is that the opinions need to be expressed as opinions and have some political meaning. Blazer’s original comment failed in that imo, and I addressed it with opinions of my own and an explanation. No links, no screed of analysis, but some connection to what is actually happening with polling.
Instead of taking up that challenge and explaining their thinking more in depth, they got defensive and doubled down. I think they’re better than that.
And I didn’t ask for links, so you’ve misunderstood what I was saying. I asked for evidence based debate. People can express their opinions without links, we do it all the time. Those opinions have to have grounding in reality though, and if they are making claims of fact they have to back it up if asked (that’s in the Policy).
It’s a tricky balance. I get that people want a more free flowing conversation. But the amount of work to reign in trolling after it starts is large, and it compounds if we let the trolling establish within the commentariat culture. Social media has also had an impact with a noticeable increase in FB-esque posts, where people are just posting casual reckons. We still have space here for short comments, humour, back and forth jibes, but we also keep an eye out on patterns of behaviour likely to cause problems.
Blazer wasn’t trolling, but they do push the boundaries on this and I’m prompting them to up their game.
We had this govts petrol enquiry and how is that working especially in Northland and in Ak ?we were told that there was no reason for banks to increase interest rates… they did?
inflation is trending down yet many of us have recieved pay increases 1-4% over the last few years – and that doesn’t take into account interest rates.
How about not screwing a very large portion of the pop who are going backwards FAST !!!
This govt received their reward in the handling of covid now they are receiving their reward for doing NOTHING that can been seen as a country progressing only regression and an economy built on growth thru immigration and feasted rebuilds ( the same disasters that we were told should be excluded from GDP and yet now they want to include it when it promotes growth) they are 🤬useless and now we have on offer not much better from the alternatives!!!
Though family in Victoria tell me food is more expensive than when thy were living here as is eating out etc which is quite significantly higher. Lower rent for a better quality house makes the biggest difference for them along with the employer contribution to super.
My daughter who has been living in Australia for nearly two years reckons its a myth about everything being cheaper in Australia. Apart from petrol and some supermarket items, nearly everything else is lot dearer , she says
Not a single business has made a substantial donation to the Labour Party since the start of 2021.
Well…kinda unsurprising really. As Labour …
Former Labour Party President Mike Williams said Labour's lack of business donations is not unexpected.
"Businesses prefer the National Party because Labour does things like increases the minimum wage, abolish the 90 day rule, brings in fair pay agreements."
A review of Nationals house tax has been released this morning.
“Our best estimate is that Nationals Foreign Buyer Tax would raise $210 million per year, compared to Nationals estimate of $740 million. This leaves a significant $530 million (71%) per year gap in the costing of the Foreign Buyer Tax and the wider Back Pocket Boost policy,Economists Sam Warburton, Nick Goodall, and Michael Reddell wrote in a review published on Wednesday at 10am.”
If National has screwed up the foreign buyers calculation to the tune of over half a billion dollars per year (!!) as several experts now seem to be saying, then this must call into question the calculations used for all of their financial forecasts.
The Earth's life-support systems are facing greater risks and uncertainties than ever before, with most major safety limits already crossed as a result of planet-wide human interventions, according to a scientific study released on Wednesday.
In a "health check" for the entire planet published in the Science Advances journal, an international team of 29 experts found that the Earth is now "well outside of the safe operating space for humanity" due to human activity.
…
Of the nine boundaries assessed, only ocean acidification, ozone depletion and airborne pollution – mainly soot-like particles – were judged to be still within safe limits The ocean acidification boundary, however, was close to being breached.
The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, has risen to around 417 parts per million, significantly higher than the safe level of 350ppm.
The current rate of species extinction is also estimated to be at least tens of times faster than the average rate over the past 10 million years, meaning the planet has already crossed the safe boundary for genetic diversity.
Johan Rockström, the study's co-author and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said he hoped the world would see the findings as a wake-up call.
"In my career I've never been sitting on so much evidence as today and can be so clear in our communication," Rockström said, adding that he was disappointed with the outcome of last week's United Nations Global Stocktake report, which will form the basis of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year.
"It is a complete failure …and it's a large risk… We're still following a pathway that takes us unequivocally to disaster."
Apparently there are 26,000 properties in New Zealand owned by mega landlords I would love to see those compulsorily acquired by Whanau Ora – I don't think New Zealand as a society can afford mega landlords.
Interesting that Blackrock has been mentioned by the NZ government with regard to green energy. I wonder if Blackrock, and other companies such as Vanguard and State Street are interested in the single family housing market in NZ. There combined influences over the S&P 500 is circa 88% I think. RFK Jr is concerned they will cause issues for single families in the states. See link:
Could someone explain to me why we are going with Blackrock, whose investors will be expecting handsome profits, when Kiwisaver has 89.7 billion dollars
And the Superfund has 58 billion
This is actually not a rhetoric question .My grasp of economics and finance is zero
Disclaimer: Most of what follows is my opinion, some of it informed some not so much.
All investors expect handsome profits. In regards to Kiwisaver, there are a multitude of different providers and I'm assuming that the individual providers decide where to invest their clients funds. However, I'm guessing that a large proportion, if not most of the 89.7 billion and 58 billion you mentioned are probably already managed by Blackrock in some shape or form. ASB, ANZ etc are all in various partnerships with them and the fact that they are major shareholders in a large proportion of global insurance companies, banks, fund management companies, investment banks and so on means that they will inevitably be involved with many of our financial entities and have a certain amount of shareholder power in these companies
Blackrock is massive, I think they manage up to 10 TRILLION dollars in assets or around a quarter of the entire world's money.. I know at one stage they had assets under management totaling 40% of the GDP of the USA.
The 3 biggest asset management firms in the world are Blackrock, Vanguard and State Street. Blackrock owns State Street, Vanguard is the largest shareholder in Blackrock……..
So, in my opinion because I don't know, I would imagine that 2billion is absolute peanuts to them. It is worthwhile though because they get to be investors in the first country to have 100% renewable energy plus they can throw some money at startup companies involved in innovative and new 'green' technologies and if one of these little startups comes up with something amazing, well guess who the biggest shareholder is….
Many people might suggest that Blackrock has maybe some other, shadowy agendas going on and they are up to no good somehow. It would be hard to argue against that for me, mainly because I just don't trust anybody or anything in the whole 'making money from money' financial economy.
In any case, Blackrock already own a huge chunk of the world, including a chunk of NZ, so another 2 billion of ownership in NZ green initiatives doesn't mean much in that sense, but could be great for NZ in terms of clean renewable energy, battery technologies, gender ideologies… Oh ! Did I say that…..
At a guess "pointless impositions" might include: minimum wage increases, pay equity, Matariki holiday, clean car fee for high-polluting vehicles, extensions to maternity leave, managed immigration that kept the labour market tight for a while (though easing now). Probably plenty of others I have forgotten.
Pointlessness is in the eye of the beholder. All these things are pointless if your objective is increasing business profitability, then calling that the "strong economy" from which all good things will spring like flowers from the desert (some day). Part of National’s schtick is in manufacturing the idea that there is a single, shared national interest around this objective. Who wants their country to have a ‘weak’ economy?
NZ is apparently the easiest country in the World to set up business and to do business. I would ask business owners and politicians which "pointless" impositions are they going to cancel. Srely from your list above it would be tricky to cancel any of those, unless it is just a ploy. I asked a farm manager for one new imposition that bothered her. She could think of nothing.
Bernard Hickey in a the side bar Feeds story on this page says taking the bans off overseas buyers would result in an immediate 20% leap in house and land prices. That would result in our best, brightest, and youngest evacuating to Aussie and further afield in a heartbeat. How do I know, because my under 30 kids have told me. Fuck you Luxon.
Remember the Nat slogan "stop waving goodbye to your loved ones"? Empty words as we know full well. Our family and mokopuna left the following year as their employment disappeared after Nats took the reins of govt. Nats = bullshit artists.
Oops somehow got an extra letter in my username. My apologies 😟
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Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
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It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
Promoting the end of the petrol tax in Auckland nationwide.
The well to do driving our of Auckland, while Auckland RC has a funding crisis dealing with the hole in its budget.
Public servants driving out of Wellington looking for work.
Those in flood areas looking to relocate, before the consequences of National looting the climate change fund for tax cut money impacts on local property values.
Evidence of a tight market
Likelihood of continuing rise in rent
The Greens policy of a future 3% cap to rent rises seems wise.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/300970166/as-a-single-mum-thats-impossible-rents-rise-as-migration-jumps
3% increase tops per year seems fine unless you are facing interest rate rises as the landlord of more than 3% per year and rates going up more than 7-10% per year.
Don't believe the bull about inflation in either food or electricity or petrol coming down any time this year.
Inflation globally is caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine: at least 3 more years to go.
The experts predict 4% CPI by the end of this year and 3% by the end of next year.
Inflation is going down, despite that conflict continuing.
The impact on global distribution (from the pandemic and division because of sanctions) has already occured – a one off cost. Our weather events (the La Nina/El Nino change reduces NI flood risk) and one offs – gib board and eggs are done.
Cry me a river. The mortgage rates are not going up in the next year, they are flat. And this is the major cost for most, so the average cost increase for landlords is way down (they've already met the cost of rental standards).
When those costs go up, the cost of renting that asset out goes up as well.
If you are going to price-regulate rent increases you need to price-regulate bank interest charges, and price-regulate council rate increases.
None are likely under any government combination.
What a sad take, rents have gone up faster then costs for a generation – coz of lack of supply in the market.
Did rents go down when mortgage rates fell below historic averages – no. It's a supply and demand market.
It's that sort of attitude in centrist Labour that explains why real social democrats move to Greens/TPM.
Tenants have their rental standards, and the one annual increase – whether it is 3 or 10% depends on who is in government.
My mother's rent up enormously when the landlord moved have a rental agency deal with his property. He was previously making a good profit as the mortgage was paid off years ago. Company insisted it b put up to market rent – increased by $100-00 per week only cause he refused to put it up by their recommended $140-00. Nothing to do with increased costs at all even allowing for agency charges.
Market rates – equals as much as you can get away with.
Rental housing has been plenty re-regulated with this government, both as an investment class and as an operation.
On one place we haven't put the rent up for four years.
On the others we stay well below the Trademe average.
We like the loyalty it generates to each other.
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/hub/news/2023/08/what-drives-rents-in-new-zealand
Mortgage as a cost impacting on rents – yeah nah.
The key thing is that a restraint on rent rises (whether a freeze of a 3% cap) does not impact on new build rents as they are directly part of market supply and demand pricing.
Thus a government could contain rent costs of existing tenants without impact on new housing supply
Ad – I know you are an aficionado of political biography and I reckon this one is going to be a cathartic hum dinger…
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/11/mitt-romney-retiring-senate-trump-mcconnell/675306/
I'd suggest he waits at least until the first three trials have verdicts in.
Personally I like contenders like John Kerry who reinvent themselves.
Many voters are upset by food prices.
Supermarket prices here are more expensive than in Australia.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/12-04-2023/how-much-cheaper-are-groceries-in-australia-than-new-zealand-really claim by 25%.
If the Greens want to increase their vote they should announce a strong and effective policy to bring about significant competition to the supermarkets as quickly as possible.
Labour should emphasize they have work in this area "underway" and promise to prioritize this next term.
https://www.greens.org.nz/govt_must_break_up_supermarkets
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/mata-with-mihingarangi-forbes/story/2018906387/episode-18-an-interview-with-labour-leader-chris-hipkins-september-12th-mata
It is being done, even if it is not widely reported.
As an aside, I would be interested in what 'ways' Hipkins is referring to specifically when he talks of 'tackling inequality' if not tax given that progressive taxation has long been the most common and effective method of redistribution.
All very useful.
Clearly from the polls too many people do not believe that a left government will deal with the issues that are important to them.
I believe that only a significant, clearly communicated, game- changing and inspiring policy that addresses peoples primary concerns will shift votes.
The current campaign is not working for the left.
What policies do people think could meet these criteria?
Perception trumps reality.
Voters believe Labour is soft on crime,panders to Maori,and causes inflation through profligate spending.
The opposition hammer those topics and shy away from 'solutions'.
What voters? Last time I looked the left block was sitting on 40+ %. If you want to be taken seriously, stop with the inane generalisations.
The issue is swing voters, and we don't quite know why they are voting the way that they are. I'm a fan of Lynn's theory about voters rating perception of competency highly. And sure, crime, co-governance and cost of living a issues.
But it's not a simple as you make out. Labour turned around the 2017 election with a change of leader.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election#/media/File:Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_election_(blocs).svg
What voters?
The voters reflected in poll after poll….those voters.
As for 'inane' that's quite an audacious accusation, considering we are all talking opinion.
Simplicity is always best imo.
Changing leaders ,what could be more simple than…your example?
so no evidence for your claim then, nor even any meaningful argument.
If you said something like "I reckon the issue is many swing voters want action on crime, cost of living", that's opinion. What you did was spout FB-esque reckons as if they are fact.
I didn't actually.
If you think every opinion has to be backed by what you consider hard fact….no one would venture an …opinion.
You supplied a link that actually endorses the fact that the majority of voters have no intention of voting …Labour.
The issues that have been canvassed by msm certainly include the ones I mention.
As for being taken seriously…'physician,heal thyself'!
you're still missing the point. You said voters believe Labour is soft on crime etc. It's not so much about hard evidence as any evidence at all. You're running some talking points. I'm saying we deserve a more indepth analysis here, and you are quite capable of doing that rather than treating TS like FB or twitter.
I'm not missing any point afaic.
You may decree the 'issue is swing voters' on open mike.
If you choose to believe that perception is irrelevant and no proof exists that it is very pertinent,why do you think Labours fortunes changed dramatically with Ardern,becoming…leader?
Fyi ,I do not participate in FB or twitter.I presume you…do.
I don’t come to open mike to read hard hitting facts and analysis. I come to open mike to see what people are thinking and what opinions people have on the news of the day. I don’t want to be assaulted by a page of links and screeds of detailed analysis. If I want that I’ll read Mickey Savages posts which are concise and well written with cogent analysis. If I want a lecture, Ill read your posts Weka.
otherwise Ill scroll down the page, engage with those opinions I’ve read news of, and might correct if the OP is misunderstood.
Weka, your need for links for every comment on open mike is killing the joy.
Indeed. OM is a mix of opinion, news of the day, and links people might be interested in. We don’t in fact allow screed of links, the spam filter will block comments with too many.
The key point here is that the opinions need to be expressed as opinions and have some political meaning. Blazer’s original comment failed in that imo, and I addressed it with opinions of my own and an explanation. No links, no screed of analysis, but some connection to what is actually happening with polling.
Instead of taking up that challenge and explaining their thinking more in depth, they got defensive and doubled down. I think they’re better than that.
And I didn’t ask for links, so you’ve misunderstood what I was saying. I asked for evidence based debate. People can express their opinions without links, we do it all the time. Those opinions have to have grounding in reality though, and if they are making claims of fact they have to back it up if asked (that’s in the Policy).
It’s a tricky balance. I get that people want a more free flowing conversation. But the amount of work to reign in trolling after it starts is large, and it compounds if we let the trolling establish within the commentariat culture. Social media has also had an impact with a noticeable increase in FB-esque posts, where people are just posting casual reckons. We still have space here for short comments, humour, back and forth jibes, but we also keep an eye out on patterns of behaviour likely to cause problems.
Blazer wasn’t trolling, but they do push the boundaries on this and I’m prompting them to up their game.
We had this govts petrol enquiry and how is that working especially in Northland and in Ak ?we were told that there was no reason for banks to increase interest rates… they did?
inflation is trending down yet many of us have recieved pay increases 1-4% over the last few years – and that doesn’t take into account interest rates.
How about not screwing a very large portion of the pop who are going backwards FAST !!!
This govt received their reward in the handling of covid now they are receiving their reward for doing NOTHING that can been seen as a country progressing only regression and an economy built on growth thru immigration and feasted rebuilds ( the same disasters that we were told should be excluded from GDP and yet now they want to include it when it promotes growth) they are 🤬useless and now we have on offer not much better from the alternatives!!!
Though family in Victoria tell me food is more expensive than when thy were living here as is eating out etc which is quite significantly higher. Lower rent for a better quality house makes the biggest difference for them along with the employer contribution to super.
My daughter who has been living in Australia for nearly two years reckons its a myth about everything being cheaper in Australia. Apart from petrol and some supermarket items, nearly everything else is lot dearer , she says
Christopher Luxon-the 'little engine,that…couldn't'.
-can't supply modelling that his tax plans rely on
-can't say where he will make spending cuts
-can't say how he will increase productivity
-can't say whether he will work with NZ First
-can't release the terms for the Ufindell report
-can't release details of fiscal policy..yet
-can't be expected to perform in a national debate
-can't say whether he will lower rents on his 7 houses
-can't say how he will 'grow' the economy
So Mr 'I ran an airline'……couldn't run a …bath!
We might find out soon that he wasn't much good at running that airline either…
Well…kinda unsurprising really. As Labour …
Of course NZ Business didnt mind taking the Covid assistance $ Mega Millions……
Which is part of the money…the Nats accuse Labour of spraying from a money hose.
Hey give it back !!
Large black American shaman prepares to marry Norwegian princess.
King Harald V gets the best case of 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' I've seen in a long time.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300970520/norwegian-princess-to-marry-american-selfprofessed-shaman
A review of Nationals house tax has been released this morning.
“Our best estimate is that Nationals Foreign Buyer Tax would raise $210 million per year, compared to Nationals estimate of $740 million. This leaves a significant $530 million (71%) per year gap in the costing of the Foreign Buyer Tax and the wider Back Pocket Boost policy,Economists Sam Warburton, Nick Goodall, and Michael Reddell wrote in a review published on Wednesday at 10am.”
Plenty more at
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300970492/nz-election-2023-live-nationals-plan-to-fund-tax-cuts-comes-up-short-economists-say
If National has screwed up the foreign buyers calculation to the tune of over half a billion dollars per year (!!) as several experts now seem to be saying, then this must call into question the calculations used for all of their financial forecasts.
The planet cannot wait any longer:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/497969/human-activity-jeopardising-earth-s-life-support-systems-study
There is no room to delay any more, action is needed urgently. Party vote Green.
Apparently there are 26,000 properties in New Zealand owned by mega landlords I would love to see those compulsorily acquired by Whanau Ora – I don't think New Zealand as a society can afford mega landlords.
Interesting that Blackrock has been mentioned by the NZ government with regard to green energy. I wonder if Blackrock, and other companies such as Vanguard and State Street are interested in the single family housing market in NZ. There combined influences over the S&P 500 is circa 88% I think. RFK Jr is concerned they will cause issues for single families in the states. See link:
https://watcher.guru/news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-warns-blackrocks-plan-to-gain-single-family-us-homes
Who knows, maybe they are here inNZ already just hidden behind other companies
Could someone explain to me why we are going with Blackrock, whose investors will be expecting handsome profits, when Kiwisaver has 89.7 billion dollars
And the Superfund has 58 billion
This is actually not a rhetoric question .My grasp of economics and finance is zero
I agree. Getting private money to do this, allows rich individuals to extract profits from society. Using state money – everyone benefits.
Insisting on private capital only, is driven by ideology – adhered to by Labour, National and Treasury.
Disclaimer: Most of what follows is my opinion, some of it informed some not so much.
All investors expect handsome profits. In regards to Kiwisaver, there are a multitude of different providers and I'm assuming that the individual providers decide where to invest their clients funds. However, I'm guessing that a large proportion, if not most of the 89.7 billion and 58 billion you mentioned are probably already managed by Blackrock in some shape or form. ASB, ANZ etc are all in various partnerships with them and the fact that they are major shareholders in a large proportion of global insurance companies, banks, fund management companies, investment banks and so on means that they will inevitably be involved with many of our financial entities and have a certain amount of shareholder power in these companies
Blackrock is massive, I think they manage up to 10 TRILLION dollars in assets or around a quarter of the entire world's money.. I know at one stage they had assets under management totaling 40% of the GDP of the USA.
The 3 biggest asset management firms in the world are Blackrock, Vanguard and State Street. Blackrock owns State Street, Vanguard is the largest shareholder in Blackrock……..
So, in my opinion because I don't know, I would imagine that 2billion is absolute peanuts to them. It is worthwhile though because they get to be investors in the first country to have 100% renewable energy plus they can throw some money at startup companies involved in innovative and new 'green' technologies and if one of these little startups comes up with something amazing, well guess who the biggest shareholder is….
Many people might suggest that Blackrock has maybe some other, shadowy agendas going on and they are up to no good somehow. It would be hard to argue against that for me, mainly because I just don't trust anybody or anything in the whole 'making money from money' financial economy.
In any case, Blackrock already own a huge chunk of the world, including a chunk of NZ, so another 2 billion of ownership in NZ green initiatives doesn't mean much in that sense, but could be great for NZ in terms of clean renewable energy, battery technologies, gender ideologies… Oh ! Did I say that…..
Thanks Uncooked and MP
I found this from Sam Stubbs
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/business/350059005/heres-what-2b-blackrock-deal-means-kiwisaver
Increased costs with no outputs say Luxon and others. This makes it so hard for small business owners and farmers to get ahead so they say.
I want to know:
(I have asked a few people and can't get any real credible answers.)
At a guess "pointless impositions" might include: minimum wage increases, pay equity, Matariki holiday, clean car fee for high-polluting vehicles, extensions to maternity leave, managed immigration that kept the labour market tight for a while (though easing now). Probably plenty of others I have forgotten.
Pointlessness is in the eye of the beholder. All these things are pointless if your objective is increasing business profitability, then calling that the "strong economy" from which all good things will spring like flowers from the desert (some day). Part of National’s schtick is in manufacturing the idea that there is a single, shared national interest around this objective. Who wants their country to have a ‘weak’ economy?
NZ is apparently the easiest country in the World to set up business and to do business. I would ask business owners and politicians which "pointless" impositions are they going to cancel. Srely from your list above it would be tricky to cancel any of those, unless it is just a ploy. I asked a farm manager for one new imposition that bothered her. She could think of nothing.
Bernard Hickey in a the side bar Feeds story on this page says taking the bans off overseas buyers would result in an immediate 20% leap in house and land prices. That would result in our best, brightest, and youngest evacuating to Aussie and further afield in a heartbeat. How do I know, because my under 30 kids have told me. Fuck you Luxon.
Remember the Nat slogan "stop waving goodbye to your loved ones"? Empty words as we know full well. Our family and mokopuna left the following year as their employment disappeared after Nats took the reins of govt. Nats = bullshit artists.
Oops somehow got an extra letter in my username. My apologies 😟
[fixed – Incognito]