Govt adds chiropractors, osteopaths, social workers, hospital play therapists & counsellors to Green List for work-to-residence visas for workers & families in desperate move to address health crisis
More depressing reading on how Labour seemingly has learnt nothing from past mistakes on thinking migration policies rather than extra investment is the way forward .
And why wouldn't you move to Aussie with a likely giant leap in salary and cost of living components like groceries so much cheaper than here in NZ . Please someone give the Commerce Commission some balls and teeth to start tearing into the various market sectors in NZ with little to no real competition like the supermarket duopoly to make it more affordable to live here.
Thanks for your thoughts Bernard. Why don't we as a country debate a population policy? Are we too scared for what it would mean or afraid of the answer?
To me the tradeoff is simple, we need more population density to achieve growth and have new shiny things! Otherwise we must accept services, infrastructure and the country will remain poorer.
Especially compare the prevention measures taken to prevent the road toll.
"In 2021–24 we’ll be investing $1.24 billion in the Road Safety Partnership Programme to provide road policing activities approved by the minister which will maintain 1,070 dedicated road policing staff and about 20% of non-dedicated police staff time..."
To make this clear: I am not concerned that I'm being being shadow-banned by Twitter, more that use of quoting particular non-offensive tweets that actively support public COVID countermeasures is apparently being actively suppressed by Twitter.
Compare the level of right leaning Twitter replies to left leaning responses to news media accounts.
I'm beginning to wonder if non-offensive left-leaning responses are being disproportionately& actively suppressed by Twitter.
If so should it be considered interfering in political discourse, especially when leading up to an election?
Can’t even educate the kids for these roles. Because they don’t deserve any investment just flog them off via CYFS or onto WINZ. Honestly this country is lawless, unethical and just downright stupid. Our Parliament is clearly just a bunch of useless show ponies that can’t and won’t get anything positive done. Just a joke really Labour will have had 6 years by October and there is no progress in fact regression albeit we can all see it now. Our alternatives are not savoury either. What a conundrum when there’s a whole lot of totally corrupt and selfish blokes abusing our trust and abusing their power to flog the countries resources of and relying on unpaid and cheap labour and a class of slaves with literally no access to justice to do it. They are unconscionable sadists AND outright corrupt when you analyse their history of what hasn’t and doesn’t get done which is REALLY BASIC stuff. Our Governments have been a literal farce and institutions abuse the public and neglect their duties. No wonder people are angry this is a shot show they’ve known about for decades. It is so bad it can’t even be rationalised. This Govt has got to be just marking time now. Hipkins is like a school ma’am and arrogant along with being ,more often than not, just plain out wrong. Bunch of conmen.
Hello Bernard. It might be interesting if you were to review the attached link with Ian Wishart.
I kind of always knew 'Ford Ranger Man' isn't the complete bogie man he's made out to be.
Just sayin.......I think there's more to climate change than we are all led to believe.
And I'm kind of tired of the lie that EV's are the pancea for our problems.
When clearly, they are not and the insidious environmental damage they directly cause through mineral mining (I shared this with you some time ago) is conveniently ignored and not talked about.
I was chatting with a friend yesterday, an Aussie GP in training. He's looking at retaining with practical skills because he believes his job will be taken by AI very soon. He's also decided not to a mortgage based on his current income, because he can't guarantee it for the life of the mortgage, with his expectation of doctors being largely replaced. His partner works in programming and she has the same expectations. And honestly I also think my job has maybe 2-3 years left in it, because of AI. So perhaps the gov is also anticipating that the health worker shortage to be temporary and so they're not interested in structural change, because they think technology will be that structural change? A depressing thought, and really I doubt the government has that much foresight, but could be a possibility.
For anyone not yet familiar with the pace of change with AI the past 12 months, I highly recommend the Your Undivided Attention podcast with the team behind the Social Dilemma doco on netflix. These two episodes are eye opening:
The thought of all this importing and exporting of workers so as to avoid taxing the rich so we can continue refusing to pay our own citizens higher wages leaves me in despair. It creates a huge social and environmental impact and shows a complete lack of political courage and desire to change from both major parties. What I cant fathom, is why political polls indicate that even more of us are voting for the same people who have created this sorry state of affairs, which only exacerbates entrenched stagnation. They need a major wake up call.
Related but slightly off the point, Chris Luxon was on this morning talking about the need to reinvigorate the investor class visa due to recent low uptake. He quoted it had led to $16 billion in initial foreign investment in NZ (with an additional $3 for every initial $ spent). Does this seem accurate? And do we have any idea of what those investments are? I work with alot of silicon valley clients and having been back here a couple of years it doesnt feel like NZ is awash with foreign investors looking to provide VC funding to new exciting kiwi businesses. It does feel like there is a lot of luxury mansions that werent there before though. Thouhgts?
Thanks for opening this up immediately Bernard. So important that the discussion is as broad as possible.
I’m concerned at the depressing nature of our conversations disempowers us. It’s important to keep believing there is an alternative. Can we also share things that give us a lift?
Thinking about slow or fast thinking: it seems that MPs are perhaps no more than the fall folk. Is the slow thinking done by a collection of think tanks. I’ve just started to check their agendas and so far the language looks like candyfloss. I’d be surprised if there is not a lot of power tucked away there. Remember what The Business Round Table put us all through
It's so backwards. You know what can't pack up and move to Australia? Our stunning views, lakes, beaches, along with our remoteness and mild climate, and convenient timezone. Add to those things any good transport infrastructure or hospitals or houses or schools we might build; a good business and stable political environment and fast internet; diversity and inclusivity... People love to live in NZ, but only if they can afford to work around our anti-social housing and infrastructure.
Governments should be looking at the accelerating disruption of climate change, and the opportunity technology is giving isolated countries like ours, and implementing 'build it and they will come (or stay)' policies, rather than these ridiculous bribes.
New Zealand simply cannot compete against countries like Canada, Australia and the U.S when it comes to attracting the type of people we're after to even satiate the growth appetite that political parties need to keep things going.
There's not enough of these people that even exist. The one's who do exist, will already be where they want to be, and it ain't New Zealand.
More depressing reading on how Labour seemingly has learnt nothing from past mistakes on thinking migration policies rather than extra investment is the way forward .
And why wouldn't you move to Aussie with a likely giant leap in salary and cost of living components like groceries so much cheaper than here in NZ . Please someone give the Commerce Commission some balls and teeth to start tearing into the various market sectors in NZ with little to no real competition like the supermarket duopoly to make it more affordable to live here.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/12-04-2023/how-much-cheaper-are-groceries-in-australia-than-new-zealand-really
Thanks for your thoughts Bernard. Why don't we as a country debate a population policy? Are we too scared for what it would mean or afraid of the answer?
To me the tradeoff is simple, we need more population density to achieve growth and have new shiny things! Otherwise we must accept services, infrastructure and the country will remain poorer.
A useful chart when talking on COVID is
David Hood ( Verified ) @Thoughtfulnz Covid deaths vs Road toll
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1638724023944368128
Especially compare the prevention measures taken to prevent the road toll.
"In 2021–24 we’ll be investing $1.24 billion in the Road Safety Partnership Programme to provide road policing activities approved by the minister which will maintain 1,070 dedicated road policing staff and about 20% of non-dedicated police staff time..."
Too bad the inclusion of the link
https://twitter.com/Thoughtfulnz/status/1638724023944368128
... in one of your Twitter tweets or replies is apparently being actively suppressed by Twitter.
https://twitter.com/NZheretic/status/1645883905650880513
To make this clear: I am not concerned that I'm being being shadow-banned by Twitter, more that use of quoting particular non-offensive tweets that actively support public COVID countermeasures is apparently being actively suppressed by Twitter.
Compare the level of right leaning Twitter replies to left leaning responses to news media accounts.
I'm beginning to wonder if non-offensive left-leaning responses are being disproportionately& actively suppressed by Twitter.
If so should it be considered interfering in political discourse, especially when leading up to an election?
Can’t even educate the kids for these roles. Because they don’t deserve any investment just flog them off via CYFS or onto WINZ. Honestly this country is lawless, unethical and just downright stupid. Our Parliament is clearly just a bunch of useless show ponies that can’t and won’t get anything positive done. Just a joke really Labour will have had 6 years by October and there is no progress in fact regression albeit we can all see it now. Our alternatives are not savoury either. What a conundrum when there’s a whole lot of totally corrupt and selfish blokes abusing our trust and abusing their power to flog the countries resources of and relying on unpaid and cheap labour and a class of slaves with literally no access to justice to do it. They are unconscionable sadists AND outright corrupt when you analyse their history of what hasn’t and doesn’t get done which is REALLY BASIC stuff. Our Governments have been a literal farce and institutions abuse the public and neglect their duties. No wonder people are angry this is a shot show they’ve known about for decades. It is so bad it can’t even be rationalised. This Govt has got to be just marking time now. Hipkins is like a school ma’am and arrogant along with being ,more often than not, just plain out wrong. Bunch of conmen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x8uhfJTOes
Hello Bernard. It might be interesting if you were to review the attached link with Ian Wishart.
I kind of always knew 'Ford Ranger Man' isn't the complete bogie man he's made out to be.
Just sayin.......I think there's more to climate change than we are all led to believe.
And I'm kind of tired of the lie that EV's are the pancea for our problems.
When clearly, they are not and the insidious environmental damage they directly cause through mineral mining (I shared this with you some time ago) is conveniently ignored and not talked about.
I was chatting with a friend yesterday, an Aussie GP in training. He's looking at retaining with practical skills because he believes his job will be taken by AI very soon. He's also decided not to a mortgage based on his current income, because he can't guarantee it for the life of the mortgage, with his expectation of doctors being largely replaced. His partner works in programming and she has the same expectations. And honestly I also think my job has maybe 2-3 years left in it, because of AI. So perhaps the gov is also anticipating that the health worker shortage to be temporary and so they're not interested in structural change, because they think technology will be that structural change? A depressing thought, and really I doubt the government has that much foresight, but could be a possibility.
For anyone not yet familiar with the pace of change with AI the past 12 months, I highly recommend the Your Undivided Attention podcast with the team behind the Social Dilemma doco on netflix. These two episodes are eye opening:
1) https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/synthetic-humanity-ai-whats-at-stake
2) https://www.humanetech.com/podcast/the-ai-dilemma
The thought of all this importing and exporting of workers so as to avoid taxing the rich so we can continue refusing to pay our own citizens higher wages leaves me in despair. It creates a huge social and environmental impact and shows a complete lack of political courage and desire to change from both major parties. What I cant fathom, is why political polls indicate that even more of us are voting for the same people who have created this sorry state of affairs, which only exacerbates entrenched stagnation. They need a major wake up call.
Hi Bernard,
Related but slightly off the point, Chris Luxon was on this morning talking about the need to reinvigorate the investor class visa due to recent low uptake. He quoted it had led to $16 billion in initial foreign investment in NZ (with an additional $3 for every initial $ spent). Does this seem accurate? And do we have any idea of what those investments are? I work with alot of silicon valley clients and having been back here a couple of years it doesnt feel like NZ is awash with foreign investors looking to provide VC funding to new exciting kiwi businesses. It does feel like there is a lot of luxury mansions that werent there before though. Thouhgts?
Thanks for opening this up immediately Bernard. So important that the discussion is as broad as possible.
I’m concerned at the depressing nature of our conversations disempowers us. It’s important to keep believing there is an alternative. Can we also share things that give us a lift?
Thinking about slow or fast thinking: it seems that MPs are perhaps no more than the fall folk. Is the slow thinking done by a collection of think tanks. I’ve just started to check their agendas and so far the language looks like candyfloss. I’d be surprised if there is not a lot of power tucked away there. Remember what The Business Round Table put us all through
It's so backwards. You know what can't pack up and move to Australia? Our stunning views, lakes, beaches, along with our remoteness and mild climate, and convenient timezone. Add to those things any good transport infrastructure or hospitals or houses or schools we might build; a good business and stable political environment and fast internet; diversity and inclusivity... People love to live in NZ, but only if they can afford to work around our anti-social housing and infrastructure.
Governments should be looking at the accelerating disruption of climate change, and the opportunity technology is giving isolated countries like ours, and implementing 'build it and they will come (or stay)' policies, rather than these ridiculous bribes.
New Zealand simply cannot compete against countries like Canada, Australia and the U.S when it comes to attracting the type of people we're after to even satiate the growth appetite that political parties need to keep things going.
There's not enough of these people that even exist. The one's who do exist, will already be where they want to be, and it ain't New Zealand.
Prison population doesn't seem to be at an all time high - has been decreasing for the last few years up until a recent spike in september last year - https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/statistics/quarterly_prison_statistics/prison_stats_december_2022