In the heart of every descendent of historical grievance by those who have benefited, is the unspoken fear that those who have been wronged will one day rise up and seek righteous justice.
This psychological knee jerk reaction is on constant display in New Zealand by the Pākehā majority whenever co-governance is suggested. The guilt of historic grievance becomes overshadowed by the fear of revenge and half of the country feverishly imagine co-governance as the first step towards a Māori uprising!
The Commerce Commissions report into the Supermarket Duopoly has radically suggested the Government step in and take up 125 stores to force a third player to generate competition and bring prices down for consumers.
I think the State has an obligation to regulate markets so that capitalism serves the interests of the people rather than the corporations so I am in favour of the State stepping in to generate the competition.
Food inflation is skyrocketing and anything that helps regulate our $22 billion per year supermarket industry to bring down prices would help renters and first home mortgagees more than any other program this year.
But it could be even more than that.
There are already a number of iwi looking to invest in this duopoly busting Commerce Commission report and a 50-50 partnership between Government and iwi would embody and be an example of the co-governance model in action providing cheaper kai for customers, living wages for staff & better prices for suppliers!
Rather than fearing the unimaginable co-governance, Pākehā could see it working for the common good.
First published on Waatea News.
“In the heart of every descendent of historical grievance by those who have benefited, is the unspoken fear that those who have been wronged will one day rise up and seek righteous justice.”
Amen to that.
“I think the State has an obligation to regulate markets so that capitalism serves the interests of the people rather than the corporations”
Good luck with that.
‘Capitalism’ is more a road map of greed leading into everyone’s pockets. Unless, of course, you’re a capitalist closer to the point of The Pyramid. Then, you simply allow greed to be your guide and do what you like and many deeply infected capitalists enjoy and derive pleasure from the harm and deprivation they manifest.
‘Capitalism’ is a word covering over a psychological dysfunction found in many human beings and perhaps more worrying, it’s contagious. Where ever you go, what ever you do, whether it’s driving through the city, reading a magazine or God forbid, watching TV, there they are. Ramming the Word of The Money God into your subconscious and you will be infected, whether you like it or not. When you’re in the super market and your drawn to a new product. Are you doing that of your own free will? Or are you being directed by your amygdala feeding what it’s been hypnotised by to your hippocampus?
Capitalists are never go to let go of their societal control and power over you in their tireless quest for your money. Ever.
The only way to put a leash on capitalists would be to re tweak our democracy to best suit us all starting with those most at risk then moving up. Remember dirty little douglas and squiggly quigly with their trickle-down theory? Well, we can see how that’s working out for us. Great, if you get a buzz out of seeing homeless people begging for change in a small, rich country where the average house price is now a million dollars.
I think it’s time for some trickle up theory after investigations, inquiries, arrests and imprisonments. Aye Boys?
Just as farmers markets were becoming institutionalised and were appearing in every town and city, The Mighty hooked nosed Jonk E and his coven of money-pot stirrers regulated what those markets could sell.
Seeds, for example, are now controlled substances. And those having food stalls at those markets must pay significant amounts of money as fees then fill in forms? Am I wrong in thinking that, that seems a bit fascist?
The solution? Easy. No, seriously. The fix for our predicament simply means we, all of us, must haul our politic to back before neoliberalism. Why not?
How?
Simple. We tell our government that this shit’s not working for us. The capitalist-neoliberals lied to us then stole our stuff and things which they then sold pocketed the money and now we want it back. All of it. And the money you fuckers got for it!
Sorry graham hart. You’re going to have to sell your $50 million dollar U$A NYC apartment you bought with the sale of our government printing office and pay us back.
roger and derek? I know of a nice doorway beside a bakery on K road for you.
Now? Who else? Yoo Hoo? Boys? micky fay? richwhite? gibb? chandler? todd group? big bad eric watson? There are a few I’ve missed but you know who you are, your crooked bastards.
We must forthrightly ask our prime minister for a departure from the thieving neoliberal norm’ and open up our government and its sundry lobbyists, privateers and spin doctors to a royal commission of inquiry. If it’s good enough for Andy, it’ll be good enough for us.
…”I think it’s time for some trickle up theory after investigations, inquiries, arrests and imprisonments. Aye Boys? Simple. The fix for our predicament simply means we, all of us, must haul our politic to back before neoliberalism. Why not?
How? We tell our government that this shit’s not working for us. The capitalist-neoliberals lied to us then stole our stuff and things which they then sold, pocketed the money and now we want it back. All of it. And the money you fuckers got for it!”…
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Hear hear !
wonderful CB!
The only time government will listen to us (as opposed to the moneyed class) is when we protest. We do not protest. In fact, protesting has now become the act of the lunatic brigade, as such, government has no need to listen to you, countryboy, or anyone like you – ever again. Think about that, because this is the new normal….
Not a bad call and far less likelihood of it being sold off to some investment corporation at a bargain to gut.
And who knows, it may see some of the profit go to growers and suppliers instead. Maybe.
Government runs hospitals that rely on Private hospitals to keep on top of operations.
Government runs education which is a underfunded and a political football each year.
Government runs prisons which are poorly run and constantly in the gun for poor outcomes.
Government is in charge of roading . Anyone seen the road deaths higher than ever despite limited movement due to covid
Government and iwi take control of retail grocery shops looks like racist communism and once they have set up a new government department with layers of buracrats the savings would be negligent and National would privatize them again.
I think you’ll find private hospitals rent expensive diognostics from public hospitals making them pay for that at a realistic rate might spit a bit into the funding bucket.
A for the rest of the underfunding you mention trev it’s not the fault of govt per se but the fault of the govts of both stripes WE choose to elect…
on the other hand maori supermarkets won’t work for a myriad of reasons and when they fail EVERYONE SHRUGS AND THE DUOPOLY GOES ON FOR ANOTHER 50YRS.
As for dual governorship should 15percent of the population get 50percent of the power and what about our other minorities….surely asians and muslims (not mutually exclusive I know) etc are entitled their 10,3,7.12 percent whatever that might mean…what’s that you say? they’re already represented by having the vote…..yup that’s what I thought too.
Trevor, I believe the higher the population, the more deaths on our roads. Obviously back in the seventies and eighties there were less deaths as our population was less. Some of our holiday destination roads were still loose metal. The higher the population and the higher powered engines we have , the worse the road deaths have become. All governments contribute to this.
Fully agree Martyn
“cheaper kai for customers, living wages for staff & better prices for suppliers!”
Cheaper food, higher wages and more to suppliers? Yeah, good luck with that.
Sooner or later one must get to know the enemy…
Farmers? Ever wonder why, no matter what you’re promised, you just keep slipping further and further behind.
derek quigley. Farmer. Lawyer. Trick question? What became his predominant calling?
“Did you know? Scientists are using lawyers instead of rats in laboratory testing now because they’ve found that there were things that even rats won’t do”. ( Robin Williams.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Quigley
Warning: May cause a spontaneous, involuntary gag reflex followed by crockery hurling.
ACT.
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/waikato-times/20211012/282059100179566
Farmers?
You absolutely MUST align yourselves with your urban Brothers and Sisters. That must be your priority. Never mind fucking people off by driving tractors slowly here and there. That only achieves grave annoyance from your most important resource. Get.The.Numbers.On.Your.Side. Why do you think that idiot judith collins was photographed behind the wheel of a John Deere? She knew that by you guys making nuisances of yourselves and pissing off your city cousins you’d remain segregated and exploitable. That’s exactly what she and her creepy Natzo money fetishists wanted!
Farmers are our primary industry, the cities have the population, The [They] * have your money.
* The ‘They’. ( A bit silly, I appreciate that. )
The ‘Thems’. ( Sillier.) The rich and invisible but for their mansions in Remuera and their yachts in The Habah Dahlings.
The They/Thems also fly over your cold muddy paddocks on their way to their elite holiday mansions in ZQT.
I’m a farmer. I’m also a locations scout and a locations manager for the film industry, or what was once the film industry.
I know my way around Queenstown like the They/Thems know their way around the Pelican Club.
Most of you, I’m certain, would be gob smacked at the massive, unimaginably expensive mansions idling away waiting for the Snoot Cockers to float up sweeping designer driveways in the Range Rover country car to for a few weeks skiing. Or get a helicopter to drop them off at their helipad. The rest of the year, those mansions lie empty. All warmed up with round the clock heating/air conditioning. Now and then, a designer LGTBQ groundsperson will come by to mow the designer lawns using a designer lawn mower.
on form…too much..brother.
The State can’t fix/touch the global supply chain issues befalling us/the world. Meddling in local affairs, such as this…best they can.
Give the Iwi a crack at it. I’d be up for that. Can’t do any worse than greedy thieving duopoly.
Higher wages for staff more money for suppliers lower price for consumers how does that work?
Would require Government subsidy that would come from taxes so a Peter pay Paul scenario.
Not sure would pass the scrutiny of the Commerce Commission.
or ALDI jeremy that is exactly their business model, true fewer part-timers, school leavers and 2 shift a weekers but the staff they do employ seem to be better treated than at other supermarkets.
yes FFS bribe ’em to come, we do it for hollywood, entertainers and sports, let’s do it for a foreign grocer…..the price you ask?….up to all the 1st born males was good enough for god, so let’s make that the upper limit…whatcha reckon?
You may be correct Gagarin but I do recall recently they were paying less to their employees than Coles and Woolworths.
really jeremy can you provide a source for that, it would surprise me considering their europian operations…but I’ve been surprised before..lax aussie labour laws.
Only info I could find is checkout staff (lowest wage in the store) 13.08 which at roughly 1:1 is low very low..but by repute they offer more hours..by repute.
Which is not a good sign for NZ given the laxity of our workers protections.
though I stand by their possible effect on NZ gouging duopoly prices.
The union representing the Aldi workers took action to get their wage rates up to the level of Coles and Woolworths.
I stand corrected jeremy but it doesn’t invalidate the, quality/cheapness/benefit to kiwis argument.
Yes agree.
I believe that we live in a country small enough so that it would be relatively easy for a government of the day to ban private investors from owning the supermarkets.
Supermarkets would then become SOE’s working on a non-profit or a nearly non-profit basis for two decades or longer. This is a model that would benefit renters and first time mortgage holders, as they will be paying less for their groceries; it will benefit the current owners of the supermarkets, as they will be forced to sell their holdings but for a fair non-taxable profit; and the government would benefit from the arrangement as well, making an annual profit of anywhere between 0.5 to 1.5 percent per annum compared with the current rates of between 2 to 3 percent on average.
The added discretionary income would, for the most part, be saved by the homeowners concerned. The hypothetical government would then be wise to reduce taxes on savings but to make up for it by implementing an alternative measure of taxation, whether it be a Mansion Taxation, Comprehensive Inheritance Taxation, Financial Transactions Taxation.
yup but ‘business’ will do all it can to sabotage it,
like the current stories about ‘nice people’ not being able to get loans because of pesky govt rules…situations which the banks are deliberately engineering to rubbish any regulation of their shenanigans’…a young couple with a baby being media friendly advocates compared to a rich banker in a suit…it ain’t just govt that spins stuff.
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