UBI: Addressing Inequality

Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 35 comments
Categories: benefits, Economy, tax, welfare - Tags: ,

Flip (now at FlipNZ) has been continuing his investigations into a universal basic income (also UBI) by looking at the impacts on income and tax to see how we could use a UBI to create a greater income equality. He has allowed us to reprint the post

Income equality is one measure that can be used to indicate the equality of a society. I have analysed the 2011 income distribution and show how a UBI (Universal Basic Income) can create greater income equality. The details of the UBI and its benefits are detailed in other places. Quite a lot of discussion has occurred regarding the benefits and pro’s and con’s of it as well.

2011 Income Distribution

In the graph below the red line would be what the income distribution would be, when 50% of the income earning population received 50% of the income, 10% received 10% etc. In other words, if the income was evenly distributed among the population.

The blue line represents the actual NZ distribution of income in 2011.

The stepper the blue curve and the less area under the curve the more uneven the distribution of income. The closer it moves to the red line or the greater the area under the curve the more even the distribution of income. The steeper the curve the more income is earned by less of the population and less even the income distribution. By measuring the area under the blue line and subtracting it from the area under the red line you get a measure of inequality. (The area shaded in red). An index if you like.

Table of % of Population earning less than the income band per annum.

% of Population  Approx Income Band
 20%  $11k
 40%  $19k
 50% $25k
 60%  $34k
 80% $54k
 95% $93K

2011 Income

UBI Income Distribution

Applying a UBI of $9080 and a flat tax rate of 33% the curve looks like this. This has been selected based on analysis done by Perce Harpham and details can be found here. Alternatives schemes can be selected and various options are possible. This spreadsheet enables the experimenting with different levels of UBI and assumptions. Further comments are here.

UBI Income

Other Scenarios and Comparisons

The table below offers a comparison of other scenarios. The closer the Equality Index % is to 100% the more even the income distribution.

The 2007 scenario shows historically what the equality index was.

The 25K scenario is what would happen if the first $25K of income was tax free.

The UBI scenario gives people a UBI of $9,080 tax free and sets the tax rate at 33%.

The Flat scenario is what would happen if all income was charged at 33%.

Note the change in government tax income and the equality % change between the different scenarios.

The 25K and  UBI scenarios alter the government funding so would need to recover that by other means assuming no loss of government service.

For the UBI an asset tax is proposed to fund it and savings would result from the simplified system. There would be less bureaucracy in the administration and management of benefits.

Equality Index Income ($m) Tax ($m) Tax take change from 2011 ($m) UBI Cost ($m) Government Income Change from 2011
2007 52.37% 106,085.50 25,192.10 1,039.60 1,039.60
2011 53.00% 121,153.40 24,152.50 0.00 0.00
25K 57.21% 107,525.15 13,628.25 (10,524.25) (10,524.25)
UBI 64.69% 112,441.12 39,980.62 15,828.12 31,268.34 (15,440.22)
Flat 53.00% 81,172.78 39,980.62 15,828.12 15,828.12

From the graph below it can be seen that the 25K tax free scenario reduces inequality a little and benefits middle to high income earners more than low income earners. The UBI has a much more significant effect spreading the benefits more evenly among the population.

Scenario

For more details on the UBI scheme refer to this post.

Some actual real thought has gone into this UBI proposal. It is practical, simple and would actually work. It includes thoughts on the impact and how it would be paid for and actually removes complexity from the system unlike the fiddles by previous governments. I have not explained all the details but they can be found in the links. There are still some issues to resolve and it is impossible to assess all the impacts but nothing exists that amounts to a show stopper. The consequence of increasing the UBI is that it will increase the taxation level but the proposed amount is a start and can be sold politically and allows for further adjustments in the future once the benefits begin to accrue.

If a party sees inequality and its consequential social issues as a major issue and I think lots of people do, then here is something practical that can be done to address it with some real benefits and would improve the quality of life for most New Zealanders.

35 comments on “UBI: Addressing Inequality ”

  1. Draco T Bastard 1

    It includes thoughts on the impact and how it would be paid for and actually removes complexity from the system unlike the fiddles by previous governments.

    IMO, the simplicity of the UBI and the fact that it will reduce complexity overall is one of its biggest selling points. Why? Because the present highly complex system can be used to hide rorts and other inefficiencies.

    The consequence of increasing the UBI is that it will increase the taxation level but the proposed amount is a start and can be sold politically and allows for further adjustments in the future once the benefits begin to accrue.

    Actually, having the UBI start out as a full replacement of the pension is a major selling point because that major demographic bulge referred to as the Baby Boomers don’t want to live on less than what they’re getting now and the UBI will be replacing the pension. It doesn’t work otherwise.

    If a party sees inequality and its consequential social issues as a major issue and I think lots of people do, then here is something practical that can be done to address it with some real benefits and would improve the quality of life for most New Zealanders.

    QFT

    Now if there was a major NZ political party that expounded such principles.

    • Flip 1.1

      “Actually, having the UBI start out as a full replacement of the pension is a major selling point ….

      I agree as there is no good reason for making the super different to the UBI for adults and would bring it into the UBI. One reason might be that they are unable to get work which is not true in some cases. If they had opportunity, been responsible during their working life and had reasonable luck then they will have sufficient resources to supplement a UBI.

      The UBI Perce proposed includes at making the pension tax free and setting it at the married couple rate for all then taxing extra income and assets.

      One would need to see how this worked as the SS separates superannuation out.

      • KJT 1.1.1

        My starting point for an adult UBI would be the present super married rate. About $14000 after tax.

        Then set the flat tax rate at a level which pays for it.

        Though I would like to see more of a move away from income taxes towards financial transaction taxes, land/wealth taxes and resource use taxes.

      • KJT 1.1.2

        My starting point for an adult UBI would be the present super married rate. About $14000 after tax.

        Then set the flat tax rate at a level which pays for it.

        Though I would like to see more of a move away from income taxes towards financial transaction taxes, land/wealth taxes and resource use taxes.

        The most pressing need at the moment, however, is child poverty.
        Making a UBI (universal family benefit) for children the place to start.

        • Flip 1.1.2.1

          You want to keep the tax rate the same for all income to avoid dodges. Up it too far and it will cause companies to go overseas and discourage them coming here losing jobs etc. So it is a balance.

          I’ve worked out the necessary asset tax just on the housing stock value in NZ and it is about 0.65% which is $3,250pa on a $500K house. There may be other assets that can be taxed but not so easily.

          Obviously tax rates can be adjusted and tax can be got from elsewhere but it still has to be sold politically. I think there is still work to be down on what the sweet spot is.

          Arguably a target could be set that says we want 66% equality of income in NZ and the UBI and tax rates could be adjusted to achieve that?

          “Though I would like to see more of a move away from income taxes towards financial transaction taxes, land/wealth taxes and resource use taxes.”

          Agree but I have not figured out how to do that yet without a bunch of fish hooks. THe only straight forward one is on rateable properties.

          But just quickly the risk to a transaction tax is the loss of capital/jobs and a lowering of the exchange rate and overseas investment. Not a bad thing at the moment providing you got it right but very open to government fiddling.

  2. A Political Party that promised to tax the capital gains on property and assets plus a financial transaction tax, to pay for a universal living UBI, would get elected by a landslide.
    In fact in the Shaky Isles, that’s the sort of landslide we badly need.

  3. McFlock 3

    oh wow, I just got a stats hard-on.

    Um – I’m gonna have to think on it for a few days, and it still thinks “flat tax”, but in five minutes it’s gone a long way to persuading me.

    • Flip 3.1

      Flat tax without a UBI increases inequality as it increases the effective tax on everyone except the richest. The benefit of flat tax is it reduces scope for tax dodging and simplifies things.

      • McFlock 3.1.1

        Ok on the dodging re: rebates and the multitudes of exemptions, but I’ve never understood why say 0% to $10k, 25% on 10k to $30k, 33% on 30k to $50k, and 40% on >$50k is terribly more complicated to figure out than a flat tax.

        • Flip 3.1.1.1

          I’m guessing you mean as it is currently done where each portion of the income is charged different rate.
          What is your effective tax rate? It is none of the numbers you just mentioned. It differs for every different salary.

          30K actually pays 16.67% tax as the first 10K is tax free 20K at 25%
          50K pays 23.2% as 10K is tax free 20K is at 25% and 20K at 33%
          100K pays 31.6% as 10K is tax free 20K is at 25% and 20K at 33% and 50K at 40%

          • McFlock 3.1.1.1.1

            pretty much, with the obvious proviso that my figures were not carefully calculated, but merely illustrative examples created ex derrière 🙂

            The point is that calculating a progressive tax from a known income is just as easy as calculating a flat tax. And as you point out, the effective rate for poor people is lower than the effective rate for the wealthy – so the ubi can actually be lower, as less of it is returned straight back to the govt.

            • Flip 3.1.1.1.1.1

              You could leave the current tax structure in place but it’ll leave a bigger hole to fill from somewhere else.

              Upping the tax rate at the top end is one answer and I’ve already listed the risk of doing that.

              • McFlock

                what, tax dodging?

                Half of ’em would do it anyway. All of them would think twice if punishments for white collar crime were proportional to, say, the few occurrence of welfare fraud that occur in real life.

  4. Lanthanide 4

    So just remember that IRD are re-doing their computer system and it’s expected to last until 2016 or something like that.

    I saw an article on stuff a couple of months ago talking about it and how it effectively acts as a break on politicians wanting to propose much in the way of tax law changes because the existing system simply won’t be able to cope with the changes. I went looking for this article the other day but unfortunately couldn’t find it.

    So it seems like we won’t be able to have a UBI in the near-term, even supposing there was a government that thought it had the political capital to implement it.

    • Flip 4.2

      I had a look at the IRD transformation project EOI on the governments GETS system last year. The analysis was very much based on assumptions about the current system. In some ways it was poor analysis. It also cost a fortune and went to an overseas organisation. The following is summary of the list of issues sent to the Minister.

      Issues
      • No plan (available or visible?) in place to deliver the transformation
      • A failure to decompose the work properly has led to an excessively large project with poorly understood requirements that are specified such that they are excluding NZ organisations.
      • It is a project that is vital for improving NZ’s ICT capability and capacity and will provide real value to NZ which will be lost if it goes to a single organisation or multi-national.
      • No measures of success in the TOM. It is aspirational but nothing exists about how it is going to be known that the aspirations are meet.
      • There is an assumption that previous success in a different environment is an indicator of ability to do the work in NZ. This can be false.
      • No evidence is visible that allows for change over the duration of this project.
      • A commercial vendor supplying this project has no incentive to share expertise, or divest itself of dependency by the IR and by extension the NZ government and people. There is a serious risk of vendor lock-in from the way this project is being approached.
      • There is an assumption that professional services require large scale.
      • A desire to outsource functions without evident risk analysis and mitigation.

      “So it seems like we won’t be able to have a UBI in the near-term, even supposing there was a government that thought it had the political capital to implement it.”

      It could well gain political capital to the party promoting it providing it is done well.

  5. weka 5

    Just went to Flip’s blog, and also KJT’s linked in the RSS feed. Dudes, seriously, white text on dark backgrounds is hard for many humans to read. Please make this really important work more accessible.

    http://blog.tatham.oddie.com.au/2008/10/13/why-light-text-on-dark-background-is-a-bad-idea/

    http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2005/07/code-colorizing-and-readability.html

    /aside

    • Flip 5.1

      Thanks for the advice. I quiet liked it (no accounting for some tastes :-)). I’ll look at some others.

      • karol 5.1.1

        It can depend on people’s eyesight.

        I quite like dark backgrounds and lighter text.

      • weka 5.1.2

        I’ve been meaning to do some research on this. From the quick google I did, I think there are varying issues. The bit about half the human population have astigmatism that makes white text on black harder to read was interesting, but there are also issues for the elderly, and people with visual and cognitive disorders. I’m surprised that IT and webculture hasn’t produced much easily accessible work on this yet. And what is available to web designers will be different to what is available to people using platforms like wordpress.

        Grey on black is apparently easier to read if you really want to go with black, but I think overall the reverse is easier still. Re karol’s point, you can also de-brighten the background when you have black text on white too, so there isn’t so much glare.

        Just seen you’ve updated your blog. It’s definitely easier for me to read. I think that theme is using a kind of mottled pink tinge rather than bright white for the background too.

        thanks! 🙂

        • Tim 5.1.2.1

          Just as an aside …
          I think you’re suggesting an issue of conrast.
          Interestingly I used to have 20/20 until a series of heart attacks – one quite nasty.
          Result: long sightedness.
          (Also used to be able to multi-task readily – not no more).
          I heard that for those on certain medications such as blood thinners it can be an issue – which seems plausible sicnce forgetting to take the damn stuff results in improved vision for me.

        • KJT 5.1.2.2

          Just changed mine. See if it works better?

          Interestingly, I made it white on blue after sort of a poll I did with various people, on the colours they found both attractive and easy to read.

  6. Colonial Viper 6

    Good work. The UBI/flat tax rate system also has the added advantage that, finally, ordinary voters will be able to understand how it is all supposed to work and why indeed it is fairer and will lead to far better outcomes for the vast majority.

    That simplicity means far more effective public scrutiny of any future modification proposals, with concomitant ease in identifying rorts and BS that politicians might try to introduce over time.

  7. tricledrown 7

    CV to stop the right from undermining UBI or the dole.
    The govt could guarantee all beneficiaries 20hrs a week for an extra $100 and WFF more than the dole get rid of all abatements including secondary tax,There are more partime jobs than ever why should those on the lowest incomes pay the highest taxes.
    This would end the poverty trap that is caused by abatements.
    given in the future their will be less work as robots technology and overseas cheap manufacturing do that work.
    this will also lift self esteem and upward mobility.
    UBI is very expensive and can have unintended consequences like funding gangs and criminals.
    +as we have seen in the past the right always undo universal benefits.

    • Colonial Viper 7.1

      Yep. Echoes the ‘jobs guarantee’ idea and the ‘full employment policy for 25’s and under’ that has been mentioned previously.

      The UBI in itself is a revolutionary idea, but its true power comes as part of a total package of initiatives which makes superb sense as a whole.

      It also fucks the Tories, greatly limiting what they could do with the system in future.

    • KJT 7.2

      Actually the right have struggled to remove universal benefits. Just ask Key about super.

      Removing the universal family benefit was not very popular at the time.

      Neither are the present sneaky cuts to health spending. (When the media bother to tell us about them).

      They, and Labour, are trying to remove super by stealth.

  8. aerobubble 8

    I would not vote for Labour if they introduced a flat tax policy. For the most part lower and middle income kiwis are overtaxed, yes, yes, some say they also pay no tax but that misses the obvious problem that in the present market they aren’t getting fair wages. The goal is to provide as many citizens with their value, how is a shrinking share of growth supposed to be an even better outcome?

    A flat tax rolled into the debate is just dumb, and should have been laughed out since its also obvious that a UBI is about the tail end, not about the top end and how its the top end having to give up their growing unfair share of the nations wealth. Which it should be because its not in their interests for the pool of wealth to keep contracting into the hands of a global elite, they don’t want it.

    Recently I have been listen to how putting herd back on savanna increases greenery, how having birds on fish farms increases fish numbers, how putting wolves back into a National Park meant the depth and breath of the park boomed. Funny how having enough predators does that, I mean why wouldn’t it, that the plants would not maintain them unless they get something much better out of it (churn of the system).

    So that’s where the debate should start, on the tail. What does the tail get out of all these predators? Oh, yeah we can just suck up the idea of trickle down, but damn it nobody can fathom the idea of burden up, that for predators to exist the base must get much more than it would of had the predators not been there.

    Now of course, would we have the population we have now without capitalism, no. But of course individual wealthy capitalists aren’t owed for that, we all maintain capitalism. No. The correct way of looking at it is about access and use of resources. Does everyone have access to grow, to learn, to take risks. And if the system crushes them, then harms the economy, if the cream is taken and exploitation is increased.

    So a UBI debate starts with the idea that instead of a unemployed person being paid to not work, they are paid whether they are working or not. Now how does that harm taxes? If people who already are being paid benefits now increase with the introduction of a UBI their productivity rises.

    So its simply unbelievable that there is any need to compensate the wealthy, unless you are a dipshit. A flat tax is a totally different beast that involves discussion of how inefficient it is to have a wealth class that cannot loss their wealth and so has no incentive to innovate. Take copyright, how is it that copyright holders, not creators who are dead, keeping it help innovation? It doesn’t, it does the opposite, instead of adapting to the new reality of information transfer, they block the new economic ecology.

    Now okay, lets say we do need to pay for a UBI, how about having a inverted lottery, the more wealth you have the more tickets you have to hold, and the winner gets their wealth cut by 10%
    (the religious would have no problem with this). Now the lottery will only be called when the measure of inequality is high, the higher the inequity, the more lotteries are held a year.
    The incentive therefore would be to cut back on the help the rich get rich policies of Key.
    And nobody can say its unfair, because even the tramp on the streets with a dollar would be hit if they won, losing 10c. It would teach everyone to save some but not too much (save to cover the lottery and have money to cover expenses, and not to much as they’d lose more!!).

    • Colonial Viper 8.1

      It doesn’t make much sense to look at major initiatives in isolation. A UBI (or alternatively a negative tax rate bracket for low incomes) plus a higher flat tax rate at all other income levels works fine.

      It greatly simplifies the administration of both the taxation system and the benefits system. Working in tandem, it creates a highly progressive taxation system, but in another format.

      Overall, the wealthy will get net taxed at a similar rate to that of today, but with less chance of avoidance and gaming the system.

      What’s not to like?

  9. Flip 9

    “So a UBI debate starts with the idea that instead of a unemployed person being paid to not work, they are paid whether they are working or not.”

    Actually it starts with everyone getting an income regardless of your employment status. It would be set at a level that provided a basic living. Hence the title.

    Everybody who earns income pays more tax but it is offset by the UBI to lesser or greater extent. Everybody gets more income if you are earning. Cannot see how that is not an improvement. What is more the equality gap is reduced.

    “So its simply unbelievable that there is any need to compensate the wealthy,…”
    The scheme would not “compensate the wealthy” as it includes an asset tax to fund the shortfall from income tax. Most wealthy people have assets that would qualify.

    As I said further up you could leave the tax structure as is but the hole in government revenue would get a whole lot bigger. It does that when you up the UBI to $14K as well. I’m working on showing the funding model but it will hurt single people on a benefit. A couple will be better off.

    I wouldn’t die in a ditch over the flat rate but you still have to fund the UBI. You will die in a hole politically if you cannot show how to fund it without trashing everybody’s standard of living.

    The lottery idea is interesting but do not think it would fly. Happy to look at other options that will be seen as reasonable. That is the majority of the electorate can be persuaded.

  10. blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 10

    Hmm not sure whether I got this link from The Standard or not – but are people aware that Perce Harpham is doing a lecture on UBI in Wellington?

    DATE: Friday, 31 January
    VENUE: Rutherford House, Lecture Theatre 3, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington
    TIME: 12:30pm – 1:30pm

    I would love to hear about it if anyone is going and could report back here on The Standard 🙂

    …will put this link on open mike too…

    http://binews.org/2014/01/wellington-new-zealand-reducing-inequality-through-universal-basic-income

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Litanies, articles of faith, and being a beneficiary
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two weeks.Friday 29Play it, ElvisElection Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Recession’ Has Been Called Off, But Some Households Are Still Struggling
    While the economy is not doing too badly in output terms, external circumstances are not favourable, and there is probably a sizeable group of households struggling because of rising interest rates.Last week’s announcement of a 0.9 percent increase in volume GDP for the June quarter had the commentariat backing down ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: The wrong direction
    This week the International Energy Association released its Net Zero Roadmap, intended to guide us towards a liveable climate. The report demanded huge increases in renewable generation, no new gas or oil, and massive cuts to methane emissions. It was positive about our current path, but recommended that countries with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • “Racism” becomes a buzz word on the campaign trail – but our media watchdogs stay muzzled when...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Oh, dear.  We have nothing to report from the Beehive. At least, we have nothing to report from the government’s official website. But the drones have not gone silent.  They are out on the election campaign trail, busy buzzing about this and that in the hope ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Play it, Elvis
    Election Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t have time for. You’re welcome, etc. Let us press on, etc. 1.  What did Christopher Luxon use to his advantage in ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Pure class warfare
    National unveiled its fiscal policy today, announcing all the usual things which business cares about and I don't. But it did finally tell us how National plans to pay for its handouts to landlords: by effectively cutting benefits: The biggest saving announced on Friday was $2b cut from the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to Sept 29
    Photo by Anna Ogiienko on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour, including:duelling fiscal plans from National and Labour;Labour cutting cycling spending while accusing National of being weak on climate;Research showing the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 29-September-2023
    Welcome to Friday and the last one for September. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted at the latest with the City Rail Link. On Tuesday, Matt covered the interesting items from Auckland Transport’s latest board meeting agendas. On Thursday, a guest post from Darren Davis ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Protest at Parliament: The Reunion.
    Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Labour cuts $50m from cycleway spending
    Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Greater Of Two Evils.
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2023
    Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or  not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
    4 days ago
  • Chris Trotter: Losing the Left
    IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    5 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    5 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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 ...
    6 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    6 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    6 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    7 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    7 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand resumes peacekeeping force leadership
    New Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • New national direction provides clarity for development and the environment
    The Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workers
    The Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national network
    The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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