From Stuff this morning. The richest 1 per cent of the population owns three times more than the combined cash and assets of the poorest 50 per cent.
Though it is often lauded overseas as an egalitarian society, New Zealand’s income inequality statistics are much worse than those of most other developed nations. More than 200,000 Kiwi children live below the poverty line.
One can only conclude looking at the Polls that we are a heartless venal bunch of bastards. Or maybe just idiots for siding with the crapheads who promote this type of society.
The Dominion Post has investigated the group’s claims to measure just how big the gulf is here between the haves and have nots. A Statistics New Zealand report says the richest inhabitants’ net wealth runs into tens of millions of dollars, but is “likely to be underestimated”.
The report’s 2004 data – the latest available – reveals the richest 10 per cent collectively possess $128 billion in wealth, with median individual wealth of $255,000. In contrast, the poorest 10 per cent collectively possess $17.2b, with median individual wealth of $3200. While the richest 1 per cent held 16.4 per cent of the country’s net wealth, the poorest 50 per cent owned just 5.2 per cent.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows New Zealand’s income inequality climbed dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s after sweeping economic reforms and deregulation of labour markets.
Disparities have plateaued since 2000, largely thanks to Working for Families tax credits, bigger pay packets for middle and low-income earners and declining investment returns for the rich.
But the gap between rich and poor still ranked ninth worst in the developed world in 2008.
And at the bottom of the article is the response from each party to this news/situation.
National/Key’s response is all waffly aspirational, grow the economy and jobs. Act/Brash’s is also fairly waffley. Labour/Goff and The Greens/Turie are more specific, mentioning their policies to change the situation.
Such disparity is clearly the result of the country’s regulatory and legislative settings in areas like taxation, wage rates, welfare support, employment law, union restrictions and wider commercial regs.
The settings have been set and the water has found its level ….. at these ridiculous and frankly completely rude differences.
If the settings mentioned above are all adjusted appropriately then the water will find a new level ….. at differences that are more reflective of the contributions each person makes to society.
It (this enormous gulf, not a general gulf) is nothing to do with who works harder or takes the greater risk or creates the most benefit for society, it is all to do with the government rules and regs.
Yeah, but wealth controls the discourse, so the settings will always be optimal for wealth concentration with just sufficient for the rest to prevent outright civil disintegration.
Maybe that’s why the PM can refuse to discuss tea drinking because the ‘public’ are only interested in ‘the economy’, while at the same time National doesn’t even attempt to provide policy answers on the Q & A site, or go on RNZ to discuss said policies.
Yes well it wrong that wealth controls much of the discourse. That is why we have a form of democracy. That is why we must be ever vigilant against this type of creeping change. After all, most of the world for most of its history has been under the control of heavily concentrated power.
Such disparity is clearly the result of the country’s regulatory and legislative settings in areas like taxation, wage rates, welfare support, employment law, union restrictions and wider commercial regs.
vto
Below is some tax policy that that begins to address this disparity:
MANA MEDIA RELEASE
18 November 2011
MANA Finds Friends in Strange Places
MANA economic justice spokesperson John Minto says MANA is surprised to find friends in strange places with no less than 39% of major New Zealand company chief executives supporting a Financial Transactions Tax in the New Zealand Herald’s “Mood of the Boardroom” survey released yesterday.
He says the CEOs were asked for their attitude to an FTT involving “a low tax on transactions involving equities, bonds, currency deals and derivatives”, and an astonishing 39% agreed.
“We thought the wealthy 1% would be the last to join the MANA call for a Hone Heke Financial Transactions Tax,” Mr Minto said.
“But these businesspeople are responding to international momentum building up behind this tax.
“Debate has taken off around the world and the FTT is now elbowing its way to the centre of economic debate in New Zealand where such a tax would have major benefits.
“When even the most right-wing businesspeople are seeing the benefits of such a tax then neo-liberal parties like Labour and National should take notice.
“An FTT on currency speculators would have the effect of stabilising and reducing the value of the New Zealand dollar (we have the 11th most traded currency in the world) which will bring in more money from exports as well as bringing in enough revenue to abolish GST.
“GST is a tax on the poor and has to go. The bottom 10% of income earners pay 14% of their income on GST while the top 10% pay just 4% of their income on GST.
“An FTT which abolishes GST will enable New Zealand to shift the tax burden from the poor to wealthy individuals and parasitic financial institutions.”
“GST is a tax on the poor and has to go. The bottom 10% of income earners pay 14% of their income on GST while the top 10% pay just 4% of their income on GST.
Although I believe it (it’s why National put GST up to 15% while cutting taxes for the rich) I’d like to see the research and figures that prove it.
…and parasitic financial institutions.
Wouldn’t it be better just to ban the parasitic institutions?
Carol, surely this is a joke? No self respecting report would have put their name to this drivel? For instance:
“But the gap between rich and poor still ranked ninth worst in the developed world in 2008”.
Given that earlier in the article the writer stated “The report’s 2004 data – the latest available”, how can a judgement be made that we are ninth in 2008, given there is no data for 2008? Warning bells, surely?
Oh, and on the 04 data, wasnt this after 5 years of Labour government, and during a period of the best economic conditions of a generation?
Given that earlier in the article the writer stated “The report’s 2004 data – the latest available”, how can a judgement be made that we are ninth in 2008, given there is no data for 2008?
Easy. Extrapolate decreasing wages for the majority with the fact that the top 151 people increased their net wealth by $7b in one year.
Oh, and on the 04 data, wasnt this after 5 years of Labour government, and during a period of the best economic conditions of a generation?
You may not have noticed but the increasing gap started after the neo-liberal reforms of the 1980s. It’s been getting worse ever since except over the time from 2000 to 2008 when it closed slightly. Then the GFC happened and it widened again.
So Draco, you propose that the conclusions drawn by the journo responsible for the article are by “extrapolation” rather than factual information? Now I see where you get some of your left field views from. You make stuff up!!
I note that you have mentioned the top 151 people increasing their wealth by $7billion. I assume these numbers have come from the NBR rich list. Best you have a look through, say the top 20 on that list. Tell me how many actually live and have business’s in NZ.
For eg: Graeme Hart’s wealth is almost entirely generated offshore and taxed accordingly, since it is unlikely that he is a tax resident of NZ. The Chandler brothers, Richard and Chris, have lived offshore for years. Again, their business interests are offshore and taxed in the jurisdictions where the income is earned. To that you can add Owen Glenn, Sir Michael Fay, David Richwhite, Eric Watson. There, I’ve done some of the legwork for you. What you need to do now, is sort out the actual numbers re those left in NZ, and their relative increase in wealth to get an accurate perspective.
Also, do some reading on the time value of money. When you have some, put it in the bank at an interest rate, do nothing and it actually increases! Amazing!
The decreasing incomes for the majority and the increasing net wealth of the minority is observed fact.
Also, do some reading on the time value of money. When you have some, put it in the bank at an interest rate, do nothing and it actually increases! Amazing!
Money in itself has no value. Interest is theft, a way to gain without work.
Shamubeel Eaqub says, in relation to the rich/poor divide, “The big issue isn’t in terms of whether low income people have assets, but whether they have enough to live decently.”
While he is right up to a point, he does not take into account the fact that a lack of assets in a place like NZ plays a big part in being able to live decently – in fact the wealth gap is probably a bigger driver of inequality than the wage gap. NZ used to have a very high proportion of home ownership, supplemented by a stable state housing policy, both of which have been seriously eroded over the past 20-30 years. Being subject to the changing whims of landlords and policies may not cause starvation, but does deprive people of a base upon which to build a life, even a modest life. The realistic appraisal that all industry is under threat and underpaid here, and that there is little hope of getting a foothold in the place if you do not already have one are the two main factors driving the exodus to Australia.
I may not have made myself clear enough Draco. I meant that people need assets in the sense of security of dwelling, whether through widespread home ownership or some other model. The lack of this, in a country where home ownership has decreased, casual landlording has increased, and state housing is under threat, plays a large part in locking people into poverty. I certainly did not mean that if we could all be rentiers then we would all be well off.
Where does Campbell get off thinking it valid journalism to resurrect
the worm for assessing public opinion on his show, when the worm,
in this case, is a downloadable app on smart phones that only a few can afford?
Some group some where in our “monitoring-of-practice-around-election-behaviour”
should be on to this one. Particularly as there was “serious” analysis of the results
on his programme …
Paul Goldsmith at last night’s Epsom candidate meeting while the “elephant in the room” was being talked about by David Parker: http://i42.tinypic.com/30hog0n.jpg
I hate to see a grown man cry, but it looks as though Goldsmith is about to break into tears with the news that he is still leading in the polls and is likely to win Epsom for National and not ACT.
Good to see the politicians tightening their belts and only accepting a 1.5% payrise and 5k bonus.
Leading by example that’s what we like to see.
MPs ‘don’t deserve’ pay rise
The Remuneration Authority, the independent body that sets politicians’ pay, has given MPs a salary increase of 1.5 per cent plus a $5000 payment to compensate for their scrapped international travel perks. The changes have bumped up a backbencher’s pay from $134,800 to $141,800, backdated to July 1 this year.
a increase of 20 cents a hour like Key gave to minimum wage earners- i earn a bit more than minimum wage but still is fuk all and i resent that MP’s r gona get 7k increase a year
r u that dumb?
Interesting that Joyce says on RNZ that their internal polling says that 80%+ people think that there are more important issues to discuss than tea-tapes. Wow! Fancy that. Most people would say that but the credibility/stability of our PM is also important. Joyce says we should be discussing the important issues like the economy. True but why won’t Key, who has been made the focus of everything, front up for serious interviews on those serious issues? That man is arrogant and treats the voters with contempt.
Where are the Government Ministers for interview and could they front for more than just reading statements?
Where is Key on serious interviews?
Afraid to face the Nation?
if Policy is so important to them, why won’t they answer the RNZ Q+A Policy questions?
These guys are just sitting there with middle fingers raised high.
I do not put it past them to have rigged something that they retain power no matter what the ballots say.
I do not trust these self serving arse-licking maggot spewing lap dogs of the Industrial-Military-Corpocracy,
(apologies to maggots everywhere which are, as we all know, very useful little critters)
Unfortunately with the “Over the teacups” gossip, Labour’s policies, asset sales, CGT, Phil Goff’s meetings, etc, etc, are getting sidelined and not reported. Was this the initial strategy that has just got out of hand?
My friend keeps telling me the Jesus Christ was the first socialist in the world and the consertave government of the day did not like his message and crucified him.
That was how anxious they were to close down a socialist view, I am beginning to think she is right, here we have another conservative government trying to close down the socialist view.
Are they any different than the Romans, they have different methods these days but….. would they call themselves christians and look upon Jesus as their savour…. go figure they don’t know what they are talking about.
Well said Deborah Hill Cone. I share the very same thoughts with regard to the Zac Guildford issue. I was also struck by the contrast between the reaction to Guildford and that meted out by this National Government to run-of-the-mill “criminals”.
Deborah Hill Cone
‘While Zac Guildford gets forgiveness and life coaching, run-of-the-mill crims get locked up and ignored.”
“National does not seem to see this double standard. It has run an increasingly punitive law and order policy which seems to have been ghost-written by the Sensible Sentencing Trust.”
Exactly. Reflected also in the example of hypocrisy by ACT and Sensible Sentencing over their hard stance on crims and soft stance on David Garrett’s crimes.
Another example – name suppression for high profile or rich crims because it “would affect their life so much” whereas the ordinary worker down the road gets no suppression even though it “would affect their life even more, relatively”.
People notice these things and the slow downward slide in standing of the supposed upper-echelons of society continues and is increasing ….
it is pretty daft to say that the media are abusing their power because they want to bring to the public’s attention what the pm of nz is saying and doing – it’s the media’s job to tell us all what’s going on and it’s hardly an ‘overuse of power’ if a lot of people in nz really want to know what sort of person their pm really is…..
Must say, whatever you think of his politics and methods, Winston Peters certainly has the gift of the gab. It’s been refreshing to hear a fluent speaking style on the radio after all the bland waffle of the last 3 years.
Winnie’s not everyone’s cuppa but at least you know what you’ll get from him and I agree with a previous blogger that at least he’s got kudos from the Winebox saga.
Which is more than the NACT can claim in terms of honesty or achievement as all they’ve done in 3 years is take a zero nett debt position they inherited from the fiscally prudent clark/cullen era and plunder it for their mates and backers benefits at the expense of hard working struggling kiwis.
Hoping beyond hope for this scenario…..tied election with Winnie back……Key and Goff approach Winnie who says, “Hey guys, my price is that we re open the Winebox, push through legislation with massive penalties for corporate fraud etc etc etc………”!
Downton Abbey…..pretty settings, costumes and photography….crap dialogue and pathetic story lines….sort of reminds me of John Key and his cronies really. Here the Guardian climbs into it politically.
Act: “James and I have actually entered into a deal: I’m telling ACT voters to vote for Shaw, and he’s telling his supporters to party vote ACT.”
of course it is a joke but in a soundbite world these guys need to be more responsible
politics in NZ is a bloody joke,
it’s off down the rabbit hole for us all
“Britain’s jobless young people are being sent to work for supermarkets and budget stores for up to two months for no pay and no guarantee of a job, the Guardian can reveal.”
Much as I gave up on The Listener years ago, Toby Manhire has an online blog at the Listener site which is updated throughout the day on the campaign and media developments which I found very useful for keeping up with the play. Probably way behind others in finding the site!
Anyway, he has posted a link to this weekend’s 60 minutes promo = and scary!!!!
Another link found via Toby Manhire’s blog to a TV3 video. Really found Goff’s natural and appropriate reaction at the end of the video a delight compared to Dear Leader’s performance this week.
Interesting. Taken from your good friend the Whale’s site (but not written by him):
1.You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2.What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3.The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4.You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5.When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Your proportions were a bit off for #5. Should read:
When 1% of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other 99% is going to take care of them, and when the other 99% gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Your figures are somewhat skewed McFlock. Over 40 % of households in NZ are net beneficiaries. How does this equate with 99% working to support the 1%?
The top 10% of households in NZ pay over 70% of income tax already. So to say that the 99% support the one percent is just plain nonsense and an unsustainable argument.
The candidates all (except for Brendon Burns) look a bit…odd. Cosgrove looks like he has no upper lip. Dyson looks like she has a shrunken head. Woods looks like shes wearing somones couch and Dalziel looks like shes seen a ghost.
Is it really that hard to get/take a half-way decent photo?
RUGBY NEWS
Phil Goff almost broke the national conspiracy of silence tonight
Radio New Zealand National “Checkpoint”, 6:25 p.m., Friday 18 November 2011
The Friday night political round-up is not exactly the context you’d expect for this incident. But there you are: football is always on the minds of Kiwis, even the Leader of the Opposition during the heat of a campaign. What follows below constitutes a tantalizing near-miss in the maintenance of the national blackout….
JULIAN ROBINS: There are just over seven days left before election day. It’s a very big task ahead of you.
PHIL GOFF: Yes, but then the French team were underdogs five minutes before the World Cup final last month—and look what happened.
ROBINS: But they lost.
GOFF: Yes but… [long, long pause] …I will do it differently.
* * * * * * * * * *
That was extremely close. Phil Goff NEARLY did it. He nearly broke ranks and said: “Yes, but …. [long, long pause] … the National Party can’t count on a Craig Joubert to deliver them the result they want.”
But during that long, long pause, Goff’s finely honed political instincts kicked in and he (not for the first time in his career) suppressed the urge to state the truth and almost certainly unleash a political furore about his lack of patriotism. So he uttered the lame and unconvincing Plan B: “I will do it differently.”
We wonder who in New Zealand will be the first establishment figure to commit the heretical act of admitting what rugby fans all over the world already acknowledge: that the All Blacks were gifted the World Cup by the (possibly corrupt) non-referee.
I don’t know how to break this to you but no matter if anyone says it it isn’t going to change anything. The All Blacks still won – probably time to move on, everyone else has.
I don’t know how to break this to you but no matter if anyone says it it isn’t going to change anything.
Of course the All Blacks will keep the Cup for the next four years, so you’re right in that narrow sense. But millions of fans all over the world—and especially in France, a country that has always held All Black rugby in high regard—saw the All Blacks gifted the final because a possibly corrupt (non-) referee refused to penalize their cynical, repeated, blatant fouling.
So, in fact, the unfairness of Joubert’s astounding non-performance has left the All Blacks’ victory tarnished. In the euphoric afterglow of victory, it’s not something many of us feel able to comment on, however. It will take a while.
The All Blacks still won – probably time to move on, everyone else has.
No, “everyone else” has not “moved on”. This is a major story in France, and it’s only going to get worse. If you’re a fan of the All Blacks, you will feel angry that Joubert’s outrageous display has devalued this victory.
A couple of comments from Matt McCarten on iPredict tonight:
He saw Phil Goff yesterday and he was alive and vibrant – his head’s in a very good place compared with Key looking tired and stressed.
he confirms Hooton’s comment that Key disparaged the Greens in the teapot conversation: Key allegedly said, in the election the Greens won’t score as high as they have been in the polls because the Green supporters are losers and won’t get out to vote.
Key allegedly said, in the election the Greens won’t score as high as they have been in the polls because the Green supporters are losers and won’t get out to vote.
Key is as arrogant as he is indolent. The Green voters will come out in force next Saturday, and it looks like Winston’s Army will too.
Hooton is a keen and intelligent monitor of the airwaves, so he will have heard the alarming (for Hooton and his cronies) item on National Radio this morning, which pointed out that Auckland’s vast Pacific Islands community is going to vote in force for Labour next weekend, and will not be boycotting like it did in 2008.
Also McCarten made a “measure of the man” kind of comment about Goff. He said that Goff has spent 3 years being slammed in the media, and every day he gets back up and is out there doing his job, and he still looks eager. In contrast, Matt said, Key has had a dream run with the press, and he gets a bit of flack from them and he starts to cave.
Its true I have doubts now, I used to think National would be able to govern alone. Now I think they’ll need one of either the maori party, peter dunne or act
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Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. The data is from February this ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
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)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
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From Stuff this morning.
The richest 1 per cent of the population owns three times more than the combined cash and assets of the poorest 50 per cent.
Though it is often lauded overseas as an egalitarian society, New Zealand’s income inequality statistics are much worse than those of most other developed nations. More than 200,000 Kiwi children live below the poverty line.
One can only conclude looking at the Polls that we are a heartless venal bunch of bastards. Or maybe just idiots for siding with the crapheads who promote this type of society.
Yes, I just read the article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5989843/Revealing-the-gap-between-NZs-rich-and-poor
And at the bottom of the article is the response from each party to this news/situation.
National/Key’s response is all waffly aspirational, grow the economy and jobs. Act/Brash’s is also fairly waffley. Labour/Goff and The Greens/Turie are more specific, mentioning their policies to change the situation.
Yes National, your youth rate is really going to close that gap…
Such disparity is clearly the result of the country’s regulatory and legislative settings in areas like taxation, wage rates, welfare support, employment law, union restrictions and wider commercial regs.
The settings have been set and the water has found its level ….. at these ridiculous and frankly completely rude differences.
If the settings mentioned above are all adjusted appropriately then the water will find a new level ….. at differences that are more reflective of the contributions each person makes to society.
It (this enormous gulf, not a general gulf) is nothing to do with who works harder or takes the greater risk or creates the most benefit for society, it is all to do with the government rules and regs.
Yeah, but wealth controls the discourse, so the settings will always be optimal for wealth concentration with just sufficient for the rest to prevent outright civil disintegration.
Maybe that’s why the PM can refuse to discuss tea drinking because the ‘public’ are only interested in ‘the economy’, while at the same time National doesn’t even attempt to provide policy answers on the Q & A site, or go on RNZ to discuss said policies.
Yes well it wrong that wealth controls much of the discourse. That is why we have a form of democracy. That is why we must be ever vigilant against this type of creeping change. After all, most of the world for most of its history has been under the control of heavily concentrated power.
Below is some tax policy that that begins to address this disparity:
MANA MEDIA RELEASE
18 November 2011
MANA Finds Friends in Strange Places
MANA economic justice spokesperson John Minto says MANA is surprised to find friends in strange places with no less than 39% of major New Zealand company chief executives supporting a Financial Transactions Tax in the New Zealand Herald’s “Mood of the Boardroom” survey released yesterday.
He says the CEOs were asked for their attitude to an FTT involving “a low tax on transactions involving equities, bonds, currency deals and derivatives”, and an astonishing 39% agreed.
“We thought the wealthy 1% would be the last to join the MANA call for a Hone Heke Financial Transactions Tax,” Mr Minto said.
“But these businesspeople are responding to international momentum building up behind this tax.
“Debate has taken off around the world and the FTT is now elbowing its way to the centre of economic debate in New Zealand where such a tax would have major benefits.
“When even the most right-wing businesspeople are seeing the benefits of such a tax then neo-liberal parties like Labour and National should take notice.
“An FTT on currency speculators would have the effect of stabilising and reducing the value of the New Zealand dollar (we have the 11th most traded currency in the world) which will bring in more money from exports as well as bringing in enough revenue to abolish GST.
“GST is a tax on the poor and has to go. The bottom 10% of income earners pay 14% of their income on GST while the top 10% pay just 4% of their income on GST.
“An FTT which abolishes GST will enable New Zealand to shift the tax burden from the poor to wealthy individuals and parasitic financial institutions.”
Mr Minto says it’s a win-win tax for New Zealand.
For further information contact John Minto
MANA Media Liaison: Peter Verschaffelt
Email media@mana.net.nz Web http://mana.net.nz
Not all business people are hard right-wingers.
Although I believe it (it’s why National put GST up to 15% while cutting taxes for the rich) I’d like to see the research and figures that prove it.
Wouldn’t it be better just to ban the parasitic institutions?
Carol, surely this is a joke? No self respecting report would have put their name to this drivel? For instance:
“But the gap between rich and poor still ranked ninth worst in the developed world in 2008”.
Given that earlier in the article the writer stated “The report’s 2004 data – the latest available”, how can a judgement be made that we are ninth in 2008, given there is no data for 2008? Warning bells, surely?
Oh, and on the 04 data, wasnt this after 5 years of Labour government, and during a period of the best economic conditions of a generation?
Easy. Extrapolate decreasing wages for the majority with the fact that the top 151 people increased their net wealth by $7b in one year.
You may not have noticed but the increasing gap started after the neo-liberal reforms of the 1980s. It’s been getting worse ever since except over the time from 2000 to 2008 when it closed slightly. Then the GFC happened and it widened again.
That is in fact why The Powers That Be launched the global neoliberal reforms.
So Draco, you propose that the conclusions drawn by the journo responsible for the article are by “extrapolation” rather than factual information? Now I see where you get some of your left field views from. You make stuff up!!
I note that you have mentioned the top 151 people increasing their wealth by $7billion. I assume these numbers have come from the NBR rich list. Best you have a look through, say the top 20 on that list. Tell me how many actually live and have business’s in NZ.
For eg: Graeme Hart’s wealth is almost entirely generated offshore and taxed accordingly, since it is unlikely that he is a tax resident of NZ. The Chandler brothers, Richard and Chris, have lived offshore for years. Again, their business interests are offshore and taxed in the jurisdictions where the income is earned. To that you can add Owen Glenn, Sir Michael Fay, David Richwhite, Eric Watson. There, I’ve done some of the legwork for you. What you need to do now, is sort out the actual numbers re those left in NZ, and their relative increase in wealth to get an accurate perspective.
Also, do some reading on the time value of money. When you have some, put it in the bank at an interest rate, do nothing and it actually increases! Amazing!
The decreasing incomes for the majority and the increasing net wealth of the minority is observed fact.
Money in itself has no value. Interest is theft, a way to gain without work.
And, Draco, on that same note, Socialism is theft.
Well, if we are getting that fundamental:
Capitalism is theft from the poor by the rich;
Socialism is when the poor “steal” it back.
Shamubeel Eaqub says, in relation to the rich/poor divide, “The big issue isn’t in terms of whether low income people have assets, but whether they have enough to live decently.”
While he is right up to a point, he does not take into account the fact that a lack of assets in a place like NZ plays a big part in being able to live decently – in fact the wealth gap is probably a bigger driver of inequality than the wage gap. NZ used to have a very high proportion of home ownership, supplemented by a stable state housing policy, both of which have been seriously eroded over the past 20-30 years. Being subject to the changing whims of landlords and policies may not cause starvation, but does deprive people of a base upon which to build a life, even a modest life. The realistic appraisal that all industry is under threat and underpaid here, and that there is little hope of getting a foothold in the place if you do not already have one are the two main factors driving the exodus to Australia.
Actually, it is. People with assets can be rentiers and increase their income even without working. People without assets can’t.
Capitalism creates poverty by by shifting the communities wealth into the ownership and control of a few.
I may not have made myself clear enough Draco. I meant that people need assets in the sense of security of dwelling, whether through widespread home ownership or some other model. The lack of this, in a country where home ownership has decreased, casual landlording has increased, and state housing is under threat, plays a large part in locking people into poverty. I certainly did not mean that if we could all be rentiers then we would all be well off.
What the story only implies:
John Key is a 1%-er.
Polling.
Where does Campbell get off thinking it valid journalism to resurrect
the worm for assessing public opinion on his show, when the worm,
in this case, is a downloadable app on smart phones that only a few can afford?
Some group some where in our “monitoring-of-practice-around-election-behaviour”
should be on to this one. Particularly as there was “serious” analysis of the results
on his programme …
Paul Goldsmith at last night’s Epsom candidate meeting while the “elephant in the room” was being talked about by David Parker:
http://i42.tinypic.com/30hog0n.jpg
It looks like he’s just finished a big piece of turd pie.
I hate to see a grown man cry, but it looks as though Goldsmith is about to break into tears with the news that he is still leading in the polls and is likely to win Epsom for National and not ACT.
a pisstake on jokey hens life and
Go and listen – its farkin funny and spread it thru yr networks guys n gals 😛
http://www.robroynz.com/
Good one except who knows what charities his (increased) goes too?
Would love to know what charities get his salary ?- considering alot of them run on the smell of a oily rag aye
Not many if any– springz 2 mind
He is too greedy to donate all of his salary
National’s Waitemata Trust.
Have you seen this one….so true!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEiZPWeQcis&feature=player_embedded
Good to see the politicians tightening their belts and only accepting a 1.5% payrise and 5k bonus.
Leading by example that’s what we like to see.
MPs ‘don’t deserve’ pay rise
The Remuneration Authority, the independent body that sets politicians’ pay, has given MPs a salary increase of 1.5 per cent plus a $5000 payment to compensate for their scrapped international travel perks. The changes have bumped up a backbencher’s pay from $134,800 to $141,800, backdated to July 1 this year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5989505/MPs-don-t-deserve-pay-rise
Still far too much
how bout 20 cents a hour? like the rest of us on minimum wage
You earn 20c per hour Kris, really.
a increase of 20 cents a hour like Key gave to minimum wage earners- i earn a bit more than minimum wage but still is fuk all and i resent that MP’s r gona get 7k increase a year
r u that dumb?
Interesting that Joyce says on RNZ that their internal polling says that 80%+ people think that there are more important issues to discuss than tea-tapes. Wow! Fancy that. Most people would say that but the credibility/stability of our PM is also important. Joyce says we should be discussing the important issues like the economy. True but why won’t Key, who has been made the focus of everything, front up for serious interviews on those serious issues? That man is arrogant and treats the voters with contempt.
Where are the Government Ministers for interview and could they front for more than just reading statements?
Where is Key on serious interviews?
Afraid to face the Nation?
How many times has Joyce refused morning report interviews?
if Policy is so important to them, why won’t they answer the RNZ Q+A Policy questions?
These guys are just sitting there with middle fingers raised high.
I do not put it past them to have rigged something that they retain power no matter what the ballots say.
I do not trust these self serving arse-licking maggot spewing lap dogs of the Industrial-Military-Corpocracy,
(apologies to maggots everywhere which are, as we all know, very useful little critters)
Unfortunately with the “Over the teacups” gossip, Labour’s policies, asset sales, CGT, Phil Goff’s meetings, etc, etc, are getting sidelined and not reported. Was this the initial strategy that has just got out of hand?
My friend keeps telling me the Jesus Christ was the first socialist in the world and the consertave government of the day did not like his message and crucified him.
That was how anxious they were to close down a socialist view, I am beginning to think she is right, here we have another conservative government trying to close down the socialist view.
Are they any different than the Romans, they have different methods these days but….. would they call themselves christians and look upon Jesus as their savour…. go figure they don’t know what they are talking about.
Well said Deborah Hill Cone. I share the very same thoughts with regard to the Zac Guildford issue. I was also struck by the contrast between the reaction to Guildford and that meted out by this National Government to run-of-the-mill “criminals”.
Deborah Hill Cone
‘While Zac Guildford gets forgiveness and life coaching, run-of-the-mill crims get locked up and ignored.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10766918
“National does not seem to see this double standard. It has run an increasingly punitive law and order policy which seems to have been ghost-written by the Sensible Sentencing Trust.”
Exactly. Reflected also in the example of hypocrisy by ACT and Sensible Sentencing over their hard stance on crims and soft stance on David Garrett’s crimes.
Another example – name suppression for high profile or rich crims because it “would affect their life so much” whereas the ordinary worker down the road gets no suppression even though it “would affect their life even more, relatively”.
People notice these things and the slow downward slide in standing of the supposed upper-echelons of society continues and is increasing ….
Is the media munting our democracy? They certainly seem to overuse and abuse their power.
it is pretty daft to say that the media are abusing their power because they want to bring to the public’s attention what the pm of nz is saying and doing – it’s the media’s job to tell us all what’s going on and it’s hardly an ‘overuse of power’ if a lot of people in nz really want to know what sort of person their pm really is…..
Pete’s having another Rodney King moment, “can’t we all just get along”.
And, meanwhile, United Follicles continues to ‘peter’ out.
They’re doing their job for once and holding power to account you feckless fucking courtesan.
http://www.guerillamedia.co.nz/content/freedom-speech-and-using-phone-post-facebook-are-crimes-nz
Nope you dickhead
Your mate Key is
Grist: The push is on to discredit clean energy investment.
Questioning Bill English
Over the last couple of days I’ve been asking a few questions of Bill English through his website…
Must say, whatever you think of his politics and methods, Winston Peters certainly has the gift of the gab. It’s been refreshing to hear a fluent speaking style on the radio after all the bland waffle of the last 3 years.
Winnie’s not everyone’s cuppa but at least you know what you’ll get from him and I agree with a previous blogger that at least he’s got kudos from the Winebox saga.
Which is more than the NACT can claim in terms of honesty or achievement as all they’ve done in 3 years is take a zero nett debt position they inherited from the fiscally prudent clark/cullen era and plunder it for their mates and backers benefits at the expense of hard working struggling kiwis.
Hoping beyond hope for this scenario…..tied election with Winnie back……Key and Goff approach Winnie who says, “Hey guys, my price is that we re open the Winebox, push through legislation with massive penalties for corporate fraud etc etc etc………”!
Fantastic to see more of the 1% coming out.
Somehow, does the piece sound like it is akschully written by the stated author?
Great to see he has spare time, like the cops do, to work on John Key’s campaign.
Owen Glenn on the joys and miracles of selling our assets
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10766751
Hey you 99%, go on, you know you want to vote for your serfdom 🙂
Downton Abbey…..pretty settings, costumes and photography….crap dialogue and pathetic story lines….sort of reminds me of John Key and his cronies really. Here the Guardian climbs into it politically.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/nov/17/downton-abbey-kirstie-new-boring
Occupy streams from around the globe so the revolution will
notbe televised.http://www.ustream.tv/theother99
12:22 on the Stuff live debate we have Greens announcing a deal with Act
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/election-2011/wellington-electorates/5987798/Wellington-Central-candidates-live-forum
Act: “James and I have actually entered into a deal: I’m telling ACT voters to vote for Shaw, and he’s telling his supporters to party vote ACT.”
of course it is a joke but in a soundbite world these guys need to be more responsible
politics in NZ is a bloody joke,
it’s off down the rabbit hole for us all
Yeah, I’m pretty annoyed with Stephen about that.
Young jobseekers told to work without pay or lose unemployment benefits
“Britain’s jobless young people are being sent to work for supermarkets and budget stores for up to two months for no pay and no guarantee of a job, the Guardian can reveal.”
Much as I gave up on The Listener years ago, Toby Manhire has an online blog at the Listener site which is updated throughout the day on the campaign and media developments which I found very useful for keeping up with the play. Probably way behind others in finding the site!
Anyway, he has posted a link to this weekend’s 60 minutes promo = and scary!!!!
http://www.3news.co.nz/The-Facegoff—a-dystopian-future/tabid/1620/articleID/233184/Default.aspx
Another link found via Toby Manhire’s blog to a TV3 video. Really found Goff’s natural and appropriate reaction at the end of the video a delight compared to Dear Leader’s performance this week.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Defacing-Labour-billboards-with-Goffs-face/tabid/419/articleID/233120/Default.aspx
Thats just mean
Interesting. Taken from your good friend the Whale’s site (but not written by him):
1.You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2.What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3.The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4.You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5.When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
You cannot substitute intelligence by intelligence substitute cannot you.
Your proportions were a bit off for #5. Should read:
When 1% of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other 99% is going to take care of them, and when the other 99% gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Your figures are somewhat skewed McFlock. Over 40 % of households in NZ are net beneficiaries. How does this equate with 99% working to support the 1%?
The top 10% of households in NZ pay over 70% of income tax already. So to say that the 99% support the one percent is just plain nonsense and an unsustainable argument.
i just want to touch on 4 because i am still pissing my pants laughing at the rest of them
“4.You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!”
What do you think fractional reserve banking does ?
Whats up with Christchurch MP pictures
The candidates all (except for Brendon Burns) look a bit…odd. Cosgrove looks like he has no upper lip. Dyson looks like she has a shrunken head. Woods looks like shes wearing somones couch and Dalziel looks like shes seen a ghost.
Is it really that hard to get/take a half-way decent photo?
their pictures DONT get photoshopped like Keystone the bully does mate
god u RWNJ aint that bright eh
Tell you what sunshine go have a look at Dalziels pic and tell me its not shopped
http://www.ownourfuture.co.nz/candidates/lianne-dalziel
and do you think this image is shopped or real?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Helen_Clark_2.jpg
Helen Clark’s a ChristChurch mp?
Excuse me, sir, your desperation is showing.
Well to be fair I was a bit iffy about putting her in but in the end I decided I was ok with it.
My comments arn’t about the MPs themselves more about whoevers taking the photos, choosing the clothes etc etc
I did say that Burns didn’t look bad
Token faint praise duly noted.
RUGBY NEWS
Phil Goff almost broke the national conspiracy of silence tonight
Radio New Zealand National “Checkpoint”, 6:25 p.m., Friday 18 November 2011
The Friday night political round-up is not exactly the context you’d expect for this incident. But there you are: football is always on the minds of Kiwis, even the Leader of the Opposition during the heat of a campaign. What follows below constitutes a tantalizing near-miss in the maintenance of the national blackout….
JULIAN ROBINS: There are just over seven days left before election day. It’s a very big task ahead of you.
PHIL GOFF: Yes, but then the French team were underdogs five minutes before the World Cup final last month—and look what happened.
ROBINS: But they lost.
GOFF: Yes but… [long, long pause] …I will do it differently.
* * * * * * * * * *
That was extremely close. Phil Goff NEARLY did it. He nearly broke ranks and said: “Yes, but …. [long, long pause] … the National Party can’t count on a Craig Joubert to deliver them the result they want.”
But during that long, long pause, Goff’s finely honed political instincts kicked in and he (not for the first time in his career) suppressed the urge to state the truth and almost certainly unleash a political furore about his lack of patriotism. So he uttered the lame and unconvincing Plan B: “I will do it differently.”
We wonder who in New Zealand will be the first establishment figure to commit the heretical act of admitting what rugby fans all over the world already acknowledge: that the All Blacks were gifted the World Cup by the (possibly corrupt) non-referee.
I don’t know how to break this to you but no matter if anyone says it it isn’t going to change anything. The All Blacks still won – probably time to move on, everyone else has.
I don’t know how to break this to you but no matter if anyone says it it isn’t going to change anything.
Of course the All Blacks will keep the Cup for the next four years, so you’re right in that narrow sense. But millions of fans all over the world—and especially in France, a country that has always held All Black rugby in high regard—saw the All Blacks gifted the final because a possibly corrupt (non-) referee refused to penalize their cynical, repeated, blatant fouling.
So, in fact, the unfairness of Joubert’s astounding non-performance has left the All Blacks’ victory tarnished. In the euphoric afterglow of victory, it’s not something many of us feel able to comment on, however. It will take a while.
The All Blacks still won – probably time to move on, everyone else has.
No, “everyone else” has not “moved on”. This is a major story in France, and it’s only going to get worse. If you’re a fan of the All Blacks, you will feel angry that Joubert’s outrageous display has devalued this victory.
A couple of comments from Matt McCarten on iPredict tonight:
He saw Phil Goff yesterday and he was alive and vibrant – his head’s in a very good place compared with Key looking tired and stressed.
he confirms Hooton’s comment that Key disparaged the Greens in the teapot conversation: Key allegedly said, in the election the Greens won’t score as high as they have been in the polls because the Green supporters are losers and won’t get out to vote.
Key allegedly said, in the election the Greens won’t score as high as they have been in the polls because the Green supporters are losers and won’t get out to vote.
Key is as arrogant as he is indolent. The Green voters will come out in force next Saturday, and it looks like Winston’s Army will too.
Hooton is a keen and intelligent monitor of the airwaves, so he will have heard the alarming (for Hooton and his cronies) item on National Radio this morning, which pointed out that Auckland’s vast Pacific Islands community is going to vote in force for Labour next weekend, and will not be boycotting like it did in 2008.
Maybe that’s why Goff seems positive?
Also McCarten made a “measure of the man” kind of comment about Goff. He said that Goff has spent 3 years being slammed in the media, and every day he gets back up and is out there doing his job, and he still looks eager. In contrast, Matt said, Key has had a dream run with the press, and he gets a bit of flack from them and he starts to cave.
Its true I have doubts now, I used to think National would be able to govern alone. Now I think they’ll need one of either the maori party, peter dunne or act