The Goldilocks budget

Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, May 20th, 2022 - 24 comments
Categories: budget 2022, Economy, grant robertson, labour, treasury - Tags:

The pundits are punditing and the shills are shilling.

How was the 2022 budget?  Was it the worst since Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets or the best since the first Labour Government gave everyone a Christmas bonus in 1935?

The right are incandescent with finely calculated rage.  They complain about the squeezed middle, by which they mean the slightly inconvenienced rich.  They claim that too much is being spent without having the guts and the nerve to say which areas would be cut if they were in power.  They claim they would be better managers of the Government’s books even though recent election campaigns suggest that their ability to add and subtract let alone comprehend is compromised.

The left are complaining that beneficiaries should have been included in the inflation payments.  I have much more sympathy for this argument although I note that making public transport permanently half price is a significant cost saving for many.  And changes that came into effect on April 1 have already made a significant difference.

Vox pops from locals are being collected by the media.  Many are grateful for the extra funds being offered to 2.1 million kiwis.  Some are not.  The reasons offered give an insight into their political persuasion.  If they talk about the payment being inflationary or that it is wrong that they should not get the payment because they have worked and been successful then their class privilege and their political allegiance are showing.  The best vox pop I heard was an older woman who said that she was comfortably well off and would not receive the payment but thought it was a very good idea because it would go to those who needed it.

Various representatives of ginger groups have also been interviewed and show how transactional politics has become.  The largest increase in Pharmac’s funding ever has been described as a very bad thing by those who think that all drugs should be funded.  This self appointed public transport spokesperson rated the budget 3.5 out of 10 because transport fare subsidies will not continue past a further two months.  I can only conclude that he missed Monday’s announcement where clean vehicle upgrades, the rapid development of urban cycleway networks, increase accessibility and reliability of public transport through their transport choices initiative and accelerating the decarbonisation of the public transport bus fleet were announced.

The major features of the budget are pretty impressive:

  1. $1.3 billion for new hospitals, $1.1 billion for ambulance and helicopter services, GPs and Maori health providers.  And $11 billion to pay off all Health Board deficits in preparation for the new system.
  2. Fuel tax cuts and public transport fare cuts to continue for two months, funded by the remainder of the Covid fund.
  3. $200 million for light rail in Auckland.  Further funding for new trains and wagons.
  4. The largest ever increase in Pharmac’s funding, $191 million over two years.
  5. $2 billion increase in Education funding including $777 million on new schools and classrooms.
  6. $1.8 billion for public and transitional housing programmes and adjustments to allowances for first home buyers.
  7. Between 6,000 and 14,000 more children being lifted out of poverty.

The approach in the budget is utterly fiscally conventional.  The Government’s books are predicted to return to surplus in 2025 and debt to GDP is set to reduce to 30% at the same time.  Grant Robertson cannot be accused of being a left wing maveric.

The budget is expansive and will address many of the issues that the country faces.  Yes it could go further, I for one think that the self imposed debt to GDP ratio limitation as being a absurd restriction but Robertson is a very conventional Minister of Finance.  The measures to address inflation pressures will be welcome and no doubt a further extension will be in the back of people’s minds.

Overall I would rate it as a goldilocks budget.  There was a great deal of good in it but it was conventional in financial terms and should not scare the markets.

24 comments on “The Goldilocks budget ”

  1. Ad 1

    You forgot that massive multimillion climate fund. Even Shane Jones would be jealous of that scale.

    This budget didn't strike me as a vote-shifter which is what it needed to do.

    The PT and fuel subsidy is the sweet spot that is hip-pocket positive.

    I was expecting a more thorough budget on health anticipating how regional health disparities would be raised and evened out.

    Felt more like a solid structural rebuild than anything grander.

    Where is their moment to seize back momentum?

    • AB 1.1

      This budget didn't strike me as a vote-shifter which is what it needed to do.

      My concern also. They picked the right group (sub $70k), but these ordinary voters need to actually feel that a Labour government has made a noticeable and material difference to their pockets and lives before the next election. What we saw was not enough and only temporary in most cases. Delaying doing this till the 2023 budget will be too late. By that stage it will be merely a promise. And I fear that their innate caution means that they won't do it in 2023 either.

      Obviously they were spooked by the idea that too much stimulus at the bottom end – because it will all get spent – might add a domestic component on top of imported inflation. That would mean not only undermining what they were trying to achieve, but also that National's lies about the origins of inflation would become partially true.

  2. Jimmy 2

    The only guarantee is, you will never please everyone.

    The $350 was a pleasant surprise for under $70k earners. Many will say this is too little, but I wasn't expecting anything

  3. Reality 3

    As usual, the complainers are out in force. Do people these days ever appreciate anything? One of the ridiculous headlines post budget was that the $27 per week would not pay for a Uber delivery! Do some not know how to make a toasted sandwich, open a can of soup or boil an egg!

    For those who are wanting more, more and more – guess what – that will be less, less and less for another cause.

    • mary_a 3.1

      @ Reality (3) … a very good comment.

      Unfortunately we have become a very greedy society.

      I have been on this earth for almost 76 years and for the past thirty years or so, I have never known such selfishness and greed as that which exists now and I don't like it. It seems it's all about 'what about me … where's my share of the goodies' etc etc, with little consideration given for what's best for the country as a whole and not precious greedy individuals, expecting themselves to be first in line for the handouts!

      As far as I'm concerned this was a good fair budget and extremely pleased health and education were at the top of the list for government funding. That's what I get out of it, to know funds are going to the necessary recipients, which will benefit NZers in general.

      • Anne 3.1.1

        … for the past thirty years or so, I have never known such selfishness and greed as that which exists now…

        Inside the Public Service it started immediately following the Roger-gnomes opening the doors to this neoliberal ideology.

        Out the door went the former bosses who had climbed the ladder over many years and knew their 'product' inside and out. [The concept of providing a service was no longer in vogue.] In came the 'Johnny come latelies', who more often than not knew nothing about the product being provided, and whose sole ambition was to make big profits no matter the deleterious effect on thousands upon thousands of people over the years. It is not surprising therefore that the general public picked up the message and became greedy and selfish too.

        There has been a slow reversal in recent years – thanks to the Clark and Ardern governments but there is still a way to go.

  4. Well said Micky. As a member of the "Squeezed Middle" we have never had it so good as under this govt. Even though our combined income is less than $140,000, we miss out on the $700 because I am on Super and my wife earns more than $70k (Boo Hoo).

    What annoys me more than anything is all the whinging from the likes of schoolteachers and nurses. As a retired accountant I still do tax returns and can see what they earn. I would have liked to been on what they are getting.

    So I am applauding this budget – it has had to walk a fine line. In my day of studying economics we used to talk about the magic square. In one corner is inflation, opposite is employment in the other corners are growth and overseas trade balance. What Robertson has done has hit the square right in the middle.

    So I would call it a Robin Hood or William Tell budget.

  5. Scud 5

    $300m for Rail, to increase its axle loads for the new rolling stock including Pax Carriages, upgrades to the soon to be reopened Hillside Workshops.

    Apparently the business case for new inter-regional communter trains is still setting on someone's desk waiting to be signed off.

    And there was something about the new Branch line for Marsden Pt mentioned before the Budget.

    Defence wise, well the budget($650m) for the New Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel that was quietly cancelled a few mths ago has been diverted to cover the cover defence infrastructure deficit, aging equipment & pay raises for the lower ranks including junior officers.

    I'm still concern that the Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel has been kicked down the. Because the current 2 in-service OPV's are no longer fit for purpose to operate in the Southern Ocean due to CC weather related events, even though CC was identified by the Navy during Project Protector & again in the Coles Report into Project Protector which was commissioned by Phil Goff after the death of a sailor on the Canterbury around 06.

    Personally I believe the RNZN are going to require at least a minimum of 3 Southern Ocean Patrol Vessels to be based out of Port Chalmers into the future 3-6yrs time. Because my gut feeling is that the Antarctic Treaty which is up for renewal very soon, is likely to collapse & the increasing likely hood of the Chinese Fishing Fleet (based out of the Solly's) moving into the Southern Ocean Fishing Grounds within 2-3yrs time.

  6. Robert Guyton 6

    "

    What Treasury did was to compare the handling of the economic harms done by the GFC (ie. under a National government) with the handling of the economic harms caused by the Covid pandemic (under a Labour led government.) Here’s what it found initially:

    Real GDP fell 10 percent in the second quarter of 2020 as a result of the economic impacts of COVID-19, compared to a peak-to-trough fall of nearly 3 percent of GDP through to the second quarter of 2009 following the GFC.

    So… The impact on GDP of the pandemic was three times worse than the damage done by the GFC. But guess what? The Labour-led government was over three times faster at getting the economy back on the rails, even though the problem it faced was three times bigger than the one that faced the Key government:"

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2022/05/gordon-campbell-on-budget-2022/

  7. Patricia Bremner 7

    The next budget should deal with tax bracket creep and build on the "steady hand on the tiller".

    In an uncertain world with huge weather events and geopolitical clashes becoming more usual, people will want the infrastructure and public service and genuine care.

    This budget is providing for that future.

    Targeting "the squeezed middle" with the $350 per person earning under $70001.00 was a clever move, taking the question to National. "Are you serious about aiding this group, or is $2 tax refund a week their lot?"

    Many couples will receive $700 tax free per household, in 3 payments over 3 months, and for those singles who are the working poor, this $350 is the first help and recognition, apart from the general budget aims.

    They are the group who will benefit by moving the tax thresholds next as the wage rises occur.

    This is a mitigation budget rather than a transformational budget. Put the structures training and support in place to encourage employment, and the insurance scheme to assist in the pivots people will have to make when polluting activities end, or when health issues disrupt lives.

    Many write about what they want from a society, but not many can harmoniously join up disparate needs, present a workable plan and get people "on board"

    Many actions this Government has made lay the path forward, and as we see other places failing to help their own through these ongoing shocks, we will again be glad to be here.

    The certainty of 2 3 and 4 year funding and planning gives surety in this chaotic time. imo.

    • Nordy 7.1

      Yes, it is definitely a transformational budget, just look at the climate change and health spending (including purpose/direction) as examples.

      When you consider all the budgets delivered by Labour since 2017, their transformational nature (especially compared with NACT) is undeniable.

      Political change is not measured in one-off decision-making, but in the overall vision, direction and outcomes. They are all clear and undeniable.

      PS – yes, not everyone one will be 'happy', but that is the inherent nature of politics and having fiscal constraints, leading to choices. As Grant R has quite rightly has been saying – the need for balance.

  8. SPC 8

    THE BIG OVERSIGHT

    There are 25,000 on the state housing waiting list, there are thousands more working and paying rent over 60 (who will later go onto the waiting list).

    They need to be buying up 5000 houses a year (now the market has peaked and is easing back probably for 5 years or so – as per 1976-1981, this is the time) for about 5 years to deal with this.

    Every house bought is an equal value asset – rent to income cost vs the government debt financing cost is the only thing to be accounted for. But given the government spending/cost on motels I reckon they would be saving money by being far bolder.

    60,000 state houses 3M people, 100,000 houses 5M people.

    • Binders full of women 8.1

      Agreed, our local polytechnic turns out great relocate able new houses from the chippie apprenticeship course. The dumb spend on Chloe s doco could have produced 2 more. Ffs.

      • SPC 8.1.1

        And the rate of increase in building new state houses atm is barely keeping up with the add-ons to the 25,000 already on the waiting list.

        1 the old people not owning property working to pay the market rent eventually get have to retire and then go onto the state house waiting list.

        2. those who get sick (cancer and chemo, diabetes and dialysis etc) and who cannot work and pay market rent) and go onto the state house waiting list.

  9. Mike the Lefty 9

    I feel that the budget took a little too much notice of the bleatings of "the poor squeezed middle".

    As far as I am concerned the "poor squeezed middle" can go f…. themselves. They are in part responsible for the high inflation and exponential house prices inflation by over indulging in property speculation, buying up overpriced ego-utes by the mass because the price was going up, and whining about border restrictions affecting their leisure. They went on a spending spree, the creditors are coming for their money and the poor squeezed middle class are comparing themselves to the prodigal son.

    I would personally have liked to see the cost of living payment restricted to incomes under $50,000 and beneficiaries also included. Why? Because not all beneficiaries are work dodgers, despite what National and ACT think. Many of them are injured, infirm, disabled or having to look after parents, children, etc and these people are the ones REALLY doing it hard – not the poor squeezed middle class whining about the rising cost of their lattes.

    • Belladonna 9.1

      Pragmatically, I think that Labour have got it right – targeting the payment up to 70K.
      The squeezed middle (and that's how they perceive themselves) vote.
      The marginalized beneficiaries, don't.

      [Yes, of course I'm generalizing]

      A huge number of that up to 70K income group swing-voted for Ardern (and it was for Ardern, not Labour) in the 2020 election. If Labour want to win in 2023, they need to hang onto a percentage of that vote….

      So, tactical, rather than ideological, from Labour.

      Also, sneeringly dismissing them as 'whining about the rising cost of their lattes' is not the way to persuade any of them to vote the way you want them to.

  10. SPC 10

    On PT, the government should have gone with half price for all and free for CSC holders 9-3 (as per Gold Card) while there is the spare capacity.

    While some people work from home and the oldies are isolating – this leaves unused space on PT.

    Maybe till the end of the year, maybe next year as well.

  11. Corey Humm 11

    The budget is about a 5/10. It's average. It's not a budget that'll change the political narrative, which is what I was hoping for but it'll do. There's nothing wrong with it. Nothing great about it.

    The pharmac funding people who are pro extra funding getting furious they got an increase but not the increase they want are ridiculous.

    I like the cost of living payment but I have a major issue with it. It should be permanent. Why? Its just giving people back the extra tax they've been paying since 2018 simply cos wages go up meaning more money for govt. You could call it the workers winter rebate whatever you want but do it every year for four months. A one off is just meh and without changing the tax brackets for inflation there's going to be big issues with min wage earners soon.

    I think half price public transport should have been universal and permanent, since they halved prices I've never seen an empty bus which they were almost always empty. they are chocker now and it's saving people money getting to and from work and the more people using the better the roads and the more persuasive arguments for more public transport options become, I think this was the biggest miss in the budget.

    Dental was good.

    Child support good.

    I don't understand $11 million dollars going to combatting the duopoly being in there…. That's bizzare…. Is it going to cost $11 million dollars to hire consultants to do it?

    Which leads me to my biggest beef with Wellington, Consultants. Wellington is addicted to them. When the ministry of transport is spending nearly half it's budget on consultants how much of this extra spending is going to go to improving health, education, climate etc and how much is going to overpaid consultants, a lot is going to go to consultants, which means a lot will be wasted and could have spent in other places especially targeted spending like half priced buses for everyone which kills multiple birds with one stone (it's good for the environment, good for traffic, good for incomes and is spending that isn't inflationary) Wellington needs to kick it's consultant addiction. It's costing the country too much.

    I actually want ministers to start putting their feet down on consultant hiring.

    Sadly not much in there for students and not much in there to encourage people to train to be nurses doctors or teachers and at some point NZ has to look at making study free for people who want to get in medicine, mental health or teaching if they stay in NZ for a certain period of time. Not having to pay back a student loan would make med and teaching more desirable.

    They could have removed some sanctions from welfare, like the relationship or living with someone sanction. Thatd have been welcome.

    Spending in climate is good but I don't know why they made such a big deal about it in the lead up, it's not very impressive and you don't win votes off of climate policy in government, you only win votes off that issue from opposition because you can never please climate activists, you could spend 100% on climate change initiatives and you'd still be called a climate denying failure as the Greens will find out if they ever get in cabinet.

    All in all 5 out 10. Next year's budget needs to be a lolly scramble and the govt is starting to run out of road, a lot of upcoming reforms are extremely unpopular and the govts not offering anything much on economic reforms or housing reforms to keep the public happy on that front so they don't worry about the other stuff and Fafoi saying they are bringing back hate speech after binning it for being unpopular is just… Oy vey. I'm getting a very contemptuous "it's the right thing to do who cares about what the public want" technocratic vibe from govt. They need to go back to the semi populist vibe that made them popular.

    Big Supermarket reform or major dental reform may be their only chance to get reelected and if labour won't touch tax brackets, national will.

    Noones reading this far in so I'll just say, I've always wanted my own submarine.

    • mac1 11.1

      What colour? Yellow? Trouble with submarines is that they are difficult to power with solar.

      Good points there in your contribution, and your harkening forward to the 2023 Budget is one well worth keeping in mind when looking at what was done here.

    • Belladonna 11.2

      Really think your own submarine should be in the next budget! 🙂

    • weka 11.3

      I appreciate your comments Corey. Don’t reply often but there’s usually something thought provoking (more than one thing often).

    • Belladonna 11.4

      Also, absolutely agree about Consultants. Auckland's light rail is still on the drawing board. We must be talking millions on consultants by this stage….

      At this stage, I'm not sure if it's Labour trying to please everyone with infrastructure (which is impossible); or not having the political nous to pick the 'least bad' solution and bull it through; or being unwilling to bite the bullet and say, this was a good idea when we were campaigning, but the reality post-Covid is different, and we can't afford it.

  12. weka 12

    And changes that came into effect on April 1 have already made a significant difference.

    I agree with the general sentiment, good and safe. I’d like to point out that SLP increased $23 in April. I got $10 of that, but I’m probably paying off that much per week in debt repayments to WINZ. I’m ok, and I have family I can borrow from for big cost items, but many beneficiaries are in a much worse position.

    yes the WEP is given to beneficiaries. but,

    https://twitter.com/shut_the_fridge/status/1527468534715994113

    Meanwhile a couple on $140,000 / year will get $700 cash transfer to help with cost of living.

    the intention is there but the settings are wrong. And still nothing for disabled people who cannot work and who are part of the group WINZ financially penalises. I cannot understand Labour’s thinking on this. I wish someone could explain it.

  13. " Grant Robertson cannot be accused of being a left wing maveric "

    No we cant have that. Neo liberal economics has ensured he never strays from the capitalist path or ever for one moment display’s any maverick behaviour that being a independent thinker would ever be tolerated.

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  • 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
    4 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
    4 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
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    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
    3 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
    5 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
    6 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
    19 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
    24 hours 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
    5 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
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  • Government lowering building costs
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