Grotesqueness of NZ inequality – two richest own as much as bottom 30%
How does it feel NZ?
How grotesque a joke is our egalitarianism now?
Two Kiwis wealthier than the poorest 30 % – Oxfam
Two New Zealanders have more wealth than the poorest 30 per cent of the adult population, according to new research by Oxfam.
The finding is part of a global report on wealth inequality to be released later today by Oxfam to coincide with the annual meeting of politicians and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The two richest Kiwis cited in the research are Graeme Hart and Richard Chandler, with estimated wealth of US$6.4 billion ($9b) and US$2.7 billion ($3.78b) respectively.
Hart is the country’s richest man – his Rank Group owns a swathe of global packaging outfits and consumer goods firms.
Chandler relocated in 2006 to Singapore where he runs Clermont Group, his personal investment fund.
Efforts to contact both businessmen for comment were unsuccessful.
According to the Oxfam research, the richest 1 per cent of Kiwis have 20 per cent of the wealth in New Zealand, with 90 per cent of the population owning less than half of the country’s wealth.
This should be a shock announcement that leads each and every one of our news media outlets?
Does it?
No.
Richie McCaw feeling emotional on his wedding day, how to property speculate in the regions and the conspiracy theory that Adolf Fucking Hitler might have secretly escaped to Argentina instead of dying by suicide in Berlin.
Those stories are apparently more important than the staggering fact that 2 NZers own more than the poorest 30% of us.
This is not a free press watch dog in a liberal democracy, this is a lapdog in a Plutocracy.
Perverse property speculation, racist public institutions and a neoliberal welfare state that tortures the poor have all contributed to a 30 year free market experiment that has ended up with 2 NZers owning more than the poorest 30%.
If you are not angry, you are not paying attention. This inequality will not and can not stand, and the next round of rent rises in Auckland are going to spark a fury that the establishment and out of touch political parties are going to have to confront sooner rather than later.
There is an electorate ripe for political courage and leadership that isn’t being tapped in NZ, look at how Corbyn’s policies are popular amongst the majority…
Majority of public support Jeremy Corbyn’s plans to cap bosses’ salaries, poll suggests
Jeremy Corbyn’s recent proposal to introduce a cap on executive wages at firms with government contracts is backed by the majority of the public, a new poll suggests.
Research for The Independent reveals that the government encouraging companies to introduce a wage cap for bosses earning more than 20 times that of their lowest paid worker is supported by 57 per cent of the public. Just 30 per cent of those surveyed disagreed, however, suggesting the government should not try to set a limit while 13 per cent said “don’t know”.
The results also found similar responses among all age groups and across all areas of the country, suggesting there is a high degree of enthusiasm for the policy, which was floated by the Labour leader in Peterborough. Even among Conservative voters, the proposal is supported by 47 per cent, with just over 40 per cent in opposition. The figure is much higher with those who voted Labour at the 2015 election, at 68 per cent.
…all that is needed is some political courage from the Opposition.
Thats what eventually happens as inequality worsens. Revolutions have happened because inequality got so bad. If we keep going on the same path it may happen again…
Education is not “free”, Andrew. If you think it is, you’re one of the sleepy hobbits that have not been paying attention;
ref: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/65329208/School-costs-pile-up-for-parents
ref: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11576508
Hospitals are free, Andrew. As are doctor’s visits for Under 13s. Everyone else pays for doctor’s consults; specialists; increased prescription fees; scripts for repeats, etc, etc.
… which is not as generous as you believe it to be, Andrew. Nor is it easy to register and comply with increasingly complex WINZ demands.
ref: https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/winz-waste-and-wonky-numbers-up-date/
On top of which, healthy food is more expensive than crap food and some families are paying up to 60% of their income in rent;
ref: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11561036
You may not want to believe it, but since the advent of neo-liberalism and the bullshit “trickle down” theory, housing affordability has worsened; home ownership has fallen; child poverty has increased; and inequality between the rich and poor increased.
I regret bursting your bubble. These are the realities of 21st century New Zealand.
Chandler got it by fucking over Russia in the Yeltsin years.
‘all that is needed is some political courage from the Opposition’
What Opposition is that, Martyn?
There hasn’t been any opposition for decades. That’s why thing are the way they are in NZ.
If you are talking about Labour and the Greens etc., ‘accomplices in crime’ would be a better description.
I look forward to the Opposition becoming a verb instead of a boring pronoun.
You’d think someone would have checked Adolf’s body was in the bunker.
Before I even BEGIN to read the article AND THEN the response from Steven (vanity Choice) …. I was struck by his media response.
He said (to paraphrase) that some people were always going to be more SUCCESSFUL thanothers. So Mr “Choice bro’s” measurement of success is based on pirely economic criteria! Let the sociopaths reign FFS
I’m not sure if others have picked up on it – but THAT was his first reaction.
and THAT is the measure of the Tory St wanderer–Buffoon-like-spin-doctoring, win-at-all-costs, complete and utter munbter that leads the Neshnool Pardy.
A complete and utter cnut (with apologies to females – whether feminist or subserviant) and manyh other. If it makes you feel better substitute cnut for rpick).
In today’s Herald two houses sold five times in four days with two investors raking in a pile of profit from it all. Something is terribly wrong with our loose economy and boy is there going to be a slump one of these days. Inept Government sitting on its backside just letting it all run amok. I don’t know if its sheer idiocy of our cabinet ministers allowing this to carry on or if it is just a complete lack of backbone and bottle to correct what is happening.
They talk about a pie and how the wedge is getting bigger for the 1%. It won’t be long before the other 95% are going to be truly under nourished and dying of starvation. Egalitarian Society is a myth these days. There is so much wrong with this country that it beggars belief how one could begin to tackle the injustices that are present in our everyday lives. The country has lost its soul.
100% Whispering Kate.
It’s so entrenched now only a revolution could restore equality of some form. I’m tired of saying this.NZ has nothing, it’s just another money grubbers paradise! Look forward to the rot in years to come getting worse and worse and stinking to high heaven if you ain’t rich! 🙁 It’s so far gone commenting is hopeless! 🙁 won’t change anything! I see Double Dipton is copying Key and has gone on a working holiday to England!
Don’t get me wrong Richie leading from the front (with a bung foot) , 2 World Cups whats not to love ….. except talking up dairy and other sus land/enviro ‘National’ propaganda etc etc …………!!!
But when it comes to 2 dudes being equal to the poorest 30% – this is a system gone insane ……….. Stand up people – its time to push back and if Labour won’t ‘stand up’ we should look at something different. Maybe its time to put being ‘polite’ to one side and start calling a few people out.
What is needed more than anything is courage from US to stand up and say NO MORE! What is below the ground, on the ground and above the ground belongs to the people of New Zealand and any revenue derived therefrom (without damaging the earth in all processes) belongs to every man, woman and child in this country. IMO we don’t need political courage we need to find the courage in ourselves to reach accord and act in the best interests of all by all for all.