Open mike 20/06/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 20th, 2024 - 54 comments
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54 comments on “Open mike 20/06/2024 ”

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  1. bwaghorn 1
    20 June 2024 at 7:22 am

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    Nats say anything to win policy, has us likely to buy the wrong drugs at premium prices, geniuses!!!

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    20 June 2024 at 7:51 am

    Wellington woman Cara has watched her rent climb steadily over the years, and says it is "by far" the biggest financial stress of her life.

    "Ten years ago, I paid $400 a week for a three-bedroom house in Johnsonville. Then three years ago I paid $650 for a much worse three-bedroom house in Karori. Now I pay $710 for a three-bedroom house in Whitby."

    As rents have pushed up in recent years on the back of high migration, New Zealand's rental market has achieved a record that tenants would rather not set, and global distinction the country would probably prefer not to achieve.

    Kelvin Davidson, chief economist at property research firm Corelogic

    "This is definitely not a cheap country to rent. It's not a cheap country to do much actually."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/520050/renting-is-very-expensive-nz-s-global-distinction

    But surely..the $25 tax cut ?….Movies and icecream… ?

    Hard times ahead. Take care and look after each other. Esp those who are up against the worst of it.

    • Jimmy 2.1
      20 June 2024 at 8:39 am

      Poor Cara, she must be very upset that rents have increased so much under the last government, and the increased landlord's costs were passed on (as expected).

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.1.1
        20 June 2024 at 8:45 am

        "Poor Cara" ? Jimmy, jimmy, jimmy. You are increasingly looking like a right wing troll….

        is there a bridge missing you?

        • Jimmy 2.1.1.1
          20 June 2024 at 9:25 am

          Wouldn't really call myself a right wing troll, just a centre voter highlighting another point of view, but I guess in your opinion everyone has to agree on this site that anything the blue team does is bad, and everything the red/green team do is good.

          When interest deductibility was stopped/reduced for landlords they were told that would push up rents – and it did.

          When healthy homes standards introduced that in many cases made rentals better than the landlords homes (air cons, insulation, heater in bedrooms) they were told that would push up rents – and it did.

          But that was all ok as Kiwibuild would increase supply of rentals to keep prices down. They were told there was no way they could build that many houses – and they didn't.

          "Is there a bridge missing you?" – Well I am missing a bridge that cost us $51 million just to be told adding it to the harbour bridge was not a good idea.

          • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2024 at 9:35 am

            A "centre voter" ? lmao. All right wing attack lines…

            IMO you are to centre, as NActFirst is.

            • Jimmy 2.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2024 at 9:53 am

              If you consider Helen Clark's Labour nine years as now being right wing, then yes I am right wing.

              • SPC …
                20 June 2024 at 10:20 am

                When healthy homes standards introduced that in many cases made rentals better than the landlords homes (air cons, insulation, heater in bedrooms) they were told that would push

                Many cases?

                Can you name a landlord – show any report based on facts to this?

                A landlord living in a home without insulation? One in a cold bedroom? And what air cons – you mean heat pump? The requirement is heating to 18 degrees in the main living area – that can be done otherwise log burners etc.

                • Descendant Of Smith …
                  20 June 2024 at 12:39 pm

                  Nonsense rents have gone up because markets say they should and this then self perpetuates.

                  The push by real estate agents on behalf of landlords has had a much greater impact. Many rentals have no mortgage on them so it isn't a cost issue. My mother's rent was a perfect example – mortgage free, making a good profit happy as landlord but elderly and decided to hand over managing to a real estate company. First recommendation was to push rent up by a further $110-00 as that is what the market demanded. He refused but did increase by $50-00.

                  Friend who has had multiple rental properties for years – mortgages paid off long ago – charges well under market rent and always has done.

                  My old landlord still has the one rental property he had when I rented it 40 years ago. He keeps it tidy and in good repair. I haven't asked him but I very much doubt he still has a mortgage on it.

                  Many, many landlords are in this boat – they haven't all just bought their rentals at market peak and lowest interest rates – landlord defenders keep acting as it they all did.

          • bwaghorn 2.1.1.1.2
            20 June 2024 at 9:42 am

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/520043/public-service-cuts-we-ve-got-no-other-options-than-just-to-leave

            What do you think about nationals slash and burn policy forcing talent over sees,

            Try and answer with out blaming labour, !

            • Jimmy 2.1.1.1.2.1
              20 June 2024 at 11:15 am

              It is a shame that unfortunately some of the more talented will take the voluntary redundancy and work elsewhere (either in NZ or overseas as per "Red" in the article). And then this often leaves the department with the "deadwood" that are really the ones that should leave. Unfortunately we can no longer afford the large increase in numbers since 2017. A 32% increase? Even with these proposed reductions, there still will be a large increase in numbers.

              • bwaghorn …
                20 June 2024 at 11:54 am

                . And then this often leaves the department with the "deadwood" that are really the ones that should leave.

                Gee wouldn't you think if a competent government was going to down size a department that they would make sure the talent stayed and the deadwood (your demeaning words not mine) got pruned.

                • Jimmy …
                  20 June 2024 at 3:01 pm

                  They will leave it up to the department heads, and asking for voluntary redundancies first, makes the job less painful. If they didn't ask for voluntary redundancies first, and simply made their choices, I'm sure many commenters on here would argue that they should have firstly asked if there were any voluntary redundancies. And of course often the most skilled that back themselves to get employment elsewhere will take the cheque and leave.

          • SPC 2.1.1.1.3
            20 June 2024 at 10:13 am

            So many questions

            What if the increase in rent pa was no higher 2017-2023 than in the 2011-2017 period?

            Would that not indicate that housing supply and demand was the driving factor throughout the period?

            How much did the improved rental quality (insulation and more efficient heat pumps) reduce need for heating (lower power bills)?

            As for Labour's building record. The most houses built since the 1970's.

            https://inner.kiwi/commentary/housing-supply-and-demand-famine-feast/

            An economist researching zoning reforms, Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy, said upzoning in some major cities has enabled a construction boom.

            He said new builds coming to fruition may be driving the increase in rental stock.

            "The peak of that [consent] boom was roughly in 2022, and if you think about it it takes about one to two years for a consent to be converted into a finished dwelling, then comes to the market.

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519788/rental-listings-up-40-percent-across-country-in-three-months-to-may

            Unfortunately, the CofC may be a problem

            We are moving back to underbuilding.

            https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/03/01/housing-under-build-where-could-we-be-most-short/

      • mikesh 2.1.2
        20 June 2024 at 11:58 am

        The problem is that interest should not be passed on to the tenant, since the property belongs to the landlord rather than to the tenant, though I suspect that this is often not the case; and interest costs can be disproportionately high in the case of rental properties as compared with other businesses.

  3. SPC 3
    20 June 2024 at 7:54 am

    What have Labour, Green and Maori parties to say about this?

    The CofC is taking us back to the 1990's – handing over state houses to CHP's, and bringing in higher rents to enable a transition back into the private sector property supplied at market rent.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/government-reviewing-housing-benefits-pondering-transfer-of-state-houses-to-community-providers/U6ZPMFQQTNHYXHMR7R5DSJ74O4/

  4. Incognito 4
    20 June 2024 at 8:24 am

    I used to think that John Key was so bad for NZ because he was so good at what he did.

    Now I’m thinking that Christopher Luxon is so bad for NZ because he is so bad at what he does.

    • bwaghorn 4.1
      20 June 2024 at 9:52 am

      I'm starting to think luxon is nationals Lange(with out the whir and charisma)

      A patsy for the real nasties to go to work behind

    • lprent 4.2
      20 June 2024 at 10:36 am

      He is pretty useless. Also appears to be pretty lazy based on his apparent inability to be briefed about anything when questioned.

    • mpledger 4.3
      20 June 2024 at 1:06 pm

      It's the worst of both worlds – Luxon has John Key standing behind him but without Key's (pseudo-) charm.

  5. Mike the Lefty 5
    20 June 2024 at 9:23 am

    I was listening to The Panel on RNZ last night. They were talking about business confidence, especially consumer confidence.

    They talked to a couple of restaurant owners. One in Auckland told them that business now is just as bad as during the COVID lockdown, with the important difference being that during the lockdown they got some assistance. People are not spending, it seems.

    This is borne out by recent business surveys.

    http://www.anz.co.nz/about-us/economic-markets-research/business-outlook/

    http://www.anz.co.nz/about-us/economic-markets-research/consumer-confidence/

    My conclusion: The CoC has talked the economy down so much that it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. They are to blame for this for their relentless negativity and fixation on ideology rather than pragmatism.

    • SPC 5.1
      20 June 2024 at 12:03 pm

      About a month ago someone reckoned people should consider closing down their business to protect home ownership from rising debt.

      And some say it is of a decline in retail worldwide (diversification of the market, as in media – or just that peak market has been and gone while boomers are wary of reinfection), not just because of a local recession here.

      Online shopping and the delivery of goods (including food).

      It means looking at lower cost structures and riding out the market shake out. Such as co-ownership and use of one restaurant space (and pickups).

      Sharing production areas and retail space (such as cheaper pick up of ordered goods or to try on).

  6. SPC 6
    20 June 2024 at 9:28 am

    Public servants moving to Oz for jobs. The federal government and military jobs require permanent residency. State government and local government otherwise.

    The head of a multinational recruitment firm says the Wellington job market is the worst he has seen since 2009

    "I think long term we're going to see huge impacts from this, from people who would be really valuable lifelong public servants who will just leave, whether it's leave the country or leave the public sector," Wilson-Goldman said.

    "I think that's really going to hurt us in the long run."

    Robert Walters NZ and Australia chief executive Shay Peters has been working in the capital since 2009, and watched the ebb and flow of public servants under governments of different stripes.

    "This just seems more invasive," he said.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/06/no-point-job-hunting-in-new-zealand-public-servants-moving-overseas-say-amid-struggling-economy.html

    Since July 2023 any New Zealander can apply to become Australian citizens after 4 years residency – without first applying for and being granted a permanent visa.

    However this does not grant permanent resident status – skilled worker and family qualifications. Thus easier for senior than junior public service staff to obtain a federal government employment (the junior staff have the state and local government job options).

    • James Thrace 6.1
      20 June 2024 at 10:21 am

      Federal government jobs require citizenship first and foremost.

      In select cases, permanent residency visa holders applying for a federal govt job can be granted an exemption from the citizenship requirement where there are merit factors to them obtaining the job.

      State and Local govt require a visa that gives you a right to work in Australia but this is often specified as permanent residency. NZers get permanent residency under the SCV444 visa which is granted each time on entry to Australia.

      • SPC 6.1.1
        20 June 2024 at 11:43 am

        Yeah na

        The SCV allows New Zealand citizens to reside in Australia; visit, work and study in Australia; and apply for permanent visas if they meet eligibility requirements.

        SCV holders fit the commonly understood meaning of the term 'permanent resident' as they are entitled to live in Australia indefinitely, in much the same way as an Australian citizen or a permanent visa holder. However, they are not treated as permanent residents for the purpose of some Australian legislation.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Category_Visa

        So New Zealanders do not have the automatic permanent residency status required for federal government work. It is something they can get by applying for a skilled job (getting it then qualifies them for permanent residency status, which the employer would help sort out).

        Of course only the more senior public service staff are likely to be get a federal government job, as a skilled worker.

        In a round about way, more junior staff go for the state government job and acquire permanent residency upon getting it and then apply for a federal government job (4 years later as a citizen or earlier as a PR).

        • James Thrace 6.1.1.1
          20 June 2024 at 12:29 pm

          Yeah, nah

          As I have discovered, there is little difference between the SCV444 and the permanent residency visa. The main difference is that for tax purposes we are treated as non-permanent tax residents which means that any income earned in NZ (rental properties, or selling a house and getting a capital gain etc) does not need to be declared to the ATO. The same goes for Centrelink entitlements as that is essentially (and for the purpose of my comment, vastly simplified) tied to tax residency.

          Much easier to skip the permanent residency visa application (expensive) and go for the citizenship.

          As stated above, citizenship is required for federal jobs first and foremost. It is only in rare exceptions that non-citizens get a federal job.

          • SPC 6.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2024 at 1:04 pm

            Yeah na.

            This is about applying for jobs. That New Zealanders qualify for the citizenship via 4 years residency without becoming PR for 12 months first does not mean they have "PR" status – when applying for jobs.

            They certainly exclude anyone in Oz on a temporary visa from military and federal government jobs.

            That includes SCV444. Those government jobs require a PR as a condition.

            Those with the SCV444 can work for state governments – they accept PR and New Zealand citizenship as qualifying.

            https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/new-zealand-citizens/entitlements

            • James Thrace 6.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2024 at 2:19 pm

              I think you’ve made up your mind and have convinced yourself of your correctness and are unwilling to take on board the facts.

              1. A precondition for federal jobs is citizenship.

              2. In certain instances, citizenship requirement can be waived.

              you keep repeating the same incorrect assumption that PR is required for any federal job. That is simply not correct. You also now add in a further qualifier to your comments that this is about “applying” for a job.

              Farcical.

              For work rights in Australia (excepting federal jobs), the SCV444 is treated as permanent residency.

              • SPC …
                20 June 2024 at 2:35 pm

                Yeah na.

                1. A precondition for federal jobs is citizenship.

                No, as you say

                2. In certain instances, citizenship requirement can be waived.

                But only, if someone has PR.

                The SVC is not PR.

                You also now add in a further qualifier to your comments that this is about “applying” for a job.

                What did you think the post you were replying to was about?

                For work rights in Australia (excepting federal jobs), the SCV444 is treated as permanent residency.

                No it is not, because it is not.

                It is an alternative to PR for working rights.

                The SCV allows New Zealand citizens to reside in Australia; visit, work and study in Australia; and apply for permanent visas if they meet eligibility requirements.

                SCV holders fit the commonly understood meaning of the term 'permanent resident' as they are entitled to live in Australia indefinitely, in much the same way as an Australian citizen or a permanent visa holder. However, they are not treated as permanent residents for the purpose of some Australian legislation.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Category_Visa

                • James Thrace …
                  20 June 2024 at 3:00 pm

                  I give up. You’re entirely missing the point and focusing on a pedantic notion where the link you pointed to actually says SCV444 fit the meaning of permanent residents, except for the purpose of some specific legislation, being tax legislation as one immediate example.

                  The work rights of a SCV444 are exactly same, and so they are treated as permanent residents by employers. What part of that extremely simple comment do you take issue with? There are some visa holders that have limited work rights. SCV444 do not.

                  • SPC …
                    20 June 2024 at 3:16 pm

                    If you looked at the link – 6, you would have noted that the issue was the pathways of public service workers to employment in Oz.

                    The federal government jobs (and military), required actual "PR" (skilled worker category) status – which is not conferred via the SCV444.

                    They can get this PR (skilled worker category to get the attention of the federal employer), or apply and hope the employer sorts that out if they are hired.

            • Scud 6.1.1.1.1.2
              20 June 2024 at 2:19 pm

              There are work arounds especially for those applying ADF & AFP jobs more so the ADF atm across all Corps, Branches & Musterings that they have a Nelson Eye for some Arms Corps in the Army, the Ground Defence Mustering in the RAAF, and some of the Technical & Seaman Branches in the RAN on top of the Lat Transfers from the UK, CAN & NZ Forces.

              • SPC …
                20 June 2024 at 2:38 pm

                Sure anyone they wanted would get PR with the position sorted out by them as employer.

                Just as someone highly skilled would get a position in Canberra.

      • tWig 6.1.2
        20 June 2024 at 3:12 pm

        I would love that we had this requirement in NZ for citizenship in government ministry jobs. Citizenship includes Treaty training.

  7. SPC 7
    20 June 2024 at 12:30 pm

    Oh happy days, we are not in a technical recession.

    0.3 down, then 0.1 down (technical recession) followed by 0.2 up.

    However

    GDP per capita, which shows GDP divided by total population, decreased by 0.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter. This was the sixth consecutive quarterly fall. On an annual basis, GDP per capita fell 2.4 percent.

    So any slowing of migrant labour inflow (less jobs) and a continuing outflow of people leaving for Oz and we might be back in a "TR" before the end of the year.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2024/06/new-zealand-out-of-technical-recession-as-gdp-grows-in-latest-data.html

  8. Graeme 8
    20 June 2024 at 1:17 pm

    Has someone just monkey wrenched Northland?

    Power grid feed, currently only one due to maintenance, out due to tower down at Glorit

    (Phone won’t let me paste link but good coverage on RNZ

  9. Descendant Of Smith 9
    20 June 2024 at 1:29 pm

    Surge pricing in supermarkets – just what we need.

    This month, Walmart became the latest retailer to announce it’s replacing the price stickers in its aisles with electronic shelf labels. The new labels allow employees to change prices as often as every ten seconds.

    “If it’s hot outside, we can raise the price of water and ice cream.

    https://www.npr.org/2024/06/17/nx-s1-5009271/electronic-shelf-labels-prices-walmart-grocery-store

  10. joe90 10
    20 June 2024 at 3:06 pm

    Go well, Keith.

    .

    @almahawes

    Keith Locke had a stroke on Monday caused by a big bleed from one of his brain tumours. He cannot speak or move only blink. He is in hospital and is dying.

    I’ve known Keith most of my life and he’s one of the best. He’s worked his socks off for Aotearoa. Kind, honest, modestheart

    https://x.com/almahawes/status/1803184969084444929

  11. tWig 11
    20 June 2024 at 3:15 pm

    For those in Dunedin, Chewie points out Reti is now umming about Dunedin hospital funding in Nat's election promise. Big Hairy News at 50 min.

  13. Descendant Of Smith 13
    20 June 2024 at 4:28 pm

    WTF.

    A pox on those boards of trustees that have allowed religion (mainly of the Christian variety) into our public schools. Now is the time to stomp it out before we get to this bullshit.

    Jeff Landry, the governor of the US state of Louisiana, has signed legislation requiring every public classroom in the state to display the Ten Commandments, becoming the first state with such a law and inflaming tensions over the separation between church and state.

    “This bill mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom – public elementary, secondary and post-education schools – in the state of Louisiana, because if you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses,” Landry said at a bill-signing ceremony.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350317823/us-state-requires-ten-commandments-be-displayed-public-classrooms

    This version might be much more interesting. Apparently the reason courts say innocent rather than not guilty stems from the sinners bible.

    The Wicked Bible, sometimes called the Adulterous Bible or the Sinners' Bible, is an edition of the Bible published in 1631 by Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, the royal printers in London, meant to be a reprint of the King James Bible. The name is derived from a mistake made by the compositors: in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:14, the word "not" was omitted from the sentence, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," causing the verse to instead read, "Thou shalt commit adultery."

    • Obtrectator 13.1
      20 June 2024 at 9:56 pm

      Well one way round that would be to display them in the language and script used by Moses, which only a tiny proportion of the readers are likely to understand. If Mr Landry is so keen on the “original lawgiver” he’d hardly be in a position to object. (BTW, does the bill specify which language is to be used?)

    • Mikey 13.2
      21 June 2024 at 1:31 pm

      Maybe they can be displayed alongside a list of the legislators and preachers who have broken them.