Best you vote for a party that will move to increase taxes a lot more – I doubt the current lot will. Also who are these ‘rich’ and which corporations in particular- certainly the facebooks, apples, googles etc appear to pay minimal tax but I believe most governments are at a loss how to get money out of them.
Presumably Ed thinks anyone who makes more than him is “rich”
My guess is that Ed is more concerned with the rather flexibile meaning of “makes” in that sentence. Lots of people work hard and don’t “make” much money, lots of others don’t work that hard and “make” lots. The difference is on the whole not strongly correlated to skill levels either.
Getting rich is predominantly about having access to streams of unearned income.
No it doesn’t. That’s why the rich get away with not paying between 7 billion in taxes.
But not enough. Corporate tax rates should be higher than the personal tax rate so as to encourage the payout of dividends.
Of course not. GST is how the costs were transferred from the rich to the poor.
Look out for Emmerson’s take on the return of the Saudi sheep deal. Entitled “Your Worst Nightmare” a wild-eyed sheep with what looks like a bloody snout pushes though some curtains bleating: I’M BAA-AA-ACK!
Looking forward to Smith and other ex-National Ministers getting called in as witnesses when the Ardern government lets the Saudi sheep deal go to court against MFAT.
Oh dear that makes me think of the Russian Engineer video.
You will have to find the high water connection. It makes NZ
adventures and ingenuity minor in comparison, but we do try with our little dodges.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8hvyjZWHs
No wonder we need so many more lawyers than the UK per capita in NZ – just more and more litigation over stupid government/council decisions that siphon tax payers dollars to more and more lawyers…
So the budget will be interesting, if Labour manage to exceed expectations then good on them and they’ll get deserved bouquets but if they don’t then they’ll reap what they sow
Meh – the architects of the $11 billion hole would still be crying wolf if Robertson stumbled on a cache of diamonds that paid off all our debts and funded everything we could wish for. There will be a lot of meaningless braying and trumpeting of (second hand) financial expertise from a group that never demonstrated any.
But thats always the way, the new government blames the previous government while simultaneously taking credit for the previous governments achievements
Oddly enough, Robertson doesn’t take advice from me, and I’ll have to see something pretty awesome on his behalf before I’ll be taking advice from him.
The Key government left a desolate wasteland – Robertson only pretends otherwise to cheapen the cost and ease of borrowing.
And he’ll have to borrow – you can bet Bill didn’t fund MPI to address the mycoplasma debacle for instance.
His priority should be fixing the things that have been broken – NZ is in pretty bad shape. Instead it seems likely that we’ll see another rehearsal of pretentions to fiscal orthodoxy while the country continues to decline.
Savage set out to address real problems – neo-liberal orthodoxy will never achieve that.
I personally think Robertson now realises that NZ isn’t in as bad a state as the Left proclaimed before the election and therefore doesn’t need to radically with the economy, well more than they’ve already done
“I personally think Robertson now realises that NZ isn’t in as bad a state as the Left proclaimed before the election”
What Bill English knew about the economy didn’t amount to a hill of beans. He couldn’t even maintain growth (ex migration) above 1% – when 3% is a moderate result by global standards.
Robertson is a gender politics maven, a newcomer to finance, and readily duped by the chorus of non-performing assholes who described Blinglish’s gross mismanagement as a “rockstar economy”. He probably doesn’t have the chops to break us out of the failing status quo and put us on the path to genuine social and economic recovery.
Watch the suicide stats and foodbank stories – they, like taxi drivers, are closer to the genuine economy than the statistical fiction writers of Treasury.
That’s a pretty lame characterization – the truth is that in a democracy these pitiful policy pushers who’ve moved NZ down in real quality of life terms are paid and sworn to represent us. It is our call to judge their performance, and not difficult to ascertain that they have done very poorly indeed since 1980.
Neither bonhomie nor pretentions to fiscal orthodoxy excuse that.
Hosking reckons “this Government has a lot of work to do when it comes to convincing most of us they’re any good with an economy”……. the arrogance and blatant misinformation is palpable given the previous Labour govt ran nine straight surpluses.
Whats the problem? He said “this government”, the previous Labour government did a decent job in a boom period but Cindy is no Helen and Grant is no Michael so yeah they do have to prove it
I do hold a little hope for a solution to:
‘How the hell am I going to drop $1000 on the table every week to service a mortgage?’
There is no solution other than:
a.) it becomes less than $1,000
b.) you have more money coming in to pay the $1,000
c.) you give up, become a renter, someone who already owns several houses buys yours and they become inexorably richer as you become inexorably poorer.
Sorry – the answer, even under this government, won’t be a.) or b.)
In the late 50’s my Dad was running a small car rental company for the guy that owned it. Washing cars, juggling the inventory, booking oil changes etc. A very average income. Mum was raising kids. Owning a home via conventional means, as it is now, an impossible dream. The govt gave them the boost up into our own home. It set them on the path to the comfort they now enjoy in their old age.
I don’t know how it worked, Home Advances Loan? All I know is that it was a government initiative, the act of a govt that could see sense in assisting families into their own homes rather than chucking readies at the owners of ramshackle motels.
Yep that’s how my parents got their own home too on one income not large in the 1970’s. The government had builders building houses that Kiwi’s could then buy at/near cost and the universal family benefit was enough to pay off the mortgage.
There was a post office scheme in the 70’s and 80’s that helped with a first house deposit, can’t recall the details.
Also state advance loans at 2-3% – bank rates 10% isn
“Whether enough progress in reassembling Humpty Dumpty can be made to allow the EU summit to avoid a collapse in the Brexit talks in June is still very much in the balance. Brussels is turning up the heat, but it remains to be seen if Theresa May can deliver something which might break the logjam.”
June is when the English government’s penchent for kicking the brexit can down the road comes to an end.
I’m not sure when both the Labour Inspectorate and Immigration NZ are going to realise the bleeding obvious ESPECIALLY as we know, when they’re very short on Labour Inspectors and other resources.
Going after the victims of exploitation (and in the case of immigrants of all descriptions, trying to flick them out of the country as quickly as possible) will solve SFA.
As someone pointed out, it simply “flushes the pool” allowing for the next round of ticket clippers and exploiters.
Putting the resources into cracking down on the exploiters, the shoddy PTEs and consultants with cosy little relationships to businesses prepared to exploit (sometimes even direct financial interests) will ensure better outcomes for all.
I’m not sure that issuing Labour Inspectors with stab proof vests is going to solve the problem either other than stroking their egos and allowing them to feel like butch enforcers.
The tenancy tribunal system doesn’t cost the taxpayer a dollar. (Directly). It is self funding. This is why it only costs $20 to lodge a case. The interest earned on all of our rental bonds covers most operational costs.
I think the labour inspectorate should be looking for a similar model. Put a zero on the end of the current fines. Calendar Girls would be a right handy earner. Dodgy restaurateurs and gangs of painters? Threatened with finding $30,000 or facing deportation…the money will appear.
Not a bad idea.
I’ve come across so many instances of immigrant victims of exploitation who’d have ‘self-deported’ if only they’d been able to pay back the loans taken out getting here and money owed to people who’ve helped support them whilst here.
They’d also be more of a mind to expose the ‘exploiters’ if they didn’t have to live in constant fear in the meantime whilst they’re being royally fleeced by some PTEs, employers and others who’d made false promises to them.
The Labour Inspectorate still appears to be scratching its arse wondering why people aren’t prepared to talk.
(In many cases it’s because they fear being deported and are a fucking sight worse off financially than they were before setting eyes on the place. And they know that a new round of people are about to suffer the same fate whilst those running the scams and exploitation will get a rap over their knuckles with a wet bus ticket if at all)
Yes, in those circumstances, depending on whistle blowing or victims to take a stand is asking them to tighten their own thumb-screws.
With increased funding a team of undercover waiters, painters, wherever there are hot-spots, could be hired. They could gather evidence and present it in court.
I’d see the inspectorate’s job as making it easier in our environment to do the right thing by workers than to cheat them. Assist wannabe exploiters in arriving at the decision that there is little to no upside in doing the wrong thing.
I guess a downside of such an outcome could be the dept becoming a victim of it’s own success.
I’m interested in furthering this discussion @DM because you seem to have sensible ideas/solutions. Commitments – so hopefully later.
One of my concerns is with Immigration Consultants (who are often described as ‘lawyers’ when they’re not). They should have to operate under the aegis of a lawyer at least, because then there is some process for sanction. I’ve come cross these so-called ‘lawyers’ who also run things like security companies, labour hire companies, even beauty salons (when that was supposedly a ‘skill shortage), and who funnel their victims through these places.
I’m not sure the IAA has ever heard of the Companies Register before. It might have given them a place to start identifying the charlatans.
…..later
Indeed…..however for many it’s a case of cudda shudda wudda because all they’ve ever known is the culture of the ‘self’ and the benefits of a collective approach is so passe – that is until things jump up and bite them in the bum. However, they’re no less entitled to be treated with respect and common decency – such as not being subjected to slave labour conditions.
Listening to RNZ this morning though, it appears some unions are prepared to represent those that have been exploited, regardless of membership – presumably as long as they now join (I maybe wrong, but I’d have thought in the cause of mutual benefit) …. a bloody small price to have to pay.
Perhaps, just like the ‘Taxpayers Union’ have hijacked the idea and label of unionism, unions should start calling themseves ‘associations’ (so much more classy to a gNatzi mindset)
national were also letting in ozone destroying chemicals too here.
we need to tighten up on our emissions simply to save our planet now as the traces of national policy are still around and affecting our planet.
Jacinda must step up here.
National have promoted the worst transport policy in history by culling rail for more trucks to increase the emissions of CO2 levels five times more by choosing to using road freight vs rail freight.
We need to move half the road freight back to rail as soon as we can.
Then use carbon pricing of all products made and transported using the EU model of carbon “food miles” pricing now on all products not just food.
This may finally setup our clean transport system we most need.
Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. Food miles are one factor used when assessing the environmental impact of food, including the impact on global warming.[1]
The concept of food miles originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It was conceived by Professor Tim Lang[2] at the Sustainable Agriculture Food and Environment (SAFE) Alliance[3] and first appeared in print in a report “The Food Miles Report: The dangers of long-distance food transport”, researched and written by Angela Paxton.[4][5]
Some scholars believe that an increase in the distance food travels is due to the globalization of trade; the focus of food supply bases into fewer, larger districts; drastic changes in delivery patterns; the increase in processed and packaged foods; and making fewer trips to the supermarket. These make a small part of the greenhouse gas emissions created by food; 83% of overall emissions of CO2 are in production phases.[6]
I bought my kids a Sundae from a west Auckland McDonalds drive through and something was clearly going wrong at the store because the spoons supplied were dirty and a whole lot of other things were weird…
Not all people in the film industry are dim bulbs and louts like Rob Reiner, Harvey Weinstein, Jared Leto, Kevin Spacey, or that unfunny talking toilet Roseanne Barr
Colin Kaepernick and hundreds of other protesting football players showed us that athletes have consciences as well as talent. Now the likes of Ava DuVernay, Bette Midler, Mia Farrow, and Judd Apatow are doing the same for Hollywood….
Sorry Ed, I’ve been too busy with other stuff recently. I have, however, been listening to Jim Mora—he hasn’t been too bad, I must say. The other day his guests were David Farrar and Ali Jones, who mauled and battered Farrar as completely and humiliatingly as Gordon Campbell did to that nasty old plod Graham Bell a few years ago.
More transcripts ARE on the way, especially concerning the love fest for Bonnie Prince Harry and his bride….
To: The House of Representatives
Introduce a bottle deposit scheme!
Campaign created by
Rowan Brooks
Introduce a bottle deposit scheme!
We want the New Zealand government to initiate a bottle deposit scheme to control drink packaging waste and encourage greater recycling.
Why is this important?
Bottle deposit schemes (also known as container deposit schemes) are a simple, effective way to deal with plastic pollution, clean up our oceans and beaches and support our local communities.
It’s simple; you get a 10c refund on a bottle when you recycle it and this incentive could nearly triple New Zealand’s recycling rates overnight! [1]
We had a system like this in Aotearoa NZ until the 1980’s, and ‘bottle drives’ were popular fundraisers for groups like the Scouts! This stopped when ‘disposable’ plastic bottles were introduced.
Bottle deposit schemes are taking off worldwide as a way to keep plastic out of the environment – Australia will have them in all states by the end of 2018 and Germany has achieved a 98% recycling rate on plastic bottles!
If we bring in a bottle deposit scheme, before we know it there’ll be less plastic on our beaches, the local kids will be fundraising by collecting bottles, and we’ll have created over 2,000 new jobs!
Good morning the Am Show on 3.
I say that the Labour lead coalition government budget is a good thing living with in OUR needs. We need to be prepared for another world financial down slow and or the price of oil to go up with oil men in charge of the White House.
I seen the boat show when I read about all the complaints about the middle class being being squeeze ECO MAORI Says that I have not seen so many flash boats and Ford trucks than at this point in time so don’t threat Middle class people you have it sweet compared to the lower class people who are manly brown people.
Many thanks to The Warehouse red shed for stopping the use of plastic bags.
As for the pink shirt day I support that one day I wore a cap it was pink I thought it was cream my wife informed me it was pink. Ka kite ano. P.S I still see the ECO MAORI – – – – is working
There you go a racist old white man who needs to retire his dumb – – – – views if we carry on listening to this bigots views we would not even have the Internet how would you like to do with out that science made that possible Mcvay is just got the Waiapu coming out of his eyes with out science we would be nothing like as advanced as we are. Ka kite ano P.S We all know why crime is falling the what effect Ana to kai https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12052794
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Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
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Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
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Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
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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 ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
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 ...
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 ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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 ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Good day for a proper Labour-led government budget.
Let’s hope that most of us here are happy with what comes out of it.
Tax the rich.
Tax the corporations.
Abolish GST.
Already happens
Already happens
Not going to happen
Tax them a lot more.
Best you vote for a party that will move to increase taxes a lot more – I doubt the current lot will. Also who are these ‘rich’ and which corporations in particular- certainly the facebooks, apples, googles etc appear to pay minimal tax but I believe most governments are at a loss how to get money out of them.
Presumably Ed thinks anyone who makes more than him is “rich”
I don’t know that’s why I asked.
I don’t think you’ll get answer from Ed on this…
Ed answers to noone.
Presumably Ed thinks anyone who makes more than him is “rich”
My guess is that Ed is more concerned with the rather flexibile meaning of “makes” in that sentence. Lots of people work hard and don’t “make” much money, lots of others don’t work that hard and “make” lots. The difference is on the whole not strongly correlated to skill levels either.
Getting rich is predominantly about having access to streams of unearned income.
Thats giving Ed a lot more credit then he deserves, naah for him it breaks down to anyone that gets more in their pay packet than him is “rich”
He does seem quite an envious type, more so than the norm on this site
We don’t care what you think of Ed. We are honoured to have his thoughts and views however.
https://giphy.com/gifs/oscars-academy-awards-1952-l3q2Z5667uYOJ2U6I
Who are these “we” that you talk about?
I’m picking there’s more than one of us with similar feelings.
Yes, the only way to get rich is to steal from everyone else.
@PR
That would make us the richest country on earth.
Or at least the only one where everyone, except Ed, is rich.
No it doesn’t. That’s why the rich get away with not paying between 7 billion in taxes.
But not enough. Corporate tax rates should be higher than the personal tax rate so as to encourage the payout of dividends.
Of course not. GST is how the costs were transferred from the rich to the poor.
No more corporate welfare.
Look out for Emmerson’s take on the return of the Saudi sheep deal. Entitled “Your Worst Nightmare” a wild-eyed sheep with what looks like a bloody snout pushes though some curtains bleating: I’M BAA-AA-ACK!
I started my day with a laugh!
The shame is the fact the that dodgy prick mcully caused it will be forgotten.
Looking forward to Smith and other ex-National Ministers getting called in as witnesses when the Ardern government lets the Saudi sheep deal go to court against MFAT.
Better than mint sauce on a Sunday roast lamb.
…served with Highwater Wines Central Otago Pinot Noir (John Key is a shareholder)…
Oh dear that makes me think of the Russian Engineer video.
You will have to find the high water connection. It makes NZ
adventures and ingenuity minor in comparison, but we do try with our little dodges.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8hvyjZWHs
No wonder we need so many more lawyers than the UK per capita in NZ – just more and more litigation over stupid government/council decisions that siphon tax payers dollars to more and more lawyers…
I’m sure it will suddenly have been oprashnilmadda all along and sorry don’t recall.
So the budget will be interesting, if Labour manage to exceed expectations then good on them and they’ll get deserved bouquets but if they don’t then they’ll reap what they sow
At least politics, at the moment, isn’t boring 🙂
Meh – the architects of the $11 billion hole would still be crying wolf if Robertson stumbled on a cache of diamonds that paid off all our debts and funded everything we could wish for. There will be a lot of meaningless braying and trumpeting of (second hand) financial expertise from a group that never demonstrated any.
But thats always the way, the new government blames the previous government while simultaneously taking credit for the previous governments achievements
Well i guess this government is shit out of luck with the latter.
Sure and I suppose the strong economy and low unemployment is because of the fine work Labour did the last couple years
Given that both are pretty flimsy fictions they’re mighty hard to take credit for.
Well apparently the finance minister disagrees with you so you better let him know quickly
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11994447
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/342766/robertson-very-confident-about-state-of-nz-economy
https://www.odt.co.nz/business/govt-finances-better-expected
Oddly enough, Robertson doesn’t take advice from me, and I’ll have to see something pretty awesome on his behalf before I’ll be taking advice from him.
The Key government left a desolate wasteland – Robertson only pretends otherwise to cheapen the cost and ease of borrowing.
And he’ll have to borrow – you can bet Bill didn’t fund MPI to address the mycoplasma debacle for instance.
So Robertson is basically in cahoots with National or working on similar but divergent lines?
His priority should be fixing the things that have been broken – NZ is in pretty bad shape. Instead it seems likely that we’ll see another rehearsal of pretentions to fiscal orthodoxy while the country continues to decline.
Savage set out to address real problems – neo-liberal orthodoxy will never achieve that.
I personally think Robertson now realises that NZ isn’t in as bad a state as the Left proclaimed before the election and therefore doesn’t need to radically with the economy, well more than they’ve already done
NZ is in pretty bad shape,..a deslate wasteland.. – what utter tosh.
I had such high hopes for your commentary after your more recent engagement on this site Stuart but you’ve reverted to hyperbole and cant.
The economy is fine,.. just everything else is fucked.
Thank god for the economy 🙂
“I personally think Robertson now realises that NZ isn’t in as bad a state as the Left proclaimed before the election”
What Bill English knew about the economy didn’t amount to a hill of beans. He couldn’t even maintain growth (ex migration) above 1% – when 3% is a moderate result by global standards.
Robertson is a gender politics maven, a newcomer to finance, and readily duped by the chorus of non-performing assholes who described Blinglish’s gross mismanagement as a “rockstar economy”. He probably doesn’t have the chops to break us out of the failing status quo and put us on the path to genuine social and economic recovery.
Watch the suicide stats and foodbank stories – they, like taxi drivers, are closer to the genuine economy than the statistical fiction writers of Treasury.
Well you shit on everyone equally so thats something
That’s a pretty lame characterization – the truth is that in a democracy these pitiful policy pushers who’ve moved NZ down in real quality of life terms are paid and sworn to represent us. It is our call to judge their performance, and not difficult to ascertain that they have done very poorly indeed since 1980.
Neither bonhomie nor pretentions to fiscal orthodoxy excuse that.
Robertson follows the same ideology as National and is thus just as wrong.
Hosking reckons “this Government has a lot of work to do when it comes to convincing most of us they’re any good with an economy”……. the arrogance and blatant misinformation is palpable given the previous Labour govt ran nine straight surpluses.
Whats the problem? He said “this government”, the previous Labour government did a decent job in a boom period but Cindy is no Helen and Grant is no Michael so yeah they do have to prove it
I’m sure you held Keys 08 government to the same standard… you were probably posting about it on a right wing blog then however..
What are you talking about?
So when they do prove it “most of us” should be happy then.
If they do then good on them for earning it but they shouldn’t, as you seem to think, get the respect first without earning it
They won’t break with tradition so its already proven but they will never convince some who are not “the most of us”.
I’m not expecting wholesale nationalisation, or free ponies, but I’m hoping for something that is half pie radical in this budget.
You’ll get red meat, peas, carrots, mashed potatoes, and an apple afterwards.
No custard.
I think we’ll get watered down election promises. An election campaign with half of the marketing dept on holiday.
I do hold a little hope for a solution to:
‘How the hell am I going to drop $1000 on the table every week to service a mortgage?’
I do hold a little hope for a solution to:
‘How the hell am I going to drop $1000 on the table every week to service a mortgage?’
There is no solution other than:
a.) it becomes less than $1,000
b.) you have more money coming in to pay the $1,000
c.) you give up, become a renter, someone who already owns several houses buys yours and they become inexorably richer as you become inexorably poorer.
Sorry – the answer, even under this government, won’t be a.) or b.)
In the late 50’s my Dad was running a small car rental company for the guy that owned it. Washing cars, juggling the inventory, booking oil changes etc. A very average income. Mum was raising kids. Owning a home via conventional means, as it is now, an impossible dream. The govt gave them the boost up into our own home. It set them on the path to the comfort they now enjoy in their old age.
I don’t know how it worked, Home Advances Loan? All I know is that it was a government initiative, the act of a govt that could see sense in assisting families into their own homes rather than chucking readies at the owners of ramshackle motels.
Yep that’s how my parents got their own home too on one income not large in the 1970’s. The government had builders building houses that Kiwi’s could then buy at/near cost and the universal family benefit was enough to pay off the mortgage.
There was a post office scheme in the 70’s and 80’s that helped with a first house deposit, can’t recall the details.
Also state advance loans at 2-3% – bank rates 10% isn
There must be some kind of tipping point. Why advance an accommodation supplement of $600 a week when $550 would own it?
I couldn’t afford to live in a motel, the thought of it is outrageous, all that money for so few of the comforts of home.
Home Ownership Accounts. http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1974/0051/latest/whole.html
Roger Douglas killed them IIRC. More reason to banish Douglas, Prebble, Bassett and co., and their ideologies, to the dustbin of history.
Thanksx.
I have been trying to remember now for a while.
I recall that we didn’t realise that we could set it up for my wife as well, and missed the bonus by about a year or 2.
But it was a good scheme.
..
“Whether enough progress in reassembling Humpty Dumpty can be made to allow the EU summit to avoid a collapse in the Brexit talks in June is still very much in the balance. Brussels is turning up the heat, but it remains to be seen if Theresa May can deliver something which might break the logjam.”
June is when the English government’s penchent for kicking the brexit can down the road comes to an end.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/scramble-under-way-to-make-progress-on-brexit-border-issue-1.3497306
http://subzpsubzp.blogspot.co.nz/2018/01/farrars-honeymoon-scam_19.html?m=1
This piece is a must read. Uncovering how a meme about the lack of poll bounce for Labour after the election was made and picked up by the msm.
Great work sub zero………….real journalism
Strippers appear to be exploited by Calendar Girls
https://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/103840709/stripping-was-all-i-had-former-dancer-exposes-calendar-girls-rules-and-fines
Most concerning are the “fines” as it is reminiscent of prostitute being fined while it was still illegal (mainly to make up for a lack of patrons).
I’m not sure when both the Labour Inspectorate and Immigration NZ are going to realise the bleeding obvious ESPECIALLY as we know, when they’re very short on Labour Inspectors and other resources.
Going after the victims of exploitation (and in the case of immigrants of all descriptions, trying to flick them out of the country as quickly as possible) will solve SFA.
As someone pointed out, it simply “flushes the pool” allowing for the next round of ticket clippers and exploiters.
Putting the resources into cracking down on the exploiters, the shoddy PTEs and consultants with cosy little relationships to businesses prepared to exploit (sometimes even direct financial interests) will ensure better outcomes for all.
I’m not sure that issuing Labour Inspectors with stab proof vests is going to solve the problem either other than stroking their egos and allowing them to feel like butch enforcers.
The tenancy tribunal system doesn’t cost the taxpayer a dollar. (Directly). It is self funding. This is why it only costs $20 to lodge a case. The interest earned on all of our rental bonds covers most operational costs.
I think the labour inspectorate should be looking for a similar model. Put a zero on the end of the current fines. Calendar Girls would be a right handy earner. Dodgy restaurateurs and gangs of painters? Threatened with finding $30,000 or facing deportation…the money will appear.
Not a bad idea.
I’ve come across so many instances of immigrant victims of exploitation who’d have ‘self-deported’ if only they’d been able to pay back the loans taken out getting here and money owed to people who’ve helped support them whilst here.
They’d also be more of a mind to expose the ‘exploiters’ if they didn’t have to live in constant fear in the meantime whilst they’re being royally fleeced by some PTEs, employers and others who’d made false promises to them.
The Labour Inspectorate still appears to be scratching its arse wondering why people aren’t prepared to talk.
(In many cases it’s because they fear being deported and are a fucking sight worse off financially than they were before setting eyes on the place. And they know that a new round of people are about to suffer the same fate whilst those running the scams and exploitation will get a rap over their knuckles with a wet bus ticket if at all)
Yes, in those circumstances, depending on whistle blowing or victims to take a stand is asking them to tighten their own thumb-screws.
With increased funding a team of undercover waiters, painters, wherever there are hot-spots, could be hired. They could gather evidence and present it in court.
I’d see the inspectorate’s job as making it easier in our environment to do the right thing by workers than to cheat them. Assist wannabe exploiters in arriving at the decision that there is little to no upside in doing the wrong thing.
I guess a downside of such an outcome could be the dept becoming a victim of it’s own success.
I’m interested in furthering this discussion @DM because you seem to have sensible ideas/solutions. Commitments – so hopefully later.
One of my concerns is with Immigration Consultants (who are often described as ‘lawyers’ when they’re not). They should have to operate under the aegis of a lawyer at least, because then there is some process for sanction. I’ve come cross these so-called ‘lawyers’ who also run things like security companies, labour hire companies, even beauty salons (when that was supposedly a ‘skill shortage), and who funnel their victims through these places.
I’m not sure the IAA has ever heard of the Companies Register before. It might have given them a place to start identifying the charlatans.
…..later
They should all join a union.
Indeed…..however for many it’s a case of cudda shudda wudda because all they’ve ever known is the culture of the ‘self’ and the benefits of a collective approach is so passe – that is until things jump up and bite them in the bum. However, they’re no less entitled to be treated with respect and common decency – such as not being subjected to slave labour conditions.
Listening to RNZ this morning though, it appears some unions are prepared to represent those that have been exploited, regardless of membership – presumably as long as they now join (I maybe wrong, but I’d have thought in the cause of mutual benefit) …. a bloody small price to have to pay.
Perhaps, just like the ‘Taxpayers Union’ have hijacked the idea and label of unionism, unions should start calling themseves ‘associations’ (so much more classy to a gNatzi mindset)
Water shortages to be key environmental challenge of the century, Nasa warns
Freshwater supplies have already seriously declined in 19 global hotspots – from China to the Caspian Sea – due to overuse, groundbreaking study shows
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/16/water-shortages-to-be-key-environmental-challenge-of-the-century-nasa-warns
Banned CFC’s are back in production..
Mysterious rise in banned ozone-destroying chemical shocks scientists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/16/mysterious-rise-in-banned-ozone-destroying-chemical-shocks-scientists
Thanks for that savenz.
national were also letting in ozone destroying chemicals too here.
we need to tighten up on our emissions simply to save our planet now as the traces of national policy are still around and affecting our planet.
Jacinda must step up here.
National have promoted the worst transport policy in history by culling rail for more trucks to increase the emissions of CO2 levels five times more by choosing to using road freight vs rail freight.
We need to move half the road freight back to rail as soon as we can.
Then use carbon pricing of all products made and transported using the EU model of carbon “food miles” pricing now on all products not just food.
This may finally setup our clean transport system we most need.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_miles
Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. Food miles are one factor used when assessing the environmental impact of food, including the impact on global warming.[1]
The concept of food miles originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It was conceived by Professor Tim Lang[2] at the Sustainable Agriculture Food and Environment (SAFE) Alliance[3] and first appeared in print in a report “The Food Miles Report: The dangers of long-distance food transport”, researched and written by Angela Paxton.[4][5]
Some scholars believe that an increase in the distance food travels is due to the globalization of trade; the focus of food supply bases into fewer, larger districts; drastic changes in delivery patterns; the increase in processed and packaged foods; and making fewer trips to the supermarket. These make a small part of the greenhouse gas emissions created by food; 83% of overall emissions of CO2 are in production phases.[6]
I bought my kids a Sundae from a west Auckland McDonalds drive through and something was clearly going wrong at the store because the spoons supplied were dirty and a whole lot of other things were weird…
Police investigate McDonald’s sundae pills
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/357577/police-investigate-mcdonald-s-sundae-pills
Wage theft at Maccas – $1 million a year in lieu days or public holiday pay
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/20/wage-theft-at-maccas-1-million-a-year-in-lieu-days-or-public-holiday-pay/
Sanity has prevailed.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12053519
Yes, good to see Penny can move on now: https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/104001288/activist-penny-bright-resolves-outstanding-rates-bill-stopping-forced-sale-of-home
Not all people in the film industry are dim bulbs and louts like Rob Reiner, Harvey Weinstein, Jared Leto, Kevin Spacey, or that unfunny talking toilet Roseanne Barr
Colin Kaepernick and hundreds of other protesting football players showed us that athletes have consciences as well as talent. Now the likes of Ava DuVernay, Bette Midler, Mia Farrow, and Judd Apatow are doing the same for Hollywood….
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/16/in-praise-of-ava-duvernay-bette-midler-mia-farrow-and-judd-apatow/
Trump’s bad—but the Democrats are just as bad.
https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/996089360327041025
Missing your transcripts
Sorry Ed, I’ve been too busy with other stuff recently. I have, however, been listening to Jim Mora—he hasn’t been too bad, I must say. The other day his guests were David Farrar and Ali Jones, who mauled and battered Farrar as completely and humiliatingly as Gordon Campbell did to that nasty old plod Graham Bell a few years ago.
More transcripts ARE on the way, especially concerning the love fest for Bonnie Prince Harry and his bride….
https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/recycling-makes-cents-we-want-cash-for-containers
Related posts and comments:
Plastic Fantastic
BILL – January 26, 2018
Greens announce plan to turn trash into cash
notices and features – August 27, 2017
Pathological consumption
WEKA – January 5, 2017
Good morning the Am Show on 3.
I say that the Labour lead coalition government budget is a good thing living with in OUR needs. We need to be prepared for another world financial down slow and or the price of oil to go up with oil men in charge of the White House.
I seen the boat show when I read about all the complaints about the middle class being being squeeze ECO MAORI Says that I have not seen so many flash boats and Ford trucks than at this point in time so don’t threat Middle class people you have it sweet compared to the lower class people who are manly brown people.
Many thanks to The Warehouse red shed for stopping the use of plastic bags.
As for the pink shirt day I support that one day I wore a cap it was pink I thought it was cream my wife informed me it was pink. Ka kite ano. P.S I still see the ECO MAORI – – – – is working
There you go a racist old white man who needs to retire his dumb – – – – views if we carry on listening to this bigots views we would not even have the Internet how would you like to do with out that science made that possible Mcvay is just got the Waiapu coming out of his eyes with out science we would be nothing like as advanced as we are. Ka kite ano P.S We all know why crime is falling the what effect Ana to kai
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12052794