Hard News: The epitome of reason
151 Responses
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Geoff Lealand, in reply to
Why not add a few more mythical creatures: Remuera Reactionaries, Parnell Posers, , Freeman Bay Fraudsters?
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Geoff Lealand, in reply to
And a bloody jet-ski?
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Geoff Lealand, in reply to
Yes, I sometimes think that accelerated immigration is making New Zealand a less liberal country than a more enlightened one.
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
Yes, I sometimes think that accelerated immigration is making New Zealand a less liberal country than a more enlightened one.
Is it a 1st-generation thing? If so, then it's probably because NZ was late to the party in comparison with Australia and Canada.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
profiting from record dairy prices
Funny how those only lasted until the election as Fonterra limited supply to keep the price up. Suddenly after the election we have a mountain of milk to get rid of and the prices have to drop again.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
I don’t think there is an example
And yet again, past examples are becoming less and less relevant with MMP. What happened in the binary FPP system is not what will happen in the future.
While it is true that National and certain commentators have succeeded in scaring people with the boogy monster of a coalition government I can't believe the next generation believes those fairy tales any more.
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Amanda Wreckonwith, in reply to
Funny how those only lasted until the election as Fonterra limited supply to keep the price up. Suddenly after the election we have a mountain of milk to get rid of and the prices have to drop again.
I thought the drop in price was due to the glut of milk coming on stream following the removal of quotas in the EU?
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BenWilson, in reply to
But having the Labour Party focused on … well … labour, doesn’t seem like a bad fit.
It's kind of built in. But I can't help but feel like it's like trying to base a party around the future of blacksmithery. What if the future of work is that there just is a whole lot less to go around, and that continues endlessly, a fairly straightforward consequence of continually improving productivity? Perhaps the real future of work is that it should not be the basis of our economic life. However telling that to the party of labour is a bit pointless. It quite literally formed as a capitalist offshoot, demanding that work be distributed better so that everyone can have some.
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Stephen Judd, in reply to
Why do they never refer to their track record of sound economic management, budget surpluses, Kiwisaver, the Cullen Fund etc.?
But we do! Those messages just don't get reported most of the time, because they don't fit the stereotype. The Very Serious People of NZ media have decided that National are competent economic managers and Labour are loonies, and that is that.
There is a whole other debate about what constitutes sound, what kinds of deficits are good vs bad, who did most/least to moderate the property sector, and so on, of course.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
I thought the drop in price was due to the glut of milk coming on stream following the removal of quotas in the EU?
My understanding is Fonterra were actively limiting the amount that went into the auction last year - I thought it was odd at the time.
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Alfie, in reply to
My understanding is Fonterra were actively limiting the amount that went into the auction last year - I thought it was odd at the time.
I believe (sorry, can't find a reference) that the Chinese were ordering increasingly large quantities which they stockpiled. Then they cut back their orders drastically, leading to a glut. The European quotas were only removed in April this year, adding to Fonterra's problems.
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Sacha, in reply to
those swimmers won't scare themselves
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My friend who advises on the China NZ trade says that a few years ago China decided to have complete dairy supply chains whereby they use the land in other countries - such as NZ - but own and control the whole set up. They have several of those operations around NZ now so need to buy less on the open market. However, they are apparently interested in goat and buffalo milk as they are more easily digestible, so there is some potential there. As well as anything organic. So a proactive government could help promote these areas but ensure that NZ owns and benefits from all aspects of the supply chain.
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Amanda Wreckonwith, in reply to
The European quotas were only removed in April this year, adding to Fonterra’s problems.
But the quota removal has been planned since at least 2008, http://capreform.eu/milk-quota-removal-could-cost-eu-farmers-e4-billion/
European countries have been ramping up their production capacity for many years and Fonterra seem to have made no allowance for this flooding of the market. What could possibly go wrong?
Why aren't our wonderfully astute business commentators hauling these directors over the coals? Are the NBR's teeth reserved for the mastication of the left? -
Rich of Observationz, in reply to
I imagine they believed, as did the equally well paid managers at Solid Energy, and as the similar managers at the banks do, that Chinese growth is unlimited and unstoppable. On that basis, any price slumps are just minor glitches.
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Amanda Wreckonwith, in reply to
Their beliefs seem to be immaterial - whatever the result of their actions there appears to be no consequence for them when things turn bad. Just move on to the next company. I wonder if Sir Ralph Norris is giving the business decisions at Fonterra a second thought now he has sailed off into the distance...
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I know my own values pretty well. I understand what values tend to be supported by which political party.
As such.....I'm more or less immune to Crosby-Textor. That makes me unusual / exceptional, I guess.
I think the core of the problem lies right there: a huge number of voters can no longer coherently articulate their own values or compare / contrast them accurately with the political parties.
How do you fix that?
Don't know.
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Heard a builder say that the best timber in New Zealand is sitting on the wharf waiting to be shipped offshore as whole logs.
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Sacha, in reply to
brighter future, etc
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Sacha, in reply to
Why aren't our wonderfully astute business commentators hauling these directors over the coals?
Compromised is the polite word ..
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Sacha, in reply to
a huge number of voters can no longer coherently articulate their own values
Astute.
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Sacha, in reply to
but ensure that NZ owns and benefits from all aspects of the supply chain
how? who realistically has the power here?
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Joe Wylie, in reply to
I think the core of the problem lies right there: a huge number of voters can no longer coherently articulate their own values
You seem to be implying that there was a time when they could. How did that make things better?
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What I don't get about articulacy as a virtue is that it seems a skill of politicians rather than voters. In the interests of clear communication I think I understand its importance, but when Grant Robertson's supporters praised his commitment to "core values" it appeared to have descended into inward-looking jargon. As often as not the purpose of jargon is to exclude outsiders, rather than to communicate.
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Hilary Stace, in reply to
NZ owns the land and the business rents. NZ owns the cows and the business rents. NZ owns the water and charges for it. And all the structures are rented by the business. Could all be owned by an SOE like Landcorp and so revenue goes back to NZ government at various stages of the operation. At the moment when the whole closed operation is owned offshore there is little revenue left for NZ at any stage..
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