Local Bodies

Almost ten years ago I wrote a post detailing why New Zealand ranked at the bottom of the developed world for child health and welfare. With over 330,000 views, and widely shared, it has become my most read post. When so many were shocked at the time it despairs me that so little has changed despite an awareness of need.   When we look at the global trends for child health and wellbeing, many developed countries are experiencing greater inequity through the continued dominance of neoliberal politics and the rise of the populist right. The fact that New Zealand also reflects that trend and is still ranked 32nd out of 37 high income countries (and the worst in a key indicator), exposes a deepening crisis that deserves immediate attention.  According to UNICEF data this is where New Zealand currently sits in key indicators: Mental Wellbeing (37th out of 37) We are still firmly at the bottom for what must be the most concerning health statistic. Poor mental health impacts o...

Anna Chrichton's brilliant cartoon sums it up.  The farming sector is enjoying a boom time at the moment. Beef prices are experiencing a 60 year high, the farm gate milk price is almost $10/kgMS, wool prices have achieved a 10 year high, lamb is getting $2/kg more than last year and fruit prices are also strong. If the sector is the 'backbone of the economy', as is often claimed, then why is it that we are struggling to stand upright economically at the moment. Unemployment is sitting at 5.3% (over 11% for Māori and Pasifika) and households are generally struggling to make ends meet.   The problem with agriculture is that most New Zealanders get little value from the sector. While it earns around 85% (dairy is 30%) of our export income it only adds only 5% to our total GDP. It employs just 5% of the workforce and contributes a measly 1-3% of total tax income . The income generated mainly goes to the likes of Fonterra (15 staff earn over $1 million pa), various corporates...

When I was a child in the 1960s I didn't have an awareness of inequality. There was no evidence of rough sleeping, all children brought lunches to school and whether you were a freezing worker, a teacher or even an MP, incomes didn't seem to vary that much. 60 years ago an MP would earn about the same as a teacher, plus expenses. The unemployment rate then was under 1%.  There were no records regarding the individual wealth of New Zealanders until the first NBR Rich List in 1986. John Spencer topped the list then with his total wealth of $675 million, inflation adjusted it would be the equivalent of about $1.9 billion.  Today there are 18 individuals and families with wealth over $1 billion and the wealthiest have over $20 billion. In 40 years real wealth at the top has increased around 10 times. Sixty years ago the top statutory personal income tax rate was 67.5%, it is now 39%. The IRD found that the very richest in NZ only pay around 8-9% on their net income, due to untaxed...