The short of it is that the Chinese government locked citizens into keeping their money in China. Hence Chinese citizens have tried to find ways to make money within China, leading to speculative bubbles. The most prominent of these has been housing. Many Chinese citizens have been investing in multiple properties, resulting in a huge speculative bubble.
According to the Chinese stats guy he sites, there is now more empty housing than there is Chinese to fill it. Along with rapidly declining Chinese demographics, this is a recipe for economic disaster on a scale we likely have not seen before.
According to Zeihan, the sub-prime crisis was caused by a 3% oversupply of housing, so the scale of future disaster in China will be many multiples higher than that.
This may lead to the overthrow of the Chinese government, because citizens will naturally be fairly ticked off with their government when that happens.
China can print its way out of this crisis just as it has happened before. Being a command and Control economy they can do things free economies can't do like print price freeze shift the economy to where the most money can be made from foreign exchange ie. Cheap car's cheap electric cars.Bigger Navy, Airforce and army.Build more modern infrastructure etc etc in the last gfc China bounced back better than any economist predicted the US had to borrow hundreds of Billions of US $ from China to sure up the US economy.
I remember when I visited the city of Changchun about seven years ago I saw two huge apartment building projects that were unfinished, and was told that they had been that way for 2-3 years.
The thing is though, that it isn't only Zeihan pointing to the massive oversupply in the Chinese property market. There are fundamental issues going on that are going to be difficult to avoid, for China, and for the world.
Kicking the can down the road doesn't work anymore when the road runs out.
And to be fair to Zeihan, one thing he did get right was predicting the war in Ukraine pretty much to the year back in 2014. e.g:
IMO From what I have read the China property market is overdue for a hell of a correction and there will be an enormous amount of financial loss and pain involved – but to predict governmental overthrow and the end of the Chinese state is truly jumping the shark.
Sure. But to be fair to Zeihan, he has given a prediction with a time limit. So, at least we will soon know if he his wrong or right. It is easy to make a prediction for some unspecified time in the future, because lots of things can happen given enough time.
I think the likely scenario, if it were to happen, would be China breaking up into provences rather than holding together as a coherent whole.
China isn't going to break up, isn't going to fall into a hole from lack of babies, and simply isn't facing any crisis as big as say Congress being stormed or the UK leaving the EU.
China sure ain't a threat to NZ from impending failure.
Ever notice how Zeihan always concludes that the only successful country in the world is the US?
As I mentioned, to his credit he has given a time-specific prediction about China. So, we should know fairly soon whether that will work out. If China is going to break up, then we should see the signs of that well before then.
I agree, I thought 10 years was a stretch as well. But, we will see I guess.
China sure ain't a threat to NZ from impending failure.
I agree, it likely isn't as much of a threat as say, to Australia. That is because people need to eat whatever happens. So, our produce should be in demand. Whereas, I think Australia it is much more of an issue for Australia. Because, if China stops building stuff, then they won't need all the stuff Australia sends them.
If they are too expensive, and the price doesn't adjust, then they will just sit there.
If you were a banker in a normally functioning economy, would you lend on assets that had no hope in selling if you needed to call up your loan? Hence one of the major problems. People will be reaching their retirements, hoping to sell up their property assets to generate cash to live on. But, if they find they can't sell, or can only sell for a fraction of what they paid, they will not be happy campers.
In an economy such as China, where the demographics are terminal, then this scenario will play out more and more frequently.
I heard that in China most are renting on 70 year leases. I don't know whether the oversupplied houses were intended for lease or for purchase. However, banks are state owned in China, so writing off any loans won't be as much a problem as it would be in Western countries.
Or like Trump overinf8 the value of the property and borrow more printed money from the CCP bank.Nothing is a problem in a command and control economy!
I read on stuff that Luxon used the word "actually" 76 times in last night's leaders' second TV debate, which I did not watch.
When used so often in those contexts, "actually" is another way of trying to give yourself authority – a way of saying "I know what I'm talking about – you don't!"
John Key used that word a lot too, so perhaps it is a National Party thing and their way of projecting their smug superiority over others.
"Actually" is a classic example of the right-wing male's constant and totally unfounded claim to a superior understanding of reality.
The 'reality' concerning which they claim such superior knowledge, is not reality at all. It's simply the shimmering of their own ideology reflected back at them. Close relatives of “actually” are “the reality is” and “what I’m saying is”. Once you get sensitised to the word “actually”, you can spot a blustering, fat-headed bully with ease.
Reference to collective reality is indeed more asserted than realistic but real cool to see someone actually measuring the citations eh? You know, as if social science research was useful practice?
Yeah I know, postmodernism disposed of any credibility in the reality concept, but what if psychologists weren't as inept as they seem & there is really a reality drive operating within the psyche? Why else would folks say "Get real!"?
Actually I only ever write actually so as to channel the inner rightist, inherited from my dad & his dad, which has always amused me. You know, as if rightists could ever get real about anything?
Anyway this youngster reckons Hipkins got a win and we ought to discern how young voters see things – you know, as if social scientists were competent enough to prove relevance by measuring youngster generational views on politics & report the various bodies of opinion within in the media?
If you've watched both debates, you might have noticed there's one word Luxon uses over and over again. In the TVNZ debate last week, he said "actually" 69 times. In last night's slightly shorter format, he said it 76 times.
He probably has an actuater stuck up his ass everytime his mansplaining mouth opens actually I am lying but the lying bit is conveniently avoided.Luxon is a bully and never answers a question directly but just like a wind up toy he reheats and repeats the distraction or lie.
Good question, I wonder if any are still around. A reunion of antiquated comedians could be capable of exposing the surrealism abounding in western civilisation…
OMG that would be a bit of a shock here. Interesting concept and look forward to tracking its progress as a policy.
Imagine if the NZ state took over the entire rental market with an instrument similar to AIRBnB and then price controlled rent increases for the whole market.
It would look remarkably similar to the Greens policy.
Queenstown has tried this and failed. If Edinburgh struggles to reign in Airbnb how are we, a small town, going to deal with them. The cost would destroy the town more and faster than the short term rentals.
[please correct the error in your e-mail in your next comment, thanks – Incognito]
Convo on twitter about National's 1990 election campaign and how they lied, promising to make changes to Labour's neoliberalisation of NZ and then carrying on with it. Anyone got a reference for the campaign material they used pre-election?
Here's Jim Bolger in 1990, after his landslide win. I wish I had a copy of National's election manifesto to upload. The policies in it are far to the left of those offered even by the Greens today. National ran against but ended up continuing Rogernomics. Extreme became normal.
I remember reading about an opposition National MP during the Rogernome government, and I wish I could remember his name and find his comments, saying that National didn't put up much opposition during the second three years because Labour were doing pretty much what National wanted to do anyway.
Big business funded Labour $2 for $1 for National once Labour moved back to moderate policy that funding disappeared Roger Douglas bankrupt pig farmer got a job advertising high interest bank cards.
Labour took all the backlash it was highjacked by the National Party via Bob Jones .Labour has never recovered until it offers National Party type policy with a few more crumbs off the table for the peasants.Nothing like the
Norman Kirk and previous Labour Party govts who built enough.houses gave us much cheaper health care , power ,phone education .The Greens are closer to the original Labour movement now.
From memory, it didn't at the time. The Bastards used the so-called BNZ Bank collapse for it's massive jump to the right & it was all downhill after that.
"During the course of 1990 it became apparent that the National Party's stance on industrial relations was closely related to the arguments advanced by the New Zealand Business Roundtable and the Employers Federation regarding labour market reform.I? It is significant that the National Party chose to announce its labour relations policy at an Employers Federation conference in Auckland on the 8th May. Jim Bolger pledged the reintroduction of voluntary unionism and to make bargaining more flexible by breaking the stranglehold that entrenched union executives currently have on the negotiating process in too many sectors of industry".
Not sure what the thinking might be, but it felt to me like he had been withholding his ammunition and debating skills for the last two plus weeks. He did make noises to that effect in a brief post-debate interview before he left the studio.
All IMO – Amongst the horror and evil of war one periodically finds the inspirational, the amusing and the mind-boggling
This bloke I find to be an inspiration – a Ukranian veteran from Soviet Afghanistan War – he seems to be older than Methusalah (as in about my age) – answering the call to serve his country and possibly even driving the same model IFV he used to. He also appears to have well mastered the art of 'zero f***s given'.
Winston will be a huge Thorn in Nationals side as there biggest policy tax cuts for the well off won't go ahead on current poling.Winston will dine out on this till the election.
Judging by the subtle change in attitudes on both sides, I wouldn't be totally surprised if it was subsequently discovered Winston already had made a secret deal with Luxon.
Have to admit that Winston has a habit of doing the unexpected. In 1996, the first MMP election, he had been roundly abusing National all through the campaign and been relatively cordial to Labour, and then against most expectations he went with National. Helen Clark accused National of "going belly up".
Cut to 2017 and when the majority of pundits thought he would go with National he cuts a deal with Labour, to the shock and disbelief of National who since the election had been crowing like Peter Pan saying how clever they were.
And now he may well be in the same situation again, but this time we have the added element of ACT on the right who are sure to want a share of the spoils.
Have to admit that Winston has a habit of doing the unexpected.
I disagree and don’t buy into the Winston myth and associated personality cult unlike MSM and quite possibly >5% of voters.
I didn’t buy into the John Key myth either nor was I blown away by Jacinda Ardern’s public image.
For me, a strong policy platform based on reliable assumptions is more influential than party figureheads; people come and go, but core principles, values, and associated policy platforms endure.
Foreign Buyers Tax: A Mismatch Between Expectations and Reality The Importance of Transparent Policymaking
While the shortfall in the proposed tax revenue may not significantly impact the government deficits, it serves as a testament to the politicians’ approach to policy making and their transparency in responding to criticism. Even though the National party, being an opposition party, may not have the same resources as the Government to form its policy, critics argue that it should invest in thorough analysis using the donations it receives.
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Might relaxing the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding some big donors?
Some big investment property owners (one name in particular springs to mind) will be salivating at the prospect of a ‘correction’ in the property market, whereas some pundits reckon a correction is still in progress.
National MPs seem to have stopped using the ludicrous term "the squeezed middle", with reference to their tax cuts policy, as it excludes people in the most need. Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis now claim that "low and middle income earners" will benefit from their tax plan. This is a typical National strategy of lying by omission.
Economists analysing National's non-resident buyers' 15% tax from houses over two million dollars have found this tax would likely raise only $210 million a year, rather than $740 million a year as National claims. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/497974/economists-analysis-rubbishes-national-s-foreign-buyers-tax-numbers This amount would be the largest source of revenue to fund their tax cuts. National have repeatedly refused to release their modelling of their tax plan. If it is feasible and the calculations support National's tax cut amounts, why not release the plan?
National advises that a worker on the median income would receive $50.00 per fortnight. NZ's median income is about $61,000.00. Therefore, half of NZ workers earn below this amount and would receive less than $25.00 per week in tax cuts. National's tax plan would in fact make many families worse off through cuts to early childhood education funding, public transport subsidies and public services, and by reinstating pharmacy prescription charges. Also, allowing non-residents to buy NZ homes will push up house prices and rental costs. National's tax plan would disproportionately benefit high earners, as they would receive the highest tax cuts.
National are relying on evasive, dishonest slogans to try to maintain their position in the polls, without providing details of what public services they will cut to fund their tax plan. The media should repeatedly hold National to account, to be open and honest, so voters are fully aware of their options.
Yup the IETC adjustment provides $10 a week (to the bottom half), and the tax bracket adjustments around the median and above (to $120,000) takes the total to $25 (an extra $15).
That is all for the 3 years.
Note a $1 an hour wage increase pa – MW is $40 a week before tax. And a similar impact would occur from the FPA industry awards. Each and every year.
Labour provides more help to afford rent increases and the cost of mortgages.
Greens with their 3% rent pa cap add an important extra one would hope became coalition policy.
Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis now claim that "low and middle income earners" will benefit from their tax plan.
The gall of such a statement is gob-smacking. Middle income earners stand to gain some $20 to $25 per week but the lowest income workers will be lucky if they get much more than $5 per week and they are the ones so desperately in need of help.
I honestly don't know how anyone with a grain of decency could make such a claim based on National's tax-cut scheme. It is preposterous.
The thing that gets me the most is: those on very high incomes potentially could benefit by up to $250 per week. BUT… if you dare mention it you are accused of envy politics – as if it is a nasty disease. Most people don't want to be rich. They just want to own a roof over their head and be able to eat well, pay their bills and once a year have a holiday somewhere.
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As I said before on housing NOW middle New Zealand families can have a pet or a grandparent for their children, but not both.
National plans to make it much, much worse for people renting. It plans to make it worse for the unemployed. It plans, through offering tax relief at a higher bracket, to make the poorest worse off.
Winston Peters is now positioning himself to the left of the Labour Party in economic policy, and somehow given his candidates, with more credibility as he seems to have a much greater likely influence on the next government. Jesus wept.
The media like to make out there’s not much difference. For the poorest it will be a catastrophe.
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A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo says, “Addressing violence and abuse remains New Zealand’s most significant human rights issue affecting women. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Symons, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Michael Schiffer / Unsplash Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth ...
One woman’s quest to watch Challengers without ruining her body clock. Every Saturday morning, I wake up with a screaming demon inside my head urging me to “Do. Something. This. Weekend.” I run through the possibilities in my head in a defensive mental crouch, reminiscent of that one time I ...
The PSA is alarmed that ACC is proposing to shed 309 jobs including 29 dedicated injury prevention jobs at a time when the number and cost of injuries is rising. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Baker, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images As local and regional councils struggle with inadequate infrastructure and unsustainable costs, New Zealand will be hearing a lot more about the potential solution offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Sacks, Professor of Public Health Policy, Deakin University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock In recent years, there’s been increasinghype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods. But new evidence published this week found not all “ultra-processed” foods are linked ...
Fears that New Zealand is relying too heavily on low-cost forests to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions have been reignited by a report from the OECD. ...
Getting away from politics for a moment, here is a fascinating 10 minute video from Peter Zeihan on why the Chinese economy is in serious trouble.
The short of it is that the Chinese government locked citizens into keeping their money in China. Hence Chinese citizens have tried to find ways to make money within China, leading to speculative bubbles. The most prominent of these has been housing. Many Chinese citizens have been investing in multiple properties, resulting in a huge speculative bubble.
According to the Chinese stats guy he sites, there is now more empty housing than there is Chinese to fill it. Along with rapidly declining Chinese demographics, this is a recipe for economic disaster on a scale we likely have not seen before.
According to Zeihan, the sub-prime crisis was caused by a 3% oversupply of housing, so the scale of future disaster in China will be many multiples higher than that.
This may lead to the overthrow of the Chinese government, because citizens will naturally be fairly ticked off with their government when that happens.
He also thinks that the end of China as a functioning nation will be this decade, according to several other of his vids.
I guess a massive financial collapse caused by the housing bubble could be the trigger for that.
China can print its way out of this crisis just as it has happened before. Being a command and Control economy they can do things free economies can't do like print price freeze shift the economy to where the most money can be made from foreign exchange ie. Cheap car's cheap electric cars.Bigger Navy, Airforce and army.Build more modern infrastructure etc etc in the last gfc China bounced back better than any economist predicted the US had to borrow hundreds of Billions of US $ from China to sure up the US economy.
China can 'print' its way out of this crisis as surely as I could borrow my way out of credit card debt.
Here is an article that confirms the point Zeihan makes.
Ah, the perverse incentives of dystopian authoritarianism.
I remember when I visited the city of Changchun about seven years ago I saw two huge apartment building projects that were unfinished, and was told that they had been that way for 2-3 years.
And I suppose there were many more I didn't see.
Zeihan is the catastrophist version of Jared Diamond's "Guns Germs and Steel".
Very few of his forecasts have come to pass, and the ones that do he rolls out like a flying carpet for his ego.
The worst and stupidest is that China will cease to exist inside a decade.
China is doing pretty much the same trajectory of post-War development that Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam did.
Zeiham is what you get when a geopgrapher does woo-hoo with a few facts and avoids the entire discipline of development economics.
The thing is though, that it isn't only Zeihan pointing to the massive oversupply in the Chinese property market. There are fundamental issues going on that are going to be difficult to avoid, for China, and for the world.
Kicking the can down the road doesn't work anymore when the road runs out.
And to be fair to Zeihan, one thing he did get right was predicting the war in Ukraine pretty much to the year back in 2014. e.g:
https://georgiatoday.ge/geopolitical-analyst-peter-zeihan-on-russias-war-to-the-end/
IMO From what I have read the China property market is overdue for a hell of a correction and there will be an enormous amount of financial loss and pain involved – but to predict governmental overthrow and the end of the Chinese state is truly jumping the shark.
Sure. But to be fair to Zeihan, he has given a prediction with a time limit. So, at least we will soon know if he his wrong or right. It is easy to make a prediction for some unspecified time in the future, because lots of things can happen given enough time.
I think the likely scenario, if it were to happen, would be China breaking up into provences rather than holding together as a coherent whole.
He's only famous because of that one prediction.
Plenty of his others haven't worked out.
China isn't going to break up, isn't going to fall into a hole from lack of babies, and simply isn't facing any crisis as big as say Congress being stormed or the UK leaving the EU.
China sure ain't a threat to NZ from impending failure.
Ever notice how Zeihan always concludes that the only successful country in the world is the US?
As I mentioned, to his credit he has given a time-specific prediction about China. So, we should know fairly soon whether that will work out. If China is going to break up, then we should see the signs of that well before then.
I agree, I thought 10 years was a stretch as well. But, we will see I guess.
I agree, it likely isn't as much of a threat as say, to Australia. That is because people need to eat whatever happens. So, our produce should be in demand. Whereas, I think Australia it is much more of an issue for Australia. Because, if China stops building stuff, then they won't need all the stuff Australia sends them.
I don't think it's the fact of an oversupply of houses that is the problem, rather that the the houses are too expensive for most Chinese.
If they are too expensive, and the price doesn't adjust, then they will just sit there.
If you were a banker in a normally functioning economy, would you lend on assets that had no hope in selling if you needed to call up your loan? Hence one of the major problems. People will be reaching their retirements, hoping to sell up their property assets to generate cash to live on. But, if they find they can't sell, or can only sell for a fraction of what they paid, they will not be happy campers.
In an economy such as China, where the demographics are terminal, then this scenario will play out more and more frequently.
I heard that in China most are renting on 70 year leases. I don't know whether the oversupplied houses were intended for lease or for purchase. However, banks are state owned in China, so writing off any loans won't be as much a problem as it would be in Western countries.
Or like Trump overinf8 the value of the property and borrow more printed money from the CCP bank.Nothing is a problem in a command and control economy!
I read on stuff that Luxon used the word "actually" 76 times in last night's leaders' second TV debate, which I did not watch.
When used so often in those contexts, "actually" is another way of trying to give yourself authority – a way of saying "I know what I'm talking about – you don't!"
John Key used that word a lot too, so perhaps it is a National Party thing and their way of projecting their smug superiority over others.
"Actually" is a classic example of the right-wing male's constant and totally unfounded claim to a superior understanding of reality.
The 'reality' concerning which they claim such superior knowledge, is not reality at all. It's simply the shimmering of their own ideology reflected back at them. Close relatives of “actually” are “the reality is” and “what I’m saying is”. Once you get sensitised to the word “actually”, you can spot a blustering, fat-headed bully with ease.
Reference to collective reality is indeed more asserted than realistic but real cool to see someone actually measuring the citations eh? You know, as if social science research was useful practice?
Yeah I know, postmodernism disposed of any credibility in the reality concept, but what if psychologists weren't as inept as they seem & there is really a reality drive operating within the psyche? Why else would folks say "Get real!"?
Actually I only ever write actually so as to channel the inner rightist, inherited from my dad & his dad, which has always amused me. You know, as if rightists could ever get real about anything?
Anyway this youngster reckons Hipkins got a win and we ought to discern how young voters see things – you know, as if social scientists were competent enough to prove relevance by measuring youngster generational views on politics & report the various bodies of opinion within in the media?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300978660/leaders-debate-paddy-gower-and-the-chrises-on-the-most-powerful-drug-of-all–politics
Actually he is full of it.
Hi, here is a RNZ article about..
IMO Chris Hipkins was all over Luxon…several times had him up against the ropes. Luxon looked..lost. Actually : )
In Luxon's case, it's not so much a tactic, more that he has a total vocabulary of about 12 words. He is physically painful to listen to (actually).
He probably has an actuater stuck up his ass everytime his mansplaining mouth opens actually I am lying but the lying bit is conveniently avoided.Luxon is a bully and never answers a question directly but just like a wind up toy he reheats and repeats the distraction or lie.
Is it only me, but the many "Points of Order" and Richard Harman posts in TS feed all seem to be supporting the Right.
Where's the McGillicuddy Serious Party when you need them?
Good question, I wonder if any are still around. A reunion of antiquated comedians could be capable of exposing the surrealism abounding in western civilisation…
This might help the situation with rentals in Queenstown.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/27/new-york-airbnb-renters-cities-law-ban-properties?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
OMG that would be a bit of a shock here. Interesting concept and look forward to tracking its progress as a policy.
Imagine if the NZ state took over the entire rental market with an instrument similar to AIRBnB and then price controlled rent increases for the whole market.
It would look remarkably similar to the Greens policy.
Queenstown has tried this and failed. If Edinburgh struggles to reign in Airbnb how are we, a small town, going to deal with them. The cost would destroy the town more and faster than the short term rentals.
[please correct the error in your e-mail in your next comment, thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
Convo on twitter about National's 1990 election campaign and how they lied, promising to make changes to Labour's neoliberalisation of NZ and then carrying on with it. Anyone got a reference for the campaign material they used pre-election?
https://twitter.com/SikotiHamiltonR/status/1706883456725311599
I remember reading about an opposition National MP during the Rogernome government, and I wish I could remember his name and find his comments, saying that National didn't put up much opposition during the second three years because Labour were doing pretty much what National wanted to do anyway.
Big business funded Labour $2 for $1 for National once Labour moved back to moderate policy that funding disappeared Roger Douglas bankrupt pig farmer got a job advertising high interest bank cards.
Appropriate job – given that the Rogernome government gave us home loan interest rates and inflation at 16% plus.
I remember buying my first home in 1985, my first mortage interest rate was 16% (later going up for a while to 18%) and inflation was around 16%.
And these people were founders of the ACT Party.
Worried about what might happen to interest rates if they get back into power again?
You should be.
Labour took all the backlash it was highjacked by the National Party via Bob Jones .Labour has never recovered until it offers National Party type policy with a few more crumbs off the table for the peasants.Nothing like the
Norman Kirk and previous Labour Party govts who built enough.houses gave us much cheaper health care , power ,phone education .The Greens are closer to the original Labour movement now.
Am pretty sure that 'manifesto' included the ECA….hardly a 'left' policy
From memory, it didn't at the time. The Bastards used the so-called BNZ Bank collapse for it's massive jump to the right & it was all downhill after that.
https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10523/9116/HealSarah1994MA.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
page 89
"During the course of 1990 it became apparent that the National Party's stance on industrial relations was closely related to the arguments advanced by the New Zealand Business Roundtable and the Employers Federation regarding labour market reform.I? It is significant that the National Party chose to announce its labour relations policy at an Employers Federation conference in Auckland on the 8th May. Jim Bolger pledged the reintroduction of voluntary unionism and to make bargaining more flexible by breaking the stranglehold that entrenched union executives currently have on the negotiating process in too many sectors of industry".
Great to see Hipkins showing some attack last night.
Not sure what the thinking might be, but it felt to me like he had been withholding his ammunition and debating skills for the last two plus weeks. He did make noises to that effect in a brief post-debate interview before he left the studio.
A gathering in the middle of Wellington and the weather’s let me down badly.
All IMO – Amongst the horror and evil of war one periodically finds the inspirational, the amusing and the mind-boggling
This bloke I find to be an inspiration – a Ukranian veteran from Soviet Afghanistan War – he seems to be older than Methusalah (as in about my age) – answering the call to serve his country and possibly even driving the same model IFV he used to. He also appears to have well mastered the art of 'zero f***s given'.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/16r9mf8/ukrainian_veteran_from_the_soviet_afghanistan_war/
This is humor a much younger Ukranian 'asset' who is also rocking a big 'zero f***s given vibe'
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/16q9861/photo_of_the_day_a_cat_named_patron_serving_in/
This clip – well it's the mind-boggling as in wtf ? How the hell? But it's just a bloke getting some firewood while wearing slip-ons
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/16qwdbt/ok_this_guy_is_a_unit/
And last well I find this heart warming
https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/16q139y/we_will_rock_you/
Slava Ukraine!
Winston will be a huge Thorn in Nationals side as there biggest policy tax cuts for the well off won't go ahead on current poling.Winston will dine out on this till the election.
Winston also has the ability to make a deal with whomever he wants so easily
MSM "But you said no deal with the Labour Party"
Winston "Yes I did, but unfortunately it seems that the National Party can't count so I have revised my position"
No I don't expect this but I do expect entertainment if Winston is the KingMaker
Judging by the subtle change in attitudes on both sides, I wouldn't be totally surprised if it was subsequently discovered Winston already had made a secret deal with Luxon.
Have they been spotted drinking a cup of tea together?
This election campaign is a show of charades – it’s good for MSM and polling companies but hardly serves the people/voters.
Have to admit that Winston has a habit of doing the unexpected. In 1996, the first MMP election, he had been roundly abusing National all through the campaign and been relatively cordial to Labour, and then against most expectations he went with National. Helen Clark accused National of "going belly up".
Cut to 2017 and when the majority of pundits thought he would go with National he cuts a deal with Labour, to the shock and disbelief of National who since the election had been crowing like Peter Pan saying how clever they were.
And now he may well be in the same situation again, but this time we have the added element of ACT on the right who are sure to want a share of the spoils.
I disagree and don’t buy into the Winston myth and associated personality cult unlike MSM and quite possibly >5% of voters.
I didn’t buy into the John Key myth either nor was I blown away by Jacinda Ardern’s public image.
For me, a strong policy platform based on reliable assumptions is more influential than party figureheads; people come and go, but core principles, values, and associated policy platforms endure.
Best of luck with that.
With what?
Whatever “that” is, it has nothing to do with luck.
Big donors are people/voters too – charlatans on parade – apols for repetition.
Why should Kiwis take Willis and Luxon at their word, when they've clearly been caught out trying to scam the voters?
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Might relaxing the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding some big donors?
Some big investment property owners (one name in particular springs to mind) will be salivating at the prospect of a ‘correction’ in the property market, whereas some pundits reckon a correction is still in progress.
Imho, NAct are aiming to correct the correction.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/131976700/property-market-correction-not-over-yet
Wake up all you voters before it's too late. You are being scammed by the Nats and their mates in the right wing Media
National MPs seem to have stopped using the ludicrous term "the squeezed middle", with reference to their tax cuts policy, as it excludes people in the most need. Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis now claim that "low and middle income earners" will benefit from their tax plan. This is a typical National strategy of lying by omission.
Economists analysing National's non-resident buyers' 15% tax from houses over two million dollars have found this tax would likely raise only $210 million a year, rather than $740 million a year as National claims. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/497974/economists-analysis-rubbishes-national-s-foreign-buyers-tax-numbers This amount would be the largest source of revenue to fund their tax cuts. National have repeatedly refused to release their modelling of their tax plan. If it is feasible and the calculations support National's tax cut amounts, why not release the plan?
According to National's figures, low income earners would receive $10 per week in tax cuts. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300960677/election-2023-national-party-releases-full-146b-tax-plan
National advises that a worker on the median income would receive $50.00 per fortnight. NZ's median income is about $61,000.00. Therefore, half of NZ workers earn below this amount and would receive less than $25.00 per week in tax cuts. National's tax plan would in fact make many families worse off through cuts to early childhood education funding, public transport subsidies and public services, and by reinstating pharmacy prescription charges. Also, allowing non-residents to buy NZ homes will push up house prices and rental costs. National's tax plan would disproportionately benefit high earners, as they would receive the highest tax cuts.
National are relying on evasive, dishonest slogans to try to maintain their position in the polls, without providing details of what public services they will cut to fund their tax plan. The media should repeatedly hold National to account, to be open and honest, so voters are fully aware of their options.
Yup the IETC adjustment provides $10 a week (to the bottom half), and the tax bracket adjustments around the median and above (to $120,000) takes the total to $25 (an extra $15).
That is all for the 3 years.
Note a $1 an hour wage increase pa – MW is $40 a week before tax. And a similar impact would occur from the FPA industry awards. Each and every year.
Labour provides more help to afford rent increases and the cost of mortgages.
Greens with their 3% rent pa cap add an important extra one would hope became coalition policy.
The gall of such a statement is gob-smacking. Middle income earners stand to gain some $20 to $25 per week but the lowest income workers will be lucky if they get much more than $5 per week and they are the ones so desperately in need of help.
I honestly don't know how anyone with a grain of decency could make such a claim based on National's tax-cut scheme. It is preposterous.
Lowest earners WILL benefit, just not very much. A half block of cheese when its on special.
The kind of word mincing that National has specialised in from its creation.
The thing that gets me the most is: those on very high incomes potentially could benefit by up to $250 per week. BUT… if you dare mention it you are accused of envy politics – as if it is a nasty disease. Most people don't want to be rich. They just want to own a roof over their head and be able to eat well, pay their bills and once a year have a holiday somewhere.
Thanks for that clear analysis of Nat's Siren song – it's not too late to avoid the rocks.
https://vote.nz/enrolling/enrol-or-update/enrol-or-update-online/
Always get into these threads late at night unfortunately:
but where is the anger at some of these morally repugnant policies, backed by lying former merchants of death and worse.
Why is it left to Hayden Donnell to be saying this in the Spinoff:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/27-09-2023/is-nationals-biggest-issue-beneficiaries
As I said before on housing NOW middle New Zealand families can have a pet or a grandparent for their children, but not both.
National plans to make it much, much worse for people renting. It plans to make it worse for the unemployed. It plans, through offering tax relief at a higher bracket, to make the poorest worse off.
Winston Peters is now positioning himself to the left of the Labour Party in economic policy, and somehow given his candidates, with more credibility as he seems to have a much greater likely influence on the next government. Jesus wept.
The media like to make out there’s not much difference. For the poorest it will be a catastrophe.
Coalition of Carnage should be the catch-cry from Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori because that is exactly what will happen.