Drain the swamp! Why can’t Labour regulate basic Capitalism?

When we ‘celebrated’ Labour Day weekend this week, there really wasn’t a hell of a lot to praise.

‘Less than adequate’ – Govt proposes ACC reform

The Government is proposing changes to a controversial Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) scheme in a move that could affect hundreds of thousands of New Zealand workers.

ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni wants to introduce new rules for ACC’s Accredited Employers Programme, which is used by more than 100 major companies across the country. The changes will affect 25% of the New Zealand workforce.

Under the scheme, employers are given a discount on their levies if they promise to care for workers hurt on the job. They are bestowed with powers normally reserved for the Government and trusted to fund the rehabilitation and compensation of injured staff.

The disgusting right myth spread by right wing liars is that NZ is an over taxed, over regulated economy when that is total bullshit!

In a recent column, Max Rashbrooke highlighted the horror of NZs under regulated market…

The bad news is that, to investigate 200,000-300,000 terrible rentals, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has employed a frontline inspectorate numbering … 37. Each inspector will have to check somewhere between 5000 and 8000 rentals.

…there is only 37 inspectors of rental properties for 300 000 terrible rentals?

Similar poorly funded regulation is apparent in the 82 labour inspectorates who are supposed to police hundreds of thousands of migrant worker exploitations!

Time and time and time again in New Zealand we see an old boy matrix of vested interests who occupy market dominance and act like a monopoly, duopoly or oligopoly raking in vast wealth while leaving the local small and medium sized operators outside the cosy relationships!

Up and down NZ, small and medium enterprises are unable to compete because of the lack of basic regulation in the market!

We’ve seen it with the Supermarket duopoly, the medicinal cannabis oligopoly, the Gib Board monopoly – each time under regulated and poorly regulated capitalism continues to screw over us the consumers at a time of a cost of living crisis!  

Frustration inside the drainage industry has reached boiling point recently with anti competitive practices and crony capitalism that would make your average South American Drug Cartels blush.

Justice for Drainage is a new push from those in the independent drainage community to highlight the manner in which the industry is dictated to by a duopoly which in turn is pushing up the housing costs to first time home buyers, councils and state housing…

Justice for Drains has put out a Poll to the private drainage contractor community and 99% claim costs are too high, 100% want an investigation into the duopoly practices that keep prices high and 99% want the Government to step in.

We never consider the costs of drainage and how a duopoly within the industry keeps these costs high and are ultimately inflating costs for Councils, home buyers and State housing!
Here were anonymous quotes from those in the industry who wish to remain anonymous because they fear reprisals from the duopoly players.

“We can only finish jobs with the support of the Independent Companies. The Big player charges double”
“Increasing costs we have to pass on to our clients”
“Getting uneasy handing our prices to customers.. Really feel for our customers as this is another cost of living increase that they dont need.”
“Investigate the other companies Hynds own to block competition.”
“Competitive pricing wont exist until the company Split up.”
“No competition / Not Fair for people who live in NZ”
“Pricing controlled by the Big Guys”
“Tax payers foot the bill for everything!”
“Bloody Horrible”
“I have to pass these costs on to the NZ Public who is bearing the excess pricing again!”
“Just like the Supermarket Rip OFF”
“PRICE GOUGING FOR YEARS”
“Hynds and Humes have been over pricing products for 20+ years.”

…Comrades, I’m not looking for socialism, just basic regulated capitalism!

Have Labour dropped the ball again on properly regulating another market?

 

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