There are a whole bunch of people who dont have sedentary economist-type jobs, and for whom raising the retirement age is a different ball game.The simple one-size-fits-all solutions so beloved of the academic and intellectual community are so often a poor match for the reality of many peoples lives.
Out of interest, what happens to the New Zealand economy with such a massively expanded construction sector?And once the hundred thousand houses are built?
. . . the $852 million road north of Wellington could make driving too attractive.Its a nice day, what will I do? I know! Ill go and drive up the motorway for an hour or so.Its a wet miseable day, what will I do? I know! Ill go and drive up the motorway for an hour or so.
Yes James.Taxed on the money going in, taxed on the money while its in there, and taxed on the money when it comes out!The world will be such a better place.
. . . standing down from leading the inquiry when it was revealed she endorsed Haumaha on social networking site Linkedin on several occasions.Does nobody in New Zealand have a grasp of governance?
As I understand it, the lawyers who certified the transfers as correct are responsible, and possibly liable for any necessary remedial work.Would someone from the RGLs office care to comment?
Why am I paying for childcare? Presumably because you want it.Like honey, lettuce, crockery, cheese, carpet, smartphones, and all those other little things that make life so wonderful.Should they be free as well
Its a tool the companies use to manage their cash flow.So if people manage their cashflow well, they pay less.Start by looking at late payment fees which hammer those who cant manage their cash flow, rather than a putative loss.
It seems that management arent very good at managing. It takes a lot to get people to vote to strike these days.Perhaps time for those managing IRD & MBI human resources to take a long break.
Ah. So a transaction-triggered tax.One might think that there would be fewer transactions making a profit then.And some modes of ownership becoming more popular than at present.Bonanza time for the lawyers, advisers, consultants and accountants.
Rather arrogant for any government to claim the right to tax economic activity taking place in a different country.And how is the New Australian Amazon-lite working out?
I regularly use international postal services, and the timeframe here is what I would expect for something going from rural Iceland to rural Indonesia.
So its 1! We are all victims!I used to blame the Military Industrial Complex.Before them it was the Deep State. But now Im not so sure. I think I see the hardboiled egg of destiny, rolling down the footpath into the future. . .
. . . once it became evident that the fleeing driver was not going to stop the officers should have abandoned the pursuit.Im torn between the safety aspect, and disapproval of the message that youre OK as long as you can run away fast enough.So how about we do pursuit smarter? Isnt this what drones are good for?
Well done and about time!Its not been difficult to find money for exhorbitant salaries for CEOs and management in both the public and private sectors, has it.Good to see some money going to those at the coalface.
So here we are, busily protecting the New Zealand retail industry from the effects of offshore competition.When will we see the same luxurious level of support extended to those workers whose jobs have been exported via offshore outsourcing?
I dont know that I like the idea of CCHL paying a dividend of $192m from a profit of $135m.Makes me a little edgy about that last bond issue.Especially after the Lyttleton port debacle.
No.Mister Brash is exercising his rapidly-diminishing right of free speech.The heckler is responding to that, and the response may be an attempt to deprive Mister Brash of his right.Perhaps by shouting him down.
So a nurse gets a pay rise.All good and hoorah!The nurse then complains about paying more tax, some of which tax goes to . . . paying for the nurses pay rise.Am I missing something?
Gulf standard - ensure for each bedroom, one for guests, one for the maids room and one out the back by the laundry for the staff.No need for more - that would be a bit ostentatious.
No Harry. No I dont.Im a tourist. I like Denmark for things like the giant walking sand dunes. I like Germany for the relaxed, laid back Bavarian attitude. I like Belgium for the chocolate and Spain for the museums.What am I doing wrong?
Lets not get to the situation where the sheer volume of enquiries and reviews means that theres nobody working on fixing things.The witch hunt can come later. . .
A week after buying a book, Book Depository started targeting me with online advertising showing that very book discounted by a 40 per cent.Its a perfect example of the inability of the business community to use what information they have to produce anything other than derisive laughter. booking.com are the same - forever bombarding you with the best deals for somewhere youve just got back from!Big data - small minds
Or perhaps the model could change so that insurance companies were to specify what information they require.Or even adopt in good faith as a guiding principle.
Out of curiosity, why havent they reverted to the old timetable - the one that worked, that people didnt complain about, where the buses turned up, the one without unnecessary changes of bus. . . . that one.
At some point a government is going to bite the bullet and do a serious investigation into the New Zealand electricity industry.Probable outcome? A major structural change in the way the industry is set up.The current faux-competitive oligopoly will be out the window, hopefully replaced by something less dysfunctional.Until then, you lot enjoy the dividends, and you others keep shivering.
No, a diversion from the ginormous debt mountain, the rampant criminality, the unfilled government posts, all the other failures of the past two years.Remember the good old days when President Clinton was paying off the deficit?
What a shambles the New Zealand housing market is!Who in their right mind would build an uninsulated box in Christchurch?Who would build a house in Christchurch without integrated heating?Nation of serfs
IRD and MBIE seem not to be very good at industrial relations, dont they?Perhaps a bit of a shakeup in the management team might be in order.As a taxpayer I expect competence in government departments, not wasting money on a management team that cant manage.
Sorry Fred.Amazon UK isnt actually a New Zealand company, domiciled in New Zealand.Im paying a UK company, from a UK bank account. It couldnt be any less New Zealand!
New Zealand Governments are about as good at business as the New Zealand Business Community are at government.The relationship needs to be symbiotic, not parasitic.
An Independent Review?What?Are these people incapable of working out what went wrong, when it went wrong, and why it went wrong?What the heck are they paid for?
. . . the principal says the school is enforcing its uniform policy.The Great New Zealand cop-out. I cant do anything because its our policy.Personally, I would have expected the school to get a whole bunch of beanies embroidered with the school logo run up and made part of the uniform.
Perhaps ACC could hire some people, train them in the legislation and its requirements, and turn them loose to resolve the growing mountain of problems suffered by their increasingly frustrated claimant base.Just in the interests of getting their actual job done, you understand. . .
Nah.Its been like watching a slow motion train wreck as New Zealanders sell up and then wander round like sheep bleating that the foreigners have bought all the . . .
Simple demographics will destroy the current system. Why wait for the problem to arrive before sorting the answer.Working harder or longer is not the answer, no matter what the economist theoreticians may declaim.
I think there might be a bit of resistance to the government telling people what they can or cant own, and what they can or cant do with their money.The start of a very slippery slope. . .
What on earth do you think would happen to New Zealand without that foreign capital?A small capital-poor country with a low savings rate, and you want to put the lid on it!Fantastic!
Why dont appliances last longer?After all, the world has been building washing machines, fridges, coffee grinders , and so on for a long time.And from anecdotal evidence, these things dont last as long as they used to.Whats going on? Is it a conspiracy. . .
Hmmmmmmmm. . . There hasnt been any great difficulty in finding money to pay for increased CEO salaries, increased dividends, and the like now has there?No. No there hasnt.So why is it suddenly so hard to find money for those at the coal face?
Lynda Hallinan: Men can talk abortion with the woman they impregnated; otherwise its none of their business
Women can talk about anything they like. Men can talk about anything they like.Its called free speech, or freedom of expression.Its important..
Raise the pension age regardless of future Super affordability
There are a whole bunch of people who dont have sedentary economist-type jobs, and for whom raising the retirement age is a different ball game.The simple one-size-fits-all solutions so beloved of the academic and intellectual community are so often a poor match for the reality of many peoples lives.
Where KiwiBuild is at with one year to build 1000 houses
Out of interest, what happens to the New Zealand economy with such a massively expanded construction sector?And once the hundred thousand houses are built?
Transmission Gully motorway looks likely to be user-pays after Labour shifts gears on tolling
. . . the $852 million road north of Wellington could make driving too attractive.Its a nice day, what will I do? I know! Ill go and drive up the motorway for an hour or so.Its a wet miseable day, what will I do? I know! Ill go and drive up the motorway for an hour or so.
Christchurch protest highlights unresolved insurance claims eight years on
The bulk of the unresolved insurance claims now are for botched or inadequate repairs.God bless the New Zealand Construction Industry, eh?
Chunks of Porirua sinking street slump about a metre in a month
. . . with subsidence first noticed in 2011.Nice to see theyre on top of the situation, and that its all under control.
How a capital gains tax could affect you
Yes James.Taxed on the money going in, taxed on the money while its in there, and taxed on the money when it comes out!The world will be such a better place.
Regional council says it got things 'terribly wrong' with Wellington's new bus network
Will there be crocodile tears with the traditional insincere apology?
NZ Super isn't enough for 'no frills' lifestyle, but Kiwis are bridging the gap
Tricky if youve got a Zimmer frame though, johnny.
When a person with extreme views defends free speech someone gets hurt
To be honest, Im tempted to say A plague on both your housesBut the issues too important for that.
Energy Minister says onshore block offer is enough to fend off legal threat from oil industry
Always a bit of a worry when the Minister is so confident in the face of a legal challenge. . .
Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha could be replaced, Jacinda Ardern says
. . . standing down from leading the inquiry when it was revealed she endorsed Haumaha on social networking site Linkedin on several occasions.Does nobody in New Zealand have a grasp of governance?
Cafe operator closed down for going dairy-free
Its the Kiwi way.
'There's just too many dodgy, shady, blood-sucking leech businesses out there'
Name and shame.Companies, directors, management.
Winston Peters and Shane Jones double down on Fonterra attack
What would be the coverage if an NZX50 company had blown a few hundred million bucks overseas?
Masterton man buys house only to find out five years later he doesnt own it
As I understand it, the lawyers who certified the transfers as correct are responsible, and possibly liable for any necessary remedial work.Would someone from the RGLs office care to comment?
Michelle Duff: Some parents are struggling. Why are we still paying for "free" childcare?
Why am I paying for childcare? Presumably because you want it.Like honey, lettuce, crockery, cheese, carpet, smartphones, and all those other little things that make life so wonderful.Should they be free as well
Derek Handley still tipped for CTO job despite Curran debacle
His track record seems to be a good match with Ms Currans.
Calls to ban electricity 'prompt payment discounts'
Its a tool the companies use to manage their cash flow.So if people manage their cashflow well, they pay less.Start by looking at late payment fees which hammer those who cant manage their cash flow, rather than a putative loss.
More than 4000 public servants at MBIE and IRD vote to strike
It seems that management arent very good at managing. It takes a lot to get people to vote to strike these days.Perhaps time for those managing IRD & MBI human resources to take a long break.
Massey University bans Don Brash from speaking
You may disagree with what I say, but I will fight to preserve your right to be offendedSounds fair to me. . .
"Tax Working Group plan for baches a wealth tax that will rob Kiwis of their dream",
I see. The tax you pay because if you had done something else, you might have made some money.
National's Chris Bishop accuses Police Minister Stuart Nash of "paranoid behaviour"
I thought that the Minister didnt interfere on operational matters.
How a capital gains tax could affect you
Ah. So a transaction-triggered tax.One might think that there would be fewer transactions making a profit then.And some modes of ownership becoming more popular than at present.Bonanza time for the lawyers, advisers, consultants and accountants.
New Zealand's Push-me-Pull-you Government
. . . a living organism with two ends, each with a head. . . Ends yes, heads no.
Joel Maxwell: The business world doesn't really know any better than the rest of us
Joel, you are at perfect liberty to learn and speak Re Reo.Enjoy!
Regional council says it got things 'terribly wrong' with Wellington's new bus network
Nah.Its all about competence.
"Tax-free internet shopping to end next October",
Rather arrogant for any government to claim the right to tax economic activity taking place in a different country.And how is the New Australian Amazon-lite working out?
Waimea dam project costing Tasman District ratepayers $20,000 every month
With the cost now at about 50% over the estimated cost, is there anybody interested - apart from the construction industry?
Letter's 12-day odyssey across Lower Hutt
I regularly use international postal services, and the timeframe here is what I would expect for something going from rural Iceland to rural Indonesia.
Why did baby Neve get Clarke's surname?
Makes things easier for genealogists, at least
New Zealand's Push-me-Pull-you Government
So its 1! We are all victims!I used to blame the Military Industrial Complex.Before them it was the Deep State. But now Im not so sure. I think I see the hardboiled egg of destiny, rolling down the footpath into the future. . .
Police officer was driving dangerously during fatal pursuit, says IPCA
. . . once it became evident that the fleeing driver was not going to stop the officers should have abandoned the pursuit.Im torn between the safety aspect, and disapproval of the message that youre OK as long as you can run away fast enough.So how about we do pursuit smarter? Isnt this what drones are good for?
How a capital gains tax could affect you
One imagines that one gets ones lawyer to arrange a deed of gofting.
If more has been found for the nurses, unions will take the hint to add pressure
Well done and about time!Its not been difficult to find money for exhorbitant salaries for CEOs and management in both the public and private sectors, has it.Good to see some money going to those at the coalface.
"Where the Jami-Lee Ross crisis engulfing National and Simon Bridges goes today",
What a sad, sorry saga.What would past leaders of this once-great party, Holland, Holyoake, et al make of it?
The struggle to improve Auckland's 'Third World suburb'
Why not take a walk down the main street, write a list of all the shops, publish it as a follow-up?
Massive Google price rise off the rails, Metlink complains
How many poor trains are there out there, lost between stations?Can they be saved?
"Tax-free internet shopping to end next October",
So here we are, busily protecting the New Zealand retail industry from the effects of offshore competition.When will we see the same luxurious level of support extended to those workers whose jobs have been exported via offshore outsourcing?
"Housing development ad selling 'Kiwiness' labelled disrespectful",
I will fight for your right to free speech, but Im not sure how far Id go to protect your right to feel disrespected.
Why Airbnb/Bookabach hosts shouldn’t pay commercial rates
Yet more special pleading from the business community - always with their hand out.Why should my residential rates subsidize your business?
Councillors accused of 'sticking heads in sand' as asset sales talks hit stumbling block
I dont know that I like the idea of CCHL paying a dividend of $192m from a profit of $135m.Makes me a little edgy about that last bond issue.Especially after the Lyttleton port debacle.
Language as 'our precious': Why Gollum is relevant to te reo MÄori
No, I think they just arent interested in it and dont see any value in it, EASTERN old thing
Expert panel told Wellington's Statistics House not built to design
So was it incompetence, or was it a bungled attempt to save $64.89 on the cost of the concrete?Will we ever know?
Apple vs Donald Trump: Who is right?
It took decades to hollow out the US manufacturing base.Anyone think the process can be reversed in a presidential term?Really?
Massey University bans Don Brash from speaking
No.Mister Brash is exercising his rapidly-diminishing right of free speech.The heckler is responding to that, and the response may be an attempt to deprive Mister Brash of his right.Perhaps by shouting him down.
I'm a nurse and I feel cheated by this pay deal
So a nurse gets a pay rise.All good and hoorah!The nurse then complains about paying more tax, some of which tax goes to . . . paying for the nurses pay rise.Am I missing something?
Kevin McCloud asks just how may toilets do we need in a house?
Gulf standard - ensure for each bedroom, one for guests, one for the maids room and one out the back by the laundry for the staff.No need for more - that would be a bit ostentatious.
Tourism booms in a 'socialist hellhole': Denmark
No Harry. No I dont.Im a tourist. I like Denmark for things like the giant walking sand dunes. I like Germany for the relaxed, laid back Bavarian attitude. I like Belgium for the chocolate and Spain for the museums.What am I doing wrong?
MPs criticism of cycle rail route near her property plain wrong
Maybe Wellington City Council could roll up the Island Bay cycleways and ship it South.Perhaps a givealittle page to pay for the freight. . .
Select committee to 'grill' parties responsible for Wellington's bus network
Lets not get to the situation where the sheer volume of enquiries and reviews means that theres nobody working on fixing things.The witch hunt can come later. . .
Retired founder of collapsed construction firm 'sorry that it's all happened'
Is it a variation of theft to prevent people retrieving their own property?
Jobseekers getting frustrated at delays in recruitment process
Jobseekers not keen to waitIt goes quite well with Businesses poor at decision-making and communication, doesnt it.
Mixed response to call for new Central Otago airport
That soon?
Damp and cold flats a Scarfie rite of passage or student slum?
Some tenants will put up with any old rubbish.Which is good.Because any old rubbish is what some landlords let out. . .
National's Chris Bishop accuses Police Minister Stuart Nash of "paranoid behaviour"
But he is, notme, he is.Worrying, isnt it?
Why I hate 'sales' and 'specials'
A week after buying a book, Book Depository started targeting me with online advertising showing that very book discounted by a 40 per cent.Its a perfect example of the inability of the business community to use what information they have to produce anything other than derisive laughter. booking.com are the same - forever bombarding you with the best deals for somewhere youve just got back from!Big data - small minds
Jobs warning to over 45s - ageism is alive and well
A fair chunk of New Zealand managers feel threatened by sheer competence -which is often born of experience.
Treasury warns migration is falling faster than expected 'posing a risk' to growth
Without those migrants, whos going to change my nappy in the dementia ward?
National demands independent probe into Simon Bridges travel expenses leak
Imagine how many study groups, working parties, and the like could be funded from that $919-per-day!
Labour's reform of tax and electricity may be destined to underwhelm supporters
Made from imported paraffin wax, no doubt.
Bugger! MPI tightens dog-on-ute law
Out of curiosity, how many dogs are injured in this way each year?And is passing an unenforceable law the best way to go about it?
Small insurance mistakes cost customers dearly
Or perhaps the model could change so that insurance companies were to specify what information they require.Or even adopt in good faith as a guiding principle.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chief executive to focus solely on fixing bus issues
Out of curiosity, why havent they reverted to the old timetable - the one that worked, that people didnt complain about, where the buses turned up, the one without unnecessary changes of bus. . . . that one.
Women of Influence Forum: Who else is sick of inspirational women?
Im not too distracted by inspirational women as a rule, but I do wish the world would stop pushing Frida Kahlo in my direction at every opportunity.
Being cold and rationing heating is now normal in New Zealand
At some point a government is going to bite the bullet and do a serious investigation into the New Zealand electricity industry.Probable outcome? A major structural change in the way the industry is set up.The current faux-competitive oligopoly will be out the window, hopefully replaced by something less dysfunctional.Until then, you lot enjoy the dividends, and you others keep shivering.
North Korea accuses US of plotting invasion with a 'smile on its face'
No, a diversion from the ginormous debt mountain, the rampant criminality, the unfilled government posts, all the other failures of the past two years.Remember the good old days when President Clinton was paying off the deficit?
Kevin McCloud asks just how may toilets do we need in a house?
Let us know when shes done. . . Im busting to know.
Social housing provider bubble wraps windows after tenant complains of cold
What a shambles the New Zealand housing market is!Who in their right mind would build an uninsulated box in Christchurch?Who would build a house in Christchurch without integrated heating?Nation of serfs
Internet society fears 'Five Eyes' could be about to undermine the Net
If you aint doing anything wrong, then why are you being spied on?
Greenpeace activists oil ship protest was just 'low level disobedience'
Yachts are complicated.They have all these ropes and knots and things
IRD pleads for patience as MBIE/IRD staff strike again
IRD and MBIE seem not to be very good at industrial relations, dont they?Perhaps a bit of a shakeup in the management team might be in order.As a taxpayer I expect competence in government departments, not wasting money on a management team that cant manage.
Michelle Duff: Some parents are struggling. Why are we still paying for "free" childcare?
Perhaps one might ask rather who pays for it when its free
"China takes a bit bite out of Apple's dominance",
Apple had really better pull finger.The rest of the world is rapidly catching up to, and passing, their stagnant product line.
What's the point in learning te reo MÄori, a language spoken only in New Zealand?
Im led to believe that Basement Greek is quite popular though.
Tax Working Group reaches consensus on introducing capital gains tax
After his recent outburst on waiting for the final version, it behoves Sir Michael to zip it sweetie.
"Tax-free internet shopping to end next October",
Sorry Fred.Amazon UK isnt actually a New Zealand company, domiciled in New Zealand.Im paying a UK company, from a UK bank account. It couldnt be any less New Zealand!
Magnifying the elephant in the boardroom
New Zealand Governments are about as good at business as the New Zealand Business Community are at government.The relationship needs to be symbiotic, not parasitic.
Commerce Commission investigating Vodafone's 'unlimited' mobile plan
Do I hear the regulator preparing the traditional wet bus tickets for the traditional slap over the traditional wrist?
Transport Minister had early concerns about Wellington's new bus system
Ring him and ask.Let us know what he says.
John Key delivers stark warning on the economy, endorses Simon Bridges as leader
Yes, well he would say that, wouldnt he?
Greater Wellington Regional Council may order independent review into bus network debacle
An Independent Review?What?Are these people incapable of working out what went wrong, when it went wrong, and why it went wrong?What the heck are they paid for?
Beanies banned at school, even on frosty mornings
. . . the principal says the school is enforcing its uniform policy.The Great New Zealand cop-out. I cant do anything because its our policy.Personally, I would have expected the school to get a whole bunch of beanies embroidered with the school logo run up and made part of the uniform.
ACC looks at 'chatbot' to master small talk
Perhaps ACC could hire some people, train them in the legislation and its requirements, and turn them loose to resolve the growing mountain of problems suffered by their increasingly frustrated claimant base.Just in the interests of getting their actual job done, you understand. . .
"Paula Bennett hints auditors could probe donation claim, and suggests Jami-Lee Ross to blame",
For a party which relies on a public perception of its competence, this must be very unsettling.
US President Donald Trump threatens to withdraw United States from WTO
Oh dear.One suspects that President Trump has rather missed the point of the WTO.It Is, after all, a somewhat complicated set of arrangements.
Years of transport indecision sees 'ghost flats' haunt Wellington during housing crisis
Oh the joys of coherent, long-term planning, joined-up government, and consistent policy.Wouldnt they be nice. . .
Pitched as a solution for sea level rise, questions remain over floating houses' affordability
Council planners struggle with a lot of things, Colin.
The ticking time bomb that could trigger a new financial crisis
Debt. Its always debt.And its never different this time.
Matt Lauer row: We've sold off our slice of paradise
Nah.Its been like watching a slow motion train wreck as New Zealanders sell up and then wander round like sheep bleating that the foreigners have bought all the . . .
Unreasonable shops trying to buck the Consumer Guarantees Act
Dont forget the company names, though!
Raise the pension age regardless of future Super affordability
Simple demographics will destroy the current system. Why wait for the problem to arrive before sorting the answer.Working harder or longer is not the answer, no matter what the economist theoreticians may declaim.
Capital gains tax debate not over, Grant Robertson suggests
I think there might be a bit of resistance to the government telling people what they can or cant own, and what they can or cant do with their money.The start of a very slippery slope. . .
Nightmare tenants and unfair laws mean we’ll never rent again
Um, to whom should they hand it back, Phil?
Capital gains tax debate not over, Grant Robertson suggests
What on earth do you think would happen to New Zealand without that foreign capital?A small capital-poor country with a low savings rate, and you want to put the lid on it!Fantastic!
"Dear Farmers, please get new bra ads
Out of idle curiosity, what are the under-wire things in bras for?What do they actually do?
Manufacturers' 24-month warranties are too short, Kiwis say
Why dont appliances last longer?After all, the world has been building washing machines, fridges, coffee grinders , and so on for a long time.And from anecdotal evidence, these things dont last as long as they used to.Whats going on? Is it a conspiracy. . .
" After a horrendous day, Nats leader Simon Bridges is still standing - for now",
It would be interesting to know what previous National Party leaders think of this farce.Can you see this happening in the Bolger years, for example.
A war between big business and the unions could see everyone lose
Hmmmmmmmm. . . There hasnt been any great difficulty in finding money to pay for increased CEO salaries, increased dividends, and the like now has there?No. No there hasnt.So why is it suddenly so hard to find money for those at the coal face?
ACC looks at 'chatbot' to master small talk
Competence, experience and empathy?On yer bike!