The benefits of a Labour led Government

Written By: - Date published: 12:18 pm, April 1st, 2019 - 67 comments
Categories: class war, cost of living, employment, grant robertson, jobs, Living Wage, minimum wage, national, same old national, Simon Bridges, Unions, wages, workers' rights - Tags:

Today increases to the minimum wage and superannuation come into being.  Yesterday Radio New Zealand said this:

Increases in the minimum wage and superannuation kick in tomorrow, along with several measures aimed to help businesses.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the April 1 changes are intended to grow the economy and improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

Among the measures is the largest ever rise in the minimum wage, which increases by $1.20 to $17.70 an hour.

Superannuation and veterans’ pensions will increase by 2.6 percent.

A research and development incentive will provide a 15 percent tax credit to businesses that spend more than $50,000 on research and development from tomorrow.

ACC levies will also fall tomorrow.

You would think that everyone would celebrate the Government acting to improve the plight of those less fortunate in our society.  But not everyone.

From Television New Zealand:

National Party leader Simon Bridges has again spoken out against the minimum wage increase which comes into effect today, calling it “too far, too fast”.

The pay boost, from $16.50 to $17.70, will see around 200,000 Kiwis benefit.

Mr Bridges told TVNZ1’s Breakfast this morning that the Government “should increase the minimum wage every single year”, but added the $1.20 rise will add undue stress to many of the small businesses which are “doing it tough”.

“It’s an accumulative effect, right? This is why the economy is weakening.

It’s not just capital gains tax, it’s not just minimum wage, it’s doing away with the 90-day trial, it’s unionizing the workforce – it’s all of these things which means they don’t have a certainty and confidence,” he said. 

Mr Bridges added that society made the decision for taxpayers to subsidise low-paid workers through welfare.

“The truth is, as a society, we made that decision, you know?

If you’re not a 17-year-old on the minimum wage, but if you’re a mum or a dad and you’ve got one, two, three children and you’ve got different circumstances, you will be getting supplements for your home rentals, you will be getting Working for Families.

So as a society, [we’ve] decided that that’s the right thing to do.

“We already – through Working for Families, through rental supplements and the like – are supporting them,” he concluded. “But to have that small business doing it? Look, they just can’t.”

It is interesting that Bridges has essentially conceded that the current system is not working, that businesses survive only because the Government subsidises wages.  The last time I looked businesses such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Burger King were doing pretty well mainly because their wages bill was so low.

And so many wealthy institutions whose cleaning bills are low thanks to low levels of pay are also enjoying something at someone else’s cost.

Well done to the Government for doing this.  Can someone on the right explain how they would improve things?

67 comments on “The benefits of a Labour led Government ”

  1. The Chairman 1

    Nothing for the sick and unemployed?

    • A 1.1

      Benefits aren’t levelly applied. Meaning there can be differences in surpluses of several hundred (assumes 2 x boarders, mortgage fully paid and core benefit payment received without penalty for income) vs deficits of 100+ (TAS, private rental, high health costs and unable to work or have a boarder).

      Nobody in the decade since TAS was introduced cared enough to change things for sick and disabled and I wouldn’t expect more now. Don’t need a drug, alcohol, or gambling problem to not be able to meet your expenses, all you need do is end up on the losing end of our welfare system.

    • Pat 1.2

      am not sure…is that the case?

      • The Chairman 1.2.1

        Seems not. Hat tip, te reo putake

        • Pat 1.2.1.1

          have seen his link…it would appear benefits have increased by less than 2%…am guessing thats in line with inflation and there is no independent increase nor increase in relation to minimum wage

          • The Chairman 1.2.1.1.1

            Indeed, Pat. Which would explain why there has been little said of it. It’s pittance, thus they should still be ashamed.

            Benefits should be fixed to wages as pensions are.

            • Pat 1.2.1.1.1.1

              I think that it is a reflection of the historical position with regard to the ‘deserving poor’….or the incentive to work…even if its not a realistic option

              • The Chairman

                The incentive to work doesn’t really apply to the sick and disable that are unable too. Thus, as they are no longer productive, I guess they must fall into the category of Labour’s “deserving poor”

                The sick and disable tend to be solely or largely dependent on benefits. And usually for a far longer term. For some, it can be life long. Thus, without decent increases in benefits they are distend to long periods (and in some cases a life time) of poverty.

                Yet, a number of people and the Government seem to be fine with that. Go figure?

                • Pat

                  if unable to work then no amount of ‘incentive’ will change that…there may be a place for incentive for those capable of work but to consign those unable to effective poverty would appear to me to be contrary to their stated ideals….that is difficult to reconcile

  2. Took them bloody long enough…

    And yeah – what about the sick and unemployed?

    Huh ?

    • The Chairman 2.1

      Indeed, WK

      Labour should be ashamed.

      Where are the pay increases for workers who become sick or unemployed, Jacinda?

      • All benefit rates went up this morning, lads, including those for the sick and the unemployed. Gutting for your argument that Labour are bastards, I know, but welcome news for many.

        Old and new rates here: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2019/0027/latest/whole.html

        I’d agree the rates are too low overall, but at least this Government is trying to address the wider issues; a theme that will be picked up in the next budget, I imagine.

        • Kay 2.1.1.1

          And correspondingly, all those of us receiving TAS will see that reduced (due to the fact our income has technically increased) thus cancelling out any pittance of an increase. Often we find the TAS cut leaves us with even less money than before the increase. Which is why these annual ‘cost of living’ increases are better known as April fools jokes.

          • te reo putake 2.1.1.1.1

            Hi, Kay. Can you tell me a bit more about TAS eligibility? I’m supporting someone at WINZ in a couple of days. Transitting off ACC on to sickness benefit, though an appeal is in on the decline of ACC cover. TAS sounds like it might help.

        • Stuart Munro. 2.1.1.2

          Well, I’d like to see more, but good on them.

        • Pat 2.1.1.3

          The increases are negligible…if minimum wage has increased by over 7% why havnt benefits?

          • Chris 2.1.1.3.1

            Because the legislation pins annual increases to the CPI. TRP thinks the increases reflect Labour looking after beneficiaries. I suppose that’s true in a sense, for example, if you think Labour should get a pat on the back for not repealing the section of the Act that says the increases have to happen. Perhaps the poor owe Labour a big thank you for not doing that.

        • Chris 2.1.1.4

          “I’d agree the rates are too low overall, but at least this Government is trying to address the wider issues; a theme that will be picked up in the next budget, I imagine.”

          The Social Security Act requires benefit rates to be increased every year, so it’s not a matter of this government trying to address the wider issues at all – the previous National government had to do it, too, so don’t try to claim that Labour’s going out of its way to do anything extra for beneficiaries because they’re not.

          And as far as Labour looking at addressing benefit issues at the next budget, well, that’s what Labour’s been saying since the benefit cuts in 1991, and it’s done absolutely nothing. People have given up waiting for Labour to do anything meaningful for beneficiaries. All it’s done is made things worse. Nobody believes that shit anymore about Labour wanting to sort the benefit system out. “Wait til after the election…”, “it’s going to be in the next budget…”, “we’re working on the policy now but we have to get it right…” It’s become a total joke.

      • Chris 2.1.2

        Increasing benefit levels is not on Labour’s radar. Labour are opposed to doing that. At the end of last year Labour passed a whole brand new Social Security Act. It was originally a National government Bill but Labour adopted it as its own and passed it almost in its entirety. It was a very nasty manouvre on National’s part which suited Labour down to the ground because it was consistent with its anti-social security track record going back to 1999. While it’s been Labour’s policy to talk about fixing our social security system for decades now, it certainly isn’t part of its policy to do it.

  3. The Chairman 3

    “National Party leader Simon Bridges has again spoken out against the minimum wage increase which comes into effect today, calling it “too far, too fast”.

    It’s actually the opposite. Too little too late. How quick Bridges forgets the growing numbers queuing for food parcels.

    And as for the small struggling businesses Bridges refers, they will potentially do better when many more workers have extra cash to spend.

  4. Ad 4

    Well done you beat me to it.

    More in Budget in 6 weeks.

  5. WeTheBleeple 5

    I suspect some business owners have no grasp of trickle-round theory.

    With trickle round, the money goes to the bottom namely workers, and this gets spent on basic goods and services which businesses provide. The business gets paid, the workers get paid. Simple. Money circulates through and strengthens the local economy (till it hits a corporate siphon).

    With trickle down, the money goes to champagne and boats for management for a jolly good job jolly well done. The workers sit with tin cups waiting for management to piss out the window. Trickling down are jobs for wiping up piss, wiping down yachts, and wiping chins.

    • indiana 5.1

      How well does this theory work if businesses increase the cost of their product inline with the increase in wages paid to their employees? And of course we all know that the price of commodities do not increase equally with the increase in wages.

      • WeTheBleeple 5.1.1

        It is up to each business how they respond. In the big picture 200K people, many of who work just as hard (and often harder) than managers, will be better off. And we’re not talking take a trip abroad better off, we’re talking feeding the kids, heating the house, getting to work.

        I understand some industries rely heavily on the cheapest labor they can get. The claim is that competition and overheads force their hand to operate like this. I encourage such industries to make a clear financial case for themselves instead of noise and veiled threats of the sky falling in local newspapers.

        It might be that some industries do require propping up, let the accountants account for them. If their value to society is such they are worth propping up, state their case.

        On the local money go round

        200 000 people times $1.20 an hour times 40 hours

        9 600 000 per week added to the local economy.

        Accommodation supplement costs 30M per week to landlords.

        Some people have had it both ways for far too long. Those who endure genuine hardship should be looked after. Business and workers.

      • KJT 5.1.2

        Capitalism says, that businesses which cannot cover their true costs, should be allowed to fail, and make way for businesses that use their resources more efficiently.

        One of the notable things about “Capitalists” is the belief in capitalism goes down the drain, and the hand goes out, for “socialist” subsidies’, when it is they who are failing.

        Supply and demand dictates the price of most goods, rather than the marginal cost of supply. Some, must haves, can get away with cost plus pricing, like electricity. Most commodities have a market limit on the price level.

    • Lucy 5.3

      Whilst I dislike trickle down your theory of trickle round doesn’t work either. In all the stories from Victorian times the main thing was that if you were poor you bought food each day as 1) there was no way to preserve food and 2) you had to pay cash. But this is the most expensive way to buy things so the poor in many instances paid more than the wealthy for their food bill due to the markups put on purchasing small quantities (sounds like the current debate about shopping trucks). Trickle round also means that the poor still spend all their income, as their cars are older and need more servicing, their homes are rentals and the rents go up each year, they eat more poorly so they need to go to the dentist more, they are more vulnerable to sickness as the food choices are more limited. Any system that relies on a trickle approach will fail because to work demand must be higher than supply

      • WeTheBleeple 5.3.1

        If you took my original post seriously that’s your issue there were more than enough sign posts to suggest it was satirical.

        Thanks for the lecture about how the poor spend all to pay their bills. I feel considerably enlightened. That btw was also sarcasm.

  6. mosa 6

    Simon Bridges is irrelevant like his opinions on anything.
    They had nine years and accomplished zilch.
    Unionizing the workforce ? Yeah right.

    • my view 6.1

      Simon might be irrelevant but they aren’t. They might not be socially minded but they left the country financially sound. That’s the foundation that is letting this Government try out its expensive policies. The last nine years is a cheap shot when we all know that a lot natural and global problems had to be delt with in that time.

      • WeTheBleeple 6.1.1

        Delusional. Evidence of the financially sound books left by National? Just blathering, if you say it is so doesn’t make it true – at all!

        The books with broken hospitals, broken people, welfare system, housing, health, education…

        ‘They might not be socially minded’

        They are not society minded. Go count your shares or something else you are capable of comprehending.

  7. JO 7

    Is it a bit late for someone on the right to think of something to do about a situation they have planned, promulgated, put into place, pressured people to accept, punished others for resisting, put at the top of their to-do list at every election since the early 1990s and before (Bold Sir John merely put knobs on top), and pugnaciously promoted with promises of progress and prosperity?

    Still, there’s always hope that goodwill and good minds on all ‘sides’ will come up with some useful ideas. Like, maybe, expecting businesses to think of their staff not as costs to control but assets worth investing in?

  8. A 8

    This will sound harsh but what we need are corresponding cuts in Accommodation Supplement as part of the first phase in weening our landlords off welfare dependency.

    The AS has ruined this country by pushing up rents at the bottom and causing a flow on effect. It was only ever meant to give low income earners a choice between State and private rentals, not supply 60% of all rental properties with gov’t money.

    • Rosemary McDonald 8.1

      I’d be getting rid of the AS totally. Put in place a wage, rent and price freeze literally overnight with no prior warning, and simultaneously announce the immediate cancellation of the AS.

      Government should have funds to hand to purchase acceptable properties at the resulting mortgagee sales.

      Kill a whole lot of birds….

      • Chris 8.1.1

        The maximum AS can be over three quarters of a person’s basic benefit rate. Axing that amount of someone’s income would be pretty horrific.

    • What 60% of Landlords getting Rent Subsidies from Central Government you are fucking joking, what a crooked set up that is, and most of the money flowing over to China ?

  9. “We already – through Working for Families, through rental supplements and the like – are supporting them,” he concluded. “But to have that small business doing it? Look, they just can’t.”

    Interesting – Simon Bridges just declared capitalism to be unworkable in NZ. Although, based on his previous word salads, you have to assume he doesn’t actually know that’s what he said.

  10. Tiger Mountain 10

    Good, well needed, incremental reforms, which only Nashnull worshippers could fault, so I will fault something else–the “Neo Liberal Consensus” that National and Labour predominantly, and NZ First and Greens secondarily, have subscribed to for almost 30 years now–Reserve Bank Act, SOEs, State Sector Act, essentially free in and outflow of capital and repatriated profits…

    if the Coalition Govt. is able to win a second term, in what ever form it may reemerge following the 2020 election, then there are other substantial reforms needed, many of which could be done right now with less blow back than CGT seems to have attracted

    …such as; genuinely renounce Rogernomics/Ruthanasia, cleanse the top ranks of the SSC, and public sector top echelons, of hundreds of “enemies within”–monetarist hard men masquerading as civil servants, reform punitive WINZ/MSD or preferably retire it totally and replace with GMI/UBI, return Electricity generation and supply to full public ownership, with some compensation over time, return the Marsden Refinery to full public ownership, particularly now that it is looking greener energy generation also, etc. etc.–“for the many not the few” has to be the tack for a second term Jacinda lead Govt.

  11. cleangreen 11

    Labour needs to get transport sorted out here as trucks are not the way as we showed here.

    I wrote to the minister of transport asking to meet him in his office in wellington last month and while parliament was off.

    We just got another note back saying ‘he was to busy’???????

    He is to busy while not at parliament? What the hell was he busy doing??

    GGGRRRRR.

    He needs to get big items done before 2020 to look credible.

    TO; Phil Twyford
    Minister of Transport.
    31st March 2019.

    Subject; Article below entitled; “The Hidden Trucking Industry Subsidy”

    This US based article shows we ‘public’ give an exorbitant unfair amount of subsidy to the trucking industry.

    Minister please drive around regional NZ and just see the impacts of 50+ tonne trucks destruction of our “soft roads” that do not even have an adequate under base to carry the 50+ tonne laden weight trucks, as they need a ‘reinforced concrete base’ as US/Canadian and EU roads have installed under their truck routes.

    Quote;
    Freight trucks cause 99% of wear-and-tear on US roads, but only pay for 35% of the maintenance. This $60B subsidy causes extra congestion and pollution, and taxpayers pay the bill.

    SO; ‘WE GIVE ‘PUBLIC’ SUBSIDY TO TRUCKS WHY NOT RAIL’?

    We request ‘public’ money for roading also be given to restoring our public owned regional rail.

    Dear Minister of Transport;

    Since this document came out we know that the public is massively funding road repairs for private trucking companies so now we need to level the playing field for rail as it is a public owned entity owned by us taxpayers so we now desperately need at least an equal 50% contribution of the ‘public road funding’ be given to rail to restore the regional rail services around NZ.

    Your response to this letter is very welcome.

    • I drove from Rotorua to Palmerston North this morning and have never seen so many big rigs on the road, including the narrow, winding Vinegar Hill road between Feilding and SH1. South of Taupo the traffic actually stopped because big rig one couldn’t get his fat arse onto a bridge while fatarse big rig two was crossing it. Stop subsidising these fucks – what you subsidise, you get more of.

      • cleangreen 11.1.1

        Yes Psycho Milt.

        We on the East Coast roads from Napier to Tauranga called ‘Highway two’ is stuffed and falling apart as trucks are literally pulling the road apart from side to side now, and potholes are every 5o yards apart from each other now.

        My vehicle’s steering has been damaged so many times, now I pay to fix the steering every three months on average, or replace a broken engine mount.

        This is worse than just being a ‘bad joke’ it’s now sop dangerous to drive on these roads now.

        Get rail going as it was before.

        http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1904/S00008/kiwirail-to-boost-log-capacity-out-of-wairarapa.htm

        KiwiRail to boost log capacity out of Wairarapa
        BusinessDesk Monday, 1 April 2019, 10:33 am
        Article: BusinessDesk

        By Gavin Evans

        April 1 (BusinessDesk) – KiwiRail plans to increase its log capacity out of Wairarapa by about a third to cater for the increased harvest and reduce the number of trucks travelling into CentrePort in Wellington.

        The company runs two trains on week days – typically of 15 wagons each – and twice as many at the weekend when there are fewer commuter services.

        Alan Piper, the group’s sales and commercial general manager, says the firm has no plans for additional services. But he says the weekday trains currently have surplus capacity and just require extra wagons to increase their loads.

        “We are planning to add 15 wagons to one of the daily trains in May, once more wagons become available,” he told BusinessDesk.

        “That will increase the capacity by around 100,000 tonnes a year from the current 270,000 tonnes” and reduce truck movements over the Remutaka Range by about 6,000, he said.

        Log exports are booming, with many ports working to increase capacity to handle trees planted in the 1990s. Logs and timber are the country’s third-largest export and brought in $5.3 billion in the 12 months through February, 12 percent more than a year earlier.

        KiwiRail is also investing heavily to capture more of that harvest for its own business. It is converting about 100 container wagons annually to carry logs and is expecting to receive an additional 200 new log wagons by the end of the year.

        New Zealand has about 1.7 million hectares of plantation forest, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries. The southern North Island – including Taranaki but excluding Central Hawke’s Bay – accounts for about 161,400 ha of that.

        CentrePort handled 891,500 tonnes of logs in the six months through December, 36 percent more than a year earlier. Port Taranaki handled about 425,000 tonnes in the same period, a 24 percent increase. Napier Port handled a record 2.2 million tonnes in the 12 months through September, 35 percent more than the year before.

        Wairarapa and Tararua is home to almost 70,000 ha of forest. KiwiRail delivers logs from the Waingawa hub south of Masterton. It was established in 2016 by CentrePort and local foresters.

        A new venture active this month wants to find ways to use that facility more efficiently.

        Forest Enterprises Growth, New Forests and Feilding-based FOMS have formed Log Distribution to better coordinate their shipments.

        The trio, some of whom also have operations around Gisborne and Rangitikei, are collaborating around their common interests in Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa.

        Forest Enterprises chief executive Bert Hughes says recent changes mean all three firms are using Tauranga-based TPT to manage their export marketing and scheduling of their shipments.

        While they are still competing for sales, their logs are going on the same ships so they can work collaboratively to gather consignments and get vessels loaded quicker.

        Trees the partners source or harvest in Hawke’s Bay will continue to be shipped through Napier Port. Log Distribution’s early focus will be on ways to improve coordination of harvests, trucking and use of Waingawa.

        “We expect to put 600,000 tonnes through Wellington” a year, he told BusinessDesk.

        “Once we get that right, we can grow it out from there.”

        Hughes is expecting a steady increase in the Wairarapa harvest during the next five years and CentrePort is expanding storage at Waingawa.

        Burt he said reducing ‘choke-points’ in the logistics chain will be key to making better use of the region’s rail and port infrastructure and reducing truck movements on the Remutaka Range, he says.

        Being “a bit more careful” about the grade of logs being cut may improve the use of space at Waingawa and increase stock turn, he said.

        “Your need for extra storage is not as great, in effect, if you can move it down the chain faster.”

        Last week, Hughes said about 8,000 tonnes of logs were being railed to CentrePort weekly – the equivalent of 40 log trucks a day.

        Starting overnight services would be ideal, but while the supply of locomotives, log wagons and drivers remains tight, firms have to find other ways to maximise the use of the assets available.

        “We’ve just got to be more organised.”

        (BusinessDesk)

        ends

        • Sacha 11.1.1.1

          Please do not paste the whole article here – just the link and maybe a relevant sentence or paragraph will do.

    • Skunk Weed 11.2

      NZ Roads are getting chewed to bits by heavy trucks ?

  12. “It’s an accumulative effect, right? This is why the economy is weakening.

    It’s “cumulative effect,” Simon. You’re welcome. That second sentence is an outright lie.

    Maybe if NZ businesses didn’t treat the minimum wage as a default, the government wouldn’t have to keep increasing the minimum wage all the time. Causes have effects, you know?

  13. AB 13

    As Chomsky said – small changes in big powerful systems can make a worthwhile difference for individuals. So yeah that’s why Labour governments are always preferable.
    It’s like the back still hurts when you get up, but it’s maybe a bit better than yesterday and there’s some Voltaren in the cupboard so you can make it through the day. Not to be sneezed at.

  14. roy cartland 14

    “Can someone on the right explain how they would improve things?”
    • Lower taxes so “hard-working” people can keep more of “their” money
    • Sell “uncompetitive” assets and services and invest in “profitable” ones
    • Take government out of the role of, er, governing and leave it to privateers
    • Increase benefits for those who can pay or are paid well already
    • Whatever big-dairy farmers say they wants, they gets
    • Renege on environmental commitments because those that “want to” can always buy their way out of catastrophe
    • More open-door immigration, roads and guns…

    …sorry, what was the question again?

  15. cleangreen 15

    Today at 11 and 12 both psycho Milt and I were talking about how dangerous our NZ roads are.

    Then I signed off to turn on today’s news to find 9 people died today on our roads as the worst number since 2005 so I am now in total shock as we me and psycho Milt were talking together people were dying on our roads.

    So now we need the speed on our single lane roads lowered now before others get to be another statistic.

    Hastings District Council has lowered all local roads outside the city to 80kms last year and now the death rate is lowered to half of what it was when it was 100 kms.

    We hope now NZTA swiftly move to do the same all over the country as single lane roads should not be 100kms and only motorways outside the city boundaries should be 100kms.

    To think that it was just a year and a half ago the truck road transport industry was seeking that the speed be raised to 110 kms. What planet do they come from?

    Lower the road speed NZTA.

  16. David Mac 16

    A shot in the arm for the min wage makes small differences for those on a min wage. They’re presented with that harrowing choice between a kg of cheese or 4 litres of petrol.

    The benefits push on up. The guy running the fruit and vege dept at Countdown on $20 per hour now has a strengthened case to knock on his boss’s door and ask for $25.

  17. David Mac 17

    The business that faces bankruptcy because their wages overhead has increased by a few percentage points has 9 toes already in the grave.

    A smart business is looking for ways they can increase wages, not slash them. Pay well, attract the best.

  18. Pat 18

    Is a positive move….though it would be better if combined with an increase in progressive taxation….that however has been ruled out sadly, so ultimately it will be of little impact.

  19. David Mac 19

    I think an intrinsic contributor to our nation’s tourism success are long haul Air NZ cabin staff. I’m sure they have their critics but I think they’re ambassadors extraordinaire.

    Technically, they’re restaurant floor staff with first aid certificates and flexible diaries. They fall into the $18-$22 per hour pay grade sector.

    Largely because of a ‘bang the table’ union and partly because the Air NZ corporate swirl can see benefit in attracting and retaining the best it’s still a viable career choice.

    Much weight is placed in loyalty, each anniversary salaries take a $5k? pa hike. That’s why we see master hosts and hostesses, fabulous NZ ambassadors still pushing drinks carts up aisles 20 years after their first flight. They’re waiting staff with St John certs on $155k a year.

    It’s an outcome that shouldn’t be exclusive to a few like Airnz.

  20. my view 20

    As a national supporter I have to confess I believe this wage adjustment is long overdue and nationals caution is all about protecting business, and nothing about people’s well-being.

  21. Tuppence Shrewsburyi 21

    This is the first substantial benefit thus government has given the electorate. I suppose it’s important to make a big deal of it. Kind of pales in comparison to what could have been achieved in 18 months of government though

  22. David Mac 22

    Henry Ford doubled the average labourer’s wage, workers on his Model T line were paid $5 a day.

    It was a double edged sword, with the extra money came the pace of an assembly line and the monotony of getting really efficient at a mindless repetitive mundane task.

    It was a compromise, ‘my sweat for your coin’. Ford said ‘I want the people who work for me to have a Model T of their own.’

    It’s an ideal that we’re tending to cast aside. The thought that the best way for me to be successful is to assist you to be successful.

    • peterlepaysan 22.1

      Exactly. Ford was no bleeding heart liberal but saw the value in in having his employees having enough money to buy his product.

      If the current darlings of the media chatterers and politicians (kiwi small business) cannot afford to pay the minimum wage, or (good grief) the living wage they should get out of business and get a real job that pays (gasp) a living wage.

      Greed drives capitalism. Greed drives my cattle, sheep, chickens, cat and and dog as well as me. It is manageable, and has to be if we are to survive.

      It has to be managed. The “economy” has to be managed.

      If a business cannot afford to pay an employee the minimum wage let alone (gasp) the living wage it should not be in business.

      The owners should give up their “business” and get a real job that pays a living wage.
      Just share th wealth equitably. How hwrd is that? Sigh.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • At a glance – Does CO2 always correlate with temperature?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    2 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 hours ago
  • 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
    5 hours 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
    5 hours 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 ...
    5 hours 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    7 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
    8 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
    11 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
    11 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
    11 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
    11 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
    13 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
    14 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
    16 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
    1 day 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 ...
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours 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
    9 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
    11 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
    12 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
    1 day 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
    1 week 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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T08:35:00+00:00