Chris Hipkins, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

To post in this sub-forum you must have made 100 posts or have Trust status or have completed our ID Verification

Forums › Politics › Chris Hipkins, New Zealand Prime Minister 2023

1 | ... | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ... | 60

29746 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3049893 14-Mar-2023 10:24

GV27:

There's a big difference between a salary you have to work for a salary you don't.

Unless the point isn't that at all, and it's just cynical election year lolly-scrambling to try and see off NZ First and using the government coffers to do it. Which it is.

So we should somehow make salaries and wages go up, and ensure the rest stay the same? ok. Pensioners have worked a full life, but kick them aside. Many beneficiaries are locked in to the benefit, kick them aside. Students too and young families

If its a lolly scramble, then it is every year and irregardless of the governing party.

GV27

5897 posts

Uber Geek

#3049897 14-Mar-2023 10:31

tdgeek:

So we should somehow make salaries and wages go up, and ensure the rest stay the same? ok. Pensioners have worked a full life, but kick them aside. Many beneficiaries are locked in to the benefit, kick them aside. Students too and young families

Take a second and re-read my post. I have no issue with people who need more getting more. But workers are copping it in terms of inflation as well and are still paying tax rates that were set in what, 2010? Are your living costs the same as they were 12 years ago? No. Of course they aren't.

If there's living cost pressure the government needs to own the part they're playing in it. It can't just use it as a prop when it wants to announce good news to constituents they want votes from and then ignore it from that point on.

ockel

2031 posts

Uber Geek

#3049906 14-Mar-2023 10:47

tdgeek:

The 6.24% has been quoted in the media, unsure how accurate that is, but its not likely to be far off. The overall issue is that we have inflation so wages/salaries "should' go up by a similar figure. Wages and salaries appear to have done, now Super people, students, benefits, WFF.

When inflation was 2%, the same applies, today the number just happens to be different

And I'm calling for a fact check because I think its wrong. The Government is NOT topping up by 0.98% because 6.24% looks like BS.

This time last year was the Govt claiming benevolence when it raised NZSuper by 5.9%? No because it didnt believe there was any inflation or cost of living crisis and yet NZ Super increased because annual inflation to December 2021 was 5.9% (note that this inflation rate predated the war in Ukraine before anyone starts the blame game for inflation).

Its convenient now to claim benevolence when there is ongoing cost of living issues AND when its an election year. Yet the Govt couldnt avoid lifting these rate even if it tried (other than repealing the legislation, which it could do with a majority).

Sixth Labour Government - "Vision without Execution is just Hallucination"

ockel

2031 posts

Uber Geek

#3049907 14-Mar-2023 10:50

GV27:

And there's no reason we couldn't set our tax brackets to do the same. But that as an added living cost pressure is fine, whereas apparently super must be increased by the rate of inflation, come hell or high water.

If 'increasing living costs' justify one then it justifies both. Choosing not to is no longer justifiable given how hot inflation is running.

Absolutely agree. Tax bracket indexation should be enshrined in legislation rather than have one party promise a lift like a lolly scramble. Take inflation and politics out of day-to-day stuff. Changing brackets, rewriting tax law, that is the sort of stuff that should be election policy not bracket creep.

Sixth Labour Government - "Vision without Execution is just Hallucination"

tdgeek

29746 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3049962 14-Mar-2023 11:24

GV27:

Take a second and re-read my post. I have no issue with people who need more getting more. But workers are copping it in terms of inflation as well and are still paying tax rates that were set in what, 2010? Are your living costs the same as they were 12 years ago? No. Of course they aren't.

If there's living cost pressure the government needs to own the part they're playing in it. It can't just use it as a prop when it wants to announce good news to constituents they want votes from and then ignore it from that point on.

On average wages have gone up, some more some less. Either they go up or you adjust tax rates to get the same net gain. We should do both? A past PM said we are a market driven economy, do we now need to regulate wages and salaries? Perhaps it depends on how much you blame the Govt for inflation? Covid support, Ukraine, ongoing Covid affected production is lagging, storm after storm, they all contribute. Wages have risen due to demand, these benefits go up anyway.

My living costs over 12 years is up, yes, so are my and your salary

I get where you are coming from, perhaps we need regulated wages and salaries? No, you wish us to have tax cuts, and certainly annual tax threshold adjustments should occur, but no Govt has wanted to do that, perhaps its time someone did, every year, based on CPI

GV27

5897 posts

Uber Geek

#3049986 14-Mar-2023 12:07

tdgeek:

I get where you are coming from, perhaps we need regulated wages and salaries? No, you wish us to have tax cuts, and certainly annual tax threshold adjustments should occur, but no Govt has wanted to do that, perhaps its time someone did, every year, based on CPI

I mean the fact it's been ten years and counting suggests it's not something we should leave up to governments at all. Politicians frankly have shown themselves to be incapable of making that decision in a reasonable or responsible way, so they should lose the power to make the decision totally.

And I count this government as worse offenders than the previous one as Bill English eventually did do some degree of indexing in a package legislated for 1 April 2018, but Labour nixed it and actually repealed his adjustments, only to replace them with nothing - and then to cynically suggest any indexing at all was actually a 'tax cut'.

Were it not for Gabrielle, I think Robertson would be banging that drum only as long as he could before he had to announce indexing himself - but naturally that would be down to his shrewd economic management. Now that we have another national disaster, he has an excuse not to do anything. Hell, current scuttlebutt is we'll see tax increases on top of the ones he's been sneaking past the edge of the bat for the last two terms.

tdgeek

29746 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3050013 14-Mar-2023 12:15

GV27:

I mean the fact it's been ten years and counting suggests it's not something we should leave up to governments at all.

We agree on that

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

ockel

2031 posts

Uber Geek

#3050203 14-Mar-2023 20:33

In the last 2 weeks we have seen the Transport Minister have his 10 year strategic plan jettisoned without his knowledge (and now light rail kicked to the curb mere weeks after saying it will go ahead) and the Climate Change Minister have his policies jettisoned without his knowledge. Guessing that Willie Jackson didnt make the call on the media merger scrapping given he still thinks the $16m spend was worthwhile and it will happen in the future. Hard to know if Robertson was aware of the IIS scheme being shelved but surely the minister responsible for hate speech never expected it to be kicked to the Law Commission after all the work done.

We are clearly seeing that the Prime Minister didnt have enough with just Education and Covid response. Its now a one man policy band - we call that by another name in other countries.

The Consumer Affairs Minister today wont commit to any banking enquiry - assumably without the signoff from Dictator Hipkins. No other minister will make any policy announcements without the prerequisite Monday press conference ......

Sixth Labour Government - "Vision without Execution is just Hallucination"

johno1234

2801 posts

Uber Geek

#3050209 14-Mar-2023 21:34

ockel:
In the last 2 weeks we have seen the Transport Minister have his 10 year strategic plan jettisoned without his knowledge (and now light rail kicked to the curb mere weeks after saying it will go ahead) and the Climate Change Minister have his policies jettisoned without his knowledge. Guessing that Willie Jackson didnt make the call on the media merger scrapping given he still thinks the $16m spend was worthwhile and it will happen in the future. Hard to know if Robertson was aware of the IIS scheme being shelved but surely the minister responsible for hate speech never expected it to be kicked to the Law Commission after all the work done.

We are clearly seeing that the Prime Minister didnt have enough with just Education and Covid response. Its now a one man policy band - we call that by another name in other countries.

The Consumer Affairs Minister today wont commit to any banking enquiry - assumably without the signoff from Dictator Hipkins. No other minister will make any policy announcements without the prerequisite Monday press conference ......

The “Captain’s Call” became de regeur with Hipkins’ predecessor.

gzt

17118 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3050224 14-Mar-2023 22:30

The Consumer Affairs Minister today wont commit to any banking enquiry - assumably without the signoff from Dictator Hipkins.

That is clearly a silly name as well as sounding a bit too close to some of the recent silliness on the beehive lawn.

GV27

5897 posts

Uber Geek

#3050235 15-Mar-2023 06:33

ockel:

The Consumer Affairs Minister today wont commit to any banking enquiry - assumably without the signoff from Dictator Hipkins. No other minister will make any policy announcements without the prerequisite Monday press conference ......

I mean, Monday is the post-cabinet press conference. If there is a policy announcement on a Monday it's because Cabinet voted on it that day.

GV27

5897 posts

Uber Geek

#3050432 15-Mar-2023 14:46

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-minister-stuart-nash-resigns-after-he-criticised-judges-decision/4A5NZJQHBJCWHAITEFFEDKF2UI/

Nash Goneburger.

The Hipkins Threshold/Election Year Threshold is much lower than the old we used to have for being told to pack your things.

Wood as acting Police Minister. This is on top of her existing Ministries, some of which are extremely important - infrastructure, construction, housing, energy.

As we are not exactly overwhelmed with good news in these areas and they probably deserve a serious amount of focus, I'm not sure adding the Police into the mix is going to yield good results for anyone.

quickymart

13936 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#3050786 16-Mar-2023 12:29

ockel:

The Consumer Affairs Minister today wont commit to any banking enquiry - assumably without the signoff from Dictator Hipkins. No other minister will make any policy announcements without the prerequisite Monday press conference ......

Last time I checked, dictators round up dissidents or people who disagree with them and have them summarily executed. I don't believe he's done this, has he? Ditto Ardern, also branded a "dictator", for some reason.

Stu

Hammered
8336 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3050787 16-Mar-2023 12:32

Agreed, let's not have any more name calling. Certainly no more unjustified use of "dictator".

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Referral Links: Sharesies - Backblaze -

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? If so, please consider supporting us by subscribing.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Kyanar

4089 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#3050951 16-Mar-2023 18:32

quickymart:

Last time I checked, dictators round up dissidents or people who disagree with them and have them summarily executed. I don't believe he's done this, has he? Ditto Ardern, also branded a "dictator", for some reason.

Agree, some of the vitriol directed at New Zealand's leaders has been pretty disgusting. I actually saw (before the end of her prime ministership) a vehicle with "Abort Ardern Before Full Term" spray painted on the rear. This would be eye-rollingly bad, if not for the fact that I saw this on a vehicle on the M1. You might be curious, thinking "surely you mean SH1". No, I mean the M1, between Brisbane and Gold Coast.

It seems that New Zealand's leadership have become almost a beacon to these types of people. Interesting to see if Hipkins can shake that narrative without the burden of the COVID response for them to fall back on.

1 | ... | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ... | 60