Christopher Luxon, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

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#3249886 17-Jun-2024 11:19

Handle9:

That's exactly how the accommodation allowance works.

Incidentally it's how my accommodation allowance works in the UAE. I use it to pay the mortgage in a house I own.

I'm questioning whether they need one at all. Just lift the base pay and let them figure it out. Most other Kiwis do.

sir1963

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#3249890 17-Jun-2024 11:30

GV27:

Handle9:

That's exactly how the accommodation allowance works.

Incidentally it's how my accommodation allowance works in the UAE. I use it to pay the mortgage in a house I own.

I'm questioning whether they need one at all. Just lift the base pay and let them figure it out. Most other Kiwis do.

Or supply "adequate" 1BR apartment accommodation right next door, Kainga Ora can help.

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#3250050 17-Jun-2024 15:55

GV27:
Handle9:

That's exactly how the accommodation allowance works.

Incidentally it's how my accommodation allowance works in the UAE. I use it to pay the mortgage in a house I own.

I'm questioning whether they need one at all. Just lift the base pay and let them figure it out. Most other Kiwis do.

Most kiwis who travel for work get reasonable expenses paid by the employer. The accomodation allowance is a pretty good deal for the taxpayer. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for hotels and meals.

SaltyNZ

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#3250055 17-Jun-2024 16:05

Handle9:

Most kiwis who travel for work get reasonable expenses paid by the employer. The accomodation allowance is a pretty good deal for the taxpayer. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for hotels and meals.

The issue is not whether or not there should be an accommodation allowance. It's that you should not get it to pay off your own house, and that especially you should not get it to pay off your own house when you only live a perfectly normal commute's distance from work. I mean, my son does closing shifts at Whangaparao McDonalds. That's a 30 minute drive each way from home. Should he be able to buy a house next door to us and claim accommodation allowance to pay it off?

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#3250058 17-Jun-2024 16:08

SaltyNZ:
Handle9:

Most kiwis who travel for work get reasonable expenses paid by the employer. The accomodation allowance is a pretty good deal for the taxpayer. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for hotels and meals.

The issue is not whether or not there should be an accommodation allowance. It's that you should not get it to pay off your own house, and that especially you should not get it to pay off your own house when you only live a perfectly normal commute's distance from work. I mean, my son does closing shifts at Whangaparao McDonalds. That's a 30 minute drive each way from home. Should he be able to buy a house next door to us and claim accommodation allowance to pay it off?

That should be the issue. For many people it’s that MPs get any remuneration at all.

tdgeek

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#3250086 17-Jun-2024 16:57

SaltyNZ:

Great to see Chris Luxon making good on his promise to fly commercial if elected.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was "frustrated" and "disappointed" as he left Papua New Guinea on Sunday after a Defence Force plane breakdown, Trade Minister Todd McClay says.

We are in a recession that this government created and it would be inappropriate for us to actually commit and spend new money on planes in a recession, and therefore my personal view is we travel commercial.

What I'd say to you, there's a whole bunch of options - you know, commercial travel; charter travel - there's a whole range of other options available to the New Zealand government.

Making good? Or thats the only ticket available? What he should have done, is in this age of inflation, I will grab a commercial flight to save tax dollars. If the 757 was airworthy that still becomes a huge waste

sir1963

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#3250111 17-Jun-2024 17:46

tdgeek:

Making good? Or thats the only ticket available? What he should have done, is in this age of inflation, I will grab a commercial flight to save tax dollars. If the 757 was airworthy that still becomes a huge waste

Actually its part of training for airforce pilots, navigation, variety of runways, air traffic control, etc etc etc.

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#3250208 17-Jun-2024 22:23

Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran serves drinks on plane to Japan as apology after flight diverted to pick up trade delegation - NZ Herald

Am I the only that think it's a horrible waste of hundreds of passenger's time to divert a flight to Brisbane to collect these clowns?

Why not jump on an actual commercial scheduled flight from Australia to Japan, instead of inconveniencing the lives of hundreds of people?

Edit: apparently 51 passengers.

mudguard

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#3250228 18-Jun-2024 06:52

Handle9: Most kiwis who travel for work get reasonable expenses paid by the employer. The accomodation allowance is a pretty good deal for the taxpayer. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for hotels and meals.

That's kind of the rub. MPs are a little different in that they essentially apply for a job that will see them out of town for periods of time. Whereas most of us will apply for a job that's local, or look to move.

I always think it's more one of those things that looks bad, ie the original example of claiming an allowance for a house they already own nearby or whatever it was. It should be more, nope, I don't need it, I live in Wellington, I'll save the taxpayers a little money.

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#3250309 18-Jun-2024 09:45

freitasm:

Why not jump on an actual commercial scheduled flight from Australia to Japan, instead of inconveniencing the lives of hundreds of people?

Edit: apparently 51 passengers.

Possibly not enough seats available at short notice? And I thought they were mostly business leaders and press.

GV27

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#3250316 18-Jun-2024 10:15

Handle9:

Most kiwis who travel for work get reasonable expenses paid by the employer. The accomodation allowance is a pretty good deal for the taxpayer. It’s certainly cheaper than paying for hotels and meals.

But their employer would also be holding them to a reasonable level of spend, and certainly not reimbursing them to own a house they already own.

I'd be more sympathetic to this argument if being an MP was relatively low-paid (it wasn't long ago that a back-bencher got $120K) but those days are long-gone. $168K isn't quite C-Suite but it's a great deal if you're also getting allowances for a bunch of other stuff.

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#3250323 18-Jun-2024 11:01

SJB:

freitasm:

Why not jump on an actual commercial scheduled flight from Australia to Japan, instead of inconveniencing the lives of hundreds of people?

Edit: apparently 51 passengers.

Possibly not enough seats available at short notice? And I thought they were mostly business leaders and press.

I would be very pissed off if the plane I'm on going on a long flight to Japan is diverted to Brisbane to collect some "business leaders", adding hours to the whole thing.

Fark them. If they can't all get there, then draw names and put those on available seats. Whoever else is left should just go back to New Zealand.

GV27

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#3250344 18-Jun-2024 11:19

I know I keep harping on about why neglecting the tax system and being administratively lazy because it pumps your Crown coffers is immoral, but it leads to outcomes like this:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/how-some-lower-income-households-could-end-up-with-a-128-per-cent-tax-rate/2YTQOJAKQ5E37ASVEFS5R3HX6M/

This isn't really defensible. Labour need to admit that WFFTC is a failure in its current state in a way that minor increases won't fix, and National need to understand that there is little incentive for someone who is out of work to take on the burden of travel, childcare and time away from their kids in order to better their circumstances.

Governments shouldn't punish people who are prepared hard to work hard to better their lot in life and do the right thing for their families. Wholesale WFFTC review needs to be on the table for next election.

mudguard

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#3250491 18-Jun-2024 16:16

GV27:

I know I keep harping on about why neglecting the tax system and being administratively lazy because it pumps your Crown coffers is immoral, but it leads to outcomes like this:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/how-some-lower-income-households-could-end-up-with-a-128-per-cent-tax-rate/2YTQOJAKQ5E37ASVEFS5R3HX6M/

This isn't really defensible. Labour need to admit that WFFTC is a failure in its current state in a way that minor increases won't fix, and National need to understand that there is little incentive for someone who is out of work to take on the burden of travel, childcare and time away from their kids in order to better their circumstances.

Governments shouldn't punish people who are prepared hard to work hard to better their lot in life and do the right thing for their families. Wholesale WFFTC review needs to be on the table for next election.

I read that article and couldn't make it out clearly. I understand you come up against a threshold where it reduces the incentive to work any more hours than you're doing. But would be enough of an incentive as given in the article of $33 per hour to say go from 25 hours to 40?

I can see how the Working for Families might say stop you doing more hours if you were close to the threshold, but would it stop full time work? Surely if full time paid more you'd ditch the WFF?

Eitsop

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#3250614 18-Jun-2024 20:29

GV27:

I know I keep harping on about why neglecting the tax system and being administratively lazy because it pumps your Crown coffers is immoral, but it leads to outcomes like this:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/how-some-lower-income-households-could-end-up-with-a-128-per-cent-tax-rate/2YTQOJAKQ5E37ASVEFS5R3HX6M/

This isn't really defensible. Labour need to admit that WFFTC is a failure in its current state in a way that minor increases won't fix, and National need to understand that there is little incentive for someone who is out of work to take on the burden of travel, childcare and time away from their kids in order to better their circumstances.

Governments shouldn't punish people who are prepared hard to work hard to better their lot in life and do the right thing for their families. Wholesale WFFTC review needs to be on the table for next election.

This is why I think we should simplify, and have Universal Basic Income (UBI).. instead of WFFTC and any other WINZ Sick/unemployment payment.. all paid from a higher rate of tax, eg flat rate of 30%

If every child (parent until they are 16) and person was paid say $300pw tax free.. then they can go out and earn more money

eg if a Single Parent with 2 kids would get $900pw.. and if they earnt more money, they don't lose any of the 900pw

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