The Prime Minister has ordered a paid national day off work on the death of the Queen
The death of 50 Muslim men women and children murdered in Christchurch got only two minutes.
What does this say about us?
Christchurch mosque shootings: Two-minute silence on Friday to honour the dead, PM Jacinda Ardern announces
In your opinion which is more ridiculous? A one whole day national stoppage for the death on the other side of the world of the Queen of England in her bed? Or the two minutes national stoppage for innocent deaths of Muslims murdered at prayer in this country?
I would like to ask you, DB which commemoration is more ridiculous?
I know which one I think is more 'ridiculous'
DB I can't help thinking how much more significant and worthwhile it would have been for us if the PM had ordered the country to take a day off for us to reflect on the lives and cruel deaths of of 51 defenceless innocent Muslim men women and children here in our country at the hands of a racist white supremacist?
How much more significant and worthwhile this would have been than ordering the country to take the day off in honour of the life and death of an uber rich white women on the other side of the world?
Maybe our leaders could pass legislation as they have done for the Queen's death, order that on the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch killings, that we are insightful and caring enough to mark out of respect for the dead in the terrible tragedy in Christchurch with a one off day off.
I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas like one of those email ads trying to sell us a course for a motivational speaker. It may go on and on but I'm done with that speaker on that topic.
Also, you might have noticed – I short-ban myself if I get too tetchy.
Fuck off you and your clown shoes. I called you out when you, by name several times, tried drag me into your pathetic charade. You utter fuckwit.
[lprent: Less of that, please. While that is how I often think of you, I really don’t think that it adds anything to the debate. It is the act of a simpleton with poor control and no argument. ]
We could have a real debate to examine the real cost of private transport on deaths and environmental damage, and how to effectively lower the road toll.
Why should one off commemorations be limited to celebrating royalty?
Maybe having one off paid days off work could be the way to have a national discussion and debate to examine and reflect on such major questions. It may very well be a way to engage the public and enhance our democracy.
Anyone who believes that a day off work involves people engaging in national discussion and debate on major questions, is invited to observe how the majority of Kiwis spend Waitangi Day.
“Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?”
Jimmy
Yes.
It should have been done.
We can have a one off day for the death of the figurehead of one of the most brutal empires in the history of the world, but we can't have a day off to commemorate the deaths of honest working men who died arguably unnecessary deaths in the service of a fossil fuel company. .
Maybe if we had had a one off day to commemorate those men's deaths, it would have given us a chance to have a national debate to examine our collective consciences over whether those workers should have been engaged in that dangerous and environmentally damaging practice in the first place.
…..The most dangerous form of energy for workers is:
In raw number of deaths: coal (by a long shot).
….Britain built itself on dangerous coal mines. The Oaks colliery disaster in 1866 killed more than 380 miners, close to the number who have probably died in Soma. Industrial advancement has invariably killed thousands of coal miners. It's true that now, better means of extraction are available. But coal mining remains inherently dangerous. Maybe it's time for a better way to modernise?
Coal is a fossil fuel, and is the dirtiest of them all, responsible for over 0.3C of the 1C increase in global average temperatures. This makes it the single largest source of global temperature rise…..
Instead of being treated as adults and equals we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world. Spoon fed endless mindless discussion and debate over the smallest minutia of the British Royals' lives (and deaths). Not that any of this has any relevancy at all to most people's real lived experience. Except as a form of escapism.
we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world.
Ah, no. You are perfectly free to switch the channel on the TV coverage (should you actually watch that archaic form of media), and read/watch something else.
As, based on your frequent posts on international affairs, you clearly have done.
No one is forcing you to watch anything – either passively or actively.
Just as I (oh, heresy in NZ) am not particularly interested in rugby, and don't enjoy/watch or 'passively consume' the endless forensic analysis of the latest AB win or loss – and, therefore, choose not to watch/listen/read the coverage. However, I don't demand that the coverage cease to be produced for the benefit of those who do enjoy it – simply because I'm not interested.
A lot of time and money and effort has been put into encouraging us to become passive consumers of the pageantry and rituals of a moribund empire on the other side of the world. The purpose of course is not to change it. (to paraphrase mangle Marx)
Well, yes. That is just as true of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp & whoever the latest sports royalty is.
Railing against press coverage of something which demonstrably has a significant degree of popular interest – but which you don't happen to like – is an entirely futile activity.
With the wall to wall coverage, that would have been hard.
Even if you were actively averting your eyes I am sure Belladonna that you would have viewed at least some of this footage or been aware of the massive fandom generated by it. If you did the opposite and watched the MSM media all you liked and you would have found it hard to get news of the terrible climate disaster in Pakistan unfolding before our eyes, removed from before our eyes.
With the wall to wall coverage, hard to do in this case.
And I sure Belladonna that you, and probably everyone you know, would have watched at least some of it.
And even if you didn't, you would still have been aware of the massive Stan-dom being generated by this wall to wall coverage and hype.
But let's say, for arguments sake, you did the opposite to what you advocate, and didn't boycott the mainstream media.
The climate disaster and resulting deaths of ordinary people in Pakistan unfolding in front of our eyes removed from in front of our eyes, replaced with wall to wall coverage of the death of one, very white, very rich, very old lady.
You would have to be a hermit living in a cave to not be aware of the Queen's death. But you could easily be unaware of the climate catastrophe in Pakistan. Which is still ongoing, with little relief for the people caught in it.
Royal pageantry and ritual is the original and oldest way of generating Stan Culture. As Juvenal said give them circuses to keep the people diverted from public policy and civic duty.
"Bread and circuses"
…. is attributed to a poet active in the late first and early second century CE, and is used commonly in cultural, particularly political, contexts.
…..The phrase implies a population's erosion or ignorance of civic duty as a [political] priority....
The Queen's greatest public service, for which she has been heaped endless praise and honours, has been to rehabilitate the reputation of imperialism and colonialism.
King Charles will be allowed to continue his mother's work and carry out his main political duty to white wash imperialism.
But Charles Windsor the former Prince of Wales has been reminded (more than once) of his civic duty, now that he is King, not to agitate on climate change and to concentrate on his main role.
……environmental campaigners will be watching closely to see if he continues to advocate for climate action and is able to help drive change as monarch.
In his first speech to the nation as monarch on Friday evening, Charles warned his new role will now limit his activism.
"It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply," he said in a televised address. "But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
Unfortunately all the gold braid and pageantry in the world will not save us, or our King.
[You failed to provide the link to Wikipedia for your quote on “Bread and circuses”.
You changed the quoted text (aka butchered it) in a way that was not clear and this only became clear by going to the original text.
This may not seem a big deal, this time, even relatively harmless, but this apparent clumsiness with selective quoting, altering text, removing context, et cetera, is often used as a tool for influencing and manipulating.
When you quote we have to trust you that your quote is a perfect representation (aka copy & paste) of the original text and an accurate representation of the meaning/message. Please lift your game – Incognito]
Not really hard to avoid at all.
I chose to stay up and watch the actual funeral coverage (I happen to like old buildings, pageantry and church music)
But it was a deliberate choice – it was hardly in prime time viewing (from about 10pm onwards).
And haven't paid attention to any other coverage subsequently. I read the papers online, and simply choose not to read any of the articles. And, in common with the majority of Kiwis under 60, I don’t watch TV news – and catch up with any programmes on demand (i.e I choose what to watch and when to watch it)
It hasn't been hard.
Disasters in Pakistan would still not have had high profile coverage in NZ – regardless of any royal pageantry. Our media is fairly parochial – and those of us with wider interests know that we have to supplement them from overseas.
Luckily, in this modern age, this is relatively easy to do.
Your complaint about saturation coverage might have had validity in the 1950s (King George VI's funeral and Elizabeth's coronation) – when there were few (if any) media alternatives in NZ – the local paper and the TV channel were the sum total. These days – people's consumption of media comes from so many sources that it's virtually impossible to achieve the slanted presentation that you appear to believe is the secret plan of the British monarchy.
I can assure you, that the coverage of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp and Roger Federer continues unabated (based on a quick sample of my newsfeeds this morning). All continuing to suck media attention away from Pakistan, Ukraine & climate change. Why are those circuses (without even bread) not a target for your ire?
"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana
If the government passed legislation that at the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch massacre a one off national day of reflection on the causes of this tragedy, it would be sign of our maturity as a nation.
We commemorate the war dead of the First and Second World Wars. We don't commemorate the war dead of the New Zealand Wars.
We condemn German and Japanese fascism but we don’t condemn British imperialism or colonialism.
Because alongside our culture of remembering and commemorating historical events, we have another culture of forgetting historical events that we don't want to remember.
I have heard a number of commentators saying that the death and life of the Queen of England will be remembered for ever in history. They are probably right.
How about this: Heeding George Santayana's caution, taking the precedent of a one off day to remember and reflect on life and death of the British Monarch. the government legislate; That at the next anniversary milestone of the Christchurch massacre a one off day stoppage will be called to reflect on this terrible tragedy committed in our midst, to learn and never forget, so that such a thing is never repeated.
We should all be heartilly sick of being global followers. John Key wanted us to be 'Fast Followers' It's time we stopped being followers and started being leaders. I have long supported calls for this country to be a global leader, in social in climate justice and peace issues.
P.S. It was very heartening to see on TV1 News tonight that New Zealand will be taking a global lead on dealing with plastic waste, especially encouraging are moves to sheet the responsibility back to the big plastic polluters at the point of production instead of the public at the point of consumption. Something I have long argued was sorely needed
Yeah I saw this. These economists and their banking buddies are worse than useless, they're detrimental to society.
The plan here is to make many people poor so they can't afford to participate in society. This will in turn reduce demand for goods so prices drop and rich people can get cheaper goods.
We could have put ceilings on corporate profitability – the prices got jacked by corporations, not consumers. We could have retrospectively hit them with windfall taxes, of course we have not.
They blame supply and demand. They blame employment figures. They blame subprime mortgages, wars, pandemics, markets – anything but the truth of bank and corporate roles in society today – to take everything they can get their grubby hands on.
Yesterday, after widespread advertising for stories of supermarket profit gouging, I noticed several exorbitant prices have suddenly shrunk overnight. Flax meal, tahini, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, vegan mayo – all came down significantly since the last shop… Almost like they've been taking the absolute piss.
These people are a fucking disgrace. But just try stop the profit gouging – communism!
Belive me I'm less than pleased that just when I finally got into a wage bracket that I thought might give me a chance of getting some security for my future, just got gobbled by the inflation monster, but I don't want 50,000 extra people on the dole to fix it for me.
No wasn't 'going there at all'. A large portion of the inflation is beyond NZ's control and would not matter who was in government.
Some though is definitely due to the reserve bank.
I genuinely think that making ends meet and affording petrol, groceries, mortgage and rent payments are the biggest and most immediate concern to many NZers. Many people have had pay increases this year (and it is a good time to ask the boss for a rise), but I think it will really tighten up next year with many companies unable to afford to give further pay increases.
As NZ inflation is mostly less than our trading partners.
No. It is not due to the reserve bank.
Except, of course for the house price inflation over the last several decades, Which is due to tax policy since the 90's, lack of curbs on foriegn "investment" and imported cheap labour numbers.
NZ inflation is greater then all our trading partners except the Americas and Europe.
The NZ $/US$ of which all trade is realized to include Freight and insurance has depreciated 14.4% YTD,
Our current account is 7.1% of gdp and is nearing the worst it has been,our debt loading is increasing as is government debt and with an increasing interest bill on sovereign debt doubling over the next 2 years.
High interest rates are here to stay,the days of easy money are gone,and can only be dampened when core inflation ( shelter,utilities and service inflation) reduces.
Nah, if there is such a concern of govt spending impacting interest rates then there will be a quiet conversation between Orr and Robertson (in a smoke filled room), followed by another round of QE and the govt owning more of its own debt.
If the RBNZ wanted interest rates at zero it could of course lower the OCR just as it has raised it recently.
This means sweet FA, but may well send you into a commenting frenzy.
The RBNZ balance sheet has increased around 7 billion since march,the so called QT has not happened as the RBNZ lent at OCR rates to Banks ( 12 billion to xmas)
NZ debt is firmly in the hands of the kindness of strangers very similar to the UK were debt rates go through the roof.
Nabarro at Citi said the changes in the markets will not have escaped the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee which will see declining investor confidence in British assets as an unwelcome complication in its fight against inflation and could leave interest rates higher for longer.
"We suspect at least some on the committee have observed the simultaneous sell-off in sterling and gilts with no small degree of concern," Nabarro said. "In our view, these risks should increasingly be at the centre of the UK policy discussion."
The only entity which can bankrupt a central bank is its legislature. This makes the question of central bank profit, loss and equity completely irrelevant. Unlike most entities, negative equity has zero impact on central banks ability to function.
Of course the way Citi bank talks about policy is in those terms because this is just the common language for "we recon the BofE should keep bumping interest rates up" (which co-incidentally helps Citi's profits). But, as Japans central bank policy is highlighting, alternate policies can equally be pursued at their discretion, including to lower interest rates.
Japan has 2 trillion in foreign exchange sitting in overseas banks,earning increasing interest payments.Its offshore investments outweigh its onshore foreign liabilities,this weak its 10 yr bond did not trade for 3 days.
The RBA decreased the ability to raise funds to protect its currency or Interest rates it de levered.
Sure, the RBA probably did for some combination of those reasons. But for some reason you didn't put it that way instead focusing on the "cost" of economic policy as if the RBA has any need to earn profits.
And regarding the BoJ (or other central banks) we can only evaluate any external limitations to its policy when they visibly buck market expectations and considering how that works. Highlighting foreign exchange reserves on a balance sheet is about as credible as the old story that, Japans long history of avoiding inflation while running QE for decades, was due to Japanese house wives saving rates.
Obviously when we consider some of the actual outcomes of RBNZ policy (e.g maybe 50,000 additional unemployed) some people are proposing its time to actually run some of the experiments and see how these theories stack up. Frankly if the NZ exchange rate fluctuates 2% off US inflation coming in low (but somehow also above market expectations), we could maybe focus on the economic policy bits we can actually control.
The Japanese household saving rate in July (last data) was 37.7% of disposable income..
With unemployment and some model showing 50k,would it not be better to reduce immigration,( which is a similar number) or would there be just a pool of unemployable.
Jobs full time positions increased by 7000 in the week ending 14/8.When the data reflects a decrease in value,the first affects will be in the service industry which it seems is not affected.
Sure, maintaining the lower immigration rate does seem to be having some positive outcomes for NZ.
As far as RBNZ policy implementation goes, their official policy position of running a raised cash rate, is supposed to flow through to the economy via elevated unemployment. AFAIK their expectations should be that domestic inflation will not decrease without the extra 50,000 unemployed. But this seems to have changed since they were initially just saying the country would need to accept the transitory (e.g. supply side) inflation and spread its burden fairly until it abated.
And inputs expensive…and it is all relative as your 'trading partner inflation rate' comment indicates.
A major issue is our exchange rate volatility….it makes long term investment decisions problematic…who will (either onshore or off) commit capital when any decision can be rendered a loser with a currency swing such as we have been subjected to the past 40 years?…a low of 0.39 to near parity with the world default trading currency and widly variable in between.
True,some will have local substitution possibilities such as cereal imported from Aus,where a new bulker on the coast will make shipping competitive SI-NI,cheaper then oz-nz. (up 70m in August)
How much further away from a notion of a decent society is that 5% of the people should be unemployed so that others may prosper. This latest advocate talks of a necessary pain. One Mark Lister gives away the mantle of altruism to the unemployed when he would better serve us and himself by trying a little altruism in his own life.
“You’ve got to cause some pain. You’ve
got to create some unemployment” he said. Marlborough Express Sept 23 2022 page 7 Business section
Have these people not twigged the inherent stupidity of their version of an economy where it is argued that we need more workers and also we need more unemployment?
If it's supply and demand issues, then we must get rid of the useless from the workforce, not the actual workers who produce the supply! Anything else would be madness. We know who is essential now (we've always known), the people who actually keep the lights on.
But there are others:
Economists are clearly useless, how many of them are there?
There's bound to be plenty of middle management playing paper-go-round in plenty of places.
Economists are funny, one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
These two things are not coherent. They and their neo-liberal school are out of their depth in the real world 2022.
I'll note that when Muldoon was PM 1976-1981 there was 5 years of wage growth/inflation during which house prices flatlined and fell in real terms.
Inflation reduces the real value of assets (which one can note are overvalued) and debt (good for coming out of the QE debt of the GFC and pandemic). Containing inflation by holding down wages merely to preserve the asset wealth of a privileged elite (after a period of extreme inequality) is risible.
RBG's applying neo-liberal policy are going to risk populist pressure to the democratic fabric in way not seen since the 1930's.
You can have both national proved that I believe last time , flood the country with cheep foreign labour ,have kiwis on the dole , added bonus is a bigger target for right wingers to hate on.
… they'll allow prison for profit growth to manage homelessness (known as three strikes and clearances for urban renewal in the USA and here to manage the lack of housing).
one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
That is actually coherent. More imported cheap labour = in their minds, more unemployed, less wage rises and less inflation.
The idea that you fight inflation by driving down wage price pressure regardless of other factors.
Obviously it means workers, and unemployed pay all the coats of reducing inflation. But we can't have banks and assett/housing speculators taking the pain instead, can we??
Hubby and I banked with ANZ – well firstly the National Bank, for 55 years. We told them where to go 3 years ago and moved to Kiwibank. We'd had enough of their utterings from John Key and the CEO in Melbourne (who I believe is a Kiwi) who threatened to close the N Z division down. I guess he was bluffing, but sheesh, what a tosser. Sharon Zollner also needs to pull her head in, but of course the unemployment subject is a favourite among such pointy heads who wouldn't be at all affected by such a move. Just don't get me going on the report in the Herald today about the Mood of the Boardroom
The Former Guy claims he declassified the documents he removed from the White House just by thinking about it. We didn't know he has the amazing superpower of teledeclassification.
Plotting, scheming, embezzling, gouging, dodging, lying, bullying–all skills Mr Mango Mussolini has amply demonstrated–but thinking? is a stretch.
In a fairer world Mr Trump would have been locked up years ago, but the US political establishment really has not chosen its battles with the ex President wisely at all.
New Zealand's very own Fox News, the NZ Herald, running their annual hit job on the left today. It is laughably titled, "The Mood of the Boardroom" – a name so suffused with fake gravitas it can only have come from the ponderously dull Fran O'Sullivan. The conclusion of 90 CEOs and 18 Directors is that this is the worst government since Muldoon. Yawn – rich, powerful private sector interests wanting the playing field tipped in their favour, and completely without irony, equating that with good economic management.
The winter of discontent team leader (2000) also ran an ad/editorial demanding New Zealand voters prevent a Labour-Green government (2005). Must have been so sad there when one law for all, across the board tax cuts (less money for poor families), keep interest on tertiary loans Don Brash was defeated
(Winston Peters kept his word to go with the party with more votes – Labour)(but in its way NZH represents the Koch brothers denial of need for global warming action and maintenance of a neo-liberal global regime)
Yep, and one of the Herald and ZB adherents – who also happens to be a relative – told me yesterday we have a Communist government and its going to go next year before we are all destroyed.
Does anyone know where I can locate a membership form for the VFF crowd so I can send it to her? Or the Brash crowd will do – Hobson's Choice they call themselves? 😛
But, but, but if we have a Communist Government it is headed by a 'pretty little communist' isn't it and that must count for something surely. I mean better a pretty little communist than some idiot riding a bear? Your relative should thank their lucky stars. I didn't see the man on the bear being pressed to speak at the UN or being invited to the Queen's funeral.
I know the 'pretty little comm' is correct as I read it on a poster on the tractors and trucks in the Groundswill protest. And farmers know everything don't they? Those ones do anyway.
Perhaps get a membership form for Groundswell too so she can feel the faint pulse of this crowd from the rural sector. They are not supported by the majority of rural dwellers that I can see so should be a good match for VFF & Brash's rush of blood to the head group.
Actually I think it is the "pretty little communist:" who started it cos the plc is very attractive and intelligent and she's younger and oh so popular with her overseas peers.
Its called jealousy and afflicts a lot of women. HDPA is another example.
As a swing voter looking for excuses to stay with Labour, I'm finding it harder by the day. This so called '' hit job'' on Labour was in reality a reflection of what many voting people are pondering. Grant Robertson taking at hit in the ratings should be ringing alarm bells. He has generally until now been well tolerated by the opposition and general public. For me there were some surprises in the survey. Co-governance having some support for example. Labour has been given fair warning. They can continue to flip off such findings as the deluded rantings of rich white boys wanting more bucks in their pockets, or they can cross reference this survey with public opinion polls, gain a reality check, and do something about it.
Blimey ! You appear to be the first tragically-smug Woke dogmatist here to conspicuously break ranks from the well-rehearsed narrative that Vitamin D is all part of some Far Right Trumpist conspiracy theory to deliberately perplex the hoi polloi who lack the "unusually refined moral & intellectual sensibilities" of those wannabe elites trapped in your stifling little echo-chamber.
How did dear old muttonbird put it, again ? … oh yes:
The conspiracy theorists will be disappointed, Anne. Perhaps drowning their sorrows with horse-paste and Vitamin D cocktails under tin foil umbrellas.
Meanwhile the Medical Council of NZ says that Vitamin D supplementation is not required, except in some very specific population categories:
Supplementation is not recommended for the general population, but it can be considered for individuals from groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
At-risk groups are identified in this guidance: people with deeply pigmented skin, especially those who wear full-body coverage clothing; people who actively avoid sun exposure; people with low mobility who are frail or housebound; people in southern regions who spend a limited amount of time outdoors; and people with certain medical disorders (eg, kidney failure, malabsorption syndromes).
Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, Kiwis in general get enough sun exposure to ensure our levels are well within the healthy range.
Vitamin D prescription in NZ doesn't correlate with a reduction in the known medical consequences of low rates (rickets, etc). And is no longer prescribed for prevention of osteoporisis (no clinical benefit). It seems as though most prescriptions are to the 'worried well'
Collectively, these findings suggest that the supplementation of vitamin D in New Zealand needs to change. Although vitamin D supplements are inexpensive to prescribe to an individual, their widespread use creates substantial costs for the health system and individual patients, and there is no clear clinical benefit from this expenditure.
Stuart-listen to this afternoon's The Panel on RNZ. Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey.
I'm going to differ with you there. Fran is a damned good journalist when she sets her mind to it. I'll grant you, that may be less than half the time, but she knocks sad idiot panel hacks out of the park from time to time. It's just that she spends too much time rubbing elbows with CEOs to be a full-on Blomkvist.
Perhaps Shanreagh and Anne describe it better below, but I stand by the fact that O'Sullivan was very unimpressive, mostly because she was defending the indefensible because the Mood of the Boardroom survey is wrong to attack the performance of this government.
From about 10.00 in. But, but, splutter is a good summary of Fran's response to some of Simon Wilson's questions…she quickly switched to saying it was a snapshot of a mood and overseas there was inflation that the CE's were reflecting on.
Most unimpressive but then these are not a group given to self reflection or acknowledgement that we have faced tough times. She did not seem to have an answer to the query about pushback on paying workers more being a way to lift people out of poverty……something that the CE's group are ostensibly concerned about.
The best response was made by Wallace Chapman when he pointed out that the report did not acknowledge the fact this government had been through a major pandemic that no other government in NZ has had to grapple with, and was able to bring NZ through in far better shape than most other countries.
I note Fran O'Sullivan immediately changed tack and pointed out that the pandemic emergency has passed, and the CEO's are concerned about what is happening now.
I paraphrase both responses.
Surely what is happening now is a direct consequence of that pandemic and the world wide disruptions etc. it created. All the blame cannot be laid at the feet of the government. It will take time to re-establish normality in all sections of society including the business sector, so it is disingenuous to pass judgement at this stage of the procedure.
I gather also there was no mention of the impact being felt over the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Yes Anne, 'disingenuous' is a good word to describe the responses from the CEOs being discussed with Fran O'Sullivan.
As well there have been thoughts that while the situation was 'fluid' we could generally have a look at whether we wanted to go back to BAU circa 2021 or if we could be 'nimble' and take the opportunities for change.
NZ used to have a reputation for this nimbleness in days gone by not so long ago. Nimbleness is not a product of $$$$ or of handouts but of far-sightedness in business and brains working. Also adequate R & D and product and market investigation and investment.
Perhaps the CEs have been struck down by a late arriving variant of the Moaning Minnie virus that my ‘research’ showed accompanied earlier Covid variants in the general population.
This Covid virus has been long lasting, we have had to help those affected and so we have had to take time to deal with it. Some of the responses I have seen have built on the bull kaka that every country in the world except NZ has moved on. Partner is in the south of Italy travelling by public transport and says operators of public transport are fanatical about continued mask wearing on buses etc. NB NZ has no mask wearing restrictions on public transport.
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In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
COMMENTARY:By Ronny Kareni Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia’s army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding. Nowhere is this more evident ...
Analysis - Nicola Willis is holding firm on tax cuts despite the economic outlook being worse than forecast and critics urging her to wait, writes Peter Wilson for The Week In Politics. ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
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The Prime Minister has ordered a paid national day off work on the death of the Queen
The death of 50 Muslim men women and children murdered in Christchurch got only two minutes.
What does this say about us?
What a ridiculous comparison.
Ridiculous?
How?
DB could you expand on your objection
In your opinion which is more ridiculous? A one whole day national stoppage for the death on the other side of the world of the Queen of England in her bed? Or the two minutes national stoppage for innocent deaths of Muslims murdered at prayer in this country?
I would like to ask you, DB which commemoration is more ridiculous?
I know which one I think is more 'ridiculous'
DB I can't help thinking how much more significant and worthwhile it would have been for us if the PM had ordered the country to take a day off for us to reflect on the lives and cruel deaths of of 51 defenceless innocent Muslim men women and children here in our country at the hands of a racist white supremacist?
How much more significant and worthwhile this would have been than ordering the country to take the day off in honour of the life and death of an uber rich white women on the other side of the world?
Maybe our leaders could pass legislation as they have done for the Queen's death, order that on the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch killings, that we are insightful and caring enough to mark out of respect for the dead in the terrible tragedy in Christchurch with a one off day off.
Would that be ridiculous or too much to ask?
You may ask of me nothing you ridiculous fake.
'
"…..they should have been safe in New Zealand."
Prime Minister Ardern, March 20, 2019
There goes my Good Friday …
I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas like one of those email ads trying to sell us a course for a motivational speaker. It may go on and on but I'm done with that speaker on that topic.
Also, you might have noticed – I short-ban myself if I get too tetchy.
Sorry, you took it the wrong way – it was meant as a very subtle response to Jenny’s … musings. I used capitals …
"I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas…."
DB Brown
With respect DB, you didn't play the ball you replied to me with an ad hominem insult.
"You may ask of me nothing you ridiculous fake."
DB Brown
Fuck off you and your clown shoes. I called you out when you, by name several times, tried drag me into your pathetic charade. You utter fuckwit.
[lprent: Less of that, please. While that is how I often think of you, I really don’t think that it adds anything to the debate. It is the act of a simpleton with poor control and no argument. ]
Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?
And certainly one for the people killed in road accidents (over 350 of them every year)
Now there's a thought.
Great idea.
Again. Why not?
We could have a real debate to examine the real cost of private transport on deaths and environmental damage, and how to effectively lower the road toll.
Why should one off commemorations be limited to celebrating royalty?
Maybe having one off paid days off work could be the way to have a national discussion and debate to examine and reflect on such major questions. It may very well be a way to engage the public and enhance our democracy.
Bring on this national debate I say.
Anyone who believes that a day off work involves people engaging in national discussion and debate on major questions, is invited to observe how the majority of Kiwis spend Waitangi Day.
‘
“Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?”
Jimmy
Yes.
It should have been done.
We can have a one off day for the death of the figurehead of one of the most brutal empires in the history of the world, but we can't have a day off to commemorate the deaths of honest working men who died arguably unnecessary deaths in the service of a fossil fuel company. .
Maybe if we had had a one off day to commemorate those men's deaths, it would have given us a chance to have a national debate to examine our collective consciences over whether those workers should have been engaged in that dangerous and environmentally damaging practice in the first place.
Instead of being treated as adults and equals we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world. Spoon fed endless mindless discussion and debate over the smallest minutia of the British Royals' lives (and deaths). Not that any of this has any relevancy at all to most people's real lived experience. Except as a form of escapism.
Ah, no. You are perfectly free to switch the channel on the TV coverage (should you actually watch that archaic form of media), and read/watch something else.
As, based on your frequent posts on international affairs, you clearly have done.
No one is forcing you to watch anything – either passively or actively.
Just as I (oh, heresy in NZ) am not particularly interested in rugby, and don't enjoy/watch or 'passively consume' the endless forensic analysis of the latest AB win or loss – and, therefore, choose not to watch/listen/read the coverage. However, I don't demand that the coverage cease to be produced for the benefit of those who do enjoy it – simply because I'm not interested.
Point taken.
If I hadn't rushed I would have written;
A lot of time and money and effort has been put into encouraging us to become passive consumers of the pageantry and rituals of a moribund empire on the other side of the world. The purpose of course is not to change it. (to
paraphrasemangle Marx)Public opinion is a manufactured product.
Well, yes. That is just as true of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp & whoever the latest sports royalty is.
Railing against press coverage of something which demonstrably has a significant degree of popular interest – but which you don't happen to like – is an entirely futile activity.
Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case).
“Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case).”
With the wall to wall coverage, that would have been hard.
Even if you were actively averting your eyes I am sure Belladonna that you would have viewed at least some of this footage or been aware of the massive fandom generated by it. If you did the opposite and watched the MSM media all you liked and you would have found it hard to get news of the terrible climate disaster in Pakistan unfolding
before our eyes, removed from before our eyes.[deleted]
I’ve deleted the paragraphs that looked like they were copy and pastes but didn’t have any formatting to show that and didn’t link to the source.
‘
"Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case)."
Belladonna
With the wall to wall coverage, hard to do in this case.
And I sure Belladonna that you, and probably everyone you know, would have watched at least some of it.
And even if you didn't, you would still have been aware of the massive Stan-dom being generated by this wall to wall coverage and hype.
But let's say, for arguments sake, you did the opposite to what you advocate, and didn't boycott the mainstream media.
The climate disaster and resulting deaths of ordinary people in Pakistan
unfolding in front of our eyesremoved from in front of our eyes, replaced with wall to wall coverage of the death of one, very white, very rich, very old lady.You would have to be a hermit living in a cave to not be aware of the Queen's death. But you could easily be unaware of the climate catastrophe in Pakistan. Which is still ongoing, with little relief for the people caught in it.
Royal pageantry and ritual is the original and oldest way of generating Stan Culture. As Juvenal said give them circuses to keep the people diverted from public policy and civic duty.
The Queen's greatest public service, for which she has been heaped endless praise and honours, has been to rehabilitate the reputation of imperialism and colonialism.
King Charles will be allowed to continue his mother's work and carry out his main political duty to white wash imperialism.
But Charles Windsor the former Prince of Wales has been reminded (more than once) of his civic duty, now that he is King, not to agitate on climate change and to concentrate on his main role.
Unfortunately all the gold braid and pageantry in the world will not save us, or our King.
[You failed to provide the link to Wikipedia for your quote on “Bread and circuses”.
You changed the quoted text (aka butchered it) in a way that was not clear and this only became clear by going to the original text.
This may not seem a big deal, this time, even relatively harmless, but this apparent clumsiness with selective quoting, altering text, removing context, et cetera, is often used as a tool for influencing and manipulating.
When you quote we have to trust you that your quote is a perfect representation (aka copy & paste) of the original text and an accurate representation of the meaning/message. Please lift your game – Incognito]
Mod note
Not really hard to avoid at all.
I chose to stay up and watch the actual funeral coverage (I happen to like old buildings, pageantry and church music)
But it was a deliberate choice – it was hardly in prime time viewing (from about 10pm onwards).
And haven't paid attention to any other coverage subsequently. I read the papers online, and simply choose not to read any of the articles. And, in common with the majority of Kiwis under 60, I don’t watch TV news – and catch up with any programmes on demand (i.e I choose what to watch and when to watch it)
It hasn't been hard.
Disasters in Pakistan would still not have had high profile coverage in NZ – regardless of any royal pageantry. Our media is fairly parochial – and those of us with wider interests know that we have to supplement them from overseas.
Luckily, in this modern age, this is relatively easy to do.
Your complaint about saturation coverage might have had validity in the 1950s (King George VI's funeral and Elizabeth's coronation) – when there were few (if any) media alternatives in NZ – the local paper and the TV channel were the sum total. These days – people's consumption of media comes from so many sources that it's virtually impossible to achieve the slanted presentation that you appear to believe is the secret plan of the British monarchy.
I can assure you, that the coverage of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp and Roger Federer continues unabated (based on a quick sample of my newsfeeds this morning). All continuing to suck media attention away from Pakistan, Ukraine & climate change. Why are those circuses (without even bread) not a target for your ire?
It says alot about you.
Trying to beat up a story where none exists.
'
"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana
If the government passed legislation that at the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch massacre a one off national day of reflection on the causes of this tragedy, it would be sign of our maturity as a nation.
We commemorate the war dead of the First and Second World Wars. We don't commemorate the war dead of the New Zealand Wars.
We condemn German and Japanese fascism but we don’t condemn British imperialism or colonialism.
Because alongside our culture of remembering and commemorating historical events, we have another culture of forgetting historical events that we don't want to remember.
I have heard a number of commentators saying that the death and life of the Queen of England will be remembered for ever in history. They are probably right.
How about this: Heeding George Santayana's caution, taking the precedent of a one off day to remember and reflect on life and death of the British Monarch. the government legislate; That at the next anniversary milestone of the Christchurch massacre a one off day stoppage will be called to reflect on this terrible tragedy committed in our midst, to learn and never forget, so that such a thing is never repeated.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57322/for-the-fallen
Do you think we needed to have assassinated the queen before we were entitled to a day off?
Now that would’ve been an event worth commemorating with a day off. [Sarc.]
We're just following the practice of others – to commemorate the end of an era of a head of state. These are (normative) national occasions.
The argument for the utility of another memorial is a separate matter – and there was a planned one (annual, pandemic impacted).
'
"We're just following the practice of others…."
SPC
We should all be heartilly sick of being global followers. John Key wanted us to be 'Fast Followers' It's time we stopped being followers and started being leaders. I have long supported calls for this country to be a global leader, in social in climate justice and peace issues.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/our-plan-to-change-the-government/#comment-1183829
P.S. It was very heartening to see on TV1 News tonight that New Zealand will be taking a global lead on dealing with plastic waste, especially encouraging are moves to sheet the responsibility back to the big plastic polluters at the point of production instead of the public at the point of consumption. Something I have long argued was sorely needed
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/129960960/50000-people-may-need-to-lose-their-jobs-to-bring-inflation-under-control
Maybe the cold hearted zolner lady needs to go and come up with a better plan than fucking people lives to lower inflation
Yeah I saw this. These economists and their banking buddies are worse than useless, they're detrimental to society.
The plan here is to make many people poor so they can't afford to participate in society. This will in turn reduce demand for goods so prices drop and rich people can get cheaper goods.
We could have put ceilings on corporate profitability – the prices got jacked by corporations, not consumers. We could have retrospectively hit them with windfall taxes, of course we have not.
They blame supply and demand. They blame employment figures. They blame subprime mortgages, wars, pandemics, markets – anything but the truth of bank and corporate roles in society today – to take everything they can get their grubby hands on.
Yesterday, after widespread advertising for stories of supermarket profit gouging, I noticed several exorbitant prices have suddenly shrunk overnight. Flax meal, tahini, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, vegan mayo – all came down significantly since the last shop… Almost like they've been taking the absolute piss.
These people are a fucking disgrace. But just try stop the profit gouging – communism!
Banks have taken 30$ per week in PROFIT from every person in NZ
Can you link to where that figure came from? Sounds excessive…
It's more like $22 per person…..x52 x5million.
Last quarter 1.74 billion profit / 5 mill in 12 weeks
Is 29$
That's $7.8 billion in bank profits per annum I think they are about $6 billion altogether so that would be $23 per week from every person in NZ
Ouch
Don't shoot the messenger, wags. Thats just a more or less plain english description of what the RBNZ is planning to achieve via monetary policy.
The messenger is part of the establishment, so fuck im ,fire at will!!
'been spending most of life….living in a banksters….paradise'!
"THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY "
the profit Lenny Kravitz I believe
I think, in general, that jobs might be lost if people demanded higher wages to compensate for the inflation. That would seem to be the theory.
Belive me I'm less than pleased that just when I finally got into a wage bracket that I thought might give me a chance of getting some security for my future, just got gobbled by the inflation monster, but I don't want 50,000 extra people on the dole to fix it for me.
Now that you have received an increase in income, do you feel that you are better off than before?
Yes but inflation has nicked a decent chunk of it, and no I don't think it's 'cindys' fault if that's where you going jimmy old boy.
No wasn't 'going there at all'. A large portion of the inflation is beyond NZ's control and would not matter who was in government.
Some though is definitely due to the reserve bank.
I genuinely think that making ends meet and affording petrol, groceries, mortgage and rent payments are the biggest and most immediate concern to many NZers. Many people have had pay increases this year (and it is a good time to ask the boss for a rise), but I think it will really tighten up next year with many companies unable to afford to give further pay increases.
As NZ inflation is mostly less than our trading partners.
No. It is not due to the reserve bank.
Except, of course for the house price inflation over the last several decades, Which is due to tax policy since the 90's, lack of curbs on foriegn "investment" and imported cheap labour numbers.
NZ inflation is greater then all our trading partners except the Americas and Europe.
The NZ $/US$ of which all trade is realized to include Freight and insurance has depreciated 14.4% YTD,
Our current account is 7.1% of gdp and is nearing the worst it has been,our debt loading is increasing as is government debt and with an increasing interest bill on sovereign debt doubling over the next 2 years.
High interest rates are here to stay,the days of easy money are gone,and can only be dampened when core inflation ( shelter,utilities and service inflation) reduces.
Nah, if there is such a concern of govt spending impacting interest rates then there will be a quiet conversation between Orr and Robertson (in a smoke filled room), followed by another round of QE and the govt owning more of its own debt.
If the RBNZ wanted interest rates at zero it could of course lower the OCR just as it has raised it recently.
This means sweet FA, but may well send you into a commenting frenzy.
The RBNZ balance sheet has increased around 7 billion since march,the so called QT has not happened as the RBNZ lent at OCR rates to Banks ( 12 billion to xmas)
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/reserve-bank/our-balance-sheet
The Australian RBA took a hit removing all equity for a 36b loss on the effects of QE .
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/21/australias-central-bank-has-equity-wiped-out-by-billions-in-bond-losses.html
NZ debt is firmly in the hands of the kindness of strangers very similar to the UK were debt rates go through the roof.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/suspicious-minds-leave-uk-assets-all-shook-up-2022-09-14/
The only entity which can bankrupt a central bank is its legislature. This makes the question of central bank profit, loss and equity completely irrelevant. Unlike most entities, negative equity has zero impact on central banks ability to function.
Of course the way Citi bank talks about policy is in those terms because this is just the common language for "we recon the BofE should keep bumping interest rates up" (which co-incidentally helps Citi's profits). But, as Japans central bank policy is highlighting, alternate policies can equally be pursued at their discretion, including to lower interest rates.
Japan has 2 trillion in foreign exchange sitting in overseas banks,earning increasing interest payments.Its offshore investments outweigh its onshore foreign liabilities,this weak its 10 yr bond did not trade for 3 days.
The RBA decreased the ability to raise funds to protect its currency or Interest rates it de levered.
Sure, the RBA probably did for some combination of those reasons. But for some reason you didn't put it that way instead focusing on the "cost" of economic policy as if the RBA has any need to earn profits.
And regarding the BoJ (or other central banks) we can only evaluate any external limitations to its policy when they visibly buck market expectations and considering how that works. Highlighting foreign exchange reserves on a balance sheet is about as credible as the old story that, Japans long history of avoiding inflation while running QE for decades, was due to Japanese house wives saving rates.
Obviously when we consider some of the actual outcomes of RBNZ policy (e.g maybe 50,000 additional unemployed) some people are proposing its time to actually run some of the experiments and see how these theories stack up. Frankly if the NZ exchange rate fluctuates 2% off US inflation coming in low (but somehow also above market expectations), we could maybe focus on the economic policy bits we can actually control.
The Japanese household saving rate in July (last data) was 37.7% of disposable income..
With unemployment and some model showing 50k,would it not be better to reduce immigration,( which is a similar number) or would there be just a pool of unemployable.
Jobs full time positions increased by 7000 in the week ending 14/8.When the data reflects a decrease in value,the first affects will be in the service industry which it seems is not affected.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/employment-indicators-weekly-as-at-19-september-2022/
Sure, maintaining the lower immigration rate does seem to be having some positive outcomes for NZ.
As far as RBNZ policy implementation goes, their official policy position of running a raised cash rate, is supposed to flow through to the economy via elevated unemployment. AFAIK their expectations should be that domestic inflation will not decrease without the extra 50,000 unemployed. But this seems to have changed since they were initially just saying the country would need to accept the transitory (e.g. supply side) inflation and spread its burden fairly until it abated.
The fundamental question appears unstated….what can the NZD provide?
The answer is very little…. and even less if it is undesired offshore.
A low nz$ makes assets very cheap,especially rural land.
And inputs expensive…and it is all relative as your 'trading partner inflation rate' comment indicates.
A major issue is our exchange rate volatility….it makes long term investment decisions problematic…who will (either onshore or off) commit capital when any decision can be rendered a loser with a currency swing such as we have been subjected to the past 40 years?…a low of 0.39 to near parity with the world default trading currency and widly variable in between.
True,some will have local substitution possibilities such as cereal imported from Aus,where a new bulker on the coast will make shipping competitive SI-NI,cheaper then oz-nz. (up 70m in August)
So. Most of them. As I said.
No .not by price or volume.
https://www.worldstopexports.com/new-zealands-top-trade-partners/
Trading partners are not only "exports".
From your own link. Which is about export reciepts.
Imported inflation comes from imports and services supplied from overseas, does it not?
Global inflation tracker: see how your country compares on rising prices | Financial Times (ft.com)
Of the top 10 import countries into NZ,only the US and Germany have higher inflation rates.
The largest increases in cost are actually freight rates,insurance etc,with import values include CIF, which are now starting to contract.
The argument was not all our trading partners have high inflation,which excluding the Americas and Europe (excluding switzerland) they do not.
President of France Jacques Chirac knew in 1996. Hs told the ILO that the economy serves the people and not the other way round.
https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008059/lang–en/index.htm
How much further away from a notion of a decent society is that 5% of the people should be unemployed so that others may prosper. This latest advocate talks of a necessary pain. One Mark Lister gives away the mantle of altruism to the unemployed when he would better serve us and himself by trying a little altruism in his own life.
“You’ve got to cause some pain. You’ve
got to create some unemployment” he said. Marlborough Express Sept 23 2022 page 7 Business section
Anybody's pain but mine…….
What a truly ugly man
Have these people not twigged the inherent stupidity of their version of an economy where it is argued that we need more workers and also we need more unemployment?
Locally in Rotorua its 11%. – per the pre election report from the current Rotorua council.
5%unemployment in Rotorua currently would be awesome.
Shift the pain and 50 thousand pawns, play the blame game!!!
Will somebody please ask Luxon for his 'wisdom' on this.
Wisdom? Best laugh of the day Barfly!! Opinion yes… Wisdom lol, no!! He will lead with his arrogant chin.
Here's an interesting take on this:
Which 50 000 has to go?
If it's supply and demand issues, then we must get rid of the useless from the workforce, not the actual workers who produce the supply! Anything else would be madness. We know who is essential now (we've always known), the people who actually keep the lights on.
But there are others:
Economists are clearly useless, how many of them are there?
There's bound to be plenty of middle management playing paper-go-round in plenty of places.
Who must go?
Reminds me of the Douglas Adams Golgafrinchams
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/golgafrincham.shtml
We do know that the social value of a banker is negative but hospital cleaners add x15 the value of their salary.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/dec/14/new-economics-foundation-social-value
Economists are funny, one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
These two things are not coherent. They and their neo-liberal school are out of their depth in the real world 2022.
I'll note that when Muldoon was PM 1976-1981 there was 5 years of wage growth/inflation during which house prices flatlined and fell in real terms.
Inflation reduces the real value of assets (which one can note are overvalued) and debt (good for coming out of the QE debt of the GFC and pandemic). Containing inflation by holding down wages merely to preserve the asset wealth of a privileged elite (after a period of extreme inequality) is risible.
RBG's applying neo-liberal policy are going to risk populist pressure to the democratic fabric in way not seen since the 1930's.
You can have both national proved that I believe last time , flood the country with cheep foreign labour ,have kiwis on the dole , added bonus is a bigger target for right wingers to hate on.
… they'll allow prison for profit growth to manage homelessness (known as three strikes and clearances for urban renewal in the USA and here to manage the lack of housing).
That is actually coherent. More imported cheap labour = in their minds, more unemployed, less wage rises and less inflation.
The idea that you fight inflation by driving down wage price pressure regardless of other factors.
Obviously it means workers, and unemployed pay all the coats of reducing inflation. But we can't have banks and assett/housing speculators taking the pain instead, can we??
All the costs???
Both will take the hit…a consequence of the interest rate hikes is asset depreciation. (or revaluation)
Wealth destruction,global sharemarkets 25 trillion ytd,Crypto 2 trillion,Housing will be big here as the half billion pumped bubble implodes.
https://edition.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed
Why do you think, speculators and banks are so keen on wages taking the hit to contain inflation?
So they don't, of course!
I would argue the stimulus from population growth (more migrants) would in fact increase demand/inflation.
Hubby and I banked with ANZ – well firstly the National Bank, for 55 years. We told them where to go 3 years ago and moved to Kiwibank. We'd had enough of their utterings from John Key and the CEO in Melbourne (who I believe is a Kiwi) who threatened to close the N Z division down. I guess he was bluffing, but sheesh, what a tosser. Sharon Zollner also needs to pull her head in, but of course the unemployment subject is a favourite among such pointy heads who wouldn't be at all affected by such a move. Just don't get me going on the report in the Herald today about the Mood of the Boardroom
Exactly Jilly Bee.
The Former Guy claims he declassified the documents he removed from the White House just by thinking about it. We didn't know he has the amazing superpower of teledeclassification.
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/22/2124549/-Donald-Trump-claims-he-declassified-documents-by-thinking-about-it-but-that-s-not-the-worst-thing
Plotting, scheming, embezzling, gouging, dodging, lying, bullying–all skills Mr Mango Mussolini has amply demonstrated–but thinking? is a stretch.
In a fairer world Mr Trump would have been locked up years ago, but the US political establishment really has not chosen its battles with the ex President wisely at all.
Donald who?
He's not a well man.
https://twitter.com/ZTPetrizzo/status/1573012229661810694
New Zealand's very own Fox News, the NZ Herald, running their annual hit job on the left today. It is laughably titled, "The Mood of the Boardroom" – a name so suffused with fake gravitas it can only have come from the ponderously dull Fran O'Sullivan. The conclusion of 90 CEOs and 18 Directors is that this is the worst government since Muldoon. Yawn – rich, powerful private sector interests wanting the playing field tipped in their favour, and completely without irony, equating that with good economic management.
The winter of discontent team leader (2000) also ran an ad/editorial demanding New Zealand voters prevent a Labour-Green government (2005). Must have been so sad there when one law for all, across the board tax cuts (less money for poor families), keep interest on tertiary loans Don Brash was defeated
(Winston Peters kept his word to go with the party with more votes – Labour)(but in its way NZH represents the Koch brothers denial of need for global warming action and maintenance of a neo-liberal global regime)
The government must be doing something right then.
Yep, and one of the Herald and ZB adherents – who also happens to be a relative – told me yesterday we have a Communist government and its going to go next year before we are all destroyed.
Does anyone know where I can locate a membership form for the VFF crowd so I can send it to her? Or the Brash crowd will do – Hobson's Choice they call themselves? 😛
But, but, but if we have a Communist Government it is headed by a 'pretty little communist' isn't it and that must count for something surely. I mean better a pretty little communist than some idiot riding a bear? Your relative should thank their lucky stars. I didn't see the man on the bear being pressed to speak at the UN or being invited to the Queen's funeral.
I know the 'pretty little comm' is correct as I read it on a poster on the tractors and trucks in the Groundswill protest. And farmers know everything don't they? Those ones do anyway.
Perhaps get a membership form for Groundswell too so she can feel the faint pulse of this crowd from the rural sector. They are not supported by the majority of rural dwellers that I can see so should be a good match for VFF & Brash's rush of blood to the head group.
Actually I think it is the "pretty little communist:" who started it cos the plc is very attractive and intelligent and she's younger and oh so popular with her overseas peers.
Its called jealousy and afflicts a lot of women. HDPA is another example.
Yes indeed.
The Mood of the Boardroom in the Herald is just more right wing propaganda. Plenty more to come daily from Ganny Herald folks.
As a swing voter looking for excuses to stay with Labour, I'm finding it harder by the day. This so called '' hit job'' on Labour was in reality a reflection of what many voting people are pondering. Grant Robertson taking at hit in the ratings should be ringing alarm bells. He has generally until now been well tolerated by the opposition and general public. For me there were some surprises in the survey. Co-governance having some support for example. Labour has been given fair warning. They can continue to flip off such findings as the deluded rantings of rich white boys wanting more bucks in their pockets, or they can cross reference this survey with public opinion polls, gain a reality check, and do something about it.
25-26% of rain forest loss …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdwf717p0w
A study on Vitamin D levels and health outcomes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8541492/
.
Blimey ! You appear to be the first tragically-smug Woke dogmatist here to conspicuously break ranks from the well-rehearsed narrative that Vitamin D is all part of some Far Right Trumpist conspiracy theory to deliberately perplex the hoi polloi who lack the "unusually refined moral & intellectual sensibilities" of those wannabe elites trapped in your stifling little echo-chamber.
How did dear old muttonbird put it, again ? … oh yes:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03-08-2022/#comment-1903527
I was posting John Campbell on this back in 2020. and also on old fashioned “aspiration” in vaccination.
The only reason I take my vitamins is when instructed by my partner, and I don't think they are doing anything either.
I will now compare myself to Niels Bohr.
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/magic-shows/miscellany/niels-bohrs-lucky-horseshoe
Meanwhile the Medical Council of NZ says that Vitamin D supplementation is not required, except in some very specific population categories:
Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, Kiwis in general get enough sun exposure to ensure our levels are well within the healthy range.
Vitamin D prescription in NZ doesn't correlate with a reduction in the known medical consequences of low rates (rickets, etc). And is no longer prescribed for prevention of osteoporisis (no clinical benefit). It seems as though most prescriptions are to the 'worried well'
https://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/vitamin-d-deficiency-supplementation-and-testing-have-we-got-it-right-in-new-zealand
Has anyone seen this rating of each Auckland Councillor?
Rating every Auckland councillor: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson give their verdicts – NZ Herald
It's Herald Premium content – but Aucklander's with a library card should be able to view it using Press Reader, through the library website.
I think this is absolutely accurate
CEOs give the govt. a fail report card. 'Wost Govt since Muldoon': Ardern, Robertson blasted by business leaders in CEO survey (msn.com)
Even from the title the illiteracy of said CEOs suggests their opinion is less than bankable.
Yes just get woser and woser really.
Stuart-listen to this afternoon's The Panel on RNZ. Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey.
Here it is:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018859987
Fran O….ex NBR…now with NZ Herald ….is so biased it's hard to take her…seriously.
I'm going to differ with you there. Fran is a damned good journalist when she sets her mind to it. I'll grant you, that may be less than half the time, but she knocks sad idiot panel hacks out of the park from time to time. It's just that she spends too much time rubbing elbows with CEOs to be a full-on Blomkvist.
"Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey."
Think we must have listened to a different panel discussion
Perhaps Shanreagh and Anne describe it better below, but I stand by the fact that O'Sullivan was very unimpressive, mostly because she was defending the indefensible because the Mood of the Boardroom survey is wrong to attack the performance of this government.
From about 10.00 in. But, but, splutter is a good summary of Fran's response to some of Simon Wilson's questions…she quickly switched to saying it was a snapshot of a mood and overseas there was inflation that the CE's were reflecting on.
Most unimpressive but then these are not a group given to self reflection or acknowledgement that we have faced tough times. She did not seem to have an answer to the query about pushback on paying workers more being a way to lift people out of poverty……something that the CE's group are ostensibly concerned about.
The group does not include large NGOs
The best response was made by Wallace Chapman when he pointed out that the report did not acknowledge the fact this government had been through a major pandemic that no other government in NZ has had to grapple with, and was able to bring NZ through in far better shape than most other countries.
I note Fran O'Sullivan immediately changed tack and pointed out that the pandemic emergency has passed, and the CEO's are concerned about what is happening now.
I paraphrase both responses.
Surely what is happening now is a direct consequence of that pandemic and the world wide disruptions etc. it created. All the blame cannot be laid at the feet of the government. It will take time to re-establish normality in all sections of society including the business sector, so it is disingenuous to pass judgement at this stage of the procedure.
I gather also there was no mention of the impact being felt over the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Yes Anne, 'disingenuous' is a good word to describe the responses from the CEOs being discussed with Fran O'Sullivan.
As well there have been thoughts that while the situation was 'fluid' we could generally have a look at whether we wanted to go back to BAU circa 2021 or if we could be 'nimble' and take the opportunities for change.
NZ used to have a reputation for this nimbleness in days gone by not so long ago. Nimbleness is not a product of $$$$ or of handouts but of far-sightedness in business and brains working. Also adequate R & D and product and market investigation and investment.
Perhaps the CEs have been struck down by a late arriving variant of the Moaning Minnie virus that my ‘research’ showed accompanied earlier Covid variants in the general population.
This Covid virus has been long lasting, we have had to help those affected and so we have had to take time to deal with it. Some of the responses I have seen have built on the bull kaka that every country in the world except NZ has moved on. Partner is in the south of Italy travelling by public transport and says operators of public transport are fanatical about continued mask wearing on buses etc. NB NZ has no mask wearing restrictions on public transport.