Phil Twyford: the Housing Crisis
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- Date published:
8:00 am, October 5th, 2016 - 148 comments
Categories: housing, labour, phil twyford, Politics -
Tags: homeless, homeless crisis
Abridged text from a recent speech
The Labour Party’s centenary is a great time to be talking about housing because housing plays a starring role in our party’s proud history.
Housing is never far from the action when Labour is in Government. When National is in power, housing problems inevitably start to pile up.
With the country again in the grip of a housing crisis under National, that crisis will put us to the test. How we rise to that challenge – the quality of our policies, and the political courage we show – will determine the cut of our social democratic jib.
All Governments are defined by the big challenges and how they meet them.
For the first Labour Government it was lifting people out of the poverty of the Depression, and dealing with a World War.
For the fourth Labour Government, for better or worse, it was modernising and opening up the economy after nine years of Muldoon.
For the fifth it was restoring sanity and decency to government and the economy after the nasty divisive 90s.
The next Labour Government, led by Andrew Little, will be defined by how we respond to the housing crisis.
Our legacy will be positive social democratic solutions to the housing crisis that build a fairer and better New Zealand.
How in this land of plenty did we get to have 41,000 people classed as homeless?
The majority of those 41,000 people are families with children. Slightly more than half are people in paid employment or study.
Another face of the housing crisis is the scourge of cold, damp homes.
Thanks to the ground breaking research of Dr Philippa Howden-Chapman and her colleagues at Otago University, we know 50,000 children are being hospitalised each year with respiratory and infectious diseases caused by poverty, overcrowding and cold damp mouldy homes.
Many of them suffer permanent lung damage that leaves them vulnerable to infections and shortens their lives.
Again, how did this happen?
The third face of this housing crisis is the death of the Kiwi dream of affordable home ownership.
New figures from Statistics NZ show a million New Zealanders are shut out of home ownership. They just don’t have the net worth to afford a deposit.
Nearly 80% of renters, that’s 458,000 households, couldn’t scrape a deposit together.
Stagnant incomes, skyrocketing house prices – up 15% on average across the whole country in the last year – and it’s no wonder home ownership rates are now the lowest in 65 years.
How did we get into this mess?
The sky is dark with neo-liberal chickens coming home to roost. So let’s try and count them.
Part of the reason home ownership rates have been falling all over New Zealand is that wages have been stagnant or falling in real terms, and so many people depend on precarious work.
The reason pensioners are living out their days in campgrounds is that they have never been able to save enough to own their own home. It is tough surviving on superannuation in the rental market.
It is the legacy of policy thinking that somehow making us a low wage economy would make us richer.
Add to this the withdrawal of the State from actively supporting the building of new homes.
In the 1980s and 90s government stopped intervening in the housing market to encourage new home construction and help young families into their first homes.
That policy – State Advances loans and capitalising the family benefit – kept the build rate ahead of the population curve for decades.
It was one of the great institutions of the post-Depression post-war twentieth century, along with the expansion of free education, the public health system, and the welfare state – that made us one of the most equal societies in the world.
Good quality housing, and the pride, security and stability of home ownership, allowed generations of Kiwi families to improve their lot.
Since the light went out on that policy, we have never built enough homes to keep up, and home ownership rates have been falling.
As our society became more unequal, with a sizeable minority trapped in a cycle of low wages, a lean and mean welfare system, and the precarious work of a deregulated labour market, we failed to expand the state housing safety net that could have at least ensured those people had a decent secure roof over their heads.
National of course sold off state houses and brought in market rents in the 1990s. Helen Clark’s government restored income related rents, and built state houses to make up for the ones National sold, and deserves credit for that.
But the country has never been able to sustain an increase in the number of state houses relative to population growth. As a result, only 4% of Kiwis live in a state house. Most people who are really struggling live in a private rental that is worse quality than the state houses, they pay more rent, and have no security of tenure.
Another policy from the 1980s had unintended consequences that have come back to bite us. The Resource Management Act created a framework for Councils to plan and manage urban growth but pretty much left them to their own devices.
For various reasons many Councils adopted highly restrictive planning and zoning rules that instead of encouraging growth and building, sought to limit and control it.
In our biggest city, rules that stopped the city growing up or growing out, just created a pressure cooker – causing land and housing to skyrocket in price, triggering a speculation frenzy.
When you can make 25% capital gain in a year, and there is no effective tax on that, in fact there a massive tax breaks for property speculators, can you blame a generation of young Kiwis who think that the only way to get ahead is to buy and sell property?
The speculative mania the rest of the country associates with Auckland is now a national problem.
When the Reserve Bank, worried the Auckland bubble would pop and threaten the banking system, brought in lending restrictions that put the squeeze on investors, they simply fanned out around the rest of the country.
Now all over the country, the fall in home ownership rates is accelerating, and homelessness is increasing.
So what is to be done?
What we are seeing is systemic failure on a grand scale.
With damaging economic and social consequences.
The housing crisis asks of us a systemic response.
Tinkering, nudging, pilot projects, subsidies, micro-initiatives, announcements that are designed to send a message but not have any lasting impact.
These things won’t do.
I’ve just described National’s housing policy. Not only has it had no impact on a deepening crisis. But the public see right through it. It is not a policy. It’s just a set of lame excuses.
Our challenge is to re-set the parameters of social democratic government.
It is time to redefine what Government can and should do.
- It is time to bring back active government.
The market is failing. It is not building enough houses. It is certainly not building enough affordable homes.
So in the words of Andrew Little let’s get on and build some bloody houses.
Since the 1980s a generation have convinced themselves Government is not capable of doing anything right. That you can only trust the market.
We are going to change that mindset. We are going to do it in partnership with the private sector – but we are going to build 100,000 affordable homes for first home buyers.
For decades the Government stimulated new builds and helped generations of Kiwi families into their first homes. We’ve done it before, and with Kiwibuild we are going to do it again.
And with our Affordable Housing Authority which Andrew announced on our centenary weekend in June, government will lead and enable the development of large-scale urban development projects that will modernise communities, improve the housing stock, and invest in infrastructure.
This will be a way that all over the country, central and local government can work together on delivering more and better affordable housing.
- We need to change the rules of the game that allow vested interests to make a killing at the expense of everyone else.
It is madness that our rules allow huge tax-free capital gains for speculators, and actually subsidise that speculation with tax-breaks.
Last year property investors pocketed tax breaks of $650 million while the rest of us went to work every day to pay our taxes.
We are going to tax speculators who sell a rental property within five years.
We are going to shut down the tax breaks that allow speculators to write off their losses.
And as Grant Robertson has said we are going to embark on comprehensive tax reform in our first term of government.
- Let’s put the interests of New Zealanders first.
This Government is in denial about the impact of foreign buyers in the housing market.
And they are happy to see runaway immigration even though it is throwing petrol on the housing market.
They like it because it is driving wages down and it gives the illusion of economic growth.
National hates the idea of shutting the door on foreign buyers because that would challenge their most deeply cherished commitment to the free movement of capital.
We will ban non-resident foreign buyers from buying existing homes. And we will review the immigration settings to find a better balance between the country’s need for skilled workers and the impact on housing and the labour market.
- We should be pragmatic about finding solutions and willing to adjust our policies when the facts change.
The right have constantly blamed Councils and planning laws for expensive housing. The left has always reflexively defended planning. But it’s a fact that restrictive land use controls have stifled building, and choked off the supply of land driving up prices.
We will reform the planning system so it can both protect the environment, while allowing us to build more and build better.
- We have to reclaim public housing and reinvent it with pride.
All over the world, right wing politics has worked hard to discredit the idea that public housing can do a good job of providing decent quality and affordable housing for people that need it.
You’d think by how much Paula Bennett talks about it that three-quarters of state houses were P-contaminated when in fact the real number is a fraction of 1%.
If National spent less time vilifying state house tenants and more time building state houses, we’d have a lot fewer homeless people.
I felt proud when Andrew Little announced at our centenary weekend in June Labour’s commitment to rebuild and revitalise state housing.
We are going to run it as a public service with one job – to provide great income-related rental housing.
We will stop National’s state house sell off, and to build thousands of new state houses.
- When markets aren’t working, we have to be willing to re-set the rules to make them work better.
When 50,000 kids are going to hospital because of cold damp rentals, it is not working.
When half the population are renting but they can be evicted in 90 days for no reason because our archaic tenancy laws give them no security of tenure, is not working.
Making renting better will be a priority for our Government.
When housing goes wrong, it has terrible spill over effects on people’s health, education, and life chances.
When we get housing right, it sets a platform for people to improve their lives, and their children’s lives.
No one else is going to fix this housing crisis.
Only Government can do it, and only a bold and determined Labour-led Government will do it.
We have the policies, and the political will.
What better way to celebrate our great party’s hundred birthday than campaigning to win government so we can make those big reforms.
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A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...7 days ago
- Making Gravy
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...1 week ago - Nothing here but the shadows
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...1 week ago - The United Right: the FSU’s Continued Efforts to Undermine Academia
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...1 week ago
- Showing the Americans how to do it
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...1 week ago
- 2 Men, 1 Haircut
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...1 week ago - Chris Penk’s Hate Parade
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...1 week ago - Tell me a story
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...1 week ago - As Our Power Lessens: Accepted
2024 is now officially my best-ever year for short stories. My 1,850-word dark fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens, has been accepted for the upcoming solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/), thereby making that six published short stories for the calendar year. As always, see the Bibliography page for ...1 week ago
- National’s Greatest Misses 2023-4
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...2 days ago - Release: Minister’s plan for tertiary sector a backwards step
Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
- Release: National buries 1019 planned homes
It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...2 days ago
- Release: Rule-Czar bill a right-wing power grab
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...2 days ago
- Release: Why not both? Luxon shuns Waitangi celebrations
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is running away from problems of his own creation, with his decision not to go to Waitangi. ...3 days ago
- Govt’s ‘free speech’ legislation stokes fear, not freedom
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...3 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...4 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...5 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...5 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...6 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...1 week ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
- Greyhound racing industry ban marks new era for animal welfare
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...2 weeks ago
- Rangatahi voices must be centred in Government’s Relationship and Sexuality Education refresh
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt introduces archaic anti-worker legislation
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...2 weeks ago
- Winston Peters – Kinleith Mill Speech
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...2 weeks ago - Swarbrick calls on Auckland Mayor to end delay of revival of St James Theatre
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...2 weeks ago
- He Ara Anamata: Greens launch Emissions Reduction Plan
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction Plan–He Ara Anamata–a blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...2 weeks ago
- Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...10 hours ago - PM appoints business leader to APEC Business Advisory Council
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...2 days ago
- New intelligence oversight appointments
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...2 days ago
- New housing developments able to progress more quickly
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...2 days ago
- Actions to speed up air travel delivering results
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...2 days ago
- Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...2 days ago
- Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...2 days ago
- Reducing the environmental impact of synthetic refrigerants
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...2 days ago
- Ngāruawāhia section of Waikato Expressway back to 4 lanes for Christmas
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...2 days ago
- Appointments to the ENZ board
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...3 days ago
- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...3 days ago
- More gangs added to Gangs Act list
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...3 days ago
- Judicial appointment announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...3 days ago
- GDP data highlights importance of growth
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...3 days ago
- Strengthening Free Speech in Universities
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...3 days ago
- Launch of Emergency Cellular Priority Service
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...3 days ago
- Minister reopens Mangamuka Gorge
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...3 days ago
- Funding confirmed for second Ashburton Bridge
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...3 days ago
- Government boosts support for avian influenza response
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...3 days ago
- Levelling the playing field for media advertising
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...4 days ago
- Inspector-General of Defence appointed
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...4 days ago
- Fire and Emergency New Zealand final levy rates confirmed
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...4 days ago
- More AML relief on the way for Kiwi businesses
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...4 days ago
- Hawke’s Bay Expressway moving at pace
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...4 days ago
- Government seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...4 days ago
- Wide ranging legislation to make justice system more efficient
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...4 days ago
- Diverse skills in community trust appointments
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...4 days ago
- Torture redress for survivors of the Lake Alice Unit
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...4 days ago
- A busy year in the House
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...4 days ago
- Consultation opens on working with engineered stone
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...4 days ago
- Greater reporting on Treaty settlement commitments
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...4 days ago
- New appointments to the Charities Registration Board
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...4 days ago
- Building consent processing times improve
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...4 days ago
- Faster access to support through Innovation Fund
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...4 days ago
- New Zealand to assist Vanuatu on earthquake response
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...5 days ago
- Government takes steps to reduce card fees for Kiwis
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...5 days ago
- Review recommends ECE regulation shakeup
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...5 days ago
- Offshore Renewable Energy Bill passes first reading
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...5 days ago
- Local Government (Water Services) Bill passes first reading
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...5 days ago
- Gene Technology Bill passes first reading
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...5 days ago
- Signs of the hīkoi: More than just ‘words on cardboard’
The placards seen at the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti conveyed "huge kōrero with immediacy", expert says: "People know the power of the word." ...6 hours ago - A final Ode to .. King Luxon
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...13 hours ago - A hater and an enthusiast review The Royal Free by Carl Shuker
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...15 hours ago - Survive to 25 (December, that is)
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...15 hours ago
- All I want for Christmas is modern day slavery legislation
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...15 hours ago
- Israeli-American historian describes attacks on Gaza as ‘war of annihilation’
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...18 hours ago - NZ govt plans to make ‘heavy handed’ change to free speech rules for universities
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...18 hours ago
- Caitlin Johnstone: Where does the aggression really begin?
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...21 hours ago
- OECD Report Highlights That More Is Needed
This report reflects that gap in our dealings overseas, and it shows that legislators, the public sector and businesses need to walk the talk. ...1 day ago - Government quietly scraps waste minimisation policies
The government has quietly cancelled plans to improve recycling and roll out a kerbside food scraps composting scheme. ...1 day ago
- MEAA welcomes News MAP funding ‘leg up’ for Australian journalism
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...1 day ago
- Transmission Gully partnership breakdown will not hurt future public-private partnerships, Infrastru...
The roads partnership unravelled under a confidential settlement this week, meaning NZTA will now finish off what it had said was incomplete work. ...1 day ago
- Funding cuts to charity particularly felt over Christmas period
The number of people seeking help from Lifeline is expected to increase by 10 to 20 percent over Christmas. ...2 days ago
- Nelson Hospital conditions ‘unbearable’ – staff
One worker says the building is decrepit and falling down around them. ...2 days ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Luxon at Xmas
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...2 days ago
- Stand by for cricket’s Smash Palace
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...2 days ago
- Early-onset dementia under the microscope
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...2 days ago
- Keeping the pirates at bay: Should the Australian ‘Blocking Order’ case prompt a discussion in N...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...2 days ago
- ‘We were as famous as Tom Cruise’: Craig Parker on 90s Shortland St fandom
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...2 days ago
- ‘I prioritise the mission, not my health’: Adam McGrath’s perfect weekend playlist
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...2 days ago
- The rescue dog bringing joy to Christchurch retirement homes
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes. Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...2 days ago
- Fiji pro-Palestine nativity scene exposes Gaza as ‘hell on earth’ at Christmas
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...2 days ago
- Vanuatu quake: ‘Our shop was flattened like a deck of cards’
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...2 days ago
- How diplomats have broken the law in NZ – and what happened next
A handful of foreign diplomats have misbehaved during their time here - and not all of them have been brought to justice. ...2 days ago
- Swim schools report sinking enrolments as downturn deepens
Being able to swim is often considered a life skill, but tough economic times are forcing many families to pull their children out of lessons. ...2 days ago
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Bravo !!
Oppositions don’t win elections, the government of the day usually loses them when it’s time for a change.
Current polling suggests that’s exactly what’s happening as the people more and more come to realize John Key was just another opportunist. I could have told them he would do anything to tick this off his personal bucket list. Well he has you suckers who voted for him. Morons, anyways..
Phil, when you get into power, your intelligent enough to know what will solve these issues we face, please have the balls to talk straight to NZ, and get it sorted.
Calling voters morons does not win elections. Surely the last few have taught us that.
If you believed and voted for john Key due to his hype, your a moron. Now that’s not calling the voters of NZ morons, that’s just calling the ones that voted National and John key that they are…morons. Sue me.
I’m sorry a spade is a spade, if somethings to good to be true it probably isn’t a brighter future?
“Now that’s not calling the voters of NZ morons, that’s just calling the ones that voted National and John key that they are…morons. Sue me.”
Well Richard that = 1,131,501 voters that you classify as morons.
That all, :).
that leaves about 3.8 million to impress, ish, about’s, sort of.
As my first act of el presidente, I would call for the last government to be arrested and prove their wealth in the courts the same as any other person under suspicion of the legality of their wealth now has to, just to check on them, or remove it all for public projects.
Fortunately you aren’t in charge of political strategy, Richard.
But I could be so good. I mean how can you do worse than blinglish and jokeyo.
“your a moron”. Oh, the irony. That’s made my afternoon.
well – to be fair, you could argue that choosing anything just on hype is moronic
thats pretty much a text book definition of how fads come about
Yeah, I don’t think you got my point.
“If you believed and voted for john Key due to his hype, your a moron.”
key words being “due to his hype”
Yeah, i dont think you bothered reading
NB: “your” vs “you’re”
aqhhh – doh
most people voted for john key because he, and national, represented a better governing team than the opposition. it’s not hype, it’s the politcal reality.
no, thats perception being used to form opinion (just to be pedantic)
and for it to actually work youve got to match it to the campaigning – did national campaign on being a better governing team?
At times yes (the rowing boat add), but there was also “Tax cuts!!” “its our turn” and that bullet list
then theres the assumption of knowing the minds of others 🙂
Fair enough about knowing the minds of others, but given the mess that was labours campaign team, campaign and the party they were trying to campaign for, it’s a bit more realistic than “U voted national coz u believe hype, U is a Moran” rubbish than it is usually levelled against national voters
fair enough – i dont go for the moran argument myself.
Im more on the “people are to damn busy to go much past a headline or soundbyte” side of things
Betrayed!
If the US system has betrayed you, you vote Trump.
Phil, your rational arguments are fine but housing is an emotional issue. To win the election, capture the feeling of how horrendously we have been betrayed. National’s much vaunted foreign investors have destroyed our housing dreams.
Angry Andy now!
“talking about housing because housing plays a starring role in our party’s proud history.”
NO….they are talking about housing because they believe and know this is the closest thing they have anything resembling a policy.
On every measure, they fail on this too.
Quite apart from a racist fronting it. Mr “I will ALWAYS be remembered as the guy who stupidly tried to mould chinese surnames into a totally bogus “report” and masquarade it as relevant “statistic”.
And yet…other more grown-up and mature countries seem able to have this conversation without the sort of nonsense you’ve spouted:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/29/inside-china-passion-foreign-property-investment-uk
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/jul/07/vancouver-chinese-city-racism-meets-real-estate-british-columbia
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/29/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-inquiry-foreign-property-ownership
It would be really good if we could too…because we so obviously need to. So, grow up and contribute something constructive.
Don’t address that to me. mine is the grown up, live and let live, take responsibility for my own actions, attitude.
It is Phillis Twyford, Labour Caucus and general Labour Party you need to be addressing this to.
Ah, the old blame it on Labour ruse. And smear people with “racist” when they are trying to attract attention to a problem we have so that we might discuss it.
Instead, comments like yours merely serve to shut down discussion with name-calling.
It sounds like the Government’s usual tactics, sadly.
really john? – because on the poverty thread you spent quite a few comments being somewhat the opposite of this
No John, and that’s where your wrong and completely being an arsehole,
” because housing plays a starring role in our party’s proud history”
oh it does to say otherwise here, will result in you being bombarded with a few reality checks boy.
If you want to make a point don’t make up a falsehood then claim it’s what’s happening, and then argue. Your massive assumptions to anyone with half a head, look like absolute drivel…go away, or make a real critique.
They weren’t modernising it – they were taking it back to the failed state of the 19th century.
True but it will only be effective if Labour realises that the housing crisis is a direct result of the policies initiated by the 4th Labour government and works to change those policies into a saner, actually economic, system.
Easy. We sold it all off to rich people and offshore interests.
Comes down to that “modernising and opening up the economy” again in where governments have removed the need to build good homes so as to prop up profits for the developers.
That’s not actually a dream but the nightmare that is probably the most direct cause of the present housing crisis. Private ownership of housing, multiple houses and offshore ownership which drives speculation of the housing market which drives up prices of housing and takes housing away from actually housing people.
Comes down to that “modernising and opening up the economy” again.
Don’t forget the flip side of that which is probably more the real reason – making already rich people richer. Yes, I recall Roger Douglass using the words ‘trickle down’. Well, we now know that wealth always flows upwards from the poor. Cutting taxes on the rich just makes the poor poorer faster.
The market has always failed and always will. In fact, that goes for capitalism itself and the end result of it is the collapse of the society that implements it.
You don’t change that mindset by using the private sector – you change it by reinstituting the MoW and getting rid of PPPs which have proven woefully inefficient, even worse outcomes and they cost more than simply having the government do it.
No they’re not. They know exactly what it’s doing and, as it’s the only thing that makes it look like the economy is actually working, they’re going to keep encouraging it. It’s the end game of capitalism – pure profit from doing nothing at all.
We need to ban offshore buyers altogether. The majority of people know this and they also understand that this policy of Labour is trying to have it both ways – keep the same failed policies that the 4th Labour government brought in while trying to make it look like your putting in place some real restrictions.
We need to increase the people who are eligible for state housing. Make it so that it’s available to everyone on a first come, as needs basis. And that includes buying up a families house so that it becomes a state house that they can stay in.
Do it right and, in a few years, there’ll probably be only a very few privately owned dwellings.
The one lesson that we should have learned over the last 5000 years of recorded history is that markets don’t work. We know how much food a person needs per day, we know how much land is required to produce it, we know how many people are needed to work that land and we know how much machinery. To get all of that together requires planning. Even to provide the variety that people want and need requires planning. And, no, I’m not talking central planning either. Leave it to the farmers, who are hired government employees, working cooperatively to work it out and do the planning.
And before anyone says that planing is bad just try going down to the bank and getting a business loan without a business plan.
This idea of the free-market that everything will magically come together is simply delusional. If that worked we wouldn’t have anyone in poverty, we would have homeless people, people living in dumps that are bad for them or people going hungry.
It’s not housing that needs to be gotten right. It’s ensuring that everyone has enough to live on without being afraid of having it taken away from them. Then we get a massively innovative society because everyone will be able to afford to innovate.
Of course, National and capitalists in general don’t like that as it means that they won’t have power over people and so won’t be able to exploit them.
PSST, PSST, socialism has FAILED in every state it has been applied.
ie MARX WAS WRONG!!!!
Actually, it’s only been socialism that’s kept capitalism going at all. If we hadn’t have had socialism starting after WWI then the entire edifice would have collapsed long ago – as it always has done.
The next step, actual democracy, hasn’t been allowed yet.
“actually, it’s only been socialism that’s kept capitalism going at all”
Finally I entirely agree with you on something Draco!
Although I would equally state “it’s only been capitalism that’s kept socialism going at all” equally applies.
Neither works without each other and we are now too heavily entrenched in both to move in a new direction (not that I know what that direction might look like).
What do you mean by ‘actual democracy’?
Well, that would be because you’re in denial of reality. Capitalism is unsustainable even with socialism which is why it always collapses.
Where the people decide what to do with their resources for societies benefit directly rather than some unaccountable Big Wig in some corporation for the corporations benefit.
And, of course, directly decide on the policies that our public servants, i.e, parliament, will enact and enforce.
psst John, Socialism or communism? can you define the differences or are you a complete and utter fuckwit?
Nah john, Marx was right and the failures of capitalism are still proving him so.
But, I don’t suppose you have read anything that he wrote, eh?
Ignorance isn’t the best starting place for making such a statement – it just looks what it is – nonsense.
One of the problems with Marx is that he said quite a lot of things. You can find a Marx quote for most things if you choose. But the matter on which he was clearly correct was the tendency of capital to accumulate, which Picketty’s work has supported with inummerable instances. It shouldn’t be difficult to build an economic system that regulated or slowed this accumulation – in fact we had one for seventy years or so – till Roger the thief destroyed it.
Socialism isn’t dead? What Nation didn’t socialise their debt?? Made all tax payers bailout Businesses & these Corporate scions because if “we” didn’t ..shit would happen? What happened? Bullshit happened & millions are still having to suffer because of it “john”.
Kinda repeating what Draco said but when people are a bit slow at learning… helping them by repetition does work for them eventually.
Yeah nah. What has succeeded is man’s insatiable greed. Something that neoliberalism champions. It’s not survival of the fittest; it’s survival of the meanest
Well I stopped being bullied by them, now when they go on like hard .. things trying to say harsh stuff to be cool and UN-pc, I bite back with some truths just as nasty as they do to me.
Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire, and personally this fad of saying the crass reply is good, well it isn’t and it’s wearing thin on me.
If people hadn’t taken the piss out of PC though, we would not be in this situation.
So I do understand why it’s happening.
Here’s a little pointer to John who likes to draw political lines in the sand, on one side all that’s decent and democracy and wealth and greed etc, western, and on the other communists. those bloody reds.
Well John, glad to see you simplifying it all so well, everyone who doesn’t vote National or Act, is a downright communist and we all want to wear overalls and make lada’s.
Is that about it..John? can us horrible commies thank you so much for coming today and letting us know communism failed, god I never knew, thank fuck for that..
Someone let Cuba know, or China. they must have missed your memo.
Well since that failed Hitler must have been right we should just exterminate the weak and poor.
All good i’m off to kick some handicapped kid , you know knock the PC crap out of them and tell em to harden up and get a fucking job, lazy bludgers.
How’s you day going John?
A certain type of socialism has failed, sure, but social democracy is and was a huge success. Government intervention in the housing market is the norm in western democracies, and it has been really successful.
What has been a tremendous failure is the Anglophone approach taken over the last 30 years, to treat the housing market like a commodity market. For all the fourth Labour government’s faults, the blame for the housing market cannot be laid at their feet.
The biggest change, key in making property the most desirable asset for investors, was the removal of the ring-fence around rental losses in 1991 by National. You can pretty much track the rise of property prices vis-a-vis income from that point.
PGM I think there is more than one cause for incomes disconnecting from house prices. Disbanding the MoW for instance led to a massive infrastructure deficit for all our cities, local government in response made restrictions on house building tighter as they lacked the ability to get ahead of demand. The interesting thing though is when you look at the statistics, like the Eaqubs did for the book Generation Rent, it was 1990 when rents and house prices first began to disconnect from incomes.
I agree with you Brendon, the primary drive of rates increases has been increasing infrastructure costs as that built in the 70s and 80s needs replacing. But the primary cause of increased housng cost is the financialisation of the housing market, enabled and exacerbated by all the sort of things you and the Eaqubs have been writing about.
Twyford has done a couple of unusual things in this speech.
Firstly, he wants to frame how a future Labour+ government will be evaluated: “The next Labour government … will be defined by how we respond tot he housing crisis.” Events always overtake governments. If his prediction is going to be made correct, it’s going to need an almost total focus from the front bench. They’ll need to dump most other priorities – helpfully I can’t remember any!
Secondly he emphasises “it is time to bring back active government”. The machinery that Twyford is proposing in the Affordable Housing Authority is going to require a real re-ordering of parts of the public service. I sincerely Twyford has people around him who can really smack heads together. The public service has been living within highly corporatised governance structures. Same with local government: they will need bribes as well as sticks – Mackenzie Cowpat Towncentre and Far North Meth Retailer Council will need just as big a kick as Housing NZ.
Active government also means facing the really massive enemies that he will have in the real estate brokerages and the Australian retail banks. He will be framed as anti-business from the beginning. He will need to have packages of aid for developers, and choose developers that can market their houses without using Barfoot & Thompson and Bayleys and other well known National donors. Twyford is currently the only effective politician Labour has – he is going to need real and constant political protection.
The electorate will tolerate his good ideas for 18 months tops. After that if he isn’t hand-delivering furniture into new houses for poor families, he will be toast. Little really needs to understand the bet with the electorate that Twyford has made here, and be prepared to pay out.
I think he’s also really missed out emphasising the downside of the risks of property value collapse as a total risk to the whole of our economy.
Again, Twyford and housing policy are the only effective things Labour is doing. It’s the only thing that hurts National. So Labour has no choice. Goddam it better be good.
Firstly, he wants to frame how a future Labour+ government will be evaluated…
Yup. That kind of jumped out. My initial thought was that if that’s indicative of how Labour are going to go about their business then they just might be defined by their arrogance and dislocation….again.
Or, it could be how they deal or don’t deal with a possible second financial crash.
Or what-ever. But regardless, they don’t get to decide how we will define their time in governance.
“The reason pensioners are living out their days in campgrounds is that they have never been able to save enough to own their own home. It is tough surviving on superannuation in the rental market.”…while that is very true, there are also a large number of pensioners I meet ‘parked up’ in freedom camping sites who spend half the year on the road in luxury mobile homes, half the year in their mcmansion in Tauranga or some little backwater.
And more importantly are happy to wax lyrical about all their rental properties.
There seems to be a growing inequality amongst even so called middle-nz.
Even worse is when they tell you it’s okay, as the property is just a cheap little place in the provinces…EXACTLY the sort of house that first home buyers need. This is the reason for ridiculous price increases in places like Hastings, where wages and employment is stagnant at best.
The only way out of this mess is to call time on the current NZ dream, which seems to be ‘own your own home and have two rentals’.
As the non home owning generations start to settle down, and are thinking about their eventual retirement I for one would love to see Government Policy for building housing complexes that treat tenants as long term, and afford them similar rights and responsibilities as home owners. We don’t need to own our own houses..we just want the security of a ‘home’, not to be always ‘camping out’ in someone else’s investment.
Sometimes things get bad then get better Siobhan, as in all the new migration to the regions I thinks good in the long term, hopefully it may incur some regrowth to those area’s? Later?
QFT
Yep, and this is the attitude that’s destroying our society. There seems to be a very good reason for greed to be one of the deadly sins.
^this
“For the fifth it was restoring sanity and decency to government and the economy after the nasty divisive 90s.”
Really? Reducing the income of the poor contributed to the ability of the poor to afford to pay rent.
“How in this land of plenty did we get to have 41,000 people classed as homeless?”
Labour needs to take its fair share of the blame for this. Its welfare policies under Clark were indistinguishable from the nats and were a continuation of what went on in the 1990s. Again, this contributed to the reduced ability of thousands of people to meet basic needs including putting a roof over their heads.
“As our society became more unequal, with a sizeable minority trapped in a cycle of low wages, a lean and mean welfare system, and the precarious work of a deregulated labour market, we failed to expand the state housing safety net that could have at least ensured those people had a decent secure roof over their heads.”
And who helped to make that welfare machine “lean and mean” by not only failing to stand up to the nats but actively supporting what they did? Not a contrite word from Labour.
Almost all focus on the supply side with virtually nothing on the income side of the poorest New Zealanders, and not a jot of acknowledgement of the part Labour played in wrecking the incomes of that group.
“Only Government can do it, and only a bold and determined Labour-led Government will do it.”
Yes, that’s right, but it’d be much bolder and you’d go way, way further convincing a lot of people you mean it if you renounced a whole bunch of nasty stuff you’ve done in the past so that at least we get a tiny glimmer of hope that this time really will be different.
+111
No for once politicians need to stop pandering to the media’s directing the issue of the day.
Instead the governments of the future will need to be proactive and lead the issues of the day. With real solutions.
Not to much to ask.
Instead of waiting for the homeless issue to have occurred a really good government that was well aware of the issues their new style of government was going to have, would have been ahead of the game, said there’s going to be housing issues and we are doing xyz about it, before IT became a national issue.
That’s the government of the future. Can Labour be that government?
I say this because voter turnoff is occurring because of trust . re-writing laws for retrospective butt covering, donations labour, criminals National.
If we mere mortals could only do that when we made a life mistake.
Polllies have around 0 cred atm, things need to change.
I understand the bit about labours do nothing for the worker thing, totally agree, that’s a given to me.
National lite is not a choice, I think is what you mean, true part of being a proactive government would be the part I mention real solutions. That infurs they won’t be flaming National Neolib lite v2.17
For those that want to turn this discussion into a sack cloth and ashes exercise about former Labour Governments, I am not really up for that. I wrote this speech to try and put our housing agenda into a bigger historical and political frame. None of them have been perfect, but in the parliamentary arena Labour has been the main driver of progressive reform now for 80 years and I am proud of that. For the record, I walked away from Labour in the 1980s because of Rogernomics. Others stayed and fought, and good on them. While the Fourth Labour Government did some great things, their slash and burn approach to economic policy needlessly destroyed much productive capacity and made us poorer and more divided – and in my view compares unfavourably with the way Hawke and Keating handled their reforms in Australia. The Fifth Labour Government did restore sanity and decency, and racked up some great achievements. But none of the people in that Government would claim it was perfect, nor that there was no unfinished business after nine years. Michael Cullen has said he thinks in retrospect they should have done more on housing. It was foreboding that the gains from Working for Families over 2007-8 were eaten away by increasing housing costs. The big lesson for me out of the longer historical frame is that a much more interventionist active government is needed in order to deliver decent housing. It’s Labour’s challenge to lead that Government, and drive that policy.
Head up man, that’s a minority.
I am eagerly awaiting a new Labour-led government.
Very few have run counter-factual histories on what might have been different. We have to deal with getting this current tired and corrosive government out, and putting in a fresh one.
Meantime, good on you for coming to the site. You are currently the best thing going in the entire Opposition. Which is egregious suck-up and a truth.
Whoever the Minister of Housing has in their office is going to need to roll in Day 1 with a governance restructure plan, and names ready to populate all the Boards of the entities you are forming.
You’ve also put a lot into your speech. The Affordable Housing Agency is a thing big enough to debate in its own right. So do more posts here, more specific, and I’ll encourage the developer community to come examine them.
“We have to deal with getting this current tired and corrosive government out, and putting in a fresh one.” Hear hear to that, for that’s the task #change thegovernment, we do have a far better alternative government in waiting.
Thank you Phil Twyford, well said.
Thank you for your honesty , Phil.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
” For the record, I walked away from Labour in the 1980s because of Rogernomics. Others stayed and fought, and good on them. While the Fourth Labour Government did some great things, their slash and burn approach to economic policy needlessly destroyed much productive capacity and made us poorer and more divided – and in my view compares unfavourably with the way Hawke and Keating handled their reforms in Australia. ”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
This is what people needed to hear. That acknowledgement , as it forms the basis of learning from the past and moving forward and not repeating those same mistakes. The subversion of Douglas’s neo liberal agenda , and the core supporters of it in Labour at that time ,- and then the carry on with the same and/or worse with Ruth Richardson is at the heart of where and how we got to be in the position we are in today.
Chicago school of economics, Mont Pelerin society neo liberalism, the close cousin of the failed Laissez Faire from the 1920’s…
I think it is important that people realize you are taking the broad historic view here ( as I’m sure most will ) , yet it is good that you replied. Its going to be a tough sell to those who have benefited most from neo liberal practice in this country. In fact , among those I should imagine will be the fiercest opposition.
But we cant go on the way it is currently. And that’s just stiff cheese to those who benefit most from the exploitative environment current in present day NZ. And part of a responsible govt is to actually GOVERN.
And part of that responsible govts duty’s is to ensure that ALL sectors of society are given the ability to improve and realize good choices for them and their family’s lives , and shielded from the negative excesses of an exploitative , manipulative so called ‘ free market’.
And that is why it is necessary for a govt to unashamedly regulate . To ensure the best interests of ALL its people and to prevent the inevitable opportunists from rorting the system and price gouging the population . It is always amusing that these far right wing fanatics come on here spouting their tripe, – yet to this day , the country’s of Scandinavia have proven the method,… they have their problems, but would balk at the ridiculousness exhibited in modern day neo liberal NZ …compared to what we once were.
So the moderating effects of regulations has been proven to be necessary for any healthy prosperous nation ,- and not just in the interests of a select demographic either, – and certainly not the abdication of responsibility like this and other previous govts have done for the last 32 years of neo liberalism.
That is not governance ,- that is sheer cronyism.
I haven’t voted Labour since 1984 , and I was appalled over the years seeing what has happened to my country. And I am not alone. There are hundreds of thousands thinking / feeling the same. However, … Labours recent policy’s and general disposition suggests a new and positive vitality and viability , – something that is glaringly absent in this current jaded ideologically driven govt.
Well said Phil, you wrote a speech and posted it, I have the opinion of the speeches being made, even on housing which I do see you making a great effort for labour on. A bloody great effort mate.
I just say things to help, to show you a different perspective on stuff,.
In that I think part of the issue you now face is trust and not a small amount either, and you is not you personally mate it’s the labour shadow government and party.
I mean this is not about past issues of labours terms, but from the current government, who I am sure you will agree from the day the ChCh earthquake happened and they marched masses of unrelated laws through parliament using urgency, that this government in particular has trashed the spirit of democracy.
I mean taken the piss out of her, from the speaker to their replies in house. am I right?
That is an issue.
It’s not your speech on housing, as all in all, it was good, it’s the we’ve heard this before, they say they will fix things, promise us the earth with glowing media sound bites telling us how great they are, but stuff all changes, some of us have started to feel spins taken over,
the “us” I am referring to is politicians, of pretty much any strain.
Phil son, listen up.
When Shipley et al slashed benefits in 1991 they justified it by saying there was a special benefit safety net available to those who needed it. When the nats brought in market rents it was done by way of a dual announcement between Luxton and Shipley – Shipley being brought in to hammer how the special benefit would mean nobody would be left worse off. Then Labour, at the very first opportunity, abolished the special benefit, under urgency I might add. That impacted massively on the income side of people’s ability to secure adequate housing. So don’t try to claim that “Labour has been the main driver of progressive [housing] reform now for 80 years.” That’s just nonsense. Was that “sane”, “decent” or a “great achievement” that you are proud of? I do not believe that you are proud of that. If I am wrong, then say so. But either way you need to be honest.
You said that you aren’t up for looking at the effectiveness or otherwise of former Labour governments, but you also say you want to “put our housing agenda into a bigger historical and political frame.” I agree that you should be doing the latter because history is important. But then you gloss over the parts of that history where Labour has acted atrociously towards the very people whom you’re now asking to trust you. You need to fix this mealy-mouthed anti-message.
We heard exactly the same message from Labour in 1999: “We are not the same government as the Fourth Labour government”. And of course in lots of ways it wasn’t. But there was a heck of a lot that did not change, including how the poorest of our poor were treated.
If Labour is now so confident that things to do with how it will treat our most vulnerable will change, why does Labour continue to refuse to renounce the extremely anti-poor behaviour it displayed over the Clark years towards the most vulnerable? If history really is so important to you, Phil, and I sense that you truly believe that it is, then anyone would think that this would be the first thing a Labour government in-waiting would do to regain the trust of the people, especially the trust of those most affected by what Labour did to them.
“Phil son, listen up.” ???? Why would anyone want to listen to such a patronizing, arrogant troll like you Chris, that begins a (usual) diatribe with a demand like that?
Tell me, Leftie son, what’s it like being a Labour-can-do-no-wronger without an ounce of critical faculty? Poor sod.
Rich coming from a nat fan troll and a pretender like you Chris, and who gave himself away when, whilst abusing Anne and myself, felt compelled to say;
“Let’s look at the facts: Leftie and yourself don’t like John Key and the nats. I’m assuming neither of you have ever voted for him.”
as if that had anything to do with the argument.
The fact, Lofty Lad, is that you believe it was okay for your precious Labour party to hold hands with Key and Bennett in 2014 and whack the poorest of the poor with another nasty piece of hateful welfare reform, nat-style.
https://thestandard.org.nz/marama-fox-to-richard-prosser-how-much-more-do-we-have-to-be-dicked-around/#comment-1235554
If anyone’s a fucking nat supporter it’s you.
You’ve given yourself away too many times Nat fan troll. Anne and McFlock have you pegged right.
Somewhat amusing that you won’t answer question that others have posted on the nasty Nats, you are certainly not all mouthy then, and you say nothing about the Maori party supporting punitive welfare reforms that screwed over the poor, so how’s your blindness Chris? I’m sure they have their reasons, but that’s obviously different isn’t ? because at the end of the day, no matter what occurs under National, its always going to be Labour’s fault anyway, and you can avoid confronting the heinous issues created by key and his National government.
Phil son, listen up.
Why? That is, why would he listen to someone whinging about stuff previous Labour governments did in previous decades? He’s written a post about housing policy under the next Labour goverrnment – do you have any comment to make about that?
Well, firstly, Twyford made clear in his post the importance of history which I agree with, but chose to ignore those parts of history when Labour was a prick to the poor. So I gave him advice on how he needs to deal with that important but nasty past. Secondly, I’m quite a bit older than him and am a pom to boot so calling someone “son” is not in any way derogatory to us. And thirdly, if those four words are your main concern and that whatever bad things a government in-waiting has done in the past and has not renounced, is irrelevant, including nasty things done in this fucking decade, then you’re a fucking idiot, son.
Does being a Pom explain or excuse you from your rudeness Chris? The way you framed your comment, it was indeed derogatory, arrogant and patronizing, you advised no one with that diatribe and just look at how you abused Psycho Milt for pointing out the obvious and asking a relevant question.
Quite frankly, judging by some comments you have made when “sitting comfortably looking out your window with a cup of coffee at hand, feeling all warm and fuzzy with the world” I question your sincerity and the sincerity of your so called “concerns”. I don’t think you really give a stuff about those bearing the brunt of this 3 termed National government. You certainly made that pretty clear that day.
Whilst bashing Labour, crowing that everything is all Labour’s fault, you are not discussing how the current National government are making Kiwis homeless and poverty stricken, and that they are being a “prick to the poor.”
There was no rudeness, there Lofty Son. If you want to see rudeness, you illiterate little fuckwit, it wasn’t in my post to Twyford.
You are an extremely rude, patronizing and abusive nat fan troll.
Thank you.
Lol there was nothing else you could say.
Well, there was also this, of course, which has to be the joke of the fucking century.
https://thestandard.org.nz/phil-twyford-the-housing-crisis/#comment-1241480
Yeah, you are the joke of the century, and no need to link to your own comment that’s just a few comments up the page Nat fan troll. Your attention seeking is clogging up the page.
I quoted those four words because my comment was to ask why he would listen to you, not because I have a problem with people being called son (my dad was from Lancashire and wouldn’t hesitate to call people son, or lad, or love, which was mortifying for his children but not something that bothered his listeners any).
I stopped going to my union’s meetings because there’d invariably be someone there who wanted to revisit the terrible injustice the employer had inflicted in some restructuring or other that had clearly been very traumatic for them but wasn’t actually relevant in any way to this meeting. It drives away potential supporters and people should think twice about doing it.
Well said Psycho Milt.
Further, you showed yourself up with the following Chris “You said that you aren’t up for looking at the effectiveness or otherwise of former Labour governments”
Phil Twyford never said that, what he said was;
“For those that want to turn this discussion into a sack cloth and ashes exercise about former Labour Governments, I am not really up for that.”
Learn how to read or fuck off.
Why don’t you?
Even your abuse is pathetic.
Calling you a Nat fan troll is not abuse, it’s called the truth.
All I really see here is Labour telling people what they’re willing to do and then getting upset when people tell them that it’s not enough. What they’re not doing is asking what people want and then making that happen.
The real problem with that is that Labour’s policies are nothing more than a continuation of the status quo which is what’s causing all the problems and you can’t fix those problems by continuing doing all the stuff that’s causing them.
What we’re really seeing here is Labour trying to keep the corporations happy and manage the people.
Labour’s rhetoric continues to be extremely light, almost no-existent, on income maintenance policies. Whenever Labour is asked about its position in relation to benefits and the poor they shut down. That’s pretty much across the board, just just housing.
https://www.labourparty.org.nz/sites/default/files/New%20Zealand%20%20Labour%20Party%20Policy%20Platform.pdf
http://www.labour.org.nz/housing
With housing Twyford’s focus is on the supply side, and while that may impact on the ability for those on the lowest incomes to secure a roof over their heads, that’s relying on rents dropping massively as a result. There’s absolutely no guarantee that will happen, and it’s more likely rents will simply increase less rapidly rather than drop. They certainly won’t drop by what’s required to counter the removal of benefit assistance that both Labour and the nats have been responsible for over the years.
So when Labour announces big plans to deal with particular problems, with yet again absolutely nothing about what it’s going to do about the incomes of the poorest NZers, it becomes more and more clear, each time, that the answer must be nothing.
What opposition party brings up welfare this far out from a GE? This topic is about the housing crisis Nat fan troll and why a link to an old 2013 policy platform?
But since you brought it up. What are the National GOVERNMENT and most notably National’s Maori party’s plans to deal with particular problems, the housing crisis, unprecedented homelessness and poverty, incomes of the poorest NZers, benefits and the poor they shut down?
“What opposition party brings up welfare this far out from a GE?”
The last time Labour brought up welfare, Lofty Son, was in 2014 when it supported anti-beneficiary legislation introduced by Bennett and Key, that you ended up saying was a good thing or had to be done or was justified or something lame like that. I should also add that when you were finally pushed as to whether you thought that was okay you asked for “links”! Fuck, that was so fucking funny.
The time before that when Labour brought up welfare was 2007 when it embarked on its own incredibly nasty ant-beneficiary crusade, then before that in 2004 when it abolished the special benefit. Both of these occasions you also asked for proof of in the form of “links”. Fuck, someone with a name like yours wanted links to war-on-the-poor legislation, and you had no idea about it because it was instigated by your precious Labour Party. You’re a fucking fraud.
I think Labour brought up welfare again with another attack on our poorest in 2002. Before that it would’ve been around 1992 when Labour reneged on its promise to reverse the 1991 benefit cuts. In between times Labour runs a mile whenever the subject of welfare comes up. I don’t think I’ve ever come across anyone who can lick Labour’s arse as much as you do, Lofty Son, without getting sick. It’s a wonder you’re still with us.
Yawn….
Somewhat amusing that you won’t answer questions on the nasty Nats, you are certainly not all mouthy then, and you say nothing about the Maori party supporting punitive welfare reforms that screwed over the poor, so how’s your blindness Chris? I’m sure they have their reasons, but that’s obviously different isn’t ? because at the end of the day, no matter what occurs under National, its always going to be Labour’s fault anyway, and you can avoid confronting the heinous issues created by key and his National government.
What are the National GOVERNMENT and most notably National’s Maori party’s plans to deal with particular problems, the housing crisis, unprecedented homelessness and poverty, incomes of the poorest NZers, benefits and the poor they shut down?
Your rhetoric continues Nat fan troll. What opposition party brings up welfare this far out from a GE? This topic is about the housing crisis Nat fan troll and why a link to an old 2013 policy platform?
But since you brought it up. What are the National GOVERNMENT and most notably National’s Maori party’s plans to deal with particular problems, the housing crisis, unprecedented homelessness and poverty, incomes of the poorest NZers, benefits and the poor they shut down?
They’ll keep building on the same welfare policies Labour refused to change when they were handed the the baton from Shipley/Richardson in 1999, then passed on to the nats in 2008 saying “there you, guys, it’s all yours”.
And round and round we go. So that’s your excuse is it? What did the Clark Labour government inherit from National? And yet people were better off under Clark’s Labour government than what they are now. As pointed out in previous comments on previous threads, the current Labour party under Andrew Little is not the same as the previous Labour government.
“As pointed out in previous comments on previous threads, the current Labour party under Andrew Little is not the same as the previous Labour government.”
Yet you still defend the Clark government. Shows the intensity of your work as a shill for Labour.
You are full of it Nat fan troll.
And for the very same reasons, Loftie, Labour’s concentration on the supply side and abandonment of the income side means its housing policy will do fuck all for the poorest people in need of adequate and affordable housing.
Labour will do a hell of a lot more to help people. Look at the destruction your Nats have done. Quite frankly, judging by some comments you have made when “sitting comfortably looking out your window with a cup of coffee at hand, feeling all warm and fuzzy with the world” I question your sincerity and the sincerity of your so called “concerns”. I don’t think you really give a stuff about those bearing the brunt of this 3 termed National government. You certainly made that pretty clear that day.
Whilst bashing Labour, crowing that everything is all Labour’s fault, you are not discussing how the current National government are making Kiwis homeless and poverty stricken, and that they are being a “prick to the poor.”
I said this:
“Labour’s concentration on the supply side and abandonment of the income side means its housing policy will do fuck all for the poorest people in need of adequate and affordable housing.”
Tell me how I’m wrong.
Your assumptions are all wrong Nat fan troll.
Why don’t you address the question?
I did. Your assumptions are all wrong Nat fan troll.
Enlighten me.
Enlighten yourself troll, make google your friend, and contact the Labour party.
“Make google your friend.”
That’s pretty funny coming from someone who asked for links to prove that Labour voted with the government to support Bennett’s and Key’s social welfare war-on-the-poor “reforms”.
And anyway, what do I put in the search engine? “assumptions”, “wrong” and “mine”? Or how about “Loftie”, “brainless”, “Labour shill”, “no critical faculty”, “general fuckwit”?
Yawn… been through that with you… round and round we go. Labour, along with the Greens and NZ First have also voted against Bennett’s and Key’s social welfare war-on-the-poor “reforms” yet you say nothing on the Maori party supporting National’s war-on-the-poor “reforms”
As if a Nat fan troll like you really cares anyway. Quite frankly, judging by some comments you have made when “sitting comfortably looking out your window with a cup of coffee at hand, feeling all warm and fuzzy with the world” I question your sincerity and the sincerity of your so called “concerns”. I don’t think you really give a stuff about those bearing the brunt of this 3 termed National government. You certainly made that pretty clear that day.
Whilst bashing Labour, crowing that everything is all Labour’s fault, you are not discussing how the current National government are making Kiwis homeless and poverty stricken, and that they are being a “prick to the poor.”
And the following….
“wrong” and “mine”? Or how about “Nat fan troll”, “brainless”, “National Party shill”, “no critical faculty”, “general fuckwit”…
describes you perfectly.
Is that the third time you’ve cut and pasted that comment, or the fourth? You’re a piece of work and a work of art, both at the same time.
If the Maori Party unshackle themselves from Key and form a government with Labour and the Greens does that mean you’ll have to quit your job at the Labour Research Unit, you little fuckwit?
Does it matter? Will post as many times in response to you, and I don’t work for the Labour party, I just can’t stand fwit Nat fan trolls like you.
I support a Lab/Green/NZ First coalition government. It’s too late for the Maori party, and if they should unshackled themselves from National prior to the election, people will not trust their motives.
You should ask them for a job. They like people who don’t question their hatred of the poor.
Like you never question National/Maori party/UF/Act’s hatred of the poor, Nat fan troll.
Key and National are quite open about their hatred of the poor. They don’t try to hide it. Just listen to Collins yesterday. National will never change. They’re a bunch of nasty uncaring selfish individuals.
Labour, on the other hand, is meant to be a left wing party. But it isn’t. The only hope we have is for Labour to become left wing again. That’s why it’s important to keep at them until they understand.
It’s uncritical Labour sycophants like you who let Labour off the hook. If by some miracle Key and the nats are rolled next year, the plight of the poor will remain unchanged. And it’ll be because of hypocritical little fuckwits like you who cannot say one word that might criticise the Labour party. You are spineless slime.
Excuses excuses Nat fan troll, where’s your outrage on National’s latest attack on the poor you whimpering old fart? but here you are trolling the back pages of older threads slamming Labour and avoiding discussion on National’s war on the poor.
It’s uncritical National sycophants like you who let National off the hook. There’s the real likelihood that Key and the nats will be rolled next year, National’s war against the poor and Kiwis will be over, the plight of the poor will be massively changed for the better.
But it’s due to hypocritical little fuckwits like you who cannot say one word that might criticize the National government and it’s support partners like the Maori party and your continued support of this dictatorial and punitive regime, I consider you and people like you equally responsible for the hurt and damage this country and it’s people are in. You are spineless slime, Nat fan troll.
Have you ever had an original thought?
Have you troll?
“There’s the real likelihood that Key and the nats will be rolled next year, National’s war against the poor and Kiwis will be over, the plight of the poor will be massively changed for the better.”
If the nats are rolled how will the poor be massively better off? How will the poor even be moderately better off? Labour’s never had a plan to address benefits since they were cut in 1991. We’ve been waiting, election after election, and its welfare policy never comes. Labour runs a mile whenever the issue is raised. They do not want to know. Why do you think things will be different this time? Where is the evidence?
Nothing is ever ideal and perfect, but people were better off under the last Labour coalition government, in fact, if memory serves, another commentator addressed your post on another thread a while back, about the support she had received under Labour and it debunked much of what you had written. You certainly didn’t challenge her post then. And after the atrocious Nats, why wouldn’t people be better off under a Lab/Green NZ First coalition government? Labour under Andrew Little, the Greens and NZ First have way more plans, with the prospect of formulating more prior to the next election, (very unwise to show your hand too early against a well oiled Nat spin machine imo), than the Nats and their partners of over 8 years, combined.
Progressive reform can only be delivered and implemented by a Labour government.
The longer this National government is in office the more urgent Progressive reform will be needed and Phil i hope you get the chance to apply your policy ideas in the housing area and give a lot of kiwis the reality of having a home instead of a station wagon.
When the country comes to its senses and demands a general election.
Well said Mosa.
Totally fabulous, and right on the button!
This says concisely and accurately exactly what is happening, and in the same manner exactly what needs to happen. It’s a no-brainer folks. Doing what Phil suggests is an investment in our future. From someone who works in schools, and sees the results of poor housing, poor health and low income on the youngsters who will be the leaders, the drivers, the citizens of of our fair land, I know that providing better opportunities for the less well off is absolutely vital.
I have heard recently people talking about Dickensian society where there was massive inequity with grinding poverty alongside obscene wealth. We are a long way from that scenario, but we have turned in that direction and the road to perdition is paved with half-hearted promises and complete inaction.
Anyone with half an eye to observe, and a modicum of conscience can see what must be done. These Natzi self-servers can see it too, but it doesn’t suit the ideology. That could almost be called criminal. A parent can be taken to court for failing to provide the necessities of life. This is the same. They need their arses kicked around the block.
Couldn’t agree with you more Doogs.
Couldn’t agree with you more Doogs
There are two policies that will dominate the next election .Housing and children living in poverty . Both are typical
What about education? Hekia’s extremist right wing medlings starting to bite.
aka today damaging attack on her http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11722160
Then there’s wages…,I could go on, so in fact, I disagree, and I do not think it’s going to be fought on two fronts, this time Nationals is fighting on ALL fronts.
“New figures from Statistics NZ show a million New Zealanders are shut out of home ownership. They just don’t have the net worth to afford a deposit.”
Can anyone tell me where Phil gets these numbers from?
I can’t find anywhere where Stats have actually published these sort of numbers.
On the other hand they have published census figures that tell me that 19.9% of the people resident in New Zealand, or about 920,000 people, are in the 0-15 age group.
I don’t know about you but I don’t know very many children that can afford a house.
I wonder if his numbers are a little iffy?
Can anyone tell me where these figures really come from?
Perhaps they are on a par with classing people named “Young” as being Chinese. Wellington Mayoral candidate Nicola Young for example.
The data on net worth of renters is from Statistics NZ: http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11714971
That data is based on the ‘average NZ home’. This is a construct used by opportunists and distorted by Auckland’s house prices. It is not compulsory to live in Auckland. There are plenty of towns and cities around NZ where there are jobs AND affordable housing. You’ll have to do better than this Phil, because most of us live in the real world.
I guess your referring to Paula Bennetts ‘ real world’ when she advocated giving $5000.00 to leave Auckland and another $ 2000.00 to come back and look for work, then.
Too bad Bill English wasn’t in the loop when he penned the budget , eh mate.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
” It is not compulsory to live in Auckland. ”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
So I guess what your saying is ship the working poor out of Auckland to areas of no employment to live in shacks and tents so that the National party’s crony developers can buy up the land and put up even more unaffordable out-of -reach housing save for the speculators,…. or maybe sell off those state homes to a few Australian private concerns where they can ramp up the rent …either way – the effects are the same , eh bud.
Get rid of the unsightly minimum wage family’s that clutter up the suburbs and give National bad press…
+1000 WILD KATIPO
No, I’m saying no-one is being forced to live in Auckland. It’s a simple concept really. If I can’t afford a house in Mt Eden, I move to Ranui. If I can’t afford a house in Ranui, I move out of Auckland. I’ not sure which part of this is that novel.
That is one of the stupidest comments I’ve seen in a long, long time.
Only if you are a pre-schooler.
Thank you for the reference.
I read all of that to discover their only three ideas are the same they have proposed for ages?
Build 100,000 affordable home: By when, what is “affordable”, how much will it cost, who is going to build them, and what other homes will not be built while these currently scarce builders are at it?
Make foreign investors buy new homes: If you want, whatever, but that didn’t helped in Australia.
Tax speculators: They are taxed now, so what. Increase enforcement by all means please.
If that is a big announcement for Labour then they are stuffed.
You can read more detail on the policies here: http://www.labour.org.nz/housing
Banning foreign investors from buying existing homes has channelled about A$30 billion into the building of new homes in the last year in Australia.
Speculators aren’t properly taxed at the moment. National’s two year bright line is having little or no effect, as Treasury predicted.
Australia: But what is the counterfactual? How much would have been spent (in total, not just by foreigners) on new homes if there had been no such restriction. Has it actually helped limit house price inflation?
Taxes: Speculators buy a home for the purpose of resale. That is what speculation is. They are already liable to pay income tax on their capital gain. You should focus on improved enforcement of our current laws, not new ones that won’t change anything. If as you say a two year bright line is not working why will five be any better?
You on a minimum wage and paying rent, perchance?….. cant afford those doctors fees or regular food or heating for the house for your kids?
Housing wasn’t all Phil spoke about…
In the example you have just used you forgot to add in accommodation supplement (assuming they are not renting state house) and WFF.
And a community card for doctor fees, and for the kids it free.
Not new though aye Chuck.
Acc. Sup is a “Subsidy” that speculators rely on for profiting from their property speculation Chuck. $1.6bn+ every year of tax payer subsidies.
Subsidies don’t work really when the real beneficiary is a private investor, that’s why we need more, a massive investment to build more State Homes. Also the builder needs to be a NZ based company that spends and reinvests all profits/proceeds in NZ and not to overseas shareholders and/or multi-nationals that cook their books to gain a tax advantage too.
Using the Ultra-fast BB build as an example. $1.7bn paid by tax payers to build a network for private multinational Company’s. The builders then payout $700m to shareholders & come back to the tax payers/Govt. for more money because they run out so Dildo Joyce hands-out another $600m so the work can be carried on. Completed, I’m not so sure? I reckon they’ll be back for more?
Comm Card, Doctors fee’s ….they too are not “Free”. Discounted “if” you can find a Doctor or Pharmacy that will take them without adding the subsidy difference on top of the discounted fee.
Pharmacy’s wont/don’t stock product that is on the subsidy list because there’s very little or no profit to do so… so chuck, come again?
Buildmore!
+1000 WILD KATIPO
Counterfactual? Do you have any theory of how large numbers of very wealthy Chinese investors buying houses in Auckland might not cause house price inflation? Because the government’s only one so far is to deny that there are a lot of Chinese investors, something that only works as long as they don’t gather the data.
They are already liable to pay income tax on their capital gain.
That’s pretty funny. I’m liable to drive no faster than 100kph on the country’s highways too, but that doesn’t happen a lot.
If as you say a two year bright line is not working why will five be any better?
Because this one will be implemented by a government that actually intends to tax capital gains, rather than one that wants to be seen to be doing something about house price inflation but can’t afford to annoy its extensive property-speculating constituency.
Well said Psycho Milt
“Banning foreign investors from buying existing homes has channelled about A$30 billion into the building of new homes in the last year in Australia.”
That has not addressed housing affordability at all…its a smoke and mirrors approach from Labour saying by only allowing foreign investors to buy a new house will make much if any difference to affordability.
“Australia, specially its five major metropolitan areas, remains “severely unaffordable” in 2015.”
http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Pacific/Australia/Price-History
“Speculators aren’t properly taxed at the moment. National’s two year bright line is having little or no effect, as Treasury predicted.”
Yes they are…what needs to happen is better enforcement of the current laws. I understand the National Government is increasing resources for the IRD to better police this.
Two year bright line test captures the speculators, five years will capture “mum and dad investors” that may need to sell for many different reasons…If Labour wants to use five years, then why don’t Labour just go for a full CGT across the board?
It all flies right over your head doesn’t it Chuck?
Leasing houses is the way forward Mr Twyford, the government should own the land ,there for people only have to pay for the build price of the house , people will care for a house more if they own it and they can use it for a stepping stone to a free hold house if that floats their boat.
Are you going to charge them a ground rent, and if so how are you going to calculate the amount?
People on leasehold land seem to get very, very unhappy if the charge goes up or if it even appears to get to be something close to a commercial return.
They would have to pay the rates plus a lease fee ,but it would still work out cheaper to have a $300k mortgage than a $600k mortgage, as they would still be paying rates etc on a freehold title.
Thinking long term the government would get it’s money back on the land value.
people winge no matter what you do it’s the human condition.
“have a $300k mortgage than a $600k mortgage”
That would imply that they could get the land for no more than $300k, if they bought a freehold block. I didn’t think that was supposed to be possible in Auckland.
“plus a lease fee ,but it would still work out cheaper “.
This would imply that the ground rent would be less than a mortgage rate so you would have to be charging them less than the current mortgage rate which is about 5% isn’t it?
Do you propose that leaseholders are being subsidised by the taxpayer then?
“get it’s money back on the land value”.
Only if they sold it, and who are they supposed to be doing that too?
There are some places where the land is leasehold. They are very unpopular and very hard to sell I understand. People don’t really want them because they have no real control on what the ground rent might become when the land is revalued at the end of a lease term.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8104072/Are-leasehold-properties-a-good-buy
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10679121
The alternative is that the lessor is restrained in what increases are allowed and then they get screwed.
”That would imply that they could get the land for no more than $300k, if they bought a freehold block. I didn’t think that was supposed to be possible in Auckland.”
The price of the land is not relevant to what the lessee pays .
Cheers for the links , the stuff one in a way points out that it can be done ,but the money grubbers have to be kept at bay,(no surprises there A?)
It’s about getting houses built , yes the government would have to put up the land,
The tax payer already pays huge amounts to subsidies housing,
It would pay to do some canvassing of potential buyers before embarking on wagbuild.
I think you have misread what I meant by the first comment.
You statement seems to be saying that you could buy a house, with no land with a $300k mortgage.
You could buy the land as well with a $600k mortgage. I read that as saying that the additional $300k would buy you the land as well, which implies that buying that bit of freehold land could be done for $300k.
There is some leasehold land in New Zealand. Most of it seems to be owned by churches or is Maori land. Waitara has quite a lot I believe. Whenever there is any proposal to increase the ground rent people scream and want to be allowed to buy it at a big discount to market value.
I had an elderly relative who was living in a property on leasehold land. When she needed more care and was planning to move into a retirement village it proved impossible to sell the place. People were scared off by the leasehold situation.
You’ve got you profit in everything glasses on , in my cunning plan the government would own the land forever (unlikely i know because the right wingers turn up every few elections). And the buyers would pay for the build price of the house , yes the government would have to wear the cost of the land initially although they could use the land they already own,. I bet in a heated market like aucks it would get buyers,
Lease rates could be set at rates plus a management fee, of if you really must get a return set at a small % of land value that is attached to the cpi.
It is a good speech but quite heavy with rhetoric IMO.
The problems we’re facing (or not facing) are huge, multi-factorial & complex, and will take a very long time to ‘fix’. I also think it will take more than a few policies and political will (and courage!); a different social and cultural mind-set is needed to replace the current dominant neo-liberal paradigm.
Yes, but it is not that they can, it is that they must work together and I would include the private sector in this
partnershipcollaboration.I assume this refers to leadership and not to raw power and brute (political) strength.
In general, I like Labour’s policies and the fact that together they at least carry the promise of a cohesive and comprehensive strategy for governing this country, which has been sorely lacking for the last 8 years.
Yes, flexibility is essential – one has to be strong & honest enough to admit mistakes and take corrective action – but “pragmatism” often means, in practice, taking shortcuts, taking off the sharp edges, satisficing, or dealing with the symptoms but not with the root cause and simply ineffectual “window-dressing”.
I think there is a tendency among many political parties to over-promise, which is risky strategy because your opponents will mercilessly attack you on that. National displays hubris; please don’t do the same!
“The problems we’re facing (or not facing) are huge, multi-factorial & complex, and will take a very long time to ‘fix’. I also think it will take more than a few policies and political will (and courage!); a different social and cultural mind-set is needed to replace the current dominant neo-liberal paradigm.”
Not so sure, I personally think their are actions you can take to rapidly reduce the problem, the issue I see is a government brave enough to risk voters losing capital?
Suspend all foreign ownership investments of NZ land from today.
Disincentives to land banking, and empty homes.
Rent fixes, set rent prices for the short term by location or independent body.
Tax breaks for landlords for heating, insulation, repairs maintenance.
Increase the accommodation supplement.
CGT on property flippers, speculators, target people who use the property market to make money, that’s same as an income AFAIC. if your buying selling all the time, your running a business, end of.
so those are some of my thoughts that would quickly change things.
as for changing the chase for greed, charge for everything ideology of the rich, prepared for a hard fight mate?
Personally I think it’s too late, they have used their incredible influence and wealth to cement this in and I don’t think much more than a savage revolution is what it’s going to take to sway this juggernaut of greed off it’s track.
Media Control. Done. game over.
Thanks!
I think we’re broadly in agreement.
Reducing “the problem” is not a euphemism for fixing it, which is what Phil Twyford was alluding to. We don’t need a patch-job, we need real and structural solutions that will go deep and far.
If we don’t replace the current paradigm, if we don’t get a “revolution” as you call it, then all the good & hard work of one or more terms of progressive government will be undone again once they get voted out.
In any case, I have faith (!) in evolution of humans. In other words, it is not the strongest that survives; it is the one that best adapts to a changing environment that will survive long-term. Neo-liberalism is going to be extinct – despite Maggie Barry’s best efforts 😉 – and outlived and surpassed by something else …
Don’t give up; we can get past the neo-liberal failure! This is called resilience.
I do have a question for you phil,
When you say you will build X number of homes, I see you will also do things that should calm the speculation markets etc,
Bearing that in mind, if you say tender these builds and market prices do drop, it could get messy later? Would not some sort of prefabs on land temporary housing for state tenants be better?
hmm what i’m saying is building x number of affordable homes in a high priced market risky?
have you thought about that.
Do you not think it would be more appropriate to offer temporary emergency measures until you have settled the housing market from it’s government induced artiifical heights? rent cabins, open up military housing IDNK there are options?
Banning non-resident foreign buyers from buying existing homes will merely result in shifting international demand towards new builds. Hence, it won’t fully suppress it, nor the problems that come with it.
Therefore, one must question what is the objective here, Phil? A little more clarity on this matter would be appreciated, thanks.
Banning non-resident foreign buyers from buying existing homes still puts international demand pressure on local land supply, thus driving up the cost of land, hence adding to the overall cost of housing.
Moreover, new homes tend to come with new infrastructure burdens.
Additionally, income going towards rent which then goes to offshore owners does little to stimulate the local economy.
A tax would have more impact on deterring international demand. Thus, would strengthen and complement your policy with the new revenue stream also helping to cover infrastructure costs.
Perhaps it’s time to be pragmatic (4 above) Phil?
Banning non-resident foreign buyers from buying existing homes will merely result in shifting international demand towards new builds. Hence, it won’t fully suppress it, nor the problems that come with it.
Correct. All this will do is push up the price of new builds and drive NZers (who would otherwise have preferred to build) into the pre-existing dwelling market.
Your average first home buyer is just as priced-out of the market as they were before, but at least they can take comfort in the fact they’re being outbid by someone white?