OT- NZ Election

[Beavers Headgear]

It's not bad - it's just kind of pointless - I thought the country was f**ked and there were so many things to fix?

Not to mention the bleating about the cost of the flag referendum

 

[TheDMC]

What I don't get is that Labour wants tighter controls on immigration numbers while National is happy for a free for all.

I would have though immigration controls/reductions was a more right wing way of thinking than left?

 

[Benek]

What I don't get is that Labour wants tighter controls on immigration numbers while National is happy for a free for all.

I would have though immigration controls/reductions was a more right wing way of thinking than left?

For labour I believe it's more of an economic issue. Less immigrations eases pressure on the housing market. Less immigration eases pressure on infrastructure. Less immigration means potentially more jobs for kiwis.

It ties in with the idea of Neoliberal free-market capitalism (National free-for-all strategy) vs. a bit more state control to make sure the economy is actually serving people, not just wealthy corporations.

Not so sure about NZ First's take on it though. They would have a more cultural (dare I say racist?) view.

So it all depends on the reasons behind it. I don't believe Labour think about immigration restriction in the same way right wing populists in American and Europe are right now.

Also there is a huge difference between immigration and refugees (which some people often confuse or lump together). National was pro immigration but not so keen on the refugees. I imagine (but not sure) that Labour will be stricter on immigration, but more free on refugees.

 

[Benek]

It should also be noted that Labour primarily want to close up the ease at which low-skilled labourers and students get in. Focusing immigration on high-skill people who add more to society. This in turns makes it easier to boost social wellfare because there are fewer immigrants who need it.

 

[TheDMC]

For labour I believe it's more of an economic issue. Less immigrations eases pressure on the housing market. Less immigration eases pressure on infrastructure. Less immigration means potentially more jobs for kiwis .

Thanks for the overview - nice work.

While I like a quiet NZ where my fishing spots aren't smashed by Asians and the like, you would think in the long-term, economically, NZ would be a lot better off with a bigger population. Economies of scale and all that. Infrastructure costs are high exactly because our population is weeny. House building costs are high for the same reason - tiny market with high labour and material costs (foreign ownership contributes, but that is naught to do with migrants). Building a house in the US must be a third of the cost. All seems a strange rationale to me.

We definitely need more pretty women in NZ though, so maybe we can increase that migrant sector. Bucks, skills, looks.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

What I don't get is that Labour wants tighter controls on immigration numbers while National is happy for a free for all.

I would have though immigration controls/reductions was a more right wing way of thinking than left?

The neoliberal right like free trade and foreign $$ though, the left tend to be more protectionist

 

[ozbash]

Protecting what though ?

Jobs nobody wants to get out of bed for..

I'm 62 next year, think I'll sign up for early super and join the masses on the gravy train..

 

[Rich102]

It should also be noted that Labour primarily want to close up the ease at which low-skilled labourers and students get in. Focusing immigration on high-skill people who add more to society. This in turns makes it easier to boost social wellfare because there are fewer immigrants who need it.

It is the low skilled labour we need for seasonal work in orchards etc. Close that down and you could really impact the economy.

 

[Rich102]

Thanks for the overview - nice work.

While I like a quiet NZ where my fishing spots aren't smashed by Asians and the like, you would think in the long-term, economically, NZ would be a lot better off with a bigger population. Economies of scale and all that. Infrastructure costs are high exactly because our population is weeny. House building costs are high for the same reason - tiny market with high labour and material costs (foreign ownership contributes, but that is naught to do with migrants). Building a house in the US must be a third of the cost. All seems a strange rationale to me.

We definitely need more pretty women in NZ though, so maybe we can increase that migrant sector. Bucks, skills, looks.

One of the reasons house costs are so high is that the skilled labor isn't available. Carpenters now need to be certified and a lot of the available one have been in Christchurch since the quake rebuild. Offer unemployed apprenticeships in state-run housing schemes?

 

[Rich102]

Oh, the pretty women. Hows your interviews going?

 

[Rich102]

Protecting what though ?

Jobs nobody wants to get out of bed for..

I'm 62 next year, think I'll sign up for early super and join the masses on the gravy train..

You young fellas. In my day.......................

 

[JJ]

Protecting what though ?

Jobs nobody wants to get out of bed for..

I'm 62 next year, think I'll sign up for early super and join the masses on the gravy train..

Yeah, yeah - get your new fangled super dooper gold card courtesy of Winnie that'll be linked to everything, take a year of free tertiary study from Jacinda to bum around, and grab some weed courtesy of the Greens...

 

[shiznit]

Lmfao at the meltdowns going on...

f**king hell... we’ve had to put up with a decade of nationals bullshit and it hasn’t even been 48hrs and motherf**kers are already whining about Labour...

 

[Meth]

Protecting what though ?

Jobs nobody wants to get out of bed for..

I'm 62 next year, think I'll sign up for early super and join the masses on the gravy train..

I had you pegged for at least 30 years older than that

 

[shiznit]

Protecting what though ?

Jobs nobody wants to get out of bed for..

I'm 62 next year, think I'll sign up for early super and join the masses on the gravy train..

Er.... I don’t know how to break the news to you buddy.... there’s no such thing as ‘Early Super’.

And I don’t know if you’ve ever been on the dole in the past 10 years or so... but it ain’t easy...

As I always tell people who have this idea that beneficiaries are living the dream... give W&I a call... find how much you’d be eligible for if you were on a benefit...

most people are downright shocked to see how much money they would have to get by on...

 

[TheDMC]

Oh, the pretty women. Hows your interviews going?

Getting through them Rich. Tough job but I'm soldiering on...

 

[ozbash]

... I don’t know how to break the news to you buddy.... there’s no such thing as ‘Early Super’.

Mate, by the time jacinda has finished there'll be early,late,and middle super..

Beneficiaries will be on the next year's rich list and I'll be laughin. .

 

[shiznit]

Mate, by the time jacinda has finished there'll be early,late,and middle super..

Beneficiaries will be on the next year's rich list and I'll be laughin. .

Believe me... you won’t be laughin...

I know the people who work frontline you’ll be complaining to about the fact after your rent is paid you only have about $60 to live on every week.

 

[Benek]

It is the low skilled labour we need for seasonal work in orchards etc. Close that down and you could really impact the economy.

Yeah mate that's true but here's the thing. Any business that relies on below minimum wage migrant labour to be profitable is not a sound business. If you can't find a way to keep a business going and also have some respect for your employees and give them enough to live on, then are you really helping NZ that much?

I personally hate that our economy is mainly overpriced dairy exports and artificial property prices. Kiwis don't invest in anything that actually creates value. I don't like that the government subsidises dairy just because it's an important part of the economy. And I don't think migrant workers that are willing to do shit jobs should prop up orchards that would otherwise fail.

We need to be building profitable business that actually create value for the world, AND for the kiwis who work for them.

National has propped up dairy and done nothing to reduce housing prices because that's how they make the economy appear (falsely) to be strong. But if you measure the economy by more than just GDP, and take into account quality of life, diversity, equality, living costs, etc, well then our economy is actually quite shit.

To some extent, I say let those businesses who rely on cheap as chips migrant labour fail, and let's replace them with something better. It's worth a little economic dip if it means in the long run we have a far more structurally sound, diverse, robust economy, and not just a nation of property speculators.

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

I'm hoping that the new govt. will tax the f**k out of pricks like Fonterra's 8 million dollar man. The idea that we pay export prices for dairy products produced in this country is a f**king joke. There are plenty of born and raised Kiwis who can't afford to buy milk and butter and that's just f**king wrong.

A friend of mine recently put his house on the market and every offer from the 6 he got was from someone who needed to get their finance approved in China.

So yeah great job National in looking after the people you represent. I'm not loyal to either National or Labour. I only hope the next 3 years we see some real change and more people maybe owning homes instead of having no option but to rent. And no I'm not renting but I do feel for those who have no choice.