All the concerns talked about in this morning's Early Bird are symptoms of planetary resource overshoot coupled with the ideological stance that public finances are the same as household finances.
The reality is that we are a sovereign currency issuing nation which means that public financing is not an issue; rather it is the availability of real resources (which are reducing because of overshoot) and how we allocate and use those real resources that is all important.
Thanks for opening this up immediately Bernard. The stark report on deaths arising from planned poverty in our richest cities, from planned under funding of local body resources in Mount Maunganui need to get out to our whānau. It’s not clear that deaths result from the deliberate and cynical policies of the electricity gentailers but we do know working class people are forced to make cruel choices over where to spend their reducing incomes. Lack of heating in poverty housing is a contributor to early deaths. As a paying subscriber, it’s in my interests to get this information out far and wide. Kia kaha Team Kaka.
This is absolutely shocking. Where is the emergency crisis team that is working on setting up shelters for our homeless whanau? And the cross party team working on long term solutions for housing our most vulnerable. These Ministers must stand up and be held accountable. Dreadful.
Housing stock growth has actually outpaced population growth in NZ every year since 1997. The most constrained we have been over that entire period was around 2020, when housing stock grew only 2% faster than population (against a 1991 baseline), and the average people-per-dwelling increased to ~2.6 (from a historical average of ~2.5). The inconvenient truth is, we have not had a housing supply problem since shelter was "financialised", but a right-kind-of-housing supply problem. Which leads me to believe that what we actually have is a right-kind-of-housing *lending* problem, and a right-kind-of-work distribution problem: https://horsethecompanion.github.io/housing-supply/ if you're interested in looking at the data
Fabulous summary, Bernard, thank you. Sums it up very well.
I'd like to challenge you on one of those last comments though.
The Greens under their current leadership are well aware of how broken our system is and the dysfunctional relationships between government, treasury and the reserve bank as well as the 1989 Public Finance Act and other legislation that need reforming. They regularly meet with people such as Ganesh Nana and other independent thinkers and are keen to rewrite such legislation to the benefit all New Zealanders not just preserve the status quo.
Alannah Batger unfortunately means-testing leads to the wealthy who can afford to, reorganising their afffairs to avoid the means test. e.g. currently the wealthiest citizens pay the lowest tax by % of income. And any policy to increase taxes on the wealthy is attacked by the coalition and many in the media, despite every OE D coutry having some sort of wealth tax. Simply put tax funds social services amd infrastructure all desperately needed!
I’m actually surprised more people haven’t died. It has been a very cold winter. Windy and wet in Wellington too. I read that Rotary had raised money to fund special sleeping sacks that can keep a person dry and warmer. This is a stop gap measure but gratefully received. The longer term need for housing and mental health support is acute. It is our shame that these basic needs are not being met.
Politicians and bureaucrats whose actions or inactions have resulted in this increase in homelessness appear to not have any empathy for those who do not have adequate housing and in the case of these deaths, those politicians and bureaucrats have blood on their hands. I know that it is probably impossible to ensure everyone has adequate housing but this government by cutting investment in social housing, making it harder to get emergency accommodation and bringing in move on orders (etc) while giving tax cuts to landlords and tobacco companies has demonstrated they are a coalition of cruelty.
Horrible. Not surprised people die in the streets when it’s cold enough indoors…but still, just so shocking :(
Yes, especially when you don't dare turn a heater on.
While the power companies make record profits :(
Mark Mitchell, any insights?
All the concerns talked about in this morning's Early Bird are symptoms of planetary resource overshoot coupled with the ideological stance that public finances are the same as household finances.
The reality is that we are a sovereign currency issuing nation which means that public financing is not an issue; rather it is the availability of real resources (which are reducing because of overshoot) and how we allocate and use those real resources that is all important.
Thanks for opening this up immediately Bernard. The stark report on deaths arising from planned poverty in our richest cities, from planned under funding of local body resources in Mount Maunganui need to get out to our whānau. It’s not clear that deaths result from the deliberate and cynical policies of the electricity gentailers but we do know working class people are forced to make cruel choices over where to spend their reducing incomes. Lack of heating in poverty housing is a contributor to early deaths. As a paying subscriber, it’s in my interests to get this information out far and wide. Kia kaha Team Kaka.
This is absolutely shocking. Where is the emergency crisis team that is working on setting up shelters for our homeless whanau? And the cross party team working on long term solutions for housing our most vulnerable. These Ministers must stand up and be held accountable. Dreadful.
Housing stock growth has actually outpaced population growth in NZ every year since 1997. The most constrained we have been over that entire period was around 2020, when housing stock grew only 2% faster than population (against a 1991 baseline), and the average people-per-dwelling increased to ~2.6 (from a historical average of ~2.5). The inconvenient truth is, we have not had a housing supply problem since shelter was "financialised", but a right-kind-of-housing supply problem. Which leads me to believe that what we actually have is a right-kind-of-housing *lending* problem, and a right-kind-of-work distribution problem: https://horsethecompanion.github.io/housing-supply/ if you're interested in looking at the data
Thanks Tim. Great points.
Fabulous summary, Bernard, thank you. Sums it up very well.
I'd like to challenge you on one of those last comments though.
The Greens under their current leadership are well aware of how broken our system is and the dysfunctional relationships between government, treasury and the reserve bank as well as the 1989 Public Finance Act and other legislation that need reforming. They regularly meet with people such as Ganesh Nana and other independent thinkers and are keen to rewrite such legislation to the benefit all New Zealanders not just preserve the status quo.
I would think that Labour would consult too; we need that expertise and other view points.
3 homeless New Zealanders die of hypothermia in a 2 week period, so it's official. Thanks to this evil government, we're now a third world society
hi Barnard, you mentioned the sinking lid on government spending, but most of us know that is not the case for everything.
please consider discussing areas that has seen increases in spending eg: defense, corporate tax cuts, charter schools etc.
Is this what people mean when they say we should be more like the U.S A.
If we means tested the old age pension how much would we lose in administration costs?
Alannah Batger unfortunately means-testing leads to the wealthy who can afford to, reorganising their afffairs to avoid the means test. e.g. currently the wealthiest citizens pay the lowest tax by % of income. And any policy to increase taxes on the wealthy is attacked by the coalition and many in the media, despite every OE D coutry having some sort of wealth tax. Simply put tax funds social services amd infrastructure all desperately needed!
I’m actually surprised more people haven’t died. It has been a very cold winter. Windy and wet in Wellington too. I read that Rotary had raised money to fund special sleeping sacks that can keep a person dry and warmer. This is a stop gap measure but gratefully received. The longer term need for housing and mental health support is acute. It is our shame that these basic needs are not being met.
Politicians and bureaucrats whose actions or inactions have resulted in this increase in homelessness appear to not have any empathy for those who do not have adequate housing and in the case of these deaths, those politicians and bureaucrats have blood on their hands. I know that it is probably impossible to ensure everyone has adequate housing but this government by cutting investment in social housing, making it harder to get emergency accommodation and bringing in move on orders (etc) while giving tax cuts to landlords and tobacco companies has demonstrated they are a coalition of cruelty.