If National wins ...

[minimoke]

I quite agree, but if a business is big enough, they'll all fit in there somewhere. I'm not saying I'd want many of them in a small business operation where I needed some flexibility..

I'm not sure why you think big business is responsible for giving the unemployed work. If many of these people had the attributes employers were looking for they would give them a go under the 90 Day Trial laws.

[fungus pudding]

I'm not sure why you think big business is responsible for giving the unemployed work. If many of these people had the attributes employers were looking for they would give them a go under the 90 Day Trial laws.

That's too logical for eZ.

[Zaphod]

I thought National has spent a few years now borrowing and ploughing vast sums back into the economy and inflations is now just lifting its' head.
Yet if Labour spends up pops inflations?

What's the inflation level at the moment, given the National Governments spending? Say 1.9%

Labour's policies are already billions more than Nationals. Add in $20 min wage by 2020 and you're starting down the barrel of much higher figures, without even factoring in other geopolitical events outside of our control.

[fungus pudding]

What's the inflation level at the moment, given the National Governments spending? Say 1.9%

Labour's policies are already billions more than Nationals. Add in $20 min wage by 2020 and you're starting down the barrel of much higher figures, without even factoring in other geopolitical events outside of our control.

Don't overlook the biggie - lowering the currency which Peters is hell bent on.

[winner69]

Don't overlook the biggie - lowering the currency which Peters is hell bent on.

he wouldn't go as far as straight out devaluation if he doesn't get his way would he?

New RB Gov with a growth bias along with a building/construction boom (and tight employment) all seem to point to a atrengthening NZD ....and how often has any government / central bank really managed to get their currency lower.

[elZorro]

I'm certainly not advocating the net immigration will be zero, especially with the vast numbers of New Zealanders returning to the country and seeking jobs in the largest market - Auckland.

The "status quo" is replicated the world over through the phenomenon of urban drift, as ever increasing numbers of people shift from the country and smaller cities to larger cities seeking opportunities and a more urban lifestyle. Artificially constraining the population is doomed to failure.

The bonus to the economy is increased inflation as the government plough vast sums of cash back into the economy, raising interest rates and causing pain for those high leveraged individuals already in the cooling housing market. That's a major concern.

Trades training won't allow Labour to build even a fraction of their 10,000 houses per annum if immigration is paired back, for at least the first term. The building industry already has full order books, and training people to the point where they are productive enough to assist is a multi-year journey. Perhaps they are being overly ambitious.

Anything other than an open market based price for new affordable housing, amounts to a subsidy for a select few lucky purchasers. Is that really fair? Building houses in of itself should reduce pressure on the housing market according to Labour's own logic, so therefore shouldn't that be enough? Who knows.

Given we're moving to an era where the measure of economic output is based on feelings (according to JA's recent interview), it will be interesting to see what measures Labour use to determine their success in this field.

Of course I can see this turning back into a debate on the housing market, which is probably better covered elsewhere. Given the size of that conversation, it's pretty obvious there is no simple answer, despite what Labour proclaim.

I think Labour have done a lot more research into the implications of KiwiBuild than you would have done, Zaphod. There will be economies of scale in purchasing, and a chance to back Kiwi businesses. I assume they're thinking of prefabricated components, not the site-intensive style most current houses are built with. The prefab factories will easily train employees for some of these jobs, quite quickly. Assembly on site will be a quicker job than usual, also needing less training and oversight. Each person on the job instead of on the dole will cycle funds into the economy, not be a cost to the govt. NZ has had periods when over 10,000 houses were built in a year, just not recently with the current spate of McMansions, that allow good profits for builders, but don't suit first time homebuyers. It's a different market needing different solutions.

Just let Labour get started, this alone will build the economy in a very real way.

[fungus pudding]

he wouldn't go as far as straight out devaluation if he doesn't get his way would he?

New RB Gov with a growth bias along with a building/construction boom (and tight employment) all seem to point to a atrengthening NZD ....and how often has any government / central bank really managed to get their currency lower.

We don't know how he will do it, but he knows. Certainly started with gloomy negative comments about the impending economic crash, but he's always been a pessimist. And he won't be content to have Robertson as finance minister - no siree. Winston will have his say whenever he likes.

[winner69]

I think Labour have done a lot more research into the implications of KiwiBuild than you would have done, Zaphod. There will be economies of scale in purchasing, and a chance to back Kiwi businesses. I assume they're thinking of prefabricated components, not the site-intensive style most current houses are built with. The prefab factories will easily train employees for some of these jobs, quite quickly. Assembly on site will be a quicker job than usual, also needing less training and oversight. Each person on the job instead of on the dole will cycle funds into the economy, not be a cost to the govt. NZ has had periods when over 10,000 houses were built in a year, just not recently with the current spate of McMansions, that allow good profits for builders, but don't suit first time homebuyers. It's a different market needing different solutions.

Just let Labour get started, this alone will build the economy in a very real way.

Marama Fox already on the case - wonder if her 60,000 is part of the Labour 100,000 or are going to have a race

[elZorro]

Marama Fox already on the case - wonder if her 60,000 is part of the Labour 100,000 or are going to have a race

I guess the more the merrier? https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...ordable-houses

I hadn't seen that, W69. Sounds useful, although there is the issue of reticulation and there being suitable work nearby. This new govt needs to start asking the big questions - like what population level is NZ looking for, in the next decade or 50 years?

Labour-Green confidence and supply agreement out today.

https://www.scribd.com/document/3624...t-1#from_embed

Labour-NZFirst Coalition agreement basics. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11936301

[minimoke]

just not recently with the current spate of McMansions, that allow good profits for builders, but don't suit first time homebuyers. It's a different market needing different solutions.

Just let Labour get started, this alone will build the economy in a very real way.

Can you just remind me when it was that first home buyers got to buy a brand new house