sharetrader
Page 135 of 697 FirstFirst ... 3585125131132133134135136137138139145185235635 ... LastLast
Results 1,341 to 1,350 of 6963
  1. #1341
    Speedy Az winner69's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    , , .
    Posts
    37,739

    Default

    Bridges is a real idiot .....and I’m trying to be nice about it
    “ At the top of every bubble, everyone is convinced it's not yet a bubble.”

  2. #1342
    always learning ... BlackPeter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    9,497

    Default

    Is this the result of a generic analysis or a reaction to a recent event?
    ----
    "Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future" (Niels Bohr)

  3. #1343
    Guru
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    2,977

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by winner69 View Post
    Bridges is a real idiot .....and I’m trying to be nice about it
    Bit of a random outburst there Winner

  4. #1344
    IMO
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Floating Anchor Shoals
    Posts
    9,697

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jonu View Post
    Let's do this



    New Zealand Herald
    nzherald.co.nz

    NZ Herald
    10 Aug, 2018 2:19pm

    BUSINESS
    Matthew Hooton: Worsening crisis of confidence
    10 Aug, 2018 2:00pm
    4 minutes to read

    Did Grant Robertson and Jacinda Ardern and the rest of the Labour crew do any policy work during nine years in opposition? Photo / Brett Phibbs
    By: Matthew Hooton

    matthew.hooton@exceltium.com


    COMMENT:
    The current business confidence crisis is set to become an investment crisis and full-scale economic downturn.
    Already Treasury has cut its growth forecasts while Statistics NZ reports unemployment is up. Inevitably, welfare spending will rise above budget, forecast tax-takes will fall and the Government's projected debt-to-GDP ratio will increase.
    The coalition's budget rules mean its fiscal response can only be pro-cyclical, cutting planned spending to keep within its debt-to-GDP cap.


    The outlook risks being catastrophic not just to the thousands who will lose their jobs but also to the Government's re-election hopes.
    Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson have spent the week denying there is a crisis while also insisting it's everyone else's fault.
    They are right that business confidence has slipped globally because of Brexit and Donald Trump's trade war, but that does not explain why things are so much worse in New Zealand.
    Business confidence is plunging, not just in absolute terms, but also relative to the rest of the world.
    Two years ago, New Zealand businesspeople were the second-most confident in the developed world.
    Now they are the second-least confident, with pessimism as bad as during the Global Financial Crisis.

    True to form, the Beehive's response has included smearing those who collect the data and participate in the surveys. Trade Minister David Parker has led that charge, saying the studies are "junk", a "survey of the emotions" and "the vibe of a self-selected subset of CEOs".
    Labour's media surrogates have loyally argued it's all just a tantrum about the colour of the new Government. But the Government is not "new".
    It was elected nearly a year ago and business confidence did not sink to its current depths immediately.
    The real problem is that Ardern, Robertson and the rest of the Labour crew were either incapable, too lazy or too distracted to do any policy work during nine years in opposition.
    The Government's 100-odd working groups are designed to fill that gap, but their combined effect is to leave every area of policy open to radical change but with no real indication of the nature of that change or when it might happen.
    We have no idea what taxes might be dreamed up by the Tax Working Group, let alone which will be implemented or at what rate.
    The proposed independent Climate Change Commission means Parker and Nick Smith's Emissions Trading Scheme might be replaced with something better or worse.
    It's unclear if the Government will streamline the Resource Management Act processes or expand the Auckland urban boundary.
    On water, some sort of tradeable rights scheme seems inevitable, with Māori taking some percentage as with the fishing quota. But the Government is unable to indicate when it will happen, how it will operate or what it might cost.
    Consequently, farmers and growers don't know if their access to water will be restricted or a charge introduced. Potential new entrants, including iwi, don't know if they might get better or cheaper access. Neither can invest until the policy is resolved.
    Similarly, no one knows what Jim Bolger's Fair Pay Agreements working group will conclude, with fears it will be the biggest reversal in industrial relations since Bolger himself abolished compulsory unionism in 1983.
    Future immigration policy is unclear, despite its reduction being Winston Peter's central political message for a quarter century. Almost every other important area of policy, including health and education, is equally up for grabs.
    Meanwhile, businesspeople are right to worry Shane Jones might suddenly turn up at your competitor's operation with a big cheque from his $3 billion Provincial Growth Fund.
    After the oil and gas decision, there is no certainty internal coalition politics won't mean your entire industry won't suddenly be declared unwelcome.
    Alongside its diversions and smears, the Government tried this week to launch a charm offensive, with Ardern and Parker's "Trade for All" initiative and Robertson's people pointing media to a speech he gave at SkyCity.
    The former is an Ardern special. A year-along "conversation" about what trade means to you, complete with yet another "advisory board".
    Robertson's speech was the usual precis of historic economic data combined with vague references to an Economic Plan, written in the style of a high school debating runner-up.
    The Beehive PR machine needs to remember it's communicating with investors and business leaders, not infants.
    In fact, Robertson knows full well there is no plan. How could there be when absolutely any policy that counts, including even whether trade is a good thing, is to be left undetermined not just for weeks or months but, in some cases, for years?
    - Matthew Hooton is managing director of PR and corporate affairs firm Exceltium.
    Mathew is on the outer as a credible journalist.heres a positive bit of balance from Gordon Campbell.


    Gordon Campbell on why worrying about business confidence is a wasted effort

    "That’s the real problem of course, with business confidence. For reasons that amount to little more than a prolonged political sulk over last year’s election result, the corporate world is talking itself into a tantrum. There is no valid economic reason for the business sector to feel as negative as it now professes itself to be. In fact, if business feels as bad as this when the overall economic indicators are this positive, Lord help us if a genuine financial crisis ever comes over the horizon."

  5. #1345
    Guru
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    2,977

    Default

    [QUOTE=Joshuatree;724478]Mathew is on the outer as a credible journalist.

    I'm inclined to agree JT, but the last couple of columns from him have raised valid concerns.

    Business confidence stems from all sorts of things...some emotional...others hard data like forward orders, rising costs etc. I think Gordon (the old leftie) Campbell is going out on a limb to say business is sulking. I think business leaders are more pragmatic than that.

  6. #1346
    IMO
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Floating Anchor Shoals
    Posts
    9,697

    Default

    I dont see any validity in those paragraphs. it is mainly politicalised imo, we really have it good here in NZ . Things aren't perfect and we are transitioning away from nationals immigration etc economy . I can understand some uncertainty and sentiment as big changes are happening and business may lose a little favouritism but overall its make hay while the sun shines(exchange rate the latest opp) and pull finger.

  7. #1347
    Veteran novice
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    , , .
    Posts
    7,289

    Default

    Won't be long now before we hear the old FDR line - "We have nothing to fear but fear itself".


  8. #1348
    always learning ... BlackPeter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    9,497

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Joshuatree View Post
    I dont see any validity in those paragraphs. it is mainly politicalised imo, we really have it good here in NZ . Things aren't perfect and we are transitioning away from nationals immigration etc economy . I can understand some uncertainty and sentiment as big changes are happening and business may lose a little favouritism but overall its make hay while the sun shines(exchange rate the latest opp) and pull finger.
    You need to open your eyes to see ;

    The current government is pushing labour costs up by two digit figures through stupid and unjustified (i.e. not supported by productivity gains) increases of the minimum wage. This is obviously directly impacting the bottom line - how can this be good for business?

    The current government is adding plenty of non work related cost to the employment bills - free (but paid) days for domestic violence in the family ... what's next - free days if the neighbours pet falls ill? I guess all nice to have, but what the government does not seem to understand is that each of the freebies they are throwing around is reducing the competitiveness of our industry.

    Payback time for any union supporting this government is not only pushing the tax bills up (or increasing the black hole which used to be the public budget). Where do you think will the money come from to pay nurses, teachers, age care workers, mental health nurses and no doubt soon police, army, bureaucrats and politicians two digit par rises? Just wait for workers in the industry to follow suit (or leave). How is this not bad for our industry?

    The current government does nor tend to make decisions (unless they are really stupid, bad for business as well as the environment like the ridiculous decision to stop oil and gas exploration) but adds for any issue another debating club to talk and talk and talk. Nobody can predict the outcome of tax reforms and many other open issues ... and uncertainty is bad for business.

    The current government is implementing populist "solutions" - stuff which sounds good if you had too much alcohol, but does not work. Fighting immigration is part of that. Bad for business - less qualified workers, less customers. Stupid.

    This government is bad for business. No surprise business confidence dropped from second best in the OECD under National to second worst now. We do have an incompetent prime minister under a populist leader supported by a watermelon appendix. How do you think business should feel good about this?

    Just open your eyes, and enjoy how your government is destructing our economy.
    ----
    "Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future" (Niels Bohr)

  9. #1349
    Speedy Az winner69's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    , , .
    Posts
    37,739

    Default

    Re ban on plastic bags

    All of us should read this. It’s a pretty poor document .....stuff all real analysis or evaluation....and no doubt the decision has already been made

    Maybe that’s how bad our public service has become

    http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default...tation-doc.pdf
    Last edited by winner69; 13-08-2018 at 03:18 PM.
    “ At the top of every bubble, everyone is convinced it's not yet a bubble.”

  10. #1350
    always learning ... BlackPeter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    9,497

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by winner69 View Post
    Re ban on plastic bags

    All of us should read this. It’s a pretty poor document .....stuff all real analysis or evaluation....and no doubt the decision has already been made

    Maybe that’s how bad our public service has become

    http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default...tation-doc.pdf
    LOL - these gals have absolutely no clue what they are doing - don't they? Maybe we could have a referendum on this document?

    56 pages, 13 questions (hidden in the text) plus many sub-questions. Business will need to employ additional staff just to respond to consultations like that and evaluating their responses will take many person years. Anybody expecting a clear answer on this question list? Anybody wondering why business confidence is down?

    But hey - they make sure Winston First clientele is protected:

    Consumers on lower incomes who may not feel able to afford longer-life bags may need
    assistance during any transition. We will engage with retailers on practical options. An example
    could be for holders of Community Service Cards and Gold Cards to receive assistance or
    concessions.
    How thoughtful. We clearly will need an additional shopping bag payment for beneficiaries. All these senior policy analysts clearly punch above their weight ...

    Just wondering - can we please do this in future for every mental fart the government might have? We probably need to allow more immigration to get enough policy analysts on board and will spend all our tax money on them, but at least will it stop these dilettantes to do any additional damage to our country.

    And just in case anybody is wondering - get rid of one way plastic bags.

    Maybe we could even get rid at the same time of the government and pick some grown ups who knows how to do their job?
    ----
    "Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future" (Niels Bohr)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •