23 Comments

The moral compass that guides the priorities and decision-making rationale of this government is, to put it mildly, repulsive.

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Sep 22Liked by Bernard Hickey

Unfortunately, I feel more and more depressed by your reports Bernard. If this is getting NZ back on track then, if I was younger, I too would join an A320 leaving for far off shores. One of my children heads to Australia in Feb for who knows how long. I'm excited for them ❤️

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We went to Dubai in 1992, escaping Ruth Richardson budget, was so good to leave the land of long black cloud of depression

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Sep 22Liked by Bernard Hickey

In solutions news: Since the discovery that David Seymour is a magician, Willis and Luxon have concluded the fix for the government's latest $3b "problem" is to simply give him an additional $18m along with the Child Poverty Reduction portfolio. Henceforth, all government spending will progressively transition to Seymour, for Magical Money Multiplication treatment... Despite the increased workload, Seymour wishes to assure citizens that he remains available for parties (turning water to wine, and everything else to solid gold).

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Sep 22Liked by Bernard Hickey

Re Modern Salvery. I have commented before, not addressing this issue puts our key exporters at a global disadvantage since Britain & EU especially have made it a requirement for importers. It’s puts pressure on our free trade agreements, not to mention the scrutiny we are about to receive from the United Nations UPR which final recommendation reports are due very shortly (Oct 11th).

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yes it is a bit of a blind spot for a lot of companies. The Sedex system is increasingly used by MNC to make sure there is clarity in supply chains around these types of issues, if you don't measure up you can't be a member and if you are not a member you can not supply these companies. I had a quick look at the woolworths corporate reports on this and it is interesting to see how much effort they are making to comply with Australian regulations, but bugger all done to cover in NZ ( ironically being ASX listed this could get them in a spot of bother, but just like the NRL, different rules for NZ operations)

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Willis seems to think that it is responsible and in good faith to hold a lid on government department funding to collective agreements to come out of baseline allocations, and to avoid back payment of settled negotiations. I would challenge that it is reckless and in bad faith to preempt any negotiations in this manner. Interesting listening to Craig Renney on this, but Willis simply discredits him with his position with the labour party inferring he is a partisan.

I had a listen to AFR's weekly podcast Chanticleer https://omny.fm/shows/chanticleer/why-the-rba-cant-deliver-rate-cuts-quickly-bank-st and it was an interesting juxtaposition to our current leadership. They seem to think the RBA wont be cutting rates until later next year.

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Don't see what Labour is hoping to achieve in the offer to work with the government on yet more new resource management legislation given the Cabinet decisions on the outline of the new legislation - no Te Tiriti o Waitangi recognition, just the 'property rights' of Te Tiriti settlements (no settlement = get stuffed?); no explicit reference to environment/ecological sustainability; only climate change adaptation consideration, no mitigation considerations; no general public process except via submissions to the relevant select committee after the first reading of the legislation = public get stuffed (different story for donors/Feds/business/Atlas Foundation affiliates and fellow travellers).

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Further, the Labour offer to work with the CoC over this was made last December. Nothing heard since. Fits with Bishop's understanding of 'bi-partisan' - the CoC will work out a policy, now all the others can agree to it.

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Sep 22Liked by Bernard Hickey

I love your nature pic today. It helps us to breathe after yelling, screaming, swearing and sobbing into the void. Breathe...

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author

Thanks Denise

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Totally agree nature pic today allows me to quell anger at inequality being pursued by current government.

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Scents are wonderful to recover from words.

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Anyone who believes that the solution is to “grow the economy and tax cuts” is completely dishonest. They are dishonest because the evidence says otherwise. They are happy to be dishonest on behalf of their backers.

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So Labour didn't achieve its goals re children in material hardship from 2018 to 2023?

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I think the point is Labour had a plan in place, that plan was negatively impacted by covid, but could now be brought back on track with a modest 3 billion dollar government investment, but Luxon's government are choosing not to invest.

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Some truth there but Labour did have 18 months or so post-Covid to work on that plan.

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Perhaps a more important truth is that the investment Labour did make, in reducing child poverty, is now being undermined and directly sabotaged by Luxon’s government.

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Sep 23·edited Sep 23

National have been directly responsible for increasing our exports since they got in. Unfortunately, our kids are the exports. Its a shame that the government and a section of the population don't know when they are being played by 1960's Atlas policy advocates. We have traded in a forward-looking evidence-based administration for backward-looking evidence denying administration. Just because you deny evidence doesn't make it go away, hope everyone is feeling safer???

Thanks Bernard. Shared

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Sep 23Liked by Bernard Hickey

I wonder what that 3 Billion looks like vs the future costs, another master class in short termism from the Govt

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'...sticking to Labour’s child poverty reduction targets would cost $3 billion', but what will not sticking to them cost? I suppose that depends how you price social costs, never mind additional social services, justice etc mopping up/dealing with the results. Unless, of course, they don't 'disappear' the problems, like the 20% who left emergency housing to go where?

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Gary Dyall

I can’t believe the hypocrisy of Nicola Willis, the Minister of Finance, when she said on the one hand that there must be restraint on the expenditure by the Public Service and on the other hand gives Seymour thirty million dollars for his Ministry of Regulations and also does not require the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to make little if any savings unlike other Crown Agencies where over 5000 public servants lost their jobs.

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Appalling that this government continues to ignore the evidence - even though that evidence can bleed.

We've known for a while that poverty in NZ is a "political choice"and that our politicians continue to make the wrong one.

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