If National wins ...

[elZorro]

It seems that the govt has finally tumbled to the fact that "fast food workers" has been one of the three biggest occupation groups in recent immigration numbers.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11730683

Chefs and bakers will find it much harder to get in under the new rules, MacD. IT people and nurses, not so bad. Only now are they realising that the rules need plenty of refining to improve on results for NZ.

Something to keep in mind about the wee budget surplus announced the other day. The profit and loss isn't doing too bad because expenses have been cut right back hard, but the capital side of the books is looking a bit sick.

https://thestandard.org.nz/there-goes-the-surplus/

Chris Trotter reports on the closing poll gap and has some astute observations.

http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2...her-taxes.html

[craic]

In this most prosperous city of Melbourne, the streets are littered with the best organised beggars I have seen anywhere. They have a collection of clothing and duvets, carefully arranged cardboard and a dog, always a dog. One was carefully folding a $10 note and putting it into his wallet as we passed. I see that the same problem is developing in NZ. Must be those bloody immigrants.

[elZorro]

In this most prosperous city of Melbourne, the streets are littered with the best organised beggars I have seen anywhere. They have a collection of clothing and duvets, carefully arranged cardboard and a dog, always a dog. One was carefully folding a $10 note and putting it into his wallet as we passed. I see that the same problem is developing in NZ. Must be those bloody immigrants.

Sounds interesting, Craic. Like the intersection window washing people, it's quite a financial enterprise sometimes. Not all of those people living in cars have to be there - I know of one who has the cash in the bank to put a deposit on a good house, and a steady job. Still sleeps in a clapped-out station wagon like a dero, just too tight and warped to pay normal living expenses. Another person I know of has decided to be a bankrupt, to defray minimal IRD tax penalties and other debts, and live in a shed on a leased paddock illegally, under the nose of the council. That person has a fairly good inheritance coming soon. IRD won't be in the frame.

Note: both are NZ-born pakehas.

Some of these people just like the idea of living off the grid. Would be a lot simpler I guess.

[craic]

Passed the possie of the fellow on the station end of Collins Street and he had moved. Paper bags left behind indicated that the kind Australians had given him ore food than he could eat.

[Joshuatree]

They are getting organised here too. A Bitch with a box full of puppies is really bringing adoring folks in and also filling the tin. They are locals here.

[elZorro]

Hekia Parata not standing again in 2017. That'll make the news less interesting, she was usually in the middle of some crazy policy change that wasn't going down well.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educ...years-election

Andrew Little had a great comment about the likelihood of other ministers leaving:

Little suggested at least three current Ministers who could also be on the chopping block after Key indicated last month that possibly two would be leaving.
Police Minister Judith Collins, Housing Minister Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy were top of Little's list - "I'll stop there, we'd be here all day otherwise."

[macduffy]

Seems that something's working in the tech manufacturing sector!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11732068

[Joshuatree]

Hekia Parata not standing again in 2017. That'll make the news less interesting, she was usually in the middle of some crazy policy change that wasn't going down well.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educ...years-election

Andrew Little had a great comment about the likelihood of other ministers leaving:

Im hearing that Key has had enough too and that he will leave after the next election; win or lose.

[fungus pudding]

Im hearing that Key has had enough too and that he will leave after the next election; win or lose.

I'm hearing he will announce resignation before standing for a 5th term.

[elZorro]

Seems that something's working in the tech manufacturing sector!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11732068

That article is about the top 200 tech companies, each averaging 200 staff, but the average size of a tech company in NZ is 3.5 people. These top 200 companies are doing a turnover of about $240k per staff member, 70% exported, which is OK, but not startling compared to Fonterra factory workers. They'll also be accessing Callaghan Funding in a big way, most of them. That's why Steven Joyce was there.

I wonder how many of them are paying plenty of taxes on any profit? That would be interesting to know.