Posts by Gareth Ward
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Ah, great stuff Ben - I see they came runner up in that best coffee award I mentioned; good on them...
Will revisit in January. -
It's easier to fill column inches with REINZ hand-delivered press releases, esp in the advertorial section where a reporter writes soft stories hand-fed by real estate agents. I've had to do this and it leaves a horrid taste in the mouth.
The Herald et al seem to come down pretty hard on real estate agents at times - certainly they can use their press releases for sales figure/state of the market type pieces, but I think its fair to say that editorial right to attack the industry remains, regardless of ad income...
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slarty, I just tore up that ballot, sorry pal...
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If you want to stop educated people going overseas, refuse to issue them passports and make the price of a medical degree indentured servitude to whatever DHB is willing to take them on. Seriously.
Unfortunately that will probably just stop educated people, period.
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Re Ireland - if the winds blow favourably, we could position ourselves as an equivalent into China, India and Asia. There success was based partly on transfer payments - but if we set ourselves up as a low-debt, stable-Govt economy that hugely incentivised business investment (low corporate tax rate etc etc) and had the skilled populace and export infrastructure in place, we could be a very very successful nearshore satelitte for companies looking for access to those markets.
Helen and Phil's FTA with China is a big part of that - if we are on a favourable trading relationship with China in the way Ireland are with the EU, then it really backs up the story.Huge changes required of course and frankly we don't have the balls to do it, even if much more solid research than my guesses suggested it would work.
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PPPs. The evidence that they're a better way of funding infrastructure is scant, but they're ideologically appealing.
Right, sorry wasn't following the line of thought.
Agree with you - the need for private investment for return seems woolly when as a rock-solid Govt your own rates for borrowing are pretty freakin sharp.
I guess it boils down to a belief that the private profit motive leads to better governance. -
You see slarty if someone from either side of the political divide talked about encouraging investment in productive assets, education and export potential I'd be ticking that little box like a madman.
I think you've perhaps been a little harsh on the effects of cyclical stimulatory policy but any chance you want to front up for a political party? =) -
They have everywhere, but it's like an article of faith on the centre-right that they will fix things in indefinable ways.
You mean National will fix things in indefinable ways, or infrastructure bonds will? Or debt?
I think slightly increased debt levels aren't the devil incarnate - certainly if they are used to fund expansionary economic policies that otherwise wouldn't happen then it can "fix" a lot. And enabling infrastructure is the right sort of thing to fund with debt - but roads really aren't enabling infrastructure that will drive significant growth in our current environment...
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Roads?! Roads?! Seriously that is what is holding us back? Our roads?
I have no problem with an investment in enabling infrastructure that has clear benefits for driving the economy forward, but ROADS as the big priority?!
My disappointment continues.Clark et al, I'm looking at you now for a plan - you don't seem to have one yet but Christ it can't be too hard to trump that...
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Sacred in Carnaby St area
Until recently I worked for a big-brand NZ company who are doing well for themselves in the UK and had an office at the base of Carnaby St. Of the few trips I made to that office, I would ALWAYS head to Sacred as soon as I arrived - leading to much ribbing from a primarily-English office of "flown for 28hours to get here and the first thing you do is go to a NZ cafe!" Until I bought them a flat white - that shut them up...
IIRC, the London cafe awards from last year had something like three NZ cafes in the five finalists?