20 Comments

Pretty good column, even though it's (apparently) yesterday's news.

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I was particularly prescient today... :) Arrrgggh. Sorry. Have corrected from Monday to Tuesday... The good news is we're one day closer to Friday...

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All good! I was thinking what great value for Monday - 2 Dawn choruses AND a Dusk chorus. You've got a lot to juggle, I admire how you pull these threads together.

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I agree, but don't burn yourself on a Monday. We want you to still have juice in the tank for Friday's Hoon.

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Thanks Sonya. Will ration the juice.

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Thanks Maisie. :)

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I thought Nicola Willis was smarter than this

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The Kaka needs to get out to as many readers as possible this news is real honest and relevant

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Thanks Mike. Should I open this one up early? IE in the next hour or two?

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Yes please.

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I can't help thinking that National has become the party of big corporate business rather than small business (which is the bulk of NZ business). I'm sure small businesses would rather extra money to go into the hands of poorer Kiwis who will spend with them on groceries, shoes & clothes for the kids than straight into wealthy Kiwis investment portfolios. Wealth inequality is driving many nasty outcomes in NZ including ram raids, Voices for Freedom, people living in cars, full hospitals and domestic violence. We can all enjoy a better NZ if we all pay our fair share. See this morning's awesome Side Eye:https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/16-08-2022/the-side-eyes-two-new-zealands-the-table

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National was always the party of big business. When colleagues tell me 'but National is the party for business' I always ask they name one thing that National did that they can even remotely consider as good for their small business. They never have an example.

If low income people will have enough and a bit to spare they will spend it into the economy.

Too many NZers vote according to their aspiration to become millionaires one day even though for 40 odd years they never did.

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Thanks Merav. As above, any party that supports rising house prices (and is against falling house prices) is the party of small business, rather than big business.

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Yes and no. Small businesses have no other option but to leverage their own house to raise funds. So you need to have equity that's where rising prices help, but you are putting the roof above your head on the line. I sure would have loved to have other financing options, that's for the big $. For the small there are other options but the interest rates are a shocker.

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Thanks Sonya. It's worth knowing that the biggest beneficiaries of rising house prices are home owners who run small businesses off the back of their leveraged and ever-rising equity in homes. Actually suits National (and quite a few Labour and Green) voters.

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FYI an Update on the China beef fear article. The Meat Industry Association tells me this morning: "We were investigating this yesterday and it appears to be a false alarm as NZ product was being approved by GACC throughout the day and we have had no reports of any issues. MPI is aware and we expect will confirm the situation today."

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Personal opinion is I wouldn't expect changes to occur overnight, but I'd see it as signalling. Watch this space moment.

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National have come out of the blocks early with their two recent policies and shown their venal rule for the wealthy and kill the poor (especially the youth) mentality they’re as dreadful as ever. Parsimonious on behalf of everyone else except themselves like rich folk are. Worse than Labour and a new baby faced assassin who’s been sheltered in Corporates his whole career makes no difference except he’s even more of a sexist bigot than John Key. The things these people say and do are utterly without conscience or reflection for consequences on others more vulnerable than themselves no empathy whatsoever. Just outright naked greed on behalf of the wealthy and privileged I’m glad they’re blowing it so badly already. No redeeming features whatsoever.

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They have reverted to, pretty ignorant , type rather than refresh anything or anyone haven’t they? 😂

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Actually Bernard I want to know why Windfall taxes are not being proposed on banks and oil , energy and other companies and corporations who caused this mess, to mitigate it all, while being subsidised and enabled by successive Governments using taxpayer money. Reparations for total destruction are long overdue particularly given it has taken purposeful dissembling on them and our representatives against the public and our interests, they are paid to serve, in order it has gotten to a nearly too late doomsday scenario with the breakdown of society and institutions clearly evident.

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