It's much less common now. And even if people are doing so, no tax system is 100% efficient or airtight and the costs of pursuing and investigating the few cases that do crop up probably massively outweigh the lost revenue.
I worked as a RUC assessor at Waka Kotahi about 10 years ago. The system is actually fairly efficient, easy to collect from, and reasonably difficult to evade. And this was at a time where the agency was almost entirely captured by the trucking, roading, ...
Ironically, if my memory serves me right, the RUC exception for EVs was introduced by National last time they were in government. And was one of the very few good ideas Simon Bridges had as transport minister. When you're hastily trying to undo an ...
As someone that was a delegate at candidate conferences over 3 or 4 election cycles, I definitely think the Greens need to seriously look at their candidate process. We've thrown away a lot of talent in the name of building a caucus that reflects only a ...
maybe. Of the five controversial resignations since 2017, I think Kerekere is the only one that was unfit to be an MP. I think Steffan Browing also counts. Although he jumped before he was able to be pushed. I definitely agree for the need to change our ...
@Robert Guyton I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect an MP to not commit petty crimes. Or, if they're accused of committing said petty crimes, for them to either front up with a clear explanation or else resign before the allegations cause too much ...
That was a wild time! It's interesting how quickly the political landscape has crystalized into a (kind-of) equilibrium with between 5-7 parties depending on whether NZ First makes it in or not. We haven't had a new party make it into Parliament since the ...
2 MPs out of a caucus of at most, 15 after the last election. From a party that prides itself on being above the fray. Given the size of caucus and uphill battle the party faces to get a clear, consistent message across in the face of cashed up, hard right...
That's what makes being a Green Party supporter so damned difficult. I've never been so simultaneously hopeful, yet so anxious about the direction the party is going in.
National's philosophy of individual choice and personal responsibility at its best: Yes, we'll absolutely use the coercive power of the state to ban your kids from using their cell phones at school. But hey, at least they'll be able to choose to smoke, and...
I think you may have misinterpreted my comment. I think James has been an incredibly effective leader and is a key reason the party has been able to survive a couple of incredibly tough electoral cycles. I also believe the latest cohort of MPs is the ...
I imagine it less as a discussion about left wing praxis, and more James gently banging his head against a desk and regretting every life decision he made to get him to this point. The poor guy just can't catch a break. All the while, the party is ...
I think at least part of Hooton's thesis is correct: rules-based international orders have historically only existed where they've been able to be backed up with sufficient force. Where he's wrong is that it doesn't necessarily require a single hegemonic ...
It's nearly a year to go until the election, and any polling is entirely based on a theoretical Trump vs a theoretical Biden as neither is their party's nominee yet. It'd be wise to take those numbers with a large dose of salt. Yes, Biden has some problems...
Stonewalling a resolution of the impasse seems poor political strategy. Whether innocent or guilty, she ought to demonstrate competence in achieving a rapid exit from her situation. Parental advice would help. Nothing about her comedian partner in all ...
So collective security is great, unless you actually organise it. Then it's warmongering. Because reasons? Riiiiiighhht. So, what should Europe do to contain Russian revanchism and expansionism and the multitude of other security threats facing Europe? Ask...
Fun watching hegemon threatening would-be hegemon while the UN is irrelevant? You mean, what's happening now? The problem is that both the current Russian and Chinese regimes are pretty much immune to domestic public opinion, and the USA ran out of f$%*...
I was seeking to distinguish international (as in world) order from regional hegemon – there has never been been a world empire as such, only regional empires with their surrounding area of hegemony. Depends on your definition of "world" and "empire" :D ...
The thing is most Americans don't want their government funding Ukraines or Israels military. You could decently argue that far from being subsidised by US taxpayers, the Israelis are doing a fair bit to prop up the American military-industrial complex.
A Trump win would be a good thing for regional sovereignty. For example it would focus South East Asian military cooperation (including NZ and Au) to get very strong to protect sea lanes very quickly. With what money? With who's army, navy and air assets?...
the solution has long been obvious: the UN must adopt a method for SC over-rule. An agreed number of non-SC countries must be given the right to provide a positive alternative to SC failure to do what the UN was established to do! So, convince turkeys to ...
Rome never had an international order. Then what else would you call nearly 500 years of being the arbiter of disputes and de facto (Latin irony intended) policeman of the Mediterranean world? A successful international organisation would not be ...
Rules based international orders have traditionally been maintained by hegemonic powers (think the mediterranean during the time of the Roman Empire, or the 19th century during the height of Britain's imperial pretensions), but you're correct that this ...
US Imperialism is very much real, just not the sole cause of everything wrong with the world. It's fair to say great power diplomacy has done a great deal of the heavy lifting when it comes to messing up the middle east, but we have to bear in mind that ...
I don't think it can, tsmithfield. It's a bit like the controversy surrounding Kiri Allen. It's less about the details of this crime vs that crime or whatever: it's about the perception of misjudgement and the harming of the party's political position. And...
If there was a legitimate constituency for an explicitly Christian conservative party in New Zealand, surely one would have succeeded by now. Just ask: Christian Heritage (1.35% and 0.12%) Destiny New Zealand (0.62%) The Kiwi Party (0.54%) Family Party (0....
It's one of those fun little quirks that help grease the wheels of international diplomacy. It's like the status of Israel's nuclear program. They have nukes. We know they have nukes. They know we know they have nukes. But we all pretend they don't because...
The government of the Republic of China, and about 24 million Taiwanese might beg to differ. Or is international recognition and UN membership the sole determination of whether a country and people are worth defending or not? Because if that's the case ...
Agreed. We're better of investing in drones + new frigates + long-range surveillance and strike capability and reconfiguring the army around fighting a high-intensity, amphibious war in the Pacific with at least some organic AT and ABM capability.
Well, we're going to have to pick a side at some point. And if we are, we might as well pick the one that broadly aligns with our values and ideals.
That's an interesting proposition: but also one that comes with its own risks. For one it drastically increases the chances of some kind of conflict brewing up (i.e. a Thucydides Trap) given China's longstanding beef with Japan. And we also have to bear in...
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