Retail sales lead a broad range of positive American data; Canada CPI high; China inflation low; EU industrial production up; RBA to raise rates soon; UST 10yr 2.04%; oil and gold rise; NZ$1 = 66.7 USc; TWI-5 = 71.1

That's because it doesn't matter how many properties or holiday homes you have, there is no escaping inflation. 

The salary and wage earners are going backwards. Those with assets who are just trading one family home for another are mostly going backwards. There is no tangible progress on any major infrastructure projects, which are all bogged in the Wellington business case cycle. The credit tap that has financed economic activity in NZ underwritten by exploding house prices has been shut off. There's a real chance that people who haven't had pay rises in this Great Resignation phase may not find there's enough economic activity in their businesses to get one - for many, that will mean two years of real double-digit consumer inflation with no adjustment in pay. 

Which is fine if you're a state sector head or senior civil servant deep into the six digit salary range, but the people paying for it are starting to ask if they are actually getting value for money. 

FCM - your personal bias is as obvious as it has been long. Perhaps some dispassion?

This Government are as hamstrung as all are: trying to maintain 'economic growth' within a Bounded System. That is an impossible task.

Thus they are calling-in 3-waters, which is the last, too-late, throw of an obsolete ideology. One that your kind share with theirs. In reality, we will retreat as entropy bites; back to local maintenance, back to basics. And there will be triage.

But in response to Covid, this Government actually did well. Better than the Nats would have done. They actually reacted. Actually did something decisive. Only pressure (some from would-be returnees but much from those of your business-oriented persuasion) allowed the virus to arrive here, at all. Never forget that fact. Only a failing mandate forced then to strategise the way they have - a mandate emanating from a fairly ignorant, fairly self-serving populace. Even then, their tactical moves have been well-though-out, and have been explained.

But as far as addressing the future - a plague on both your houses.....

Maybe because the crapness of the incumbent might be more likely to be full shown in 4 years rather than 3. 

And then failing to do it once they get power!!

Yeah that's my view too.

If I actually had confidence in our politicians and governments  then I would favour 4,  but my confidence has been totally eroded - stay with 3.

Yeah but 3 year terms means 9 years in most cases (like the last 2 governments), so yes?

Big problem with 3 year terms, they are essentially 2 year terms as they spend the first 6 months settling in and the last 6 months electioneering.  Which is why EVERYTHING in this country is done with a short term lens, why there's no long term planning for everything that matters and partly to blame for all of the crises we have. 

Candidate for comment of the year, so far.

100% nailed it.

Tell us how you really feel.

Spot on!

The political spectrum starts to make more sense if you think of it as a circle, rather than a line.

If you head too far in one direction, you end up on the other side.

The failure of the left is a worldwide phenomenon, and is a big part of the rise of Trump etc.

Since when has the US ever had a 'left wing' government? The Democrats would be considered a right-wing (albeit centre-right) party in most first world, with the Republicans being hard-right. Likewise the UK with Blair etc. 

Trumps rise is the result of capitalism crushing the working class. He sold them a promise that he'd make them prosperous again. Look at his appeal in the rust belt. Unfortunately prosperity is probably not coming back though given the issues the world faces with critical resources and populations demands (aka the point PDK has been making for over a decade now). 

Well put. I did some contracting for the government 3 years ago, and that's exactly what it's like.

I mean...your comment is a description of how the parliamentary system is supposed to work.

We have separation of the executive and the legislative.

Well we disagree Squishy, your freedom does not trump mine.  People who do not wish to get vaccinated are pushing risk onto others.  This is a simple core tenant of vaccinations.  Why else do we bother trying to stop disease if the selfish want to avoid being part of society.

I am very comfortable with compulsory health orders, they are a long established, highly effective way of securing the right health outcomes, even for those less able to understand.

Only two explanations then. zEven though  the Police are a government dept with a minister in cabinet, the government did not think to approach the police and say they had concerns of the situation in Ottawa, there were similar convoys in NZ heading to Parliament and we don’t want the same situation. How about setting up some cordons where required around parliament, as was excellently done say to seal off Auckland, and that way have control of what & who can actually approach parliament itself.  Alternatively they did think to do that, but the police ignored them.

Prime Minister Shipley, and/or her department, made it very clear to the police where barriers were to be positioned in terms of distance and strength, to keep away protestors, for the visit to Christchurch of the then Chinese Premier. I know because I worked in an adjacent building and the police visited us well beforehand and informed us, like it or lump it, this was the government’s directive.

Just read Michael Wood's full tirade. The war wont be in Ukraine, it will be down in front of the beehive.

I agree that using insulting language is weak outside of a direct exchange with individuals.

At to the rest of you comment, what are the protestors protesting about?  I see placards from a broad range of issues, some more tin-hat than others.

This is not that hard, you have been allowed to protest, you have now been trespassed and must leave, take your ticketed car with you.  Have a nice day.

If NZ is earning an international reputation for anything it is weak law enforcement and governance.

Exit from Afghanistan was very well organised.  For a war that was lost. 

Disorganised would have been dozens of aircraft rocketed out of the sky, with hundreds of deaths each time.  And any plane that did get off would have had a trail of desperate GIs falling from it's wings. 

Trump really set that in motion. Biden just wasn’t prepared to change course. He thought it was best to pull off the Band-Aid.

Lol, sleeping through that particular summit probably was a more effective use of his time.

who do you suggest is trying to start WW3?

If you’ve been reading here you will see that the budget deficit is actually getting better. Trump was running up the deficit with tax cuts when the economy was booming - Biden’s stimulus was at least supporting the economy through COVID.

No.

The French would rather the problem be gone than to destitute their economy.

French Banks Play Russian Roulette

No. The French have just announced a massive build of more nuclear, plus they've abandoned plans to decommission older existing plants.

That suggests they're anticipating an internal shortfall.

And gas-based infrastructure doesn't change to electric overnight. The German grid-morph, for instance, has 2050 as its target date (at which point a mere 35% of the E will be renewable.....).