If National wins ...

[craic]

The sad reality for the consumer is that trades and services have priorities and people must wait. Cash? - the service is there immediatly. I want a truckload of builders mix? the trucks are fully tied up supplying some roading project. Cash? the builders mix is ther that evening AFTER the deliveries to the roading contractors. Most smart people have a network of tradesmen/supliers but they all pay the 15% tax on the money they get when they spend it . Just adjust the methods of taxation and the problem will be solved - no one had=s ever managed to survive eating banknotes.

[Daytr]

It was reported on National radio about a week ago. I can't remember if they said that NZ electricity prices were the highest or 2nd highest in the OECD.

That's interesting. Evidence?

[Daytr]

Well, most low income people spend all their income. Rent or housing is typically no more than 30% of income, obviously might depend where you live. The remaining 70% is generally spent. Many medium income & above also have mortgages as well. How many medium income & above spend 70% of their income on GST related products & services?

How do you know that? My point about rent and mortgages stands.

[fungus pudding]

It was reported on National radio about a week ago. I can't remember if they said that NZ electricity prices were the highest or 2nd highest in the OECD.

Not even close.

[Daytr]

What isn't? You asked me for a source, I provided it.
What's yours to say its not even close?

Not even close.

[fungus pudding]

What isn't? You asked me for a source, I provided it.
What's yours to say its not even close?

Google world electricity prices or something like that. I looked a while ago and we were somewhere between 30 to 40th. I can't be bothered checking now. Don't believe what you hear on National radio.

[elZorro]

Google world electricity prices or something like that. I looked a while ago and we were somewhere between 30 to 40th. I can't be bothered checking now. Don't believe what you hear on National radio.

What's wrong with National Radio FP, too balanced?

I had a look at electricity prices, you're probably both wrong.

http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-indus...al-comparisons

If there are 33 OECD countries, NZ pays above average for electricity, but not by much. We have lower taxes on it than most. Mind you, we also have a lot more older hydro than most, so it should be cheaper than many other countries.

In 2013 we paid an equivalent of US$0.187 per kwHr, the average in the OECD was 0.175 per kWHr. Germany is the highest, they pay about twice what we do. Norway and USA are very low, about 1/2-2/3 our rate.

[jonu]

What's wrong with National Radio FP, too balanced?

I had a look at electricity prices, you're probably both wrong.

Aint that the beauty of politics!

[elZorro]

Aint that the beauty of politics!

I was just stirring, Jonu..

FP is right about the IRD slogan, they'd stopped using it by 2000. Article about it.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...objectid=10566

There's a short story on TV1 about tax dodging, coming up soon.

More about energy, Maui still has a few billion dollars worth of gas left, at retail. Note: one GJ is 277.777 kWHr, and the price per kwHr for gas is about the same as bulk electricity, 7-9c a unit, plus the daily fee. That represents over a 500% markup from wholesale, retail is $25.00 per GJ. That should be enough to cover the costs of compressing and pumping it.

NZResources 6/5/2015 — Oil and Gas
Government puts extended life value on Maui

Government officials have said the mature Maui offshore gasfield should be able to keep pumping gas past 2030.
Radio New Zealand said their comments came as Shell Todd Oil Services (STOS) sought approval from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to keep running Maui for another 35 years.
The comments follow several assertions in the past that Maui would soon run dry.
In applying for the right to keep on pumping gas, STOS said Maui still had 18% of New Zealand's gas reserves and 20% of its production.
Officials of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment produced more details of Maui's capacity at the inquiry into the EPA approval process.
They said Maui still contains 466 petajoules of gas, a 50% increase on estimates a year earlier - almost two and a half times NZ's total annual usage.
The Government said that pumped out judiciously, it would last for at least another 15 years.
Radio NZ said Ministry officials did not put a monetary value on the gas but the wholesale price for natural gas was around $5.50 a gigajoule. That means Maui's estimated reserves of 466 Pj would be worth $2.5 billion, minus the cost of extracting gas and getting it to market.
Maui was discovered in the 1960s and has been producing gas since 1979 but it needs a marine consent to keep on operating under a new law governing New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Source: radionz.co.nz

The IRD man (on TV) said that cashies are illegal, they undermine the vast majority of businesses who are straight up, and most NZers want to see every business paying the correct tax, just like they do. The point was made that big overseas owned businesses like Google and others get away with too much, the IRD man said they spend a lot of time on that, too.

There are surely times when we don't need to get too PC. When some roading work with asphalt was being done just down the road, I asked the contracting crew for enough material to patch three small holes in a shared driveway that was adjacent. Two guys turned up with a small roller and did the job in five minutes, once they'd finished their main job. I gave them a pack of beer, they were happy about that, we all did well.

[artemis]

Well, most low income people spend all their income. Rent or housing is typically no more than 30% of income, obviously might depend where you live. The remaining 70% is generally spent. Many medium income & above also have mortgages as well. How many medium income & above spend 70% of their income on GST related products & services?

Also depends on family composition and house size as well as location. So on an after tax income of $600 pw most would be paying rent of $180 pw? That could be true for a small rental in the provinces. But suggest you check out the Tenancy Service market rents site and you will see that $180 pw is not even in the ballpark for most of New Zealand. The rents there are based on actual bonds received in the previous 6 months. Where did you get your 'typically' information?