Seeing we are looking at replacing the current flag with a logo. How about consumerism. ;-)
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Looks like Federated Farmers would have been one of the lobbyists against the overseas sale. Lochinver Station is very highly regarded in farming circles.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU150...September+2015
There is a different story over Silver Fern Farms: a 50% buyout and capital injection from a Chinese group looks like a sensible deal, according to Patrick Smellie.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opin...September+2015
He makes a good point: our wages are still well above what they might have in China and other destinations for red meat. What is to stop an increasing trend of shipping whole carcasses, not just sheep, but beef animals, for handling overseas? Comparing the meat industry with the dairy industry, it won't be long before any flash robotic or electromechanical plant we might develop in NZ will be more well dispersed overseas too. There will need to be compelling reasons for working on carcasses here.
This article from Oliver Hartwich of the NZ Initiative leaves no doubt as to his political persuasion. He seems to be the head of the operation, so you have to describe NZI as a right-wing think tank, the usual story. Why can't the Left ever get one organised, to provide a bit of balance, I wonder?
https://nzinitiative.outreach.co.nz/...ntact=131b3410
Oliver conveniently misses out the salient facts that: NZ is being sold off, both publicly and privately, the tax take is down in proportion because of this loss in dividends and the lower tax rates. And of course, the govt has spent way more than it is getting back in receipts, over the seven years it has been in office. I still think they'll be lucky to post even a tiny surplus for the year just gone. Future taxpayers will have to pay for this new debt, and deal with superannuation costs. Unemployment is rising, along with the balance of payments.
Incremental neo-liberal policies have done that for NZ. Terrific. Hurrah!
Some quick-witted activists in Hamilton West, I see. Interesting mix of comments.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...ohn-key-sketch
Thought this was worth posting twice! ;-)
Roy Morgan poll has a Labour/Green coalition ahead of National 46 to 44 EZ.
I sent an email to Winston Peters saying I didn't vote for him in the bi-election just to re-elect John Key, so I want to know prior to the 2017 election which parties he would form a coalition with if necessary.
Good on yer, Daytr.
Here's that Roy Morgan Poll, released yesterday.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/64...5-201509180721
By now Treasury will know what the tax take was, for the month of June 2015. This of course, is the last month for the Govt's financial year, and based on that income, we'll reasonably know whether National achieved a budget surplus, or not. Treasury seems to be unusually tardy on posting the data, for that month. They'll even have July's data worked out by now.
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/governme...nue/taxoutturn
Part of the awakening we need over NZ's economy is all about the profit share for those in the primary sector and the initial transformation on the product's lifetime. The milk solids sector, the logging industry, meat and wool, for example. While these primary sectors need enormous assets, they are not allowed to capture the proportional profits, that's part of the system we're allowing to evolve. Globalisation is all about holding profits down in the primary sector. The real money is made further up the chain, in distribution and retail sales. Selling off our NZ assets, along with the IP that built them up in the first place, is just crazy, if we end up with a lower profit base here. Rod Oram has a good look at this problem.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/7213...al-poses-risks
Good point PSE, although I have seen some instances of inaction at the Labour coalface recently, and that has to change.
Sometime in October, our super-clever Govt will need to tell us how they did in the last financial year, and how the next year will go. If they were a company, we'd be waiting on the Q4 and Annual Report. I think it's almost a surety that they'll post another loss, it'll be their seventh in a row, and while they won't be selling shares to cover that, they will be raising some capital offshore. The shareholders (future taxpayers) will need to pay it all off in the years to come, but by then we'll have a wholesale change in the Board of Directors I hope.
In May, a budget surplus was mentioned as unlikely. Despite the high tax month of May, and National's newfound hopes after that, I don't see how they'll be able to manufacture an annual surplus from the June tax take, which is always much lower. This is going to be hugely embarrassing for Bill and John, but they'll have some Crosby-Textor words ready for us. "We got close, that's good enough"
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...rplus-Treasury
I assume you mean the NZ Initiative? At least they publish their research and findings so people can read and make up their own minds. Even if they disagree with the conclusions they may have learned something. Some of their publications are very practical and include input from people at the coalface. A couple of recent examples - costs and benefits of the working at heights safety legislation, and CBA of compensating organ donors.