Yesterday’s announcement by the government to reset Kiwibuild to include lower desposits, rent-to-own and shared equity schemes has welcome echoes of the scheme that allowed my “working class” Mum and Dad to build a new home in Christchurch in the early 1960’s.
The difference between then and now however is that in those now far off days the government controlled the banking system.
Most people put their money into the government guaranteed Post Office Savings Bank and some of the money we saved went into the government owned State Advances Corporation which administered housing loans.
In short we saved for ourselves and we lent to ourselves. Overseas owned private banks didn’t get much of a look in because the government scheme was such a good deal.
During the 1980’s however Labour deregulated the banking and finance industries, effectively handing the mortgage market to private bankers whose motive is profit for their shareholders, not the good of the people.
So the problem for the current Labour led government is that it wants to reset the country’s social agenda so we have fairer society but it wants to do it by clinging to the economics of selfishness (neoliberalism) .
It can’t be done and the failure of the Kiwibuild programme proves it .
Until the government tackles the problem of wealth accumulating from untaxed assets and actually resets the economy so that it works for the many and not the wealthy few – then the problems we have in housing, health, education and so on cannot be properly addressed.
Labour’s head needs to follow its heart – say sorry for introducing the misery it ushered into our country through the selfishness of neoliberalism and RESET the entire economy so that more people share in the collective wealth of the nation.
Bryan Bruce is one of NZs most respected documentary makers and public intellectuals who has tirelessly exposed NZs neoliberal economic settings as the main cause for social issues.
Many Nzers capitalised on their family benefit to get into housing. Maori Affairs helped our people (Maori) into homes/home ownership due to racism we couldn’t and didn’t get homes we were pepper potted another racist policy.
Yes Brian Labour coalition needs to reset the old agencies like NZTA which Steven Joyce setup to be only a “road controlling authority” (RTA) and wrongly now claims it is the ‘NZ Transport agency’ which it is not.
NZTA do not control our public owned NZ rail freight services, Kiwirail does.
We at CEAC wrote an article on this reset earlier this year, see this again as a reminder;
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1905/S00220/ceac-calls-for-nzta-wellbeing-rules-to-be-reset.htm
CEAC Calls for NZTA ‘wellbeing’ rules to be ‘reset’
Wednesday, 15 May 2019, 10:31 am
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
16th May 2019.
CEAC Calls for NZTA ‘wellbeing’ rules to be ‘reset’ by NZ govt
The latest truck fire on an NZTA operated ‘Napier Port roading network’ shows that NZTA are still lacking responsible actions to avoid truck accidents yet again.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12230001
NZ has been shocked about all the spiralling deaths on our roads involving trucks.
Now we see even trucks are now catching fire inside our cities residential communities, as seen in this last week in the press release in the NZ Herald, when quote; “A truck and trailer has caught on fire at Taradale Rd in the Napier suburb of Onekawa today”.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12230001
This 187% increased expansion of truck freight by 2027 being announced by Napier Port Board last January 2019 when in partnership with NZTA is now threatening to our Napier residents and our NGO.
Why?
• With this massive truck movement activity planed NZTA must now plan for a ‘global’ use of a “ring road” system used to take all heavy traffic onto a ring road system, diverting all heavy traffic outside of the cities, and not through it as NZTA has planned it everywhere today.
• Now Napier Port board must also use of rail to transport freight to and from the Napier Port, as part of the ‘zero carbon bill’ and the ‘wellbeing bill’.
Evidence here.
We need ‘US style’ ‘ring road’ heavy truck routes around our NZ cities not through the middle of them like Napier has.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_road
Ring road – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Ring Road (disambiguation).
“Beltway” redirects here. For the term used in American politics, see Inside the Beltway.
The inner ring road of Sheffield, England
A ring road (also known as beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducing traffic volumes in the urban centre, such as by offering an alternate route around the city for drivers who do not need to stop in the city core.
Some of the many mistakes made by NZTA.
We are now calling for urgent action be taken by Government over the spiralling truck volumes causing danger and accidents plaguing NZ today.
• Government needs to force a total “reset” of NZTA because they are now clearly dysfunctional after many cases of wellbeing;
• failing truck brakes.
• Warrant of Fitness.
• trailer hitches.
• Truck drivers found cheating of log books, & drivers found working outside of regulatory hours,
• Several trucks catching fire.
• Increased fatalities showing no sign of being lowered.
• Lack of NZTA acting for residents reasonable resolutions for community ‘wellbeing’ mitigation.
So this lack of NZTA to control for ‘wellbeing’ and road safety clearly now shows we need a total reset of this out of control NZTA road controlling agency.
Many reports have been seen by our Centre over the years in the press about NZTA failure at not listen to years of warnings from Citizen’s groups all over NZ complaining about NZTA’s lack of willingness to work with communities wellbeing affected by many complaints made to them of dis-satisfaction with NZTA due their lack of services to mitigate the complaints made about road design and road activities and operations.
About how a public owned roading agency must act. – “As the rules must apply to everyone not just a few”
TO; Government we say “Enough is enough” we say, – fix this errant agency and ‘reset’ NZTA with a new regulatory set of rules to work with residents groups with focus on ‘wellbeing’ to resolve all citizens issues now before more lives are lost on roads and those living alongside them.
Napier Port must be also be ‘reset’ with new regulatory set of rules involving ‘wellbeing’ to work with all residents groups to resolve all citizens issues.
Reference material below.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12230001
Truck and trailer catches fire.
11 May, 2019 3:47pm
Truck on fire on Taradale Rd, Onekawa Video / Wendy Stoltz
NZ Herald
A truck and trailer has caught on fire at Taradale Rd in the Napier suburb of Onekawa today.
Wendy Stoltz has posted a video of the blaze on the Napier News Facebook page, which has attracted nearly 200 comments.
The Herald is seeking information about the fire from police.
end
I cant see how this works. Yes the entry fee is low, but doesnt that mean, you will have a mortgage for longer and are paying more for a low cost house in the long run, on the interest that you pay?
Or, do you flick it at some stage for a capital gain, perpetuating the cycle that the government is pretending to deal with?
More like a large loss in capital given that once the credit market restricts that’s exactly what will occur.
Yea, I don’t see the advantage of a 5% deposit except to chain more people to mortgage servitude and keep the over priced housing market inflated longer. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Home ownership isn’t an investment, and looking at it like that (outside of niche times), unless you’re doing it on an industrial scale, is a great way to get burnt.
That said, it’s also not particularly high risk.
That said, also, viewing it as a very long term investment (IE: After I pay off the mortgage!) is also a mistake. You want to be able to trade up your home if necessary without feeling bad.
Yes, Bryan. The bank, finance sector needs to be majorly bought to heel. To serve the people and not dictate terms. It’s GLOBAL.
I see the Labour government is waiting till after the next election to deal with our Maori water claims due to there coalition agreement this is bad but we need to start asking labour the hard questions now before the next election so we know who deserves our vote and if labour cant produce the goods it could be haere ra to those 7 Maori seats
As if you will ever get anywhere under a National government.
Didnt Phil Goff already say sorry, that they were wrong back in 2011, during a debate with John key? How many times do they have to say it ? and will it change the past that includes the untold damage of National governments that have no intention whatsoever of changing its self serving punitive, corrupt ways? Surely people dont think National would never have introduced neoliberalism that was sweeping the world at the time, if Rodger Douglas hadnt of sold out? No government will turn the banking system on his head in one fell swoop, if any changes are to be had, it will be in steps and then built on.
From economist John Adams with a nice pic link in the description below the video.
It’s not William Banzai7, but then it has an Aussie focus. NZ is not much different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QQVepvQTyg
We all know what needs to be done with regards too the rich mans 1984 revolution.
Bernie and Corbyn are articulating change in their countries despite the forces against them.
Its time we started to do that here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACg6IuFfMJE
Perkins X
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