Tom

Poll result: Voters want the old school lunches back A strong majority of voters say the Government’s new school lunches aren’t working.

Leaving aside the result, this is also just very high-quality poll reporting by Glenn McConnell www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

YouTube video by Q+A with Jack Tame Why Govt shouldn't be picking start-up winners - Rowan Simpson | Q+A 2025

Fascinating seeing Rowan Simpson - one of NZs best founders talk about how indifferent he would have been as a founder and investor about a capital gains tax.

Also critical of the “gold plated” investor visas and prefers opportunities for young and hungry migrants www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kCM...

In terms of delivering economic growth - I’m sure funeral directors are excited about the increase in speed limits.

Big week for me legally releasing some of the hate in my heart ☺️ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The thing that scares me most is that it’s not that much of a leap from this to a “real” squid games where actual death becomes gamified for the audiences entertainment.

Someone deciding to make this, and it being so scarily popular is worthy of reflection.

amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Bashar al-Assad’s biggest mistake? Not going on Joe Rogan.

Iran’s “axis of resistance” isn’t looking too great right now.

Also congrats to Russia for losing its only warm water port.

A black, white and red tino rangatiratanga flag.

What’s black and white and red all over?

Te Whanganui-a-Tara today.

#ToitūTeTiriti ✊🏽

🖤🤍❤️ #ToitūTeTiriti

I simultaneously understand that the left needs to campaign on hating institutions and also feel deep in my heart that some intra and intergovernmental institutions are the most valuable things humans have ever created.

My hypothesis behind this is that we have seen a lot of new development in Wellington over the last 6 years AND we have also seen anecdotal evidence of people leaving the city since the start of this year with massive job cuts across the public and private sectors.

Both will be contributing here.

As of right now there are 1300 properties available to rent in Wellington on TradeMe.

This is the highest number I can find in the last 6 years and almost double the average number in 2018 (datawrapper.dwcdn.net/sX16i/120/).

If this doesn’t make rents drop, I don’t actually know what will.

Treaty Principles Bill 'inviting civil war', Jenny Shipley says "I would fight against it. Māori have every reason to fight against it," the former prime minister says.

Even Shipley thinks this whole thing is terrible www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

The spinoff has it right. thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin...

The narrative I’m not yet seeing from the left is why did Luxon let this disaster play out in the first place?!

It’s an extraordinary sign of weakness that Luxon can’t manage his coalition partners better. I wish more light was sent in that direction.

This fucking week 🤦‍♂️

I sometimes take my Blâhaj to work for emotional support 😎.

What I don’t get is the complete radio silence. He should have flown back from the UK after the Dunedin hospital pause. I can’t understand why he isn’t front and center talking with everyone affected. Contextualising how the rebuild might be expensive but is less money that landlord/tobacco tax cuts

Simon Wilson: Time's running out for Labour leader Chris Hipkins OPINION: It's time for Labour leader Chris Hipkins to stand up - or stand aside.

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

I get not barking at every passing car. I get not wanting to be in frame while national are making their own mistakes.

ahttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/come-on-chris-hipkins-its-time-to-step-up-or-step-aside-simon-wilson/P3XPX5J4NZGF7P4X7B6SHYWR2M/

New Zealand, a low tax country with no capital gains tax, is struggling for funds to run a modern public health system.

Tracy Watkins, a prominent media leader: we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas.

We're ill-served by thinking like this. The Post & SST are ill-served by her leadership.

In New Zealand, the average single worker faced a net average tax rate of 21.1% in 2023, compared with the OECD average of 24.9%. In other words, in New Zealand the take-home pay of an average single worker, after tax and benefits, was 78.9% of their gross wage, compared with the OECD average of 75.1%.

This country demands Nordic public services on Mexican taxation.

Get income tax up to OECD average. Introduce a CGT. Then see where what we can afford.

This is a low tax country. That's an objective truth. And one our political-media complex refuses to engage with.

www.oecd.org/tax/tax-poli...

Wonder if stopping the Dunedin hospital rebuild may end up being a turning point

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350...

Also worth noting that this start/stop/start approach to building important public infrastructure is one of the reasons why things cost so much and things take so long.

Yup this budget has been blown badly but that isn’t a good reason to slow it down when full replacement is badly needed.

A roll call of all the people championing a capital gains tax The boss of NZ’s biggest bank is not the only supporter of a broad CGT.

“A survey this year of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand found 72% of members support a CGT.” #nzpol

Interesting Luxon & Jones didn’t have a go at Chartered Accountants, the IMF, or the ex National Party PM that support a CGT.

Govt of no accountability, blaming their axing of 6,000+ jobs on a poor economy and the cost of living struggles of CBD businesses on flexible working arrangements 🤷🏻‍♀️

#nzpol

'It needs to be done': PwC expert backs ANZ's call for Capital Gains Tax A PWC tax partner says discussions around a Capital Gains Tax will continue, as the country grapples with raising enough revenue.

It needs to be done': PwC expert backs ANZ's call for Capital Gains Tax #nzpol

'Entirely unacceptable': Dunedin Hospital project bombshell The government has been accused of broken promises after an "entirely unacceptable" downgrade of the new Dunedin hospital project. Health Minister...

Reminder.
We are losing our critical Dunedin hospital rebuild, a long overdue replacement ferry, free prescriptions, many many jobs leading to collapsed businesses and and and
TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO THE WEALTHY.

#nzpol

Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’ Budget papers show Treasury preferred 50% net debt limit to 20-40% range adopted by Govt; Treasury warned lower debt target risked Govt “passing up on productivity and growth enhancing investments”.

With the news that the coalition is going to decrease the size of the new Dunedin hospital it’s worth pointing out again that there is absolutely no reason why we couldn’t be borrowing to *invest* in a sector that literally helps keep people alive.

open.substack.com/pub/thekaka/...

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #67,049, Tom ‪@tommitchell.bsky.social‬, joined on May 9, 2023"

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #67,049!