Labour / NZ First Government

[moka]

The growers said picking was often hard physical work and was unsuitable for many of the people the Labour Party was trying to steer in its direction.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/428232/growers-warn-time-is-slipping-by-for-harvest-amid-dire-need-for-pickers

With pruning kiwifruit there is a high risk of RSI/OOS so it is not suitable for everyone.

[fungus pudding]

If the family home was taxed under capital gains it would deter people from moving to another job in another city because they would not be able to purchase an equivalent home, which would not be good for the employee, the business, the economy and NZ as a whole.

Precisely why some cgt systems have a repatriation clause allowing an assett to be sold cgt free provided the assett is replaced within a certain time frame

[moka]

Getting workers to pick fruit is a long-standing problem as this press release on 20 January 2004 by the National party shows.

National says get foreign fruit pickers picking
The Minister of Immigration (Lianne Dalziel) has the power to grant exceptions to policy to allow visiting backpackers to pick fruit, and she should do so, says National MP Murray McCully.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0401/S00124.htm

[dobby41]

Depending on how long the temp work was for, their benefit would be suspended every week they earned more than their usual benefit payment. Problem with that is, you declare your earnings in the week you earn it not the week you get paid for it, so someone could potentially find the self/their family, with no income at all for two weeks (or more depending on timing and pay schedule of orchard etc).

You can't go on and off work - there are stand downs.

[justakiwi]

I worked part time while on the benefit - variable hours, some weeks no work. I declared my income every Friday and my benefit was adjusted accordingly for the following week. If I had earned more than my benefit amount that week, I got no benefit the following week. If I earned more than $80 gross a week my benefit was reduced the next week. If I earned less $80 gross or less, my benefit wasn’t affected. If you obtain casual, short term work, the system will work the same. It would also probably depend on how much you earned over the temp period, and there may be a limit to the number of weeks you can work like this. You would have to check with WINZ for that information.

You can't go on and off work - there are stand downs.

[Bjauck]

If the family home was taxed under capital gains it would deter people from moving to another job in another city because they would not be able to purchase an equivalent home, which would not be good for the employee, the business, the economy and NZ as a whole.

That is probably the exisiting case anyway for those moving from a cheaper area to Auckland for example. There would be an argument for allowing Cgt to be property inflation adjusted. It would mean equity in home that had been leveraged would have the cgt levied in a rising market.

[dobby41]

I worked part time while on the benefit - variable hours, some weeks no work. I declared my income every Friday and my benefit was adjusted accordingly for the following week. If I had earned more than my benefit amount that week, I got no benefit the following week. If I earned more than $80 gross a week my benefit was reduced the next week. If I earned less $80 gross or less, my benefit wasn’t affected. If you obtain casual, short term work, the system will work the same. It would also probably depend on how much you earned over the temp period, and there may be a limit to the number of weeks you can work like this. You would have to check with WINZ for that information.

Thanks for the info on how it really works.

[Bjauck]

I worked part time while on the benefit - variable hours, some weeks no work. I declared my income every Friday and my benefit was adjusted accordingly for the following week. If I had earned more than my benefit amount that week, I got no benefit the following week. If I earned more than $80 gross a week my benefit was reduced the next week. If I earned less $80 gross or less, my benefit wasn’t affected. If you obtain casual, short term work, the system will work the same. It would also probably depend on how much you earned over the temp period, and there may be a limit to the number of weeks you can work like this. You would have to check with WINZ for that information.

I think today support cut-out points are somewhat higher than the benefit payable - if I understand the WINZ tables correctly. They should be of course as there are costs involved in getting to and having a job.
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/ma...s-current.html

[justakiwi]

Things have improved according to that information, which is a good thing. I wonder if the $80 gross income point has changed too? It was $80 back in 2002 and was still $80 three years ago. Nowhere near enough to help people get back into work and off the benefit.

I think today support cut-out points are somewhat higher than the benefit payable - if I understand the WINZ tables correctly. They should be of course as there are costs involved in getting to and having a job.
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/ma...s-current.html

[Bjauck]

Things have improved according to that information, which is a good thing. I wonder if the $80 gross income point has changed too? It was $80 back in 2002 and was still $80 three years ago. Nowhere near enough to help people get back into work and off the benefit.

It depends on the benefit: e.g Jobseeker single $90; Solo parent $115.