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Recent Posts Tagged With 'new zealand'
What maketh the man?
I was a scrawny, nervous young lad when I got to high school. For those from overseas, high school is around your 8th year of school through to when you leave school at around 17/18 in NZ. Anyway, I had a hard time. The nickname for my school was Pen...
New Zealand – Economic Capital of The World (1/12)
New Zealand’s days as a manufacturer of goods and dairy are well and truly numbered. The high cost and low margins are simply not sustainable. This is a twelve part series exploring what New Zealand might be able to do with strong leadership an...
RE: Why You Can’t Find Better Employees
The following is from Seth Simonds’ Blog. The article “Why You Can’t Find Better Employees” spoke volumes and demanded a comment. Here is the opening: Here’s a phrase you have probably used before: “It’s impossible to fin...
Tax On Rentals – What You Need To Think About
Owning rental property is an addiction here in New Zealand. Just about everyone I know has a rental property. Some even rent or flat share in more “desirable” locations than they could afford to buy in but have one or two rentals in other...
Kiwis tax debt soars to $4b – may double in five years
Tax. It’s a word that often instills emotion. Particularly if you are speaking to a small business owner. There are two distinct camps here in New Zealand. Well three if you include those that just don’t give a damn about anything. The f...
Racist New Zealand
“Reserved places for Maori have proven the ability of Maori students to rise to the challenge if they are given the opportunity.” - Dr. Pita Sharples Hogwash. Maori who have been given an automatic place have preformed 4% less than their ...
NZ Budget 2009
The major points and funding allocations from the 2009 Budget delivered today follow: THE UNWASHED * Super Fund contributions suspended: The Government will suspend automatic contributions to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. A contribution of $2...
Statutory Minimum Redundancy Entitlements
Labour’s Darien Fenton wants employers to provide the following in the event of redundancy: four weeks pay for first twelve month’s service two weeks for every additional year up two a maximum of twenty six weeks four weeks notice There...
Road deaths have dropped by 52%
“Since 1990 the number of vehicles on the road has increased by 51% while Police reported injuries have dropped by 8%, road deaths have dropped by 52% and the number of days spent in hospital as a result of road crashes has dropped by 48%.̶...
Fiddle with a kid and get paid for it.
“UN says NZ breached rights of child sex offender” Ok, 13 convictions later and the guy, Allan Dean, is sent away for preventative detention. Apparently 13 offences were insufficient to convince the UN that this individual was a danger to...
Alcohol danger for teens
Yes, of course it is. Obviously any teenager who drinks alcohol is going to be a bad person and an alcoholic. Just look at the statistics and research. http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2331496/Alcohol-danger-for-teen Now, the issue I have with this ...
Lauren Kaney - the epitome of stupidity or something else?
UPDATE: This post is likely to change a lot in the next few days. There are inconsistencies in the reporting used as a basis for this post, an apparent breach of protocol by WINZ and somewhere a personal betrayal. Stay posted, this could get very...
5 on Monday
Missed 5 on Monday last week - working a 30+ hour session does that to me I’m afraid. So, what was notable last week: sleep deprivation and driving don’t mix a weekend away does wonders for stress relief Interop between C# and VB6 is eno...
A weekend of relaxation
The week is off to a slow start, after a relaxing weekend. Spending kid-free time with my wife was a lovely way to unwind, despite the weather. It pretty much rained the whole weekend. Spending the time reading, chatting and playing Scategories f...
Unions want 9-day ‘top-up’
Of course they do. Here we stand at the brink of economic crisis, with many businesses teetering, and the unions have their greedy little paws out. How typical of New Zealand unions. So, what is the bottom line that the unionists seem to have complet...
This is what is wrong
It’s all about Victoria Stevens. Her son Hulio Ataria allegedly killed an innocent man, Mark McCutcheon. In court, she barked like a dog as a sign of support for her son. She abused the judge verbally after being asked to respect the court an...
5 on Monday
Welcome to this week’s 5 on Monday. March is here already, where is the year going? So, what was notable last week: busy with work means less time to write having a four year old son is awesome $37 to fill a 9kg gas bottle is a rip off www.powersh...
5 on Monday
Welcome to this week’s 5 on Monday. February is nearly over, and there is only a few weeks left of day light savings. So, what was notable last week: not having a Tax debt is a wonderful feeling after so long section 92a brought people to fight fo...
David and Goliath - I Won.
I fought tooth and nail for tax justice back in 2004 (IRD ; The War Continues, Finally!, IRD - The Saga Continues, The Big Guns) I recently posted Moving To Spain Update I have some great news. I got what was originally agreed to. Right up until 20...
“Three Strikes” Law
New Zealand is in the process of revamping part of our legal system, particularly around repeat offenders. The “Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill”, currently being introduced for consideration, includes the Act party’s “three ...
5 On Monday
Welcome to this week’s 5 on Monday. Another week has flown by, and the year is already 10% done. So, what was notable last week: family is precious, especially in the wake of events in Australia deadlines make me work more effectively I think I dr...
The Road Toll and Drink Driving
The NZ Police are calling for a reduction in the legal alcohol limit. It’s currently 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. They want it reduced to 50 milligrams.They insist this will reduce the road toll by 14 per year and sa...
Moving to Spain Update
Having basically set a year for the big move to Spain, it seems to be approaching ever so quickly. At one point, 2011 seemed ages away, but not now. Resolving final issues with IRD, saving sufficient money to ensure Diane and I can be “autonomo...
‘mortgaging our children’
Sir Roger has recently offered a plan to save Government from ‘mortgaging our children’. “New Zealand needs lower spending and lower taxes.” This according to Sir Roger who introduced Rogernomics back in 1984 and continued thr...
IRD ; The War Continues.
I have had a long history with IRD, right back to when they stuffed up settlement of my Student Loan back in the early 90s. (“No one pays their student loan that quickly, our system could not handle it.” “No, we won’t pay th...
Unions reject pay freeze talk
Of course they do. They have no idea what a business owner goes through during tight economic times. The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union national secretary Andrew Little, who I personally think is a complete fuck wit, said higher wages ...
Self-Employed Vs Employed
I remember reading a piece by Jim Rohn many years ago about money, employment and the likes. Although I can’t find the article, it did have a life-changing affect on me. The bottom line, in Jim Rohn’s opinion is that everyone is self-empl...
Snails and Slugs, and oh yes, Israel
NEW Zealand has long been a country that stands for fairness in all international relations. We put sanctions against countries that persecute people based on race or religion, we put sanctions against those regimes that attack democracy. We don̵...
Australians unimpressed with NZ TV
NEW Zealand is a pretty small country, in fact, Sydney has about the same population as the whole of New Zealand. But we have produced directors the likes of Peter Jackson, Roger Donaldson, Geoff Murphy, Vincent Ward, Bruce Morrison, Jane Campion, Le...
It must be the sun…
Gunpoint robbery at streetside strawberry stall I seriously don’t understand certain elements of society sometimes. Often they take from people who are not much better off than they are. It just stunns me the disregard for life and property ...
