Of course there is a Cost of Living Crisis – what planet are Labour living on?

1. When last in office National failed to reconize a housing crisis and paid the price at the ballot box . Now Labour fail to reconize cost of living caused in part by enormous rent rises and due to compliance costs of government policies. The last Roy Morgan indicates they may suffer the same fate as National.
   It is a pity we cannot have a cross party group to sort out housing otherwise this back and forth will carry on to no one’s benefit and make the Nation worse off.

   • Honest question: if it was a “Housing Crisis” when National were in Govt, what is it now?

     An abomination? A catastrophe?

     • Yes it is. Unbelievably they’ve made National look like it was taking a walk in the park!!

   • and those ‘compliance costs’ are? do you mean the totally unreasonable idea that in return for shedloads of rent landlords should provide dry healthy homes, cos let’s face it that legislation like many ‘feel good’ policies isn’t being enforced out in the field.

2. We won’t get a Labour Party like that because coming up to 40 years of neo liberalism, monetarism and managerialism has rooted it. Such left forces as existed, were driven from Labour in the 1980s as the formation of New Labour and the Alliance showed.

   The hope is the new gen fronting up, organising and getting active rather than voting Nashnull because they are “not Labour”.

   The campaign on Housing that John Minto posted is actually a bloody good idea that people could rally around and illustrate the necessity of rolling back the NZ neo liberal state in 2023 and 2026. What parliamentary political form that would take who knows–something new or a Labour/Green Govt that has been lined up. New gens stonked with extortionate rents for overpriced dumps while working precariously and paying off student loans! should be into and, a newer issue of “Elder poverty”, not all boomers are property hogs thousands actually have to go flatting or live in a camper van in their 60s and beyond.

   • We won’t get a Labour Party like that because tribalists still vote for them.
     The only way to force a rebuild of the party is to vote them out until they resemble something useful.

     • Honest question – who the hell do you vote for at the next election.

       At this stage I’m thinking TOP as they’re the only ones that seem to have any balls to do something about property and I’m in the fortunate position to be born in a year that actually allowed me to buy one.

       https://ubi.top.org.nz/

       • Why vote for new party with no political experience in times like these we need experience.

         • I’m ok with what will at very best be a 5% party getting in to perhaps try and make some kind of reform CIP.

           But you didn’t answer the question, who is a valid party to vote for?

           Labour & National should borrow the billboard slogan Bomber has been using – Go ahead, either way you’re stuffed.

           So who else is there that is a valid vote?

           • It depends on what is core for you.
             For me, the antidemocratic racial
             and social division and erosion of civil liberties and human rights by this government requires counteracting by our only libertarian party ACT.
             I just hope they make good what they say they will.
             That’s despite not agreeing with their economic policy – but I’m forced to choose that or become a second class citizen in my own country (Labour/green Maori co governance).
             Actually their economic policy is pretty much the same as Labour anyway.
             I’d have been a NZ first voter if I hadn’t seen Winston blatantly lie to his voters one too many times.

             The worst thing anyone can do is keep voting for their normal party “cos that’s what they do” or “ I can’t vote for the other team” even when their own “home” party has lied to them.

             Ever raised a kid or even trained a dog?”(general question for the readership not you specifically)
             What happens if you reward bad behavior?
             Bad government must be punished by voting them out, it’s the only accountability there is anymore. Let them know it!

             Sounds fair for you to vote TOP to me, A protest vote is fine and even better if they reflect your values.

             • Yet the tribal will vote for National with a further divide in the rich and the poor and we won’t have to worry about covid deaths, it will be National policies that kill us. Immigration, 501’s( Key had a chance but decided to sleep and barbecue with the enemy) and foreign home ownership.

   • ‘The hope is the new gen fronting up, organising and getting active rather than voting Nashnull because they are “not Labour”. ‘

     Hmmm, the problem is that (thanks to the good work of the Department of Indoctrination) what the “new gen” is focused on is projects like a Ministry of Rainbows, tougher “hate speech” laws, “diversity and inclusion” etc.

     The so-called “Greens” have just polled 11% – a big chunk of that figure will be from the “new gen”.

3. Left wing parties in the west have moved to a bureaucratic, white collar circle jerk. Middle management corporate, NGOs, Trade Unions and academics is where they pull from now. These are occupations by-and-large (teachers accepted) that get graded pay increases consummate with cost of living expenses that are not always salary-based.

   The blue collar will over time gravitate right. In New Zimbabwe that will take longer as the right in this country still haven’t adopted strategies to pull this vote ala US, UK and Australia. We are seeing the upheaval of the political cycle finally in this country and hint, old school lefties (who I have a lot of time for) won’t like the long-term implications.

   • “The blue collar will over time gravitate right. ”

     Fat chance of that happening here while the Nats remain a party of globalist neoliberals, Frank. The Nats caucus teems with progs like Bishop and Willis, and the Young Nats are thoroughly woke, pushing for a more “treaty-focused” party.

     • why would the middle class go right? the LINOs have put more money in their pockets than national ever did.

4. There reaches a point in the cost of fuel where it damages the economy and gets quickly worse. I’d say we’ve arrived there now. The worse the price gets the less we can get around, meaning the less we buy, equals less tax take. All round.

   Petrol average price in South Australia for 91, $1.76 per litre. Auckland $3.08. Come on Labour, this is bullshit!

   Both Labour and National have put so much tax on petrol that your average worker can’t afford it. And few want to use public transport owing to Covid.

   I couldn’t care less for the excuses why it’s taxed through the roof, pull a chunk of the excise tax from fuel now, plus that bloody 11 cents per litre ripped off Aucklanders for Auckland Transport to waste!

   By the way Labour, doing nothing or pretending to do something ain’t going to cut it! But I’m looking forward to your political demise if you don’t do something!

   • “I’ say we’ve arrived there now”. Just wait for the West’s ill thought out sanctions to take hold. We are in very deep dooda indeed- the repercussions are going to cripple us.

     • Exactly!

   • Hold the phone!
     That spend on train infrastructure is looking better by the hour what with price of fuel as it is.

5. The propertied class just don’t see it the same way as the filthy peasants do. Luckily the number of filthy peasants grows apace. Street justice, anyone?

   • I have no idea where you come from politically Beast, ie supporting Wellington occupation or what ever, but street justice has to come if the legacy of Rogernomics is ever to be retired for good.

     A nice start would be occupying and using empty residential and commercial properties for accomodation and small business activities.

     • Agree in the main. I think permanent shantytowns in public spaces would be a good start, as a form of non-violent protest.

   • Not all peasants are filthy

6. Love your work! that Labour just lurch from upfuck to upfuck now is only increasing the anger and potential for violence. The Marsden Point refinery will cease production in under 2 weeks. If you think fuel is expensive now just watch the price sky rocket by the end of April.Oh and it’s fuel cost that is driving all the inflation. But of course NZ doesn’t need fuel independence! according to Megan Woods.

   • Megan Woods suffers from fridge dependance

   • How does refining imported crude give us independence?

7. Cost of living crisis – see here for a start: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2022/03/09/nz-banks-make-an-obscene-6billion-profit-during-covid-why-the-left-cant-respond/.

8. Crisis! Lol

9. “Of course there is a Cost of Living Crisis – what planet are Labour living on?”
   At the risk of repeating myself;
   It’d be easier to tell which planet labour ISN’T living on. Let’s start with planet Earth.
   Labour doesn’t exist anymore. The name lingers on like a headstone on a grave, the body is dead and rotting below with a roger douglas dagger in its back.
   We need help urgently and it’s not going to come from within AO/NZ. We’re fucked.
   We need a royal commission of inquiry into our politics and our economics and when we talk taxation, those two elements become intrinsically entwined and that, right there, is the argument for a political and financial audit spanning fucking years.
   We’re being ripped off. We’ve been ripped off for generations. If we don’t put the brakes on that we’ll become tenants to foreign ownership of our beautiful AO/NZ. I think @ Maori might have an opinion on that one.
   The Governor General must advise The Crown urgently. She must request an audit and related inquiries immediately.

10. It will only get worse if National will get in. Wages, benefits, transfer payments and public service spending will be slashed. Toll roads will be imposed, pricing the poor and their ‘bombs’ off the roads, so the wealthy in their Ford Rangers dont have to share the road with the smelly family of 6 in their people mover. Home owners will be wiped out with hikes in interest rates, which will also cut wages, increase rent and throw thousands of New Zealanders out of work. National will destroy this country. We are still better off with Labour. No US style health care, high wages and almost full employment National will take it all away.

11. What planet are Labour living on?

    Planet Wellington mate!
    It exists in another dimension where people are driven around in government cars and never lose their jobs, no matter how bloody inept they are.

    • the cost of living is biting in wellie too, they live on ‘the starship beehive’.

12. Food prices are crippling, so the Government should step in and become a 30% stakeholder in the Supermarket duopoly while removing GST off fresh fruit and vegetables.

    Yes. Absolutely.
    Remove the damn 15% GST on all essential foods!!
    In particular, Fruit and Veggies!
    It is criminal that people here in our own food producing country cannot afford the exorbitant prices of foods that are GROWN RIGHT HERE! …While people in other countries can feast on our foods far more cheaply.
    And, the policy that allow that to happen is harming the planet – Why subsidise the world flights of food to other – wealthy – nations, before allowing us to eat what we ourselves have grown with out taxing and taxing and taxing to the max???

    No more “too hard” BS!!
    Just DO IT!!

    • ok remove the gst…what EXACT spending cuts do you propose, upping other taxes to keep up the tax take isn’t a solution so what spending do we cut…we could start with mps wages but that ain’t gonna make it up.
      vague ‘cut out the fat’ doesn’t cut it because there isn’t any..suggestions please.

    • It was NZF Policy but they didn’t do anything about it, Winston spent the last year in Court defending himself for fiddling his Superannuation Claims.

13. Its a bit late for the brakes, our people (Maori) are already tenants in our own land what land we have left that hasn’t been stolen or confiscated by the crown.

14. Not all peasants are filthy

15. Why isn’t Neo Liberalism not identified as the root of the problem as quickly as mentioned by anyone in powet it is denied as the problem or (it does not exist). I heard even Damien denied it on the working group as if it is a figment of imagination. But it’s well known to work best if hidden away cause it benefits the few nicely. We all know its real because it was started back in 1984 with Rogernomics and still exists to this day. Nothing has really changed.

16. If this government are serious about our children’s HEALTH, then they will remove the 15% (!!!) GST on ALL essential basic healthy foods.
    If this government are serious about our children’s medical, dental and psychological/mental health as they mature, then they will remove the 15% GST on ALL essential basic healthy foods.

    I would ask each and every MP of AO/NZ, of whatever stripe or party:
    DO YOU WANT A FUTURE WHERE CHILDREN ARE HEALTHY???
    Physically healthy? Less prone to viruses of ANY form?
    Mentally healthy?? – To begin to combat the waves of depression, anxiety and yes, suicide that will otherwise affect them in the future?
    Then REMOVE THE GST from ALL essential, basic healthy food products – Especially those grown and produced here!! There is NO EXCUSE!! to continue the facade, the pretence that the ugly tax on the poorest and on the most vulnerable is in any way “needed”. NOT if you care one iota about the present and future health and wellbeing of all Kiwi children.

    • Please define the healthy food with no gst . Bread is that just the wholemeal type not white. Rice just brown as white rice has far less healthy parts. Potatoes but not chips or mashed . Fish but not fried . Meat but not marinated or in hamburgers.
      Bake beans but not the ones in tins that are full of sugar.

      • BUY english recipe heinz baked beans(made by watties in oz I think)…probably being a bit ‘little englander’ but they’re absolutley spiffing on buttered toast and much much less sugar..every kiwi I know whos tried them loves em.

      • I know where your going with this Trevor but how about a compromise. Just fruit and veges. 5 to 9 servings a day are recommended. Sadly the cost is prohibitive for so many that it is in fact cheaper to fill our children and our stomachs full of unhealthy alternatives, leading to diabetes and obesity.
        Growing ones own isn’t all that straight forward either, given not all soils are equal.
        So I would agree to take GST off fruit and veges whether it be fresh, frozen or in a can.

    • Poland and Hungary removed GST on food as a response to inflation. We can follow AU example.
      As for free public transport, it should be substantially improved, so that you can get where you want in reasonable time without having to walk more tham 1km.

    • YEAH take it from the health budget that way the over represented in ilL health like maori/pasifika kids can suffer or cut it from the state housing budget because no maori kids are living in ‘temporary accomodation’
      …HUZZAH

      seriously the short fall has to be made up somewhere K

17. All the time I encounter people caught between being productive and creative and having to comply with losing a certain amount of their pittance which allows survival due to their entrepreneurial efforts, so yes, the tax situation stands on it’s head unless you are onto a rort of the system and then you can do very well at the expense of the unsuspecting. All the royal commissions are, imho, also rorts.
    Last year I saw a great deal of these ‘shovel ready’ projects getting the oil which silences the squeaky wheel but as our manufacturing base has been decimated by corporate raiders and the old generation of number 8 wire personalities fade into the sunset it maybe time to quietly start from scratch. Making stuff. Like wool clothes. Remember the old Swandri? I sure miss that red and black checked, lined, dependable jacket. Somebody usurped it and I can’t replace it, all there is in the store is microfleece, plastic-fantastic which sheds microparticles into the biosphere. Ick.
    Making stuff like wool carpet.
    I think democracy died with Big Norm- may he rest in peace- but I also believe Lange’s signature for the government printing office was fake and the story behind that whole scenario outrageous to the max. The farce that is Boris Johnson extends way beyond his crude and crusty mop of a colonial hairdo. Peace out sisters.

    • in times of the gig economy taxing 2nd jobs at a punitive rate seems mean.

18. I’m deeply disappointed by all the negative comments here. I for one will be celebrating Labour and Jacinda’s brilliant leadership. Cheers.

19. ” The poorest people cannot be punished while the government allows the richest to prosper ”

    We are not alone in facing dire consequences that will really begin to impact a large section of society except the financially independent who manage to become even richer at the expense of the many.

    https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2022/03/08/the-dwp-is-set-to-essentially-cut-10bn-from-peoples-benefits/

20. Started charging rates in ’86. $4.50 an hour from memory. In that inflationary age I put it up every year. In this post -inflationary age I put up my rates every 2 years and will take the injury til the next year out of stupid respect for precedence.

21. Jacinda speaks well and does not. We force her. Chris doesn’t think there is much to us remaining social democrats. I think there is a great force. 1984 was not done by the post ’45 generation.

    We intelligent NZers all opposed the coup of ’84 til 2000, hence you, Martyn. Everyone lost any sort of proportion, understanding after. If Clark’s govt could have lead furiously reality and the rule of the people could have been reclaimed.

22. “Let’s Do This!”
    Those words were so inspiring.
    Maybe conjuring up 100,000 homes in zero time was a little over-ambitious.
    However, removing the artifice of the many taxes that have been placed on fresh fruit and veggies that we grow, here in AO/NZ, is something that is absolutely doable.
    It requires one thing only: political will.
    So please, please dear PM, “LET’S DO THIS!!”

23. Review into poverty, 25 recommendations, all shelved and forgotten.
    medicinal cannabis too expensive and hard to obtain, still no change.
    Review into electricity, those of us who pay up early lost our discount otherwise no change.
    Review into the petrol market seemed to hardly ever surface.
    Meant to be a review into this broken run down pile of poo disability system I found myself stuck in, but Im sure it will all just be words on paper like every govt before her.
    Yet on the other side property investors just got a 25% increase in their values and a massive cash injection that got them all buying up like crazy, those who found themselves out of work because of covid got a big flash $600 ‘temporary unemployment benefit’ “So as not to reduce their standard of living” Labour said yet its perfectly ok to treat standard beneficiaries this way, alot of them would like to work too but never seem to be able to get out of the poverty trap or have enough to even considering starting their own businesses, its a trap on purpose, those rich people who seem to get whatever they want in this country need those poor people to pay off their mortgages!
    Labour is no different to National now, just sucker in the blue collars and left wing voters with lots of promises they never intended delivering on.

24. The whole petrol price issue is because of sanctions placed on Russia, if its meant to hurt Russia, why is it we have to feel the pain too?

    • The UAE have come on board with fuel supply and this has immediately dropped crude oil by 13 % a barrel. Now let’s see if there is an immediate affect at the pumps or will this show that the petrol co’s are simply greedy.

      • I love your optimism in the face of experience bert.

      • Yeah and thats where a decent review into the petrol market that actually delivered results for taxpayers would have been ideal but I think they went silent when they discovered a majority of the problem is the amount of tax apon tax that they charge for fuel themselves and none of them want to admit guilt, that typical narcissistic attitude we see from politicians.

        • However even before the Auckland excise tax, National did a review and what was the outcome? Fuck all as you would expect, as you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

25. New policy idea…Why don’t the Labour Govt give all if us with very old cars a basic electric vehicle. Paid for by fuel taxes..fuel price problem solved and climate change. Because at the moment it’s only the ‘rich’ who can afford to drive

    • what we need is shedloads of charging stations to an agreed NZ spec now….remember when petrol stations where few and far between…well an EV without juice is just a hunk of scrap metal….infrastructure, infrastructure and again infrastructure.

26. I believe that any personal income below the national median should only be moderately taxed. This is the only way that those on low incomes will be able to afford to pay for the price hikes in rent, food, and petrol without having to face the embarrassment of going to a government agency for additional assistance.

    So, income up to $30,000 a year per person would only be taxed at around 12 percent; the next $20,000 would be taxed at 17 percent; then the next $10,000 in income after that, 24 percent. It then gets higher quickly. $60,000 to $80,000 per annum, 30 percent; up to $100,000, 35 percent; up to $120,000, 40 percent; up to $150,000, 48 percent; and everything above $150,000, 55 percent. It may seem harsh to those on higher incomes but they still live in a country where they are able to have access to free education and healthcare and cheap University fees just like everyone else.

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