Bold economic leadership… from the Opposition

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, May 6th, 2010 - 61 comments
Categories: Economy, gst, labour, overseas investment, phil goff - Tags:

I’m glad to see Labour is stealing a march on the lazy Nats and building an alternative economic vision ahead of the Budget. It looks to be just the vision New Zealand needs, built on the twin planks of economic sovereignty and a fairer distribution of wealth.

Phil Goff will outline the vision in a major speech next week but there are already a few hints.

The first is either reducing GST back to 12.5% or taking the GST off food. Both would have about the same cost. Labour has previously argued for a single low rate of GST but the increase to 15% heightens the case for exempting food to provide relief to ordinary Kiwi families. Other countries manage just fine having no sales tax on food, there’s no reason we can’t do the same here. It’s not hugely complicated or expensive for businesses. In Australia, the government issues rulings on what is covered and what isn’t and businesses are entitled to rely on that advice.

Labour is considering tightening the rules on foreigners buying land, another old favourite of the Left. We can’t keep selling our assets abroad. Sure, we get the short-term gain but we get long term loss. We get a wad of cash now but lose the profit stream from the asset in the future. Land is a particularly important economic asset because they’re not making any more of it.

The idea of improving national savings is along the same lines: we have two choices in this world, we can live beyond our means now and finance it by selling off the family silver or we can save now for a richer tomorrow.

Listen to David Cunliffe’s very good interview on Radio NZ this morning (I especially like the way he dealt with Geoff Robertson’s jibes with good humour)

61 comments on “Bold economic leadership… from the Opposition ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    6 May 2010 at 1:03 pm

    Cunliffe could’ve said “I wouldn’t call a march of 20-50 thousand people in Auckland a “dream run” for National”. Oh well, the interview was still good.

  2. Jared 2
    6 May 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Labour had the chance to drop GST on food in their last term, and they didn’t. I sincerely doubt that this “new policy” would be anything more than a recycled paper cup when Labour wins their next election.

    “As for dropping GST on food, says Clark, “I prefer Working for Families”.”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-election-2008/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501799&objectid=10540472&pnum=3

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      6 May 2010 at 1:26 pm

      What part of “15% GST is too high on food” don’t you get? Labour thought 12.5% GST on everything was fine. Now that National are putting it up to 15%, they don’t want to promise that they are going to lower it (because honestly it is actually a good policy to have 15% and not 12.5%), but still want to help mitigate the impact on those who spend a higher proportion of their income on food, eg those on low incomes.

      In short: that was then, this is now.

      captcha: manipulation

      • Jared 2.1.1
        6 May 2010 at 1:29 pm

        And with an increase to Working for Families to compensate for an increase in GST it could be argued that the increase in GST would have little to no impact on the purchasing power of those on lower incomes?

        • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1
          6 May 2010 at 1:34 pm

          Except that if food is cheaper, people will be more likely to spend money on it – there are alarming stories about children from low income families going without meals because the parents blow their money on gambling, alcohol and drugs. Giving these same people higher WFF payments so they can do exactly the same cost/benefit calculation and pick the wrong option isn’t as helpful as changing the cost/benefit calculation in favour of food.

          It is also not the same to simply increase WFF if the GST exception on food applies to grocery items only and not to fastfood/restaurants, for example.

          Finally taking GST off food is of benefit to everyone. Increasing WFF payments is only of benefit to people who receive it. This last item is important in the politics of perception – left-leaning national supporters are more likely to vote for GST off food than they are for an increase in WFF payments. One core group of society that GST on food affects is the elderly, who are generally not eligible for WFF.

          • Bright Red 2.1.1.1.1
            6 May 2010 at 2:16 pm

            drugs are GST free 😉

          • Joe Blog 2.1.1.1.2
            6 May 2010 at 3:15 pm

            After working for several years within Work and Income I would agree with you. Perhaps it a voucher system would be better?

            [lprent: You should consider changing your pseudonym. It is very close to another commentator – who is currently banned for a few more days. I’m guessing that is why I had to rescue you out of the spam queue, you probably got moderated out.

            Either that or the anti-spam engine doesn’t like the word ‘voucher’ which is beloved by the blog spammer bots (along with gold, babies, and sex). ]

            • Joe Bloggs 2.1.1.1.2.1
              6 May 2010 at 4:32 pm

              Joe Blog – get yerself another handle dude…

              …or I’ll see you down at high noon – once they let me out of this hoosegow

              [lprent: I let you out a day or so early. I was cleaning out the discussion controls yesterday. ]

            • Rex Widerstrom 2.1.1.1.2.2
              6 May 2010 at 4:38 pm

              That certainly cramps the style of anyone who was planning on offering gold vouchers to women they call “baby” in exchange for sex.

            • kaplan 2.1.1.1.2.3
              6 May 2010 at 5:13 pm

              Wow. The standard have their own version of the Peter Saunders twins!
              Thank god the moderators have a higher IQ than Paula Bennett.

              [lprent: Gee, thanks I guess…. On second thoughts, even being compared to Paula is insulting… 😈 ]

            • felix 2.1.1.1.2.4
              6 May 2010 at 5:31 pm

              Where can I get a voucher for a sexy gold baby?

        • Akldnut 2.1.1.2
          6 May 2010 at 5:11 pm

          Jared And with an increase to Working for Families to compensate for an increase in GST it could be argued that the increase in GST would have little to no impact on the purchasing power of those on lower incomes?

          It also makes a mockery of Nat wanting to make people less reliant on welfare and gives them the opportunity to sprout on how there is too much money being paid to low income earners thru WFF – just abother con job in the making, transfering what little wealth low income earners have into the govt coffers and transferred via tax cuts to the rich.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.2.1
            7 May 2010 at 12:07 am

            The thing about NACT is that they don’t want people to be dependent upon welfare – they want them to be dependent upon them. Hence the BS about not being able to afford things without the rich even though the rich are only rich after stealing from the workers.

  3. Alexandra 3
    6 May 2010 at 1:21 pm

    I agree, good stuff by Goff. Labour needs to keep up the emphasis on what it will do when in government next year and bring home a brave alternative. By the time the election comes even the love sick Keyites will be sick of the inertia of the lazy Nats.

  4. just saying 4
    6 May 2010 at 1:30 pm

    Wow, an alternative budget ahead of the govt – just what I was asking them to do about a week ago on this very site. I do realise though that great minds etc….. lots of people thinking the same sorts of things at the same time.

    So glad Labour is no longer just reacting.
    Lot’s of great initiatives lately.

    High on my wish list, and if the Nats pinch it all the better because there is such a urgent need……work schemes partic for the under 25s. I know there are lots of problems with these things, but there isn’t time to wait for the private sector we – need to get these kids working now, before depression and alienation really bite into their souls. God knows there are so many useful community projects they could be involved in. Pleeeaase!

    • Lanthanide 4.1
      6 May 2010 at 1:36 pm

      There’s something called “Community MAX” that Paula keeps droning on about whenever anyone asks about work programmes. I don’t know what it is about, but it’s targeted at under 25s I believe.

  5. Alexandra 5
    6 May 2010 at 1:36 pm

    “Wow, an alternative budget ahead of the govt just what I was asking them to do about a week ago on this very site. I do realise though that great minds etc .. lots of people thinking the same sorts of things at the same time.”

    Wow, all credit to you then.

  6. 350ppm 6
    6 May 2010 at 1:45 pm

    Twin planks will not be enough to prop us up. NZ’s economic policies need to be environmentally sustainable. Just ask any of the thousands who marched against mining in conservation areas.

  7. Nick C 7
    6 May 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Should we discourage New Zealanders from buying land in other countries?

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      6 May 2010 at 3:45 pm

      Yes.

    • Ari 7.2
      7 May 2010 at 7:51 am

      Land shouldn’t be owned by people who don’t live and work on it. It ought to be about a sense of personal connection and obligation to tend for things, not commodification.

  8. Herodotus 8
    6 May 2010 at 2:22 pm

    Lets just tinker some more take a bit from here and allocate it somewhere else, that really will sort things out. Nat are already doing this tinkering with GST and PAYE rates so LAb will just copy the template.
    So we will give to families on in some cases $100k+ reduce GST and hey presto all is great. How short sighted this initially appears to me . What happens if some that receive WFF doesn’t really need it or use it to purchase rental properties. What is the existance income level and at what level can people participate for all the good NZ has to offer, not “forced” to work all and every hour of the day. But hey we will just give out the money.
    As some have already stated WFF does not cover those on benefits, retirees and those without families and many others. The old Lab has been reengerised to the new lab and there is nothing different for me!!
    I am sorry but this GST and WFF trade off is no better than GST increase offset with PAYE tax cuts.
    But at least I will have some alt reading around Budget time

    • Lanthanide 8.1
      6 May 2010 at 3:46 pm

      Your comment is mostly incoherent, but National have indicated that in budget 2010 they will be tightening up rules around trusts to prevent people from sheltering income to qualify for WFF.

      Hopefully they will apply this same rule to student allowance and other benefits. It also completely puts paid to their “no-one pays the top rate because they hide their money in trusts” excuse for dropping the tax rate from 38% to 33%.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        7 May 2010 at 12:13 am

        Hopefully they will apply this same rule to student allowance and other benefits.

        We can hope but, as this is the party of capitalists for capitalists and screw everyone else, I’m not holding my breath.

        It also completely puts paid to their “no-one pays the top rate because they hide their money in trusts’ excuse for dropping the tax rate from 38% to 33%.

        Considering that their whole existence for being is to cut tax rates for the rich I’m sure that they’ll manage to ignore such facts quite well. After all, they ignore facts that go against their ideology all the time so ignoring another couple won’t be an inconvenience at all.

  9. Rex Widerstrom 9
    6 May 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Labour is considering tightening the rules on foreigners buying land, another old favourite of the Left.

    *cough* Yes, very old. Like… Norman Kirk old. If it had remained a Labour plank from ’84 on NZ First wouldn’t have had much traction and wouldn’t have surpassed Labour in the polls in 1995.

    And if Michael Cullen hadn’t turned the OIC into a giant rubber stamp, Labour might never have needed to suffer an unholy alliance with Winston (because it would have drawn back his support, most of which is traditional Labour voters)… and thus might just have won the last election.

    Hopefully this will erode the remaining ground under Winston’s feet and we’ve heard the last of him. And, of course, it’s the right thing to do.

    So excuse me while I go have a small celebratory sherry as I contemplate sovereignty finally returning as a guiding principle of a major political party 🙂

  10. Bored 10
    6 May 2010 at 3:12 pm

    I would really like to know how Labour (or for that matter a re elected Nact) will respond to the reality of peak oil. Both parties have had the mantra of growth and progress as key to their policies to date. This in an infinite world would be just fine and dandy.

    We are not in an infinite world, we have declining energy available with price climbing. As energy is directly linked to economic output I would suggest we will be in contraction mode till we reach an energy available to output balance. How then will Labour in particular propose to address reality?

    • Lanthanide 10.1
      6 May 2010 at 3:48 pm

      I doubt any party in NZ, aside from the Greens, is going to publically take Peak Oil seriously until at least one other major western nation has admitted it.

      National however seem to be acting as they privately don’t take it seriously either, with Joyce green-lighting the roading projects. Although as my boyfriend pointed out, transmission gully will be necessary if global warming inundates whatever the other road out of Wellington at the moment is.

      • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1
        6 May 2010 at 3:54 pm

        If the road gets inundated then so does Wellington, ergo, the road isn’t needed.

        • Lanthanide 10.1.1.1
          6 May 2010 at 4:40 pm

          Only if by “Wellington” you mean the entirety of it, such that there is no building above sea level.

          It is quite conceivable that large dykes will be built up around important cities to stop them being flooded, but it is less economically viable to do the same with long stretches of road. And if the choice is “build a road that cuts down commute time and avoids floods” vs “build dykes around this road to stop it from flooding” then the former option is suddenly much more appealing.

          Of course, transmission gully is apparently right across a fault line, so it’s just trading one potential disaster for another.

          • insider 10.1.1.1.1
            6 May 2010 at 5:43 pm

            or you elevate the road. Ever heard of bridges and causeways?

            • Lanthanide 10.1.1.1.1.1
              6 May 2010 at 5:55 pm

              I think you missed the point.

              In order to keep the road out of Wellington usable in a sea level rising situation, either the new transmission gully road needs to be built, or the existing road needs to be re-engineered, either with dykes or “bridges and causeways” as you suggest.

              You have to spend money either way, so in this context building transmission gully actually isn’t such a bad option.

        • ianmac 10.1.1.2
          6 May 2010 at 5:11 pm

          Or as Steven Joyce said today during question time, you could shift Wellington and then you wouldn’t need a major highway. Huh?

          • Jim Nald 10.1.1.2.1
            7 May 2010 at 12:31 am

            Did he?

            That would be the same kind of argument about shifting his brains into his rear.
            Or moving his large intestines to the frontal lobes of his cerebral cortex.
            Then the country won’t need any major policy thinking.

    • Draco T Bastard 10.2
      6 May 2010 at 3:53 pm

      That’s a question that I keep asking myself. But their support of building trains in NZ is a step in the right direction – even if it is for the wrong reasons. It will help us with self-sufficiency in the long run and even with ecological sustainability as well. Our factories in the long run aren’t going to be powered by hydrocarbons but geothermal, wind and hydro and we only need them to be large enough to supply our own community.

    • insider 10.3
      6 May 2010 at 4:47 pm

      So tell us when it is happening. THis year? next year? Five years ago? 130 years ago? There have been lots of ‘expert’ predictions none of them yet correct

      • Lanthanide 10.3.1
        6 May 2010 at 5:57 pm

        At the moment the rosiest estimates are 35 years out. The most pessimistic are 5 years ago. Many commentators are thinking sometime prior to 2020, and possibly before 2015 with things starting to bite 2012 or so (helping to vindicate all those spouting Mayan 2012 calendar bullshit).

        • Herodotus 10.3.1.1
          6 May 2010 at 6:44 pm

          Spending a few $B on roads would be the least of our issues. I think tourism would be a no go, agriculture and horticulture would struggle, as I heard that it takes about 4-5 kj to produce 1kj of food.
          Perhaps whilst energy is cheep we should be investing in as much concrete & steel to produce as many dams to create electricity, then there would be less trauma as we in NZ would have the essentials, as long as the generators and lines coy are state owned. Cheep power our own limited oil supply to oil & grease the machinery, water and sun and a small pop.
          Perhaps we should have an isolationist policy to keep a substainable pop that the land can manage the only other change I could suggest is to educate engineers and the such , place accountants, laywers and other professions of limited use.

          • Draco T Bastard 10.3.1.1.1
            7 May 2010 at 12:16 am

            We, as a country, actually have enough energy from renewable resources – if we don’t increase our population.

  11. Brett Dale 11
    6 May 2010 at 5:49 pm

    So who at the standard has worked for Faux news?

    A headline with ” Bold Economic Leadership” with a picture of Goff looking off into the sunset??

    yeppers.

    • Bright Red 11.1
      6 May 2010 at 5:54 pm

      Brett responds with a strong economic argument against Labour’s policies that makes us all stop and think.

      • Lanthanide 11.1.1
        6 May 2010 at 5:58 pm

        Clearly he has no conception of what Faux News actually spout and imply.

  12. Jenny 12
    6 May 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Great stuff Marty

    “Congratulations to Darien, Labour, the Greens, Progressives, the Maori Party.” MartyG

    With news that the Maori Party has voted against their coalition partner and with the opposition, and that Labour are reconsidering their stance on GST off food, the possibility of serious détente between Maori and Labour could see further weakening of the coalition.

    Rahui Katene welcomes Labour’s GST off food policy.

  13. Herodotus 13
    6 May 2010 at 7:50 pm

    So we now have a food tax by stealth. No political announcement is as it initial appears. the statement headline is GST of food. I await the detail, tactics like this could reinforce the resentment out there with Labour… that they are back to their old tricks inferring one thing but delivering something inferrior, just when there was a chance that Nat had allowed an opening. What do we get … the potential for an own goal.
    Jenny the GST is potentiall on some food that politicians and civil servants decide as complying to THEIR way of things.
    Make things easier keep GST status quo BUT support the needy adequately by increasing their support or nominal tax rate for the 1st tier. Remember reducing GST back to 12.5% favours those with the most spending. A 430 Ferrari,GST reverting back to 12.5% WILL save the purchaser over $12.5k in tax. Looks like both parties like supporting the wealthy with tax cuts!!!

    • Jenny 13.1
      6 May 2010 at 9:31 pm

      GST, Roger Douglas’s iniquitous flat tax. No amount of clever histrionics, and vague mutterings of doom, can rehabilitate it. The only resentment being reinforced here, is the resentment being harboured by bitter die hard rogernomes.

      Herodotus, you may harbour hope that, as you say, “No political announcement is at it initial appears.” Inferring of course that you’re hoping Labour will resile from this initial statement.

      Cynical manipulations and back room dealings may possibly achieve this end. But the political cost of a back track over this now, may be substantial.

      Creating as it would a public perception that everything else in Goff’s alternative economic vision, could also be subject to being watered down and traded away under back room horse trading and pressure.

      Who knows, maybe this sort of public perception may make a difference to whether Labour does well in next years election.

  14. Thomas 14
    7 May 2010 at 12:54 am

    Removing the GST on food will be a welcome, positive & progressive move if Labour implements it giving the chance.
    Many are asking how the lost revenue from the implementation of this policy will be be collected, there are many ways but I’ll give you a couple now, simply increase the tax accordingly on alcohol & tobacco,
    The problem with GST on food items at the moment is that a beneficiary pays the same for a pound of butter as does a wealthy person.

  15. millsy 15
    7 May 2010 at 7:52 am

    GST off food.

    If this is the best that Labour/the left can do, then they are very much in trouble. The benefit of removing GST from food would be minimal, but the costs will be huge, and we would have a lot of unintended concequences (such as the rich buying GST free pate and caviar – or free ipods with that $350 bag of oranges). Far better to pare it back to the original 10%, with a tax free bracket, paid for by soaking those at the top (the more you earn the more tax you should pay), or even aboloish it altogether…

    But for the moment, from me the message is: go away and try a little bit harder.

    • bahandhumbug 15.1
      7 May 2010 at 8:06 am

      “the more you earn the more tax you should pay”

      Isn’t this the way it works at the moment ?

    • Red Rosa 15.2
      7 May 2010 at 8:09 am

      Dead right millsy. Presumably restaurant meals count as ‘food’ – hard to see why not. An upmarket CBD ‘business lunch’ would feed a family for a week. Both get GST off. This idea should have been buried years ago.

      • Herodotus 15.2.1
        7 May 2010 at 8:53 am

        RR Please do not take it that ALL food will be exempt. There is a chance nad refer Jenny 6:16 re Maori idea that it is limited to healthy food. Then letthe horse trading begin as to what is healthy. Rememer Lab/Progressives intro a tax on drink exceeding 14% to reduce alco pops what happens alco pops reduced their %. Re healthy food is Weetbixs ok how about cocopops . If cocopops sugar/salt is over a % then just reduce the % to marginally under simple, yet if maybe of still”unhealthy”. Me thinks a wasp nest is being upset, unless there are some extremely wise people in communicating this policy or leaving the small print to post the electon. It has happened before by all.

      • Lanthanide 15.2.2
        7 May 2010 at 9:43 am

        Restaurant meals are food, but that has no bearing on what the final policy will be. Labour have broadly indicated that they might drop GST from food. What their eventual policy is likely to be is “GST off food excluding prepared meals at restaurants and takeaway places”.

        You know that the government has complete sovereign control in NZ, and there isn’t any formal constitution that blocks them from doing whatever they want, right? There’s no reason they can’t make a law that targets food sold only by grocery stores and not food sold at restaurants, the only question is how many loopholes will be left, how easy those loopholes are to identify and exploit and how easy they are to close.

        • millsy 15.2.2.1
          7 May 2010 at 6:30 pm

          And what about the free DVD player with the $200 bunch of bananas?

    • Thomas 15.3
      7 May 2010 at 11:59 am

      The problem with pulling GST back to the original 10% is that it would make it more attractive & affordable for the wealthy when they make purchases on expensive items such as a new lamborghini or ferrari etc etc.

      • felix 15.3.1
        7 May 2010 at 12:16 pm

        And why is that a problem?

        I mean I can think of a few problems in a very broad sense, but within the bounds of this topic, what is the problem with making it easier to buy Ferraris at the same time as making it easier to buy food, clothes, and everything else?

  16. Thomas 16
    8 May 2010 at 12:04 am

    Also easier for the richest in society to even better their already rosy lifestyles when accessing the high end food clothes & everything else, & thus widening the gap between the rich & poor.

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    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    17 hours ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
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