Real Monetary Reform

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, June 16th, 2014 - 142 comments
Categories: debt / deficit, Economy - Tags: , ,

The most important thing that needs to be learned is that money is nothing. Or, to be more precise, money is a tool that can be used to distribute the resources available to a society. In and of itself it has no value nor does it have a physical representation (i.e, it’s not gold). Specifically, money is not a medium of exchange but a symbol of exchange and because of this the cost of money, usually presented as interest, should be zero.

The second thing to realise is that money only works if it’s moving. When it’s moving it’s creating work and distributing the nation’s resources. When it’s sitting still, such as in a bank account, it’s not moving and thus not creating work or moving resources. Now a lot of people will dispute that and say that the money in a bank account is being loaned out but, as the Bank of England has recently shown, that is wrong. Banks create the money that they loan out which means that the money in a bank account is just sitting there doing nothing.

The third thing is that as money is spent into the economy it also needs to be taken back out so as to prevent excess inflation from over accumulation of money. Inflation reduces the use of money as a tool because it reduces money’s value as a symbol of exchange. Inflation will be caused as people look for a lot of things to buy increasing consumption and also pushing us into unsustainability. People will also start to look at community wealth that they can buy which will give them a residual income such as National’s sale of our power generating facilities or housing to be rented out. This latter action inevitably results in a vicious circle of over accumulation and increasing poverty.

The fourth thing is that foreign money is worthless in the local economy as it’s only useful for buying resources from its issuing country. This means that borrowing money from overseas does nothing to make local resources available to the economy – in fact, it does the exact opposite as importation of foreign resources pushes out the use of local resources. Essentially, to make NZ resources available requires NZ currency.

The Problem

At the moment our high interest rates, compared to the rest of the world, are causing hot money from offshore to flood into NZ seeking the higher returns available. This, in turn, pushes up the value of the NZ$ on the foreign exchange which causes exports from NZ and employment to decrease thus lowering the productive activity of the country. That hot money has to go somewhere and get a return and manufacturing and development are risky so the banks make it easier to get home loans which increases the number of dollars chasing the limited supply of housing pushing up house prices. And remember, that money isn’t actually being loaned out, it’s being used as the base for the private banks to create money and the banks create it in multiples of what they have. Use of the higher interest rates and having reserve ratios is supposed to limit the amount of money that banks can create by decreasing peoples desire to loan money but that, as we’ve seen, doesn’t work.

So what we have is an influx of money pushing up house prices but not an increase in productive economic activity due to the returns to owning houses being higher and less risky than the returns to actually making stuff. Increasing house prices encourages an increase in spending as people use their houses as income by taking out higher mortgages on them. All of which results in increased inflation across the board but a higher inflation in house prices.

The Solution

What we need to do is stop the hot money flowing into NZ driving up the value of the NZ$ and stop the private banks from creating money which drives up inflation. The solution comes in many parts but is relatively simple: Make NZ$ available at 0% interest and have no fees.

The first part is that the government creates its own money to support its budget spending the money into the economy. This money would be used to support services where direct charging doesn’t work such as health, infrastructure, education and R&D. This spending would be counter balanced by taxes that increase or decrease as needed. This tax rate movement would, effectively, replace the OCR and so we could expect movement in it on a similar six weekly cycle. The movement in the tax rates would be governed by the Reserve Bank of NZ (RBNZ) but the tax thresholds and the ratios of tax rates between them would be set by government legislation. Local councils would fund their spending the same way but I’m of two minds if they should have their own regional reserve bank or if the functions of the RBNZ be extended to them. Either could work.

The second part involves the private banks. They would be banned from creating money ex nihilo as they do now and the RBNZ would no longer be the Lender of Last Resort. The banks would thus be limited to only loaning out money that they had on deposit for that purpose thus removing the massive increase in money entering the system and pushing up inflation, especially the house price inflation, that we have now.

The third part is a state bank which creates the money it loans out ex nihilo. This bank will make both mortgages and business loans available to the public. It will neither charge interest or fees and will be supported through general taxation. The loans will have strict conditions on them thus limiting money creation through regulation rather than, as at present, through interest. As any default would have to be soaked up through general taxation this bank would have to have a close working relationship with the RBNZ.

The fourth part is state departments that charge directly for the services that they provide. Such services would include a state provided insurance, Accident Compensation, Solid Energy and others. These would be able to create money so as to pay to provide their services while charging enough to remove that money from the system. These departments would be instructed to run at cost so that they’re not pulling excessive amounts of money out of the system in the way that the private profit system does.

Conclusion

Most importantly, as money would be openly directly created by the government to bring about the use of the countries resources as needed it would obviate the need for savings and foreign investment. It would also decrease the government borrowings to zero as they would no longer need to borrow which would eliminate the billions of dollars wasted in interest that the government presently pays out yearly.

Interest rates would, over time, reduce to zero thus decreasing the value of the NZ$ on the foreign exchange as the only people purchasing the NZ$ would be those people who wanted to buy NZ made products and not the speculators who only look to the relatively high interest rates. This would boost our exports and thus create more work.

The total removal of interest bearing debt based money, which only benefits the rich, would significantly boost the economy. It would do this through reducing the money going to the privately owned banks (most of which goes to Australia) and thus increasing the money that stays in the New Zealand economy. As interest payments decrease to zero over time we would also see a reduction in prices as interest is removed from them.

Draco T Bastard

142 comments on “Real Monetary Reform ”

  1. Will@Welly 1

    Draco, your synopsis harks back to the days of the first Labour Government. A tick from me.

    • Gosman 1.1

      The first Labour government did not set up any State owned bank, only nationalised the BNZ in 1945, and did not stop commercial banks from charging interest. How did they follow the prescription identified?

      • mikesh 1.1.1

        I think the 1st Labour government promised to nationalise the banking system but balked at nationalising the Australian owned banks. Many Labour supporters, who had been influenced by the writings and teachings of Major Clifford Douglas, were disappointed at their falure to do so and, in 1954, broke away to form the Social Credit Political League.

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1

          Ahhh thanks for that interesting bit of history

          Labour has always, either through necessity or lack of vision, always deferred too much to the oligarchs of capital and finance.

  2. Tracey 2

    Thought provoking alternative. As long as power lies with those who benefit from the way things are…

  3. Enough is Enough 3

    For this to ever see the light of day we would require a violent revolution to overcome the status quo.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1

      No. What we’re in now is a violent revolution. The violence comes in the form of poverty and is perpetrated with ruthless indifference.

      It’s time to put an end to it.

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1

        Unchecked corporate capitalism is a revolutionary force – Karl Marx was quite right about that. It will rewrite the language of society, corrupt its politics and leaders, undermine the institutions of the state and of democracy, and commoditize and monetize everything that people hold dear – the environment, their relationships, workers, each other as human beings.

        Peaceful civil resistance which holds the moral high ground as sacred is the only way to push back.

      • Tracey 3.1.2

        “Eat The Rich”
        Aerosmith

        Well I woke up this morning
        On the wrong side of the bed
        And how I got to thinkin’ About all those things you said
        About ordinary people
        And how they make you sick
        And if callin’ names kicks back on you
        Then I hope this does the trick

        ‘Cause I’m a sick of your complainin’
        About how many bill
        s And I’m sick of all your bitchin’
        Bout your poodles and your pills
        And I just can’t see no humour
        About your way of life
        And I think I can do more for you
        With this here fork and knife

        [Chorus:] Eat the Rich: there’s only one thing they’re good for Eat the Rich: take one bite now – come back for more Eat the Rich: I gotta get this off my chest Eat the Rich: take one bite now, spit out the rest

        So I called up my head shrinker And I told him what I’d done Said you’d best go on a diet Yeah I hope you have some fun And a don’t go burst a bubble On the rich folks who get rude ‘Cause you won’t get in no trouble When you eats that kinda food Now their smokin’ up the junk bonds And then they go get stiff And they’re dancin’ in the yacht club With Muff and Uncle Biff But there’s one good thing that happens When you toss your pearls to swine Their attitudes may taste like shit But go real good with wine [Chorus]

        Wake up kid, it’s half past your youth Ain’t nothin’ really changes but the date You a grand slammer, but you no Babe Ruth You gotta learn how to relate Or you’ll be swingin’ from the pearly gate Now you got all the answers, low and behold You got the right key baby but the wrong key ho, yo

        Believe in all the good things That money just can’t buy Then you won’t get no belly ache From eatin’ humble pie I believe in rags to riches Your inheritence won’t last So take your Grey Poupon my friend And shove it up your ass! [Chorus]

        Eat the Rich: there’s only one thing they’re good for Eat the Rich: take one bite now – come back for more Eat the Rich: don’t stop me now I’m goin’ crazy Eat the Rich: that’s my idea of a good time baby

      • Enough is Enough 3.1.3

        Yes -It is time to put an end to it.

        How?

        • g says 3.1.3.1

          enough is enough: ref how?

          by being the change you want to see..

          by sharing what you have.
          not bartering or trading but sharing.

          by volunteering some time, especially youth or community groups.
          do not wait for the man to implement change.
          the revolution will not be televised

          also thanks draco for the post

  4. One Anonymous Bloke 4

    Having heard for the last thirty years what “would” happen if we drank lots of neo-liberal kool-aid, I’m wary of any untested hypothesis that employs similar rhetoric.

    • Lanthanide 4.1

      Agreed.

    • Colonial Viper 4.2

      What “similar rhetoric”?

      Draco’s suggestions are plain language ones where the English words actually mean what they mean in the dictionary. That’s a huge advance on the kind of economics that the neolibs push.

  5. thatguynz 5

    +100. Great article Draco. Very similar to the New Chicago Plan with healthy doses of North Dakota Bank et al interwoven. It’s a travesty that there is not a politician in this country that would have the chutzpah to go down this path..

  6. Wreckingball 6

    “The second thing to realise is that money only works if it’s moving. When it’s moving it’s creating work and distributing the nation’s resources. When it’s sitting still, such as in a bank account, it’s not moving and thus not creating work or moving resources. Now a lot of people will dispute that and say that the money in a bank account is being loaned out but, as the Bank of England has recently shown, that is wrong. Banks create the money that they loan out which means that the money in a bank account is just sitting there doing nothing.”

    What a load of rubbish. The banks can only “make money” when they have a certain amount of deposits. They can’t simply make more and more money without taking more deposits to meet capital adequacy requirements.

    The financial illiteracy of that post is as astounding as it is disturbing.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1

      What a load of rubbish. The banks can only “make money” when they have a certain amount of deposits. They can’t simply make more and more money without taking more deposits to meet capital adequacy requirements.

      The RBNZ will loan the banks whatever shortfall in reserves they find that they have at the end of each day. There’s never any problem with getting sufficient reserves, on demand.

      In other words, no bank ever has to turn down a loan or mortgage approval because they are “short of reserves.”

      Never happens.

      Therefore: Draco is right and you are wrong.

      Your financial illiteracy is disturbing,

      • Wreckingball 6.1.1

        The RBNZ will loan the banks any shortfall in reserves – right…

        1) when will that loan be repaid? Eventually you will need real deposits to increase banks reserves – you can’t just print money and let the RBNZ prop up the banking sector.
        2) costs will increase as the RBNZ will want a return on its lending – thus increasing costs for banks.

        The argument promulgated here – that money sitting in a bank is doing nothing – is bottom of the barrel stuff. It is absolute rubbish – irrefutably so.

        • thatguynz 6.1.1.1

          Wreckingball – I’d suggest stopping before you demonstrate any more ignorance… Do your own damn research before you make a failed attempt to refute others.

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.2

          The RBNZ can generate NZD anytime it wants. It is a sovereign issuer of NZD. The RBNZ doesn’t need those loans to be repaid and it certainly does not need to earn “interest” on the loans.

          The argument promulgated here – that money sitting in a bank is doing nothing – is bottom of the barrel stuff. It is absolute rubbish – irrefutably so.

          There is hardly any money “sitting in a bank.” 98% of the money “sitting in a bank” are merely electronic book keeping entries in a spreadsheet.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.3
          1. Technically, it won’t be. Out financial system ensures that we must continue going further into debt.
          2. Which the bank then pushes on to its customers

          The argument promulgated here – that money sitting in a bank is doing nothing – is bottom of the barrel stuff. It is absolute rubbish – irrefutably so.

          It’s been refuted – thoroughly. Again, see what the BoE says on it.

      • Tracey 6.1.2

        if everyone withdrew their deposits this afternoon, do banks have cash on hand to pay out?

        • Wreckingball 6.1.2.1

          No.

          • Tracey 6.1.2.1.1

            ” … banks can only “make money” when they have a certain amount of deposits. They can’t simply make more and more money without taking more deposits to meet capital adequacy requirements.”

            But they can take money to make money without being able to repay on demand… So tge system is kind of stacked now. In the banks favour.

          • Phil 6.1.2.1.2

            Wrong.

            The RBNZ requires registered banks to have a positive mismatch ratio for 1-week and 1-month horizons.

            In layman’s terms, what that means is that a bank has to know for the next week and month what:
            (a) its outgoing commitments are
            (b) it expects to receive in payments
            (c) its liquid asset holdings are (i.e the value of the government bonds and other cash-like assets the bank owns).

            Banks are required to have a positive mismatch at all times. That means they always have to have enough incoming funds and on-hand cash to cover their outgoings.

      • Gosman 6.1.3

        Imagine a situation where banks operate in a country where the government does not Control the money supply. The question you have to ask if the Reserve Bank can’t make up any shortfall how will banks generate money?

        • mikesh 6.1.3.1

          Banks used to do so anyway, and this was fine provided customers continued to have confidence in the bank’s ability to repay its depositors. However a loss of confidence on the part of depositors would usually cause a run on the bank and the bank would go broke, causing much hardship for its customers.

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.3.1.1

            As long as emergency ‘repo’ arrangements are set up between banks, and with additional funding facilities through the Reserve Bank, there will not be a problem with this.

            The problem is when banks get distracted away from their core business of providing loans and credit to the wider society, into massive speculation and leverage.

            Edit – I’ll add why this is so. It’s because within a nation’s banking system there is almost no net change of funds when there is a traditional run on a bank. A rumour goes out say that ASB is going under – people shift their money from ASB to BNZ. No probs – its still within the NZ banking system.

            What really fucks things up nowadays is capital flight – when funds leave a country’s banking system altogether.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.2

      What a load of rubbish. The banks can only “make money” when they have a certain amount of deposits.

      1. The Bank of England disagrees with you and I think they probably know better than you
      2. I also said that the banks use their deposits as the base for the money that they create and
      3. If they don’t have the necessary reserves at the end of the day the Reserve Bank pops up as the Lender of Last Resort and ensures that they do

      The banks create our money and then charge us interest for the privilege of using it. You’re own financial illiteracy is the problem getting in the way of us changing to a better system.

      • Colonial Viper 6.2.1

        3.If they don’t have the necessary reserves at the end of the day the Reserve Bank pops up as the Lender of Last Resort and ensures that they do

        Also, this is what the global shadow banking system does i.e. help finance banks.

      • mikesh 6.2.2

        I incline to the opinion that money on demand deposit should be regared as belonging to the customer, with the banker acting merely as a sort of trustee. The bank would then hold the money purely for the use of the depositor and not for relending. Of course the bank would be entitled to charge a fee for this service.

        • Colonial Viper 6.2.2.1

          Negative interest rates are coming.

          Savers have been penalised by ZIRP and now that NIRP is on the horizon it will get worse.

          Of course the bank would be entitled to charge a fee for this service.

          I don’t think so. Why would you allow the bank to charge you money for minding a spreadsheet entry (your account value)?

          • mikesh 6.2.2.1.1

            Presumably you charge for the services you provide to someone.

            • Colonial Viper 6.2.2.1.1.1

              What service?

              Its your money. You give your money to the bank for them to use how they see fit, you’re the one doing them a very big favour. Not the other way around.

      • Phil 6.2.3

        If they don’t have the necessary reserves at the end of the day the Reserve Bank pops up as the Lender of Last Resort and ensures that they do

        This is a fundamentally incorrect interpretation of lender of last resort (LoLR). The RBNZ, as LoLR, does not intervene in the market each day, or often at all. The LoLR exists to lend in times of crisis, to avoid the prospect or consequences of a bank run on the rest of the economy.

        In New Zealand, the systems works like this:

        Each bank has a deposit with the RBNZ, of somewhere in the vicinity of $100m to $1b-ish in what is called a settlement account.

        As you and I make transactions, the banks keep a running total of who owes whom. For example, if a BNZ customer buys a haircut from a Westpac hairdresser, the two banks keep track of the fact that BNZ now owes Westpac cash (because BNZ has taken the money out of their customer account, and Westpac has credited it into the hairdresser’s).

        At the end of the day*, all the banks tally up the payments their depositors made to each other, and ‘net-off’ to work out who owes whom. If all the Westpac customers, combined, paid $500m to BNZ customers, and BNZ customers paid $550m to Westpac, the two banks would work out that BNZ needs to give $50m in cash to Westpac.

        This is where the settlement account comes in to play. Banks hold enough cash in their settlement account to pay their bills. The RBNZ does not act as a lender here – it’s up to each of the banks to know who owes whom and transact accordingly.

        What happens if BNZ is short of cash? Well, another bank must be sitting on more cash than it knows what to do with. This is because the settlement account system is, basically, closed – if BNZ pays out all its cash, it MUST be sitting with other banks in the settlement system, because it can’t really go anywhere in the short term. What happens is that the other banks then offer to lend cash back to BNZ, for interest.

        As the normal course of business resumes the next day, BNZ pays back the loan. If they have ongoing shortfalls in cash, over a sustained period of time, that is when the LoLR might come into play.

        • Settlements in New Zealand are progressively moving to ‘real time gross settlement’ throughout the day, rather than relying on one end-of-day block.
        • Colonial Viper 6.2.3.1

          Thanks for your clear explanations.

          Is there a particular reason that settlements don’t appear to occur in the weekend? Does the process require continuous human oversight?

          I always found it rather dodgy that when you pay a retailer by EFTPOS or credit card on Saturday, that same retailer does not get those funds until Mon night/Tue morning…yet as a shopper your account shows the withdrawal immediately.

          My assumption being that someone is “holding on to” those monies.

          • Phil 6.2.3.1.1

            s there a particular reason that settlements don’t appear to occur in the weekend? Does the process require continuous human oversight?

            The system is largely automated, but still requires some human input. I’m not sure of all the details, but my guess is that real-time settlement will eventually include weekends, if it doesn’t already.

            I always found it rather dodgy that when you pay a retailer by EFTPOS or credit card on Saturday, that same retailer does not get those funds until Mon night/Tue morning…yet as a shopper your account shows the withdrawal immediately.

            Often when people make this comment to me, they’re referring specifically to interest. As in “the money leaves my account on Saturday, and i’m not earning interest on it any more. But it doesn’t show up in the retailer’s account until Monday, so they bank has ‘free’ money for two days.”

            Actually what happens is a bank will record the transaction in the retailers account as occurring on the Saturday, and start paying interest to it immediately. I think the delay in ‘clearing’ the funds for further transactions is a carry over from a legacy issue that comes from the bad old days of cheques.

        • mikesh 6.2.3.2

          “if BNZ pays out all its cash, it MUST be sitting with other banks in the settlement system, because it can’t really go anywhere in the short term. What happens is that the other banks then offer to lend cash back to BNZ, for interest.”

          Unless of course the other banks think the BNZ is a bit shaky, in which case they could refuse to lend them their surplus cash.

          • Phil 6.2.3.2.1

            Unless of course the other banks think the BNZ is a bit shaky, in which case they could refuse to lend them their surplus cash.

            They way they’re likely to do that is through interest rates – they’ll charge BNZ more for borrowing money overnight than they will for lending the same amount to, say, ANZ.

            That is, in my opinion, the most important reason interest rates exist – they’re a measure of relative risk.

            • Draco T Bastard 6.2.3.2.1.1

              They way they’re likely to do that is through interest rates – they’ll charge BNZ more for borrowing money overnight than they will for lending the same amount to, say, ANZ.

              One of the observed bank actions in 2008 was that they stopped lending to each other no matter the interest rates.

              That is, in my opinion, the most important reason interest rates exist – they’re a measure of relative risk.

              That’s what we’re told but it’s obviously a load of bollocks else people would always have different interest rates on their mortgage rather than the same ones. Also, the OCR wouldn’t work to constrain interest rates.

              • Phil

                One of the observed bank actions in 2008 was that they stopped lending to each other no matter the interest rates

                Partly correct. Unsecured inter-bank lending dried up completely.

                The secured lending markets, like short term repurchase agreements between NZ banks (where we agree that I give you a government bond today and you give me cash, and tomorrow we make the reverse transaction) and Covered Bonds remained largely open for business.

                That’s what we’re told but it’s obviously a load of bollocks else people would always have different interest rates on their mortgage rather than the same ones.

                Respectfully, the only bollocks here is your misunderstanding of risk management and pricing.

                Mortgages, and to a lesser extent any personal or ‘retail’ loans are managed on a portfolio basis. That means the risk and pricing is averaged across a pool of loans. We also have differentiation through high-LVR penalty rates (a higher loan to value is riskier than lower). The discounts or special deals offered to high quality clients are amortised across the life of the loan and contribute to the real rate of interest paid by a client.

                Commercial loans are priced individually, based on the credit assessment and due diligence a bank undertakes. They’re virtually all priced on a base-rate plus risk-margin basis.

                Also, the OCR wouldn’t work to constrain interest rates.

                The OCR constrains interest rates by setting the ‘risk free’ base rate. Opportunity cost does the rest. As in; BNZ could lend (i.e. deposit with) the safest financial institution in the country (the RBNZ) at 3.25%. Or, BNZ could lend to a commercial competitor, via a repurchase agreement for a slightly higher rate, or could lend to a business, farm, or household. All those other rates are influenced by the underlying ‘risk free’ OCR. The margin over the OCR is basically the extra return BNZ expects to get as compensation for taking on a higher level of risk.

                The reverse is also true. As a depositor, I could put my money with a bank, or a credit union, or a finance company. Each of these organisations will be charging different rates because my money is not equally safe in them.

            • Colonial Viper 6.2.3.2.1.2

              That is, in my opinion, the most important reason interest rates exist – they’re a measure of relative risk.

              Given that a bank’s internal situation is often highly opaque (even to insiders), there is no way that this “relative risk” can be correctly priced.

              Greek, Spanish, Italian 10 year government bonds are all sitting at near record low interest rates right now. Is that because the relative risk of those countries is actually at record lows, is it merely perception, or is it market manipulation?

              10 year Greek govt bonds were at 5% at the end of 2009. Just 3-4 months later their yield had risen 600-700 basis points. In other words, the markets were playing catch up with reality, big time, making interest rates a rather poor and lagging indicator of what was actually going on.

              • Phil

                Given that a bank’s internal situation is often highly opaque (even to insiders), there is no way that this “relative risk” can be correctly priced.

                That’s what an independent rating agency like S&P or Fitch is for. 🙂
                In New Zealand we also have, in my personal opinion, a pretty good registered bank disclosure regime.

                But, you can only price risk with the information you have at hand. However, that information is more than just a balance sheet showing that the Greek government is running out of money. Information also takes the form of sentiment and commitment and expectation.

                For instance, a couple of years ago (maybe much earlier?) S&P downgraded the USA from AAA to AA. That’s a pretty serious signal, for the world’s reserve currency, that not all is well. You would, absent any other information, expect interest rates for US treasury debt and bonds to rise. But they didn’t. They fell. Why?

                Because the market correctly understood that a credit rating downgrade was exactly the kick in the pants the US needed to start the ball rolling on balancing the books. The market took the long term view that the US economy would be better off, because of this downgrade, and priced risk accordingly.

                • Colonial Viper

                  That’s what an independent rating agency like S&P or Fitch is for. 🙂

                  You even said that with a straight face, ignoring all the evidence from 2004-present that the major global banks work hand in glove with the ratings agencies and that the independence of their AAA ratings is, to put it mildly, questionable.

                  You would, absent any other information, expect interest rates for US treasury debt and bonds to rise. But they didn’t. They fell. Why?

                  Because the market correctly understood that a credit rating downgrade was exactly the kick in the pants the US needed to start the ball rolling on balancing the books. The market took the long term view that the US economy would be better off, because of this downgrade, and priced risk accordingly.

                  Sounds plausible from the assumption of a “rational” market, but it’s also completely incorrect. ZIRP was not a decision of the market, it was a policy of the Federal Reserve, and it enforced it by trading bonds and other assets to achieve the interest rate levels it wanted.

                  exactly the kick in the pants the US needed to start the ball rolling on balancing the books.

                  So, a couple of years down the track, how is this going? Was the market right?

  7. RedLogix 7

    Draco.

    Mostly an excellent approach – but I would ask how you would deal with the ‘time value’ of money?

    For instance if I lend you $1000 today – I am foregoing the utility of spending the money today, for the expectation that you will repay me some time in the future – which is worth somewhat less.

    This discounted future value is normally compensated for by charging interest on the loan.

    • vto 7.1

      an equity stake in the enterprise

      • Lanthanide 7.1.1

        If people want an equity stake in the enterprise, they can already do that.

        I’d actually rather keep $1,000 in my pocket, than lend it to you for you to spend, with the compensation to me being “equity in a company” that may or may not go bust (and face it, most businesses go bust and fewer still become particularly profitable).

        • vto 7.1.1.1

          I understand that, but it misses the main thrust of what Draco outlines above and that is the problems caused by interest-bearing debt money. That main problem being its ponzi-scheme nature and thus unsustainability ….

          As for having no option but to take an equity stake or keep it in your pocket – fine, that is the risk taken. It is much fairer though and more importantly aligns the interests of the financier and the enterprise, which leads to far greater sustainability.

          This is nothing new and is, I understand, how much of the rest of the world operates its own financial systems…… systems which do not blow apart like ours

          • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1.1

            Lanth & RL: no one is asking you to lend your money at no interest. You’re not a sovereign issuer of the currency.

            There is no reason why the government bank could not lend money to start up businesses at 0% interest, perhaps in exchange for a small ownership share.

            (Cue dancing cossacks music)

            edit I see DTB has made the point about the state bank doing this lending at 0%, not private individuals or private banks.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.1.2

        Why would anyone loan any money under those conditions when it’s possible to go to the state bank and get the money at 0% interest?

        • vto 7.1.2.1

          Yes of course. But how would they assess which enterprises to lend to? Same way as now? And if an enterprise could not raise said money from the state lender, what would the open market provide as an alternative if interest was banned? Or would it be banned? (it should be for reasons outlined just above – ponzi nature, unsustainability, and non-alignment of lender and borrower interests).

          Also, do you know the history of financial systems which have interest banned as usurious?

          • Draco T Bastard 7.1.2.1.1

            But how would they assess which enterprises to lend to?

            I would expect some sort of rules around a viable business plan.

            And if an enterprise could not raise said money from the state lender, what would the open market provide as an alternative if interest was banned? Or would it be banned?

            Chances are that they would be able to but I don’t suggest banning interest. Just making it so that it’s damn near impossible to do so.

            Also, do you know the history of financial systems which have interest banned as usurious?

            From my reading of David Graeber’s Debt: The first 5000 years no society has yet been able to ban interest completely which is why I’m suggesting a system where it would be damn near impossible for an individual to charge interest rather than using prohibition.

            • Gosman 7.1.2.1.1.1

              How would you assess if a business plan was viable or not or at the very least HOW risky it is?

              Currently businesses can raise capital via various methods which enable them and investors to manage risk and return factors. Your proposal seems to do away with this. In essence the riskiest business ideas under your proposal will cost the same as the least riskiest.

              This will likely encourage high risk business ideas which may or may not be a good thing. Remember the GFC was caused by mispricing risk.

              • tracey

                why would the method of assessment be any different to today? Just because little or no interest is to be charged doesnt change the analysis of whether a business is high, medium or low risk?

                So, you do the assessment, that doesnt change, what changes is your preparedness to take on the risk versus interest compensation.

                • Gosman

                  What you fail to comprehend is that risk has a price and that price is usually reflected in the cost of capital such as interest. If you don’t price risk you remove a large impediment to people pursuing risky activities that could cause a massive collapse at some stage.

                  • tracey

                    no, i comprehend that but if you re read your post you made two distinct points.

                    How to assess risk
                    And
                    How to get a return on risk

                    You seem to constantly turn a blind eye to the constant economic collapse we experience cyclically under the current system

                  • Draco T Bastard

                    What you fail to comprehend is that risk has a price and that price is usually reflected in the cost of capital such as interest.

                    No it doesn’t. What interest is really for is so that some people get a return without actually doing any work.

                    If you don’t price risk you remove a large impediment to people pursuing risky activities that could cause a massive collapse at some stage.

                    Nope. Some enterprises will fail, some will succeed. Things’ll average out over time.

                    The big point is that even if an enterprise does fail we still end up with some value from it anyway.

                    • Gosman

                      How do you price risk in your model? You might not think the current system does it well but it at least makes an attempt to do so. Your model seems to treat risk as having no major impact. That ignores that given the same cost of capital there is greater incentive to engage in risky business practices as the chance of return is greater for the same costs of raising the funds.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      How do you price risk in your model?

                      I don’t because there is no need to do so. If the business fails then the excess money would be taken out through taxes instead of through loan repayments. I mentioned that in the post.

                      That ignores that given the same cost of capital there is greater incentive to engage in risky business practices as the chance of return is greater for the same costs of raising the funds.

                      And those people will also be taking the greater risk of becoming bankrupts unable to form a business and probably have difficulty being hired.

                      And the present interest system doesn’t price risk anyway – it’s prices peoples greed.

                    • Gosman

                      How would bankrupts get capital? They might have a viable business idea remember.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      How would bankrupts get capital?

                      I expect that they wouldn’t – until the bankruptcy is discharged. Pretty much exactly the way it is now in fact. There are some changes I’d make but that’s beyond what this post is about.

                    • Phil

                      What interest is really for is so that some people get a return without actually doing any work.

                      That’s a very narrow view of interest. A wider (and generally accepted) interpretation is that interest is what your receive as the quid-pro-quo for foregoing utilizing that money for some other personal fulfillment or benefit.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      A wider (and generally accepted) interpretation

                      I remember ads that used to say, x number of people can’t be wrong as if the number of people buying the product was a testimonial about how good the product was. This is, of course, a fallacy and, as the GFC proves, it’s a fallacy that applies to mainstream economics.

                      That said, with the government providing 0% interest money there’s no reason for people to forego spending their money.

                • mikesh

                  Normally a lender will be more prepared to take a risk if the interest is at a greater rate.

                  • tracey

                    which is a fascinating idea given i get charged almost exactly the same rate for my mortgage despite having 65% equity, as all those who couldnt scrape together a deposit.

                    I am trying to point out the current system is flawed and skewed heavily to banks. Gosman and others post as though its a great system. Its great, but for a very select few.

                    • mikesh

                      “which is a fascinating idea given i get charged almost exactly the same rate for my mortgage despite having 65% equity, as all those who couldnt scrape together a deposit.”

                      Risk is probably not the only factor controlling interest rates, and may well be a negligible factor where housing is concerned. However I’m neither a banker nor an actuary so I don’t know the answer to that problem.

                  • Colonial Viper

                    Normally a lender will be more prepared to take a risk if the interest is at a greater rate.

                    Yeah? That may have been true in the good old days. But the example during the GFC is that the big banks took all the profit, and passed all the risk on to the public purse.

                    • mikesh

                      “But the example during the GFC is that the big banks took all the profit, and passed all the risk on to the public purse.”

                      I don’t think anybody is claiming that this what ought to have happened.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Sure, but it is what DOES happen in the financial system today. You see the “capitalists” of today aren’t anything of the sort. Capitalists are supposed to believe in competition and “creative destruction”, not Too Big To Fail and all the benefits for none of the risks.

                      And in doing so they have created a fragile financial system which Draco has correctly identified that we need to get the hell out of – or at least put up a couple of solid firewalls between.

              • mikesh

                Banks don’t invest in businesses, proprietors do; though the proprietor my have to borrow in order to be able to do so. Usually the bank will insist on some form of collateral for the loan.

              • Draco T Bastard

                How would you assess if a business plan was viable or not or at the very least HOW risky it is?

                Did you see the bit about a viable business plan?

                In essence the riskiest business ideas under your proposal will cost the same as the least riskiest.

                You assume that risk needs to have a cost which it doesn’t.

                BTW, interest rates don’t really reflect risk anyway. If they did then the OCR wouldn’t work.

                This will likely encourage high risk business ideas which may or may not be a good thing.

                Possibly but that’s not a problem.

                Remember the GFC was caused by mispricing risk.

                No, the GFC was caused by the banks creating lots of money which then went looking for high return financial speculation.

                • Colonial Viper

                  You assume that risk needs to have a cost which it doesn’t.

                  Yep – and why should riskier technology and entrepreneurial ventures cost more when their upside and contribution to society is so much greater if they do work?

                  Further there is no riskier venture than the basic sciences research that government has traditionally carried out. Why should that cost more when it is usually the most valuable activity in the long term, for both businesses and society as a whole?

                  The problem in our current set up is that almost everyone defaults to the lowest risk investments – collecting a rental portfolio.

                  • Draco T Bastard

                    The problem in our current set up is that almost everyone defaults to the lowest risk investments – collecting a rental portfolio.

                    QFT

                  • tracey

                    many very innovative people with great ideas didnt get rich from them, the bank or the first shark with the money did, disproportionately to the creativeness.

                    Your post is much more than a trite +1 to me but am struggling to express it.

                    • Gosman

                      Let’s break down how fundamentally screwed up this idea is.

                      By not pricing risk via charging interest anybody willing to start up a business will have an incentive to look to go for higher risk investments. There is little financial penalty if they decide to make the next wonder gadget versus producing something plain and simple regardless that most new products or services fail. Even if it did fail the person could borrow more free money to pay off the old debt and start a new riskier business. In effect they would be doubling down on a loss.

                      To avoid this the only option would be to restrict the supply of free capital via a rationing system. That will inevitably open itself up for abuse and corruption. Whoever decides the criteria for what business ideas get funded will have enormous power. They will have the temptation to allocate based on reasons other than an economic return.

                      The people who receive the free capital can look to make money from it just by lending it to those poor saps who didn’t meet the criteria. They would of course charge them exorbitant amounts of interest especially as what they were doing would be illegal presumably.

                      In the end you would get the same system as you have now but worse because it would be controlled by political rather than economic means.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      I think Gosman is against this new idea even though he claims it’ll end up the same as things are now.

                      Really, that’s silly.

                      Also, Gosman, why are you against people taking big business risks in order to make big business successes?

                      If a start up fails and $100K goes down the drain, who cares – especially if it had the chance to be the next Google or Nokia?

                      And anyways that $100K gets paid out into the economy to employees and subcontractors etc. which is no bad thing.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      Even if it did fail the person could borrow more free money to pay off the old debt and start a new riskier business.

                      Nope, wouldn’t be able to do that. It’s not free money – it may not have interest on it but it does come with consequences.

                      They will have the temptation to allocate based on reasons other than an economic return.

                      You mean like the ratings agencies that were taking money from the banks to give AAA ratings to bundled mortgages?

                      The people who receive the free capital can look to make money from it just by lending it to those poor saps who didn’t meet the criteria.

                      And end up in jail for a very, very long time.

                    • Gosman

                      What’s the consequences? The government taking control of assets to recoup losses. Worked a treat with SCF. However even if you think that would discourage money lenders charging interest outside the system (it wouldn’t) there is still the problem of how you control is dispersal in the first place. Too much control by central government and you run the risk of constricting credit in places that need it. Too little and then there might be too much lent at any one time to too many risky ventures leading to asset price bubbles and a collapse. This is not a new idea either. It has been tried in numerous places with the inevitable economic collapse that accompanies it. This is because it ignores several economic fundamentals.

                    • Draco T Bastard

                      What’s the consequences? The government taking control of assets to recoup losses. Worked a treat with SCF.

                      Well, we got some of the money back so not a total loss. Of course, SFC shouldn’t have been bailed out in the first place.

                      However even if you think that would discourage money lenders charging interest outside the system (it wouldn’t) there is still the problem of how you control is dispersal in the first place.

                      You haven’t answered why anyone would go outside the system to pay interest when they can get it with 0%.

                      Too much control by central government and you run the risk of constricting credit in places that need it.

                      You should probably read the post. I’ve gone to quite a bit of effort to have it so that the government doesn’t have too much control.

                      Too little and then there might be too much lent at any one time to too many risky ventures leading to asset price bubbles and a collapse.

                      We get that now. Perhaps you noticed the GFC that happened, and some say is still happening, a few years back?

                      This is not a new idea either. It has been tried in numerous places with the inevitable economic collapse that accompanies it. This is because it ignores several economic fundamentals.

                      No it hasn’t and the paradigm that ignores economic fundamentals is the financial system that we have now.

    • Wreckingball 7.2

      Good question RL.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.3

      I suspect that you won’t be lending out any money then. I don’t see a problem with this. It is, after all, quite easy to save up $1000.

    • mikesh 7.4

      It is perfectly reasonable to charge interest in that situation. Interest is really only problematic if it is charged on money created from nothing.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.4.1

        Nope. Interest is a problem no matter what form of money creation prevails (see Piketty). It’s just worse when money is created in such a way so that more money needs to be created to pay for it.

        • tracey 7.4.1.1

          have you read anything on islamic money lending with its no ibterest premise. Does it work in practice or do they just find ways to fudge it

          • Colonial Viper 7.4.1.1.1

            Various savings pools in NZ are a good, albeit partial, answer and some have been around for many years.

            • tracey 7.4.1.1.1.1

              cooperative bank?

              • Colonial Viper

                I don’t know about them any more. What I hear is that since a former Westpac guy got put in at the top, they have been treating their staff and customers worse.

                The savings pools are a different concept to a bank altogether, though.

          • Draco T Bastard 7.4.1.1.2

            Have read anything specific but I understand that Islamic banks charge a fixed administration fee. Couldn’t say if it works or not.

            • Colonial Viper 7.4.1.1.2.1

              Yeah it works but its just a fudge around not charging interest on the quantity of the loan itself and instead putting it down to an ‘adminstration fee’.

        • mikesh 7.4.1.2

          “Nope. Interest is a problem no matter what form of money creation prevails (see Piketty). It’s just worse when money is created in such a way so that more money needs to be created to pay for it.”

          Not necessarily. If interest received is spent back into the community no extra money needs to be created in order that the interest be paid. This is why state owned banking is a better option than a privately owned banking system. The state can ensure that monies received as interest are respent, whereas a private bank will probably retain some of its earnings for the purpose of relending.

          • Draco T Bastard 7.4.1.2.1

            And a state owned bank can also run at cost and be supported by taxes so that it doesn’t have to charge interest. Remember, my suggestion was that the bank create the money it loans out ex nihilo.

            • mikesh 7.4.1.2.1.1

              This is true of course, but is there any reason why it should be run at the taxpayers’ expense. Why not allow a state bank to pay its way and perhaps provide the state with a bit of profit which can be used for everyone’s benefit. The absence of interest leaves the system open to corruption, when obtaining a loan will depend on having the right connections, and perhaps the willingness to pay a backhander to the loan officer.

              Not all government services should be free. In some cases a user pays approach is fairer.

              • Draco T Bastard

                This is true of course, but is there any reason why it should be run at the taxpayers’ expense.

                Yes. It’s a service needed by everyone and the cheapest, most efficient way of funding that service is through taxes.

                Why not allow a state bank to pay its way and perhaps provide the state with a bit of profit which can be used for everyone’s benefit.

                Profit is a dead-weight loss and tends to invite corruption and selling it to the private sector.

                The absence of interest leaves the system open to corruption, when obtaining a loan will depend on having the right connections, and perhaps the willingness to pay a backhander to the loan officer.

                Steve Keen has an interesting video up somewhere where he explains how the present system is open to corruption because of the interest. Quite simply, the banks are incentivised to create excessive amounts of money which they do. Then there’s the deals done behind closed doors such as the LIBOR scandal and I’m sure we can find significant of backhanders as well. In fact, I believe that’s what the $1000/hr prostitutes were doing on Wall Street.

                Screaming ZOMG, Corruption!!!111! really isn’t cutting it considering just how corrupt the present system is. Yes, we’ll need to do something about corruption but we need to be doing that anyway.

                Not all government services should be free. In some cases a user pays approach is fairer.

                I addressed that in the post as well but banking isn’t one of them due to the above reason.

                • Colonial Viper

                  In fact, I believe that’s what the $1000/hr prostitutes were doing on Wall Street.

                  That is no way to describe the traders from Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.

                • mikesh

                  “Yes. It’s a service needed by everyone and the cheapest, most efficient way of funding that service is through taxes.”

                  Not everybody needs to borrow. You are advocating a system in which those that don’t borrow are subsidizing those that do, given that everybody pays the taxes that support the bank.

                  • Draco T Bastard

                    It seems that no matter what we do we can’t get away from subsidies, i.e, Rio Tinto, Warner Bros, SkyCity.

                    In this case I believe that everyone needs the service available whether they use it or not. As in, just in case they want to use the services it’s better for it to be available rather than priced out of their reach which I think happens far more than we really want it to in the present system of fees and interest. And considering that mortgages are available through it most people would be using it.

                    So, in this case, I think the subsidies would be justified.

                    As an addendum and outside of this post: I’d also advocate for the state bank to run the entire electronic payments system as a monopoly (It’s presently a duopoly owned by the major banks).

      • Colonial Viper 7.4.2

        Virtually all the money in circulation was “created from nothing”

        • Colonial Viper 7.4.2.1

          And Draco hasn’t even started talking about the pseudo-cash which makes up a huge amount of the economy at the moment i.e. credit

          • tracey 7.4.2.1.1

            credit cards didnt enter greece until the 80’s and almost no one had mortgages.

            • Colonial Viper 7.4.2.1.1.1

              And that wasn’t a situation the neolibs and international bankers were going to let stand…

              • tracey

                it was a mindset that had to be changed, and within 30 years smug capitalist apologists are mocking greeks for being lazy and greedy

                • Colonial Viper

                  Greek political leadership sold out their own people. Forget the barbarians at the gate, it’s the traitors from within who look like your countrymen and sound like your countrymen who are the most dangerous. (eg Douglas, Caygill, Prebble, Bassett et al)

  8. Chris Good 8

    Excellent post Draco

    Wow! Irony of irony of ironies. The old Social Credit were right in advocating this after all. Where are they when we need them??

    Actually – they are still around:
    http://www.democrats.org.nz/

    Perhaps someone should vote for them?

    • Gosman 8.1

      I think they managed to get in to power in Zimbabwe.

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1

        Oh, dangling around the old Zimbabwe trope again are we Gossie? You really need to learn that the more you dangle that well worn irrelevant distraction around, the less credibility you have.

        And that’s saying something.

      • mikesh 8.1.2

        The Zimabwean situation was completely different. There the government borrowed and then was unable to repay the loans so were force d to create money to do so. This led to inflation which fed on itself and rapidly accelerated. Repayments of the original loans should have been rescheduled but Mugabe upset Western governments with his land policies so they refused to reschedule. It should be noted however that those land policies were probably not unreasonable.

        • Colonial Viper 8.1.2.1

          The Zimbabwe govt also destroyed the productive capacity of the nation via violence, corruption, land confiscation and incompetence. These are elements which are usually needed for a real currency collapse to occur.

          • mikesh 8.1.2.1.1

            The whites, when they colonised the country, grabbed the best land, probably without paying for it. The government, not unreasonably, decided to take it back. This seems to have been unwise, but it is easy to be wise after the event.

            Actually I think the British originally promised to compensate the settlers for any land relinquished, and then reneged on the deal, apparently on the grounds that the Zimbabwean government was flogging the relinquished land off to its cronies. Well, maybe they were, but that was the Zimbabweans’ business and nothing to do with the British, who should have honoured their promise.

            • Colonial Viper 8.1.2.1.1.1

              The rights and wrongs of colonial transactions are less important than competence and productivity in this instance. Taking the farms off the Whites – OK if you are going to do that in the name of reparations or whatever, at least know how to run and manage the farm so that it keeps producing. Etc.

    • mikesh 8.2

      Actually Major Douglas’s ideas were not particularly original; and in fact some of his thinking seemed pretty muddled (eg the A+B theorem). Unfortunately this allowed vested interests to label Socred as monetary cranks advocating “funny money” and “tooth fairy economics”. They probably should have continued to promote their ideas through lobbying rather than become a political party, since that only politicised those ideas.

  9. dimebag russell 9

    vote howard the duck for president.
    the all nite party.
    do you take credit cards.
    yes yours.
    gimme.

  10. Populuxe1 10

    Ahhh, I thought I smelled the mephitic whiff of the Social Credit theory barely masked by some cheap perfume. And lo, the same criticisms hold.
    Loans are not created ex nihilo and the trust/risk taken by/effort of the lender deserve to be compensated, hence interest – yeah sure much of that is going to the bank, but some of that is going to the people whose deposits form the real money the bank is lending. Otherwise you remove the incentive.
    The only major difference between this ammusing Gedankenexperiment and the econovoodoo of Social Credit (correct me if I’m wrong, it’s a lot to digest) is that you accept that the economy is dynamic rather than static as in the original Social Credit model – ie, you accept that banks print money on the basis of predicted output growth. If you eliminate that to defuse the boom/bust cycle, which is what I think you want to do, basically that is the same shitty old Social Credit.
    And I’m not entirely clear on this but it does seem to be that you might be equating wealth and money, which from an economic perspective they are not – ie cash and deposits vs properties and stocks. To create – which is what I think this is – an economic model based around free, centrally produced wealth is to assume that goods and services can be produced without cost – which of course they can’t.
    Even if what you are suggesting did work, it would only be a very short term bandaid before resulting in hyperinflation as in Germany, Ecuador, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil and Zimbabwe. You can only do so much moving around deckchairs on the Titanic – ie printing money and insider training that is magically not insider trading because it’s the state doing it and the state is always benign blah blah blah because ultimately the central bank needs refinancing and the currency needs to be based on something.
    And yeah, I know you’re quite keen on the whole elimination of personal responsibility and the collectivisation of economic initiative, but ewww yuck.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.1

      Loans are not created ex nihilo and the trust/risk taken by/effort of the lender deserve to be compensated

      Yes they are and no they don’t.

      Otherwise you remove the incentive.

      Don’t need incentive to get people to loan out money when the government can loan out money without such incentive.

      If you eliminate that to defuse the boom/bust cycle, which is what I think you want to do, basically that is the same shitty old Social Credit.

      Are you saying that we need a boom/bust cycle?

      And I’m not entirely clear on this but it does seem to be that you might be equating wealth and money, which from an economic perspective they are not – ie cash and deposits vs properties and stocks.

      Nope, I never do that. I’m quite aware that money is not wealth, that it is not a resource. In fact, I seem to recall saying that right at the top of the article.

      Even if what you are suggesting did work, it would only be a very short term bandaid before resulting in hyperinflation as in Germany, Ecuador, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil and Zimbabwe.

      There wouldn’t be any hyper-inflation because there would be rules/regulations preventing it. Specifically, rules regarding availability of the nations resources and the destruction of money created.

      …the currency needs to be based on something.

      Under this system the currency is based upon the real economy.

      And yeah, I know you’re quite keen on the whole elimination of personal responsibility and the collectivisation of economic initiative, but ewww yuck.

      That would be National and Act.

      • Colonial Viper 10.1.1

        Weird, Pop1 seems to have totally missed the last 5 or so years of central bank money printing – trillions upon trillions of dollars of new money, created ex nihilo, and injected into the financial system at massively low interest rates to the favoured big banks.

        …the currency needs to be based on something.

        Wow…the bankers got over this little naïve idea by the turn of the 20th Century, people shouldn’t keep propagating it.

        But it is a very interesting question to ask – what is the value of the USD based on, today? You see, everyone assumes that it has value, which in itself lends the currency value as it is in demand.

        But is there any real value there and if so, what is it based on, and if it is based on something, how robust against change is that basis?

        • Populuxe1 10.1.1.1

          I haven’t missed the last five years of Quantative Easing – it was supposed to be temporary and a response to a crisis, it is not printing money and has never been intended as a status quo deal.

          Clearly something needs to be done with the economic model, but Keynesianism with some modifications (a return to the gold/silver standard for example) is perfectly sufficient without making it the state’s job to do what the banksters are doing now.

          • Colonial Viper 10.1.1.1.1

            In what sense is QE not “printing money” (other than literally – they create this money using keystrokes to electronically credit accounts, not by firing up the printing presses).

            • Populuxe1 10.1.1.1.1.1

              Even if I agreed with you, it’s still a shitty basis for an economy. Neither QE or printing money are reliable or constructive for a healthy economy.

              • Draco T Bastard

                Even if I agreed with you, it’s still a shitty basis for an economy.

                It’s not the basis for the economy, it’s the basis for the financial system. The basis for the economy is the resource sand skills available to a nation.

                The problem we have at present is that our financial system is based upon money created by banks that the banks then charge interest on. This system is both unstable due to it’s propensity to drive bubbles and unsustainable due to it’s need for ever more growth.

    • mikesh 10.2

      The German inflation was caused, not only by the printing of money, but also by speculators shorting the mark, believing that its value would fall as a result of the government printing the stuff. I think the government had to print money because of the need to pay the egregious reparations demanded by the “victors” after world war I.

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1

        Yes and those reparation demands were in gold and hard commodity products, not in the currency of the German government.

        • Populuxe1 10.2.1.1

          Because those demanding reparation, while perhaps demanding too much, weren’t stupid.

  11. Populuxe1 11

    Yes they are and no they don’t.

    Your personal ideological fantasies aside about glorious revolution, looting people’s houses under the pretext of wealth redistribution and money growing on trees, that’s bullshit.

    Don’t need incentive to get people to loan out money when the government can loan out money without such incentive.

    Actually the government ultimately does have to justify itself to the taxpayer, because basically unless you’re going to take out huge fucking loans you can’t print money forever (he said gesturing at a list of countries who have tried) without creating hyperinflation. But hey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqowmHgxVJQ

    Are you saying that we need a boom/bust cycle?

    No, but I don’t think we need hyperinflation either

    Nope, I never do that. I’m quite aware that money is not wealth, that it is not a resource. In fact, I seem to recall saying that right at the top of the article.

    Glad we cleared that up then.

    There wouldn’t be any hyper-inflation because there would be rules/regulations preventing it. Specifically, rules regarding availability of the nations resources and the destruction of money created.

    Oh rules – well that’s all right then. Because no one ever breaks rules. And of course nothing loves obeying rules as much as Mother Nature – she’s as predictable as clockwork is Mother Nature, supply shock never happens. LOL. I mean, gosh, you don’t suppose some of those other countries had rules to prevent hyperinflation too?

    Under this system the currency is based upon the real economy.

    No, it’s based on Social Credit. Which doesn’t work because you can make sommat out nowt.

    That would be National and Act.

    That would be you too and far moreso than NACT.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.1

      looting people’s houses under the pretext of wealth redistribution and money growing on trees, that’s bullshit.

      Good job I didn’t suggest any of that then isn’t it?

      because basically unless you’re going to take out huge fucking loans you can’t print money forever (he said gesturing at a list of countries who have tried) without creating hyperinflation.

      Can you please tell the private banks and the governments that.

      Which doesn’t work because you can make sommat out nowt.

      I never suggested you could. I suggested that money, created by the government and not bearing interest, be used to pay people to do stuff like mining, R&D, teaching etc and that that money would be balanced by taxes. Also, so as to encourage innovation, people would be able to borrow money, created by the government and not bearing interest, to start private enterprise. This loan would be paid back as the business became successful else it would be removed from the economy by taxes in the case of a default.

      As you can imagine, this system doesn’t lend itself to hyperinflation.

      And, yes, people break the rules. This is why we have an enforcement process.

      Supply shocks happen for two reasons:

      1. Politics
      2. Collapse of the monetary system

      Not much we can do about the former and I’m redesigned the monetary system to try and prevent the latter.

      • Populuxe1 11.1.1

        Good job I didn’t suggest any of that then isn’t it?

        “Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech”

        Can you please tell the private banks and the governments that.

        People have. Repeatedly. No idea why you think you can do it too. And what the Bank of England does is Quantative Easing, not printing more money (which amusingly enough was the accusation levelled at the Greens when they suggested QE), and that can only be done to a point because it involves the buying up of assets in the form of gilts from pension funds and insurance companies, which in turn those private sources purchase other assets of higher value like corporate bonds and shares. You can’t do that forever either, which is why the BofE doesn’t do it very often.

        I never suggested you could. I suggested that money, created by the government and not bearing interest, be used to pay people to do stuff like mining, R&D, teaching etc and that that money would be balanced by taxes. Also, so as to encourage innovation, people would be able to borrow money, created by the government and not bearing interest, to start private enterprise. This loan would be paid back as the business became successful else it would be removed from the economy by taxes in the case of a default.

        Which rather ignores the complicated and expensive infrastructure required to do things like mining, R&D and teaching in the first place that is already funded out of taxes. Or are we going to stop improving and maintaining that? You can’t just wave your hands around and say it will all come out of taxes because tax revenue is dependant on the amount of money circulating in the economy in the first place. Next we’ll be inventing pole taxes and window taxes and bedroom taxes and dog taxes just to generate revenue to prop the whole snake oil act up. It just sounds like you’re trying to create a circle when all you’re going to get is a spiral. “Oh, speculators about perpetual motion, how many vain chimeras have you created in the like quest. Go and take you place with the seekers after gold.” – Leonardo da Vinci.

        As you can imagine, this system doesn’t lend itself to hyperinflation.

        Well, true, you might get stagflation instead.

        And, yes, people break the rules. This is why we have an enforcement process.

        Corruption exists wherever there are power and high stakes, problem is that given your system is so much lest robust than the standard Keynesian and Neoliberal models that the inevitable corruption is going to be far more destructive. Allow me to introduce North Korea.

        Supply shocks happen for two reasons:
        Politics
        Collapse of the monetary system

        You forgot the basic reason – supply and demand. For instance, a major disaster of the kind that happens all too frequently takes out vital production, or you get a second Irish potato famine, or the mineral deposit you thought might be there turns out to not be there or isn’t as big as you thought it was, or suddenly China is making it far more cheaply than you are, or your fisheries collapse. Strangely enough it’s not all about bloody buggery bits of paper – sometimes it’s real world. Boom! Stagflation. Of course some of that magic money you’ve been throwing at R&D might result in a paradigm-shifting technological advance resulting in a positive supply shock, which isn’t much better.

        Not much we can do about the former and I’m redesigned the monetary system to try and prevent the latter.

        No you haven’t, you’ve waved your hands, said “Abracadabra” and come up with some preposterously cosmetic scheme to make Social Credit look vaguely plausible by shifting the goal posts and propping it up with your fairy money that ultimately turns back into leaves.

        • Draco T Bastard 11.1.1.1

          And what the Bank of England does is Quantative Easing, not printing more money

          There’s no difference.

          Which rather ignores the complicated and expensive infrastructure required to do things like mining, R&D and teaching in the first place that is already funded out of taxes.

          No it doesn’t. Again, I said that in the post.

          You can’t just wave your hands around and say it will all come out of taxes because tax revenue is dependant on the amount of money circulating in the economy in the first place.

          Yes I can because, once the money is spent into the economy, it can be taxed out again. Really fucken simple.

          Corruption exists wherever there are power and high stakes, problem is that given your system is so much lest robust than the standard Keynesian and Neoliberal models that the inevitable corruption is going to be far more destructive.

          No, it isn’t. In fact, I figure it would be more robust simply because the private banks would no longer be allowed to create money as they do now. Basically, the money supply would be more constrained.

          and propping it up with your fairy money that ultimately turns back into leaves.

          It’s far less fairy money than what we have now as it would thoroughly be based upon the productive economy rather than overly inflated house prices that are driven upwards by the banks printing money. And it would actually prevent the exponential accumulation that interest causes that Piketty has described.

          • Populuxe1 11.1.1.1.1

            There’s no difference

            Actually there is. Quantative Easing is intended to bypass the banks entirely for a short period while printing money is just putting more into them. It’s still just a hack.

            No it doesn’t. Again, I said that in the post.

            And if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Aside from the monumental hubris of speaking about enterprises in which you are not expert, and I am having horrible flashbacks to those empty factories in Eastern Europe that now require millions invested if they are to become productive.

            Yes I can because, once the money is spent into the economy, it can be taxed out again. Really fucken simple.

            Too fucken simple actually. Economies are not closed systems. Again, behold North Korea, or for that matter, Muldoon’s New Zealand.

            No, it isn’t. In fact, I figure it would be more robust simply because the private banks would no longer be allowed to create money as they do now. Basically, the money supply would be more constrained.

            So why is the Central Bank creating money any better or constrained than private banks supposedly doing it? Regulation? LOL The assumption that the state is any more a combination of Mary Poppins and Father Christmas than the private sector bastards are, is purely ideological.

            It’s far less fairy money than what we have now as it would thoroughly be based upon the productive economy rather than overly inflated house prices that are driven upwards by the banks printing money. And it would actually prevent the exponential accumulation that interest causes that Piketty has described.

            You might as well call it what it is, Social Credit, and what you have outlined is the economic equivalent of Lysenkian biology. By all means shift the emphasis off housing speculation – bubbles of any kind are to be avoided – but an update of Keynesianism is more than adequate to the task without trying to revive something as debunked as Social Credit. And it is Social Credit – it’s shameless you don’t just call it that, and all the rules and faith in the world is not going to change that.
            http://www.econ.canterbury.ac.nz/personal_pages/eric_crampton/danks.pdf

            And that’s entirely without getting into the kind of authoritarian regime you’d need to impose to get it off the ground in the first place.

            • Colonial Viper 11.1.1.1.1.1

              Actually there is. Quantative Easing is intended to bypass the banks entirely for a short period while printing money is just putting more into them. It’s still just a hack.

              Incorrect. Funds from QE go to the Fed’s Primary Dealers which include JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Nomura and HSBC. There is no “bypassing the banks.”

              Too fucken simple actually. Economies are not closed systems. Again, behold North Korea, or for that matter, Muldoon’s New Zealand.

              You’re quite, but not completely, wrong here.

              Economies are not closed systems true, just like the human body is not a closed system. But in order to maintain integrity, identity and function there do need to be clearly delineated borders, boundaries and careful limitations of flows.

              Because no one likes soiling their pants, puking all over the road and bleeding from the eyeballs as per a fully open and uncontained “system”.

              • Populuxe1

                Yes, ok, stochastically, indirectly it does go to the banks – and it doesn’t often work, so I really don’t see why you’d want to create an economy based on it.
                http://www.bbc.com/news/business-24614016

                Better soiling their pants and puking all over the road as per a fully open and uncontained “system” than dying of toxic shock – however I don’t advocate for a free and open market which is why I keep saying “Keynesian economics with a few tweaks is perfectly adequate” but for some reason your confirmation bias seems to tune that out.

            • mikesh 11.1.1.1.1.2

              John A Lee borrowed 50 million from the reserve bank to finance his state housing projects. It is interesting that he later referred to this as “social credit”, while what we think of as Social Credit he called “Douglas Credit.” The latter he refused to have a bar of.* I don’t think he undertood that his “borrowing” was in effect creating money, and was precisely the sort of thing Major Douglas was advocating. It was also a form of Keynesianism. It should be noted also that it worked.

              *See Simple on a Soapbox by John A Lee.

            • Draco T Bastard 11.1.1.1.1.3

              So why is the Central Bank creating money any better or constrained than private banks supposedly doing it? Regulation?

              Because it’s not incentivised by interest the way private banks are and, yes, regulation.

              You might as well call it what it is, Social Credit

              It doesn’t matter if it resembles another system. Hell, it actually resembles the present system – the only thing that’s been taken out is interest.

              And that’s entirely without getting into the kind of authoritarian regime you’d need to impose to get it off the ground in the first place.

              You have to completely ignore the authoritarianism in present system to be able to make that statement which proves your lack of intellectual integrity.

        • thatguynz 11.1.1.2

          Pop, given you call Draco’s idea “fairy money” what is your definition of “money” today? What is its intrinsic value?

          • Populuxe1 11.1.1.2.1

            It’s worthless, but it would be just as worthless in Draco’s system and even less functional.

  12. mikesh 12

    In a stable economy the printing of money doesn’t increase the money supply because the same amount is being taken out through taxation as is being injected by printing and spending. In theory if you know the velocity of money you know what rate of taxation will be needed. If the velocity is 3, for example, a million dollars injected will give rise to four million dollars of income; therefore a 25% tax rate will remove the original million. And a goverment of course doesn’t just spend a million and leave it at that. Government spending is continuous so there will always be money in circulation in such a system.

    One of the problems with a system based entirely on gold is that there is tendency for people to hoard gold thus reducing the velocity and sending the economy into depression. In the system above hoarding can be countered by government overspending.

    • Populuxe1 12.1

      When you can show me a “stable economy”, I will show you a unicorn

      • mikesh 12.1.1

        My example was oversimplified for explanatory purposes. That should have been obvious to anyone but the demented.

      • Draco T Bastard 12.1.2

        England prior to the industrial revolution with growth of around 0.01% and no inflation.

        Now show me a unicorn.

  13. Draco T Bastard 13

    And the US Supreme Court has just made it vitally important and inevitable that all countries will start to create their own money without interest and stop borrowing.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Relentlessly negative
    Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    45 mins ago
  • Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    Bryce Edwards writes –  It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 hour ago
  • Promiscuous Empathy: Chris Trotter Replies To His Critics.
    Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played. “Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
    1 hour ago
  • Don’t run your business like a criminal enterprise
    The Detail this morning highlights the police's asset forfeiture case against convicted business criminal Ron Salter, who stands to have his business confiscated for systemic violations of health and safety law. Business are crying foul - but not for the reason you'd think. Instead of opposing the post-conviction punishment and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 hours ago
  • Misremembering Justinian’s Taxes.
    Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I - Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Scoring 4.6 out of 10, the new Government is struggling in the polls
    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    10 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T04:34:16+00:00