If National wins ...

[Cuzzie]

Not just dim. But very short sighted as well.

belg, you for one knows just how hard it is to except the truth.

[BlackPeter]

Auckland is a powerhouse of the NZ economy. To suggest that the "regions" would be funding this is ludicrous. In actual fact, Auckland taxes (income & GST) fund many regions.

LOL again ... ever looked into a statistic showing NZ's export income (the only income which really counts)?

try this: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_...3/exports.aspx

Now - 70% of the exports come from primary industry: milk, meat, logs / wood / ...
Hi Belg, can you tell me how much of these are produced in Auckland? Not a lot ... maybe a tiny bit of wine ...

I am sure they contribute as well somehow to the less than 5% machinery and equipment NZ is exporting ... but than there are other engineering centres in NZ as well.

I give you that Auckland is certainly contributing to New Zealand its (more than) fair share of beneficiaries, lefties, greenies, traffic jams and smog ... but is this really a reason to drop them more lollies than they deserve (and certainly not earn)?

Can't see what Auckland is doing for us, they don't even administer or train us. The regions could well live without Auckland, but could Auckland live without the regions (and the tax flow from the regions Auckland got so used to). No offence intended, but I am sick of seeing my taxpayer money sunk into a huge bottomless barrel which takes so much and gives so little.

[westerly]

Not quite sure I get your point ... how does any of that make it right to restrict the right of (supposedly) kiwi land owners to sell to non kiwi purchasers on a free market basis?
What benefit exactly would New Zealand have if we restrict the sale?
What disadvantage will New Zealand have if some more farms would be owned by foreigners (even if they look Asian)?

Quite frankly, on a free market basis I doubt the commitment to NZ of foreign ownership. If someone wants to live here take out citizenship and then buy a farm OK Generally foreign ownership is either to make money and take the profits elsewhere or to have a nice lifestyle in NZ
Foreign buyers almost always can outbid a NZ farmer or want to be farmer thus putting farm ownership out of reach . Farm land should only be worth what it can produce.
As far as China goes, we still import more from them than we export I think there is more benefit for China than NZ in the free trade agreement. Time will tell but small countries do not win many battles

Quote Iceman "The hypocrisy is indeed mind boggling Cuzzie. Labour during their 9 years, supported by Winston First and the Greens, sold of lots of land to foreigners, mainly Canadians and Germans as far as I know. That was all OK ! " Quote

No it was not OK But the Greens and Winston did not support this policy.

westerly

[neopoleII]

""You'll need to explain that "the only income which really counts"""
if foot and mouth disease hit NZ and got established you might find that the aucklanders would end up losing the most......
since they dont produce much export dollars......... they do however export lots of dollars via purchasing overseas mortgage funds.

"If you check these assertions you'll find you're wrong. Auckland taxes and other large centres of population taxes are subsidising the regions."
from my understanding...... taxes are paid from profits, and the vast majority of profits made in NZ are created in the regions.
its the governments that spend the taxes in the cities.

The horrible "rich pr.k" farmers, growers and tourist operators in the regions that generate the vast majority of NZ incoming dollars,
then pay tax and then spend their profits....... its this money that churns through our society..... along with the billions of aucklands imported mortgage money.

Auckland is NZ's biggest powerhouse of cash churn...... but without the income of regional NZ, Auckland is a dead duck.
the export component of Auckland enterprise wouldnt even cover a 10th of is running costs.

and in the meantime, the regional folks have to pay high interest rates because central government hasnt got the correct tools to control the townies speculation greed........
while the regional folks a breaking their backs bringing export dollars into NZ.

NZ is still working with CHC damaged. NZ will still work if AUCK got damaged,
Damage the rural powerhouse export income, Auckland is game over.

I guess sitting papers in Auckland is different to hard graft working in regional areas.......

[elZorro]

NeopoleII and Blackpeter, wasn't it just a few dozen pages back on this thread, where we were discussing the abysmally small amount of tax that farmers (as a whole) pay each year? Surely if the regions are such powerhouses of exports and profit, they'd pay a lot of tax too?
Not so. In the absence of a CGT, farms are put up for sale, no tax is paid on the seller's profit, and the buyer defrays any tax they might be needing to pay from their other farm operation, on new interest costs and capital depreciation. It's a great system. One that every established farmer knows, off by heart.

[BlackPeter]

You'll need to explain that "the only income which really counts" bit as it never was addressed in any economics papers I did. Or accountancy or statistics for that matter.

I knew there is something wrong with our university system - or maybe you just didn't pay enough attention?
We are a small country with a huge appetite for stuff imported from overseas (like cars, computers, cell phones, overseas travel, petrol, and the list goes on). The only way to pay our bills is by exporting stuff (or to increase overseas debt, but latter is not sustainable). Now - instead of crawling into your corner and cry - why don't you just pull some data (as you claimed you do only some pages ago) and prove to me, that Auckland is pulling its weight in terms of export (or even in terms of domestic produce). Sure - there are some companies in Auckland earning export money for all of us (not just AIA), but I doubt it comes close to the per capita export income coming form the regions.

Really? So what does Auckland do?

well - if you don't know what they are doing, how should I? And I was thinking that you just made a claim that Auckland is the powerhouse of NZ - and you don't know yourself what they are doing?

Alas. You have offended. Ignorance always offends me.

Ah well, maybe the ignorance was not on my side - at least did your post nothing to prove or reduce my alleged ignorance. Do I need to first perform some strange Labour ritual to become a part of the parish of the knowing ?

Belg, I must say the standard of your arguments on this thread seems to drop by the day we come closer to the elections (which is a pity - quite good to talk with you if its not about politics - and apparently about Auckland).

Sorry - I know you took it on your plate to convince everybody that Labour is the best thing since the invention of sliced bread, and now you even get stuck with simple things like comprehending the limited export income of the Auckland community (have another good look at the export stats I put into my last post). Maybe a good break until September 20 would do you good - all this mudslinging must be tough .

[elZorro]

BP, what you are saying is fairly standard comment from investors in the rural sector - "We're doing all the exporting" while failing to mention "We're refusing to pay any of the tax".

This page is a spreadsheet link from the same StatsNZ site. It divulges that each year, NZ exports $16bill of services overseas, these are not physical goods. That figure is more than the dairy export total.
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_...-services.aspx

Here's another Labour policy which is sure to upset farmers: clean and swimmable waterways within a generation. This is very heartwarming, even to think that it is possible, that we could have those waterways back in good condition.


http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA140...generation.htm

The mention of swimmable waterways has to be the strongest link yet to Greens policy. I've just been doing some numbers. The Green's party vote went from 6.72% in 2008, to 11.06% in 2011. They are spending more than ever this year. If they get to 15%, and Labour get 30% or more, National will lose this election.

[craic]

In view of your comments above I come to the conclusion that you are the closest thing to an intellectual cripple that has ever graced these pages with a blitz of nearly 5000 opinions on anything and everything, many extremely offensive or mindless and for that reason I will depart - to join many others - who can no longer stoop to your level and not bother to read or post again here. I will provide El Zorro with a name and address so that our wager of $1,000 can be settled later.

The Cuzzie. A true National Supporter. (Dim. Short-sighted. Head in the sand. And a Narcissist.)

Time for a change

[Major von Tempsky]

The claim that Auckland is the powerhouse of the N Z economy is a strange one.

Auckland is the main import port of NZ, Tauranga and the others are the main export ports. The export industries and ports are the powerhouse of the NZ economy.

Nearly all the new immigrants go to south Auckland, so do poor Maoris from the regions, and poor whites from the regions. The transfer payments, the social welfare payments to Auckland are stupendous. Is that a powerhouse?

Billions are being spent on Auckland motorways so cars can travel around and around Auckland and into Ponsonby for their favourite latte. Only the government has stopped (so far) more billions being spent on a metro so Aucklanders can catch it from the Britomart centre up to K road. Which much fewer than Len Brown hopes will actually do and it will be for consumption, retail, latte swilling rather than productive output. Yes, I know, I lived in Auckland for 16 years :-)

[Cuzzie]

In view of your comments above I come to the conclusion that you are the closest thing to an intellectual cripple that has ever graced these pages with a blitz of nearly 5000 opinions on anything and everything, many extremely offensive or mindless and for that reason I will depart - to join many others - who can no longer stoop to your level and not bother to read or post again here. I will provide El Zorro with a name and address so that our wager of $1,000 can be settled later.

craic, I wont bother to ask you to stay as I know you are a man of principles and don't go back on your word. I for one will miss your wit and honesty. I like the fact that you have the ability to cross over to the other side and agree with what EZ & co are saying at times(as I'm about to do in my next post). You my friend are not one eyed & will be greatly missed on ShareTrader. Don't gamble all your winnings from EZ on one horse. Maybe buy a nice bottle of single malt to enjoy. Take care mate.

Cheers, Cuzzie.