Open mike 15/09/2022
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6:00 am, September 15th, 2022 - 22 comments
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...3 days ago
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The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...3 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...4 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
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Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...6 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...6 days ago
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...7 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...7 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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Our Future is NOW. Fossil fuel is becoming increasingly scarce (fossil fuel fuckwits can FUCK OFF with thinking Antarctica ! )…and the tragedy ongoing with Russian/Ukraine is stark evidence as to how vulnerable we ALL are to war and power/fuel disruption.
There is never going to be a better time…than NOW. Just start….
Exactly Patricia. (and Im sorry to you for my expletives ?, but there is a level of frustration here )
However, I really think getting to work right NOW would have so many Positives for NZ in particular. Future Proofing, Climate change recognition !, Innovative Skills development, Employment ! etc,….
I honestly cant see any down side to this.
Grant Robertson outlines issues with the macro economic position,both forward (an economic think big such as infrastructure debt) prior to the release of GDP figures today.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/new-zealand-economy-%E2%80%93-case-optimism
The phony war is over,as we need to spend on what makes a sustainable economy more efficient,and productive.
Tax cuts
More roads
Boot camps for young offenders
Go National !
/sarc
Big shoutout to Silver Fern Farms and Scott Technology for committing huge investment to full automation of all Lamb carcass breakdowns. $13m high tech investment.
One less high risk labour demand.
Well done the 2 Dunedin-based firms.
If you think it's about worker safety I have bridge you might be interested in😉
The de-risk is from skilled labour supply shortage.
luckily there will be soon some unemployed people in that region clamoring for a job.
Aargh right you are
GDP came in at 1.7,higher then expected.The productive economy shrunk as the effects of covid reduced head counts,and fuel increases drove high prices in transport and warehousing to artificial highs.
Health care etc showed a rise.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/gross-domestic-product-june-2022-quarter/
All that storm damage will help the next quarter GDP.
Will we see growth even when house construction flattens? Will be a great hinge moment for us.
The figures get somewhat distorted in manufacturing as Marsden point shut.
Construction was down in those stats,mostly in civil and heavy construction,there will be a small bounce as builders try to finish ongoing work in progress.
There needs to be some contraction further in housing to reduce costs,and supply constraints within our needs.
Your interpretation doesn’t seem likely as the sole or even major cause for transport & warehousing variations.
If you look at Table 3 in the spreadsheet it becomes a bit more obvious just how much effect the lock downs have had.
March 2021 in Auckland we’d come out of lockdown. September we went back into one. It took out Jan / Feb. Jun Q this year and last year just happened to be when we didn’t have that many lockdowns.
$ Millions
Mar 2021 Q 2,376
Jun 2021 Q 2,707
Sep 2021 Q 2,590
Dec 2021 Q 2,561
Mar 2022 Q 2,505
Jun 2022 Q 2,998
There may be a fuel / cost /price effect this last quarter. But it isn’t apparent over the lock down noise. Transport etc gets major hits from lockdowns mostly because it limits access into and out of Auckland.
Transport was down 20% 2021,increased 15% 2020 to date.Freight rates had also increased substantive prior to the remedy.The main drivers in the 1/4 are air transport,and transport support services such as warehousing,fuel.
I'd point out that internal and external air transport also markedly increased in volume when most of the lockdowns ceased in the June quarter. Consequently they massively increased in value in the GDP for that sector.
You'd have to look at a measure of volume – something like air-km or km travelled to see if the price had increased.
You have to look at it in the context of where it was as well and the natural variations without disruptions.
So what was the steady state variations prior to covid-19 disruptions?https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/gross-domestic-product-june-2019-quarter/
Table 3 Transport, postal and warehousing
Mar-18 Q 2,813
Jun-18 Q 2,848
Sep-18 Q 2,854
Dec-18 Q 2,942
Mar-19 Q 2,979
Jun-19 Q 3,032
In this context Jun 2022 Q = 2,998 doesn't look out of place.
Especially when you add in 3 years of monetary inflation, changes in the mix of services in the sectors, and changes in costs.
But the lack of scale of variation in a pre-covid era compared to the covid era is a pretty striking indication that the June quarter to me simply indicates that the sector is most likely bouncing back to its pre-covid volumes with fewer lockdowns. Not that there is significant price or cost inflation in a few cost components of a wide sector.
Using Occam, you'd need to show some volume evidence to indicate that it isn't just the economy returning to normal levels.
Better flows in the annual data,and remembering the march flows also include huge ag volumes .
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/transport-sales-increase-in-june-2022-quarter/
There is some distortion with the lockdowns red in 67 days march quarter vs 13 in june,which affected PP etc,limited in freight intercity.
Trounced on the battlefield so cowardly Russia resorts to type and wages war on civilians and critical infrastructure.
https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1570163710358065153
The Russian army has used the Kh-22 missiles to conduct a strike against Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih as a result of which hydraulic structures had been damaged, reports head of the Dnipro region Valentin Reznichenko.
“Massive missile strike against Kryvyi Rih. Russians dropped seven Kh-22 cruise missiles from aircraft of strategic aviation. They hit objects of critical and transport infrastructure. There’s been serious damage done to hydraulic structures. As of now, no victims have been reported,” he wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.
According to Reznichenko, several districts of Kryvyi Rih were left without water following the attack. Currently, emergency services and crews are working on fixing the damage.
The missile strikes have destroyed a dam, reports Ukraine’s broadcaster Suspilne, citing local citizens. Ukrainian news agency UNIAN and Telegram channel Ukraine Now both report that as a result the water level of the river Inhulets, Kherson region, has risen by two-three metres. Telegram channel Operativno ZSU claims that the water level has risen by five-six metres.
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2022/09/14/water-level-of-ukraines-river-inhulets-rises-after-russia-strikes-hydraulic-structures-of-kryvyi-rih-news
There will be a long catalogue of Russian war crimes. It is just pure spite from Putin, who resents the fact that Ukrainians freely elected a democratic leader who isn't a puppet of the Kremlin
Imagine if Trump had been in power over the period. "We will give you weapons and help with sophisticated defence systems. Um….. but first find us some dirt on Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi and hunter Biden…"
And Congress would have universally said what was happening was terrible, all those Ukrainian deaths, the threat to the world. Impeachment processes would have been mounted against that withholding of assistance and Congress would vote, (well one side) that Trump had done nothing wrong.