We need degrowth Capitalism using Think Big Economic Sovereignty to make NZ sustainable.
What we get offered up is globalist free market mantra. Both National and ACT (and to a lesser degree the Greens) see throwing open the immigration flood gates as the solution to tepid GDP growth.
It’s what Key did for 3 terms and it inflated GDP while causing infrastructure gridlock and skyrocketing rents.
ACT and National point to the labour shortage pain crippling our economy and pretend importing cheaper labour is the solution when that was the problem in the first place!
We are addicted to hyper tourism, property speculation and a low wage economy by using international labour flows.
We have become so blinded by free market mythology we refuse to acknowledge short sighted lazy immigration and a user pays view of essential services has caused the issues we have now!
We are addicted to a low cost labour force and force our domestically trained teachers, nurses and Drs offshore to repay the student loans we saddle them with!
The bitter harvest of user pays is biting us now and all the right have to offer as a solution is more cheap labour!
That’s no longer a solution in a world beset by geopolitical shockwaves, that flow of human capital is now shellshocked and amputated. Supply chain shut down alongside soaring costs will limit travel to the wealthiest.
The Greens mumble about sustainable population rates but are culturally held hostage to migrant rights above all so while less economically chained to using foreign labour to drive down wages, they are identity politics wise bound to open migration.
Increasingly Isolationism becomes a more demanding reality, this is NZ First political territory and if articulated by Winston could have enormous political milage at the ballot box.
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Clint Smith (who is now clearly driving economic policy for Labour) believes in artificially limiting immigration to create wage growth inflation. The problem with this approach is 2-fold:
1). It drives up inflation that in turn adversely affects cost-of-living
2). Productivity takes a hit that it can’t recover from (i.e. you produce less for more cost)
In other words it makes no economic sense unless of course you are a socialist.
Not sure that Labour is limiting immigration – they are encouraging it.
Almost 200,000 people apply for new fast-track residency visa
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/05/almost-200-000-people-apply-for-new-fast-track-residency-visa.html
The problem is that the fast track visas have migrants don’t need to work, don’t need an age limit, half have no incomes as they are dependants, a significant amount can’t speak English, they are unskilled jobs aka a bakers assistant can apply on low wages.
You have to wonder who decided this idiot criteria in the middle/end of a health crisis pandemic when the obvious priority should have been only qualified doctors and nurses to get residency not more patients and low/no income migrants to compete against the low/no income Kiwis.
So Frank giving a few people a bit more money drives up inflation, but importing loads of cheap labour doesn’t have any impact on cost of living through rental shortages and more demand, let alone pressure on infrastructure. Pull the other one.
Productivity is driven by applying more capital to labour. NZ will continue on a low wage low productivity path until wage rates are inflated enough to drive appropriate capital investment.
I hope you’re not losing it @Martyn because that question is pretty bloody obvious isn’t it?
gNats and Actoids will open the floodgates in order to keep the peons in check. Whereas the Gweens will opn the doors to those (and their families) we ekshully need in this space going forward. Such as Nurses and doctors and essential workers. (I’ve only EVER electorate voted Green btw, and acted as a scrutineer, and delivered electioneering pamphlets).
Sure we cudda shudda wudda trained ‘our own’, BUT WE DIDN’T, and we need them now.
There’s no point grieving over it all now, clutching our pearls and gazing at our navels. Accept the fact the ‘collective we’ – the TEAM of 5 Million’ fucked up. And “we” have fucked up badly.
We need nurses, and midwives, and el doctores, and truck and train drivers, and better experts in green creds (many of whom we’ve lied and cheated to attract, and then tipped out of the motu).
REAL SILLY QUESTION @ Martyn
Krekshun:
(I’ve only EVER electorate voted Green btw, and acted as a scrutineer, and delivered electioneering pamphlets).
> (I’ve only EVER electorate voted Green btw, and acted as a scrutineer, and delivered electioneering pamphlets ONCE). Labour every other time. Silly me!
Pay more and attract the kiwi nurses and docs home.
But that would go against the rights low wage economy.
Both Japan and China cut themselves off from the World for hundreds of years and the result was little progress and feudal type rule. With the right leadership this Island of 5 million could be a real Eldorado but to date niether left or right have shown the path to these riches . It all starts with education and over the years under National or Labour we have only achieved a top,of 75 percent attendance this has to improve. It was not so long ago teachers were paid the same as politicians and we’re treated with respect by the pupils. What went wrong ?
El Dorado that’s 20th century talk that landed us in the poo we are getting on our shoes at present. Sorry mate sit back and relax and watch while others do the struggling work.
We’re also addicted to a welfare state that we can’t afford – if we’re going to keep immigration levels as low as they are now we will need to find ways to get many more of those people on jobseekers or the benefit in general into work.
Increasing wages will help however we as a nation am also need to look at helping / forcing those capable of work but not working to work
Before I get accused of being a heartless capitalist, I genuinely believe that fair welfare support is a fundamental part of a caring society however it does look like we may have gone too far and a rebalance might be in order.
@Yeti, “Almost 200,000 people have now applied to become residents under the fast-track visa, and one in four has been approved. By the end of this year, the country will have more new residents than any other year on record.”
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/05/almost-200-000-people-apply-for-new-fast-track-residency-visa.html
We have one of the highest immigration per capita in the world, and have done so for the last decade with appallingly low criteria for immigration encouraging a very low level of skills of people who will live a life of poverty, thus resulting in huge social problems, lack of skills and productivity, brain drain and low wages.
Yes its not that the welfare payments are adequate the problem is the wages are inadequate to attract those who dont work, semi-work or untrained.
‘Attract’ some to work. That phrase makes me wonder why? Many cannot afford to work – clothes worn out, transport costs high. Have to work in with other earner, and are needed to get the kids to school or look after sick ones. A myriad of reasons as well as being driven mad by the (lack of a) system to provide a place for all people in a livable world.
Instead we are to be first to get rid of tobacco by some future date. Change that to poverty – get rid of that and rid of not caring. Get individual managers back and encourage them to get their clients into work they like, part-rime and topped up even, or get them fit in body and mind and doing volunteer work. Make volunteering an okay thing to do, as it has been looked down on. T
he object surely, is for people to not be falling to pieces but be integrated into society. Best if they can get some paid work but even a bit plus time doing something they like and is useful would be a huge WIN. But no! – tobacco… Robot targets that is all the government can provide for the caring community to work to. Pathetic.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2207/S00058/new-zealands-tobacco-endgame-law-will-be-a-world-first-for-health-heres-what-the-modelling-shows-us.htm
Radionz – https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/471717/new-zealand-s-tobacco-endgame-law-will-be-a-world-first-for-health-here-s-what-the-modelling-shows-us
Hi Martyn
Fantastic to be seeing some xenophilic restrictionism proper emerging.
Interesting that your mate Treen disagrees (right?). Would be interested in having his response here or on TWG.
Wondering where you got the image? That’s good stuff.
-Brenty.
No one wants to work for crap pay any more…
Bob the knob is happy too.
Talking to a Malaysian immigrant who has just turned 65 and eligible for the NZ Super.Great timing arrived just over 10 years ago after being rejected by Australia(not enough points).
Only has PR ,as he wants to retain his Malaysian citizenship.Malaysia does NOT allow dual citizenship.
How the pension is available without citizenship here,is astounding.He is a very happy man.
In Asia they speak in wonder about NZ, and say, ‘it’s the government that gives you free money!”.
Sadly the money is not earned by the government it’s from the Kiwis who pay their taxes for the government to give out free money to non citizens. Of course non citizens and new citizens are happy with all the freebies they receive!!! No other nation is so foolish and self hating.
Yes I know a chinese landlord accountant came here worked a while bought a house and returned to Hong Kong but he remains on the payroll of his mates company doing a little bit of remote work (not really) so he can retire here on full super.
The ‘leftie’ darlings of media and economists often have elderly migrant parents or relatives (Chinese, Indian and UK) in the background, now on NZ pensions.
Work it out!!!
The majority of the lefty ‘economists’ influencing migrant and poverty, are actually adding to it, by adding in so many migrant pensioners including their own, who will be a massive burden to youth taxpayers for their pensions, aged and health care needs.
In the opposite of fairness, they then propose to means test NZ citizens born and living here who paid taxes in NZ all their lives who will now apparently not get a pension (if they ‘earn too much)’, while the leftie’s migrant parents and those who are on low wages pay no taxes and are often wealthy get a free pension! Then they wonder why the NZ professionals are leaving NZ! Can they fuck us over any more, after making youth pay for student loans and user pays galore. They they give away our pensions (just like the water and everything else).
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1110/S00572/grey-power-warns-of-impact-of-high-immigration-rates.htm
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/315435/migrants'-parents-cost-nz-'tens-of-millions‘
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/376220/10k-11-days-and-one-failed-deportation
There are now more Asian pensioners receiving a pension in NZ than Maori and Pacific Island pensioners and growing.
Pensions in NZ are the biggest social spend in NZ.
The idea of immigration was to bring more prosperity to existing NZer’s instead their pathetic policy, egged on by those who personally benefit, bought hundreds of thousands of low waged or no income migrants (with money), with many dependants who now receive a free pension and health care, adding to NZ’s pension burden not stopping it.
People on minimum and low wages with children currently contribute no income taxes at all with all the subsidies – so the strategy is a massive failure in every avenue from taxes, skills, productivity, pensions, health care, housing, migrant satisfaction working in NZ.
Instead of making it fair by not allowing migrants to come and get free pensions, education and health care, which has become a Ponzi and stupid, massive, waste of other taxpayers money, our failed low/no wage, migrant immigration policy made our social services debts worse.
The wasted money could have been used to help NZ citizens who are in poverty, disabled or improve health care – instead all the other social services are being run down by our population explosion of high, social needs people.
Funny enough, nothing about stopping migrant parents getting pensions in any lefty thinking instead the government just allowed the ability for a whole lot more pensioners in the recent one off resident visas which had no age or English speaking criteria!
I do see a resurgence amongst workers, particularly in entry level jobs, to keep working in the same role for longer now than has previously been the case, and I do see this as a sign of the times, in particular as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the obvious effects it has had on New Zealand due to its isolation, geographically, from the rest of the world.
I do believe that there are other factors involved in this trend, such as higher petrol pump prices and rental prices.
Labour let 200k have residency for no good reason. Even Luxon would find it hard to justify that stupid decision but I can’t help but think out of all the dog parties Labour might be slightly less of a mongrel.
Woah Martyn!
Restricting immigration to uplift your own country’s poor?
Tight borders?
You’re sounding more like Trump every day!
Whatever happened to kumbaya open borders and international socialism?
LOL
NACT would flood N.Z. with $4 an hour immigrants. No wonder kiwis don’t want to work for that.
Beat that.
They are already here and growing under Labeen’s poor immigration criteria that is the same as the Natz.
https://www.employment.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/employers-visa-stand-down-report.pdf
A real political party that actually is serious about solving this, would get a huge amount of votes from the many people who have had a gutsfull of our country making a career in crime more profitable than our day to day working conditions.
As a general rule, agree with you about low wage economy etc but I think you are all missing the point.
“Nobody wants to work any more” is a true statement. Not just ‘nobody wants to work anymore” in difficult jobs for low wages.
My daughter gets $22.50 an hour I think at 16 (was getting it at 15) working in a Stationary shop on the weekends. There’s heaps of work, its just down the road but she has to constantly muck them around humming and harring/ Every month I hear about how she is looking to go somewhere else so I just told her straight, you wont get a better job to see you through school and Uni. You dont work overly hard, have variety, are well paid for your age and it’s convenient and available.
My husbands small company has a pivotal role that has traditionally been done by a new graduate. 7 years ago, it paid $40K and it was varying 40 hours starting at 8 and going through to about 5.40 some days because of the particular demands of the business. On the odd occasion, a bit of weekend work was required as well.
It’s very busy 8 months of the year and is a full on but varied job in a good location and nice offices. Graduates used to stay 2 – 3 years. Now the pay is $60K, the graduates all want to work from home at least 3 days a week (hard to do in this particular job) and seem averse to working the full 40 hours. They stay less than a year on average.
The latest has just resigned. Pay may need to go to $53K in order to get someone who doesnt mind coming into the office to work. Last incumbent screwed everything up by repeatedly not taking care of time sensitive details (because while at home wasnt doing the job) and was gobsmacked when told she would have to go into the office on a Sunday to sort out a mess she had made ready for paying clients at 8am on Monday. Her words – “but its Sunday, you cant make me work on the weekend”. And no, my husband didnt get angry with her or put her down, merely told her the problem needed to be fixed before Monday.
In any event, who do you think drove 40kms into the office and fixed it all, one guess – it wasnt the employee who caused the problem.
This is the 3rd graduate he has had in recent years and they are all the same and getting worse. Particularly the girls, the entitlement seems to drip off them. I think people understimate how polarised our kids are becoming due to all the identarian crap they are exposed to and a general laziness that sets in due to overuse of social media and screen time and parents like us, who over indulge them!. He has had dramas about veganism and pronouns whilst being forced to watch productivity decline and having to explain the basics of life like how and where to post a letter (I kid you not), why we pay taxes and how the tax rates work and the best one, how sick leave isnt part of annual leave. And we are talking about 20 – 24 year olds here, not 16 year olds.
So AFAIK, there is a problem in the Wellington region with people who dont want to work. Employers are putting up with a lot. From what I hear from him via Managers in Auckland, it is becoming a problem there too in recent months.
But house prices might fall without immigration!
I agree importing cheap labor isn’t a solution so how else are we going to provide for our elderly with fewer and fewer workers in each successive generation. Every cohort has decreasing fertility rates even Maori. You have to find a solution to this or quality of life will decrease which is pretty grim for some of our elderly already.
It’s a real pickle that Neo Libs find themselves in and they have no answer for it themselves.
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