Skip to content

Business

Necessary Business Reform or Just More Red Tape?

Necessary Business Reform or Just More Red Tape?

I had a friend, many years ago, who ran a small graphic design business. Like most small businessmen, he put in long hours and continually struggled to balance money in and money out. Everyone who’s ever run a small business knows the routine: trying to make sure invoices were

Members Public
Blowing Rainbows up our Arses

Blowing Rainbows up our Arses

Since when, inimitable Australian journalist Jack Marx once asked, did the love that dare not speak its name become the love that just won’t shut the hell up? As Douglas Murray notes, something changed – and not for the better – in the gay rights movement once it won the war

Members Public
BFD Weekender: Q: Does Airbnb Cause Rents to Increase?

BFD Weekender: Q: Does Airbnb Cause Rents to Increase?

Shelterforce Staff shelterforce.org A: Yes! Since hosts can make 50 to 200 percent more on short-term rentals than on long-term rentals, Airbnb affects purchase prices as well. A: Yes. Despite its preferred image as a home-sharing platform, Airbnb actually involves tens of thousands of rental units that have been

Members Public
Taika, Oh Taika

Taika, Oh Taika

I love Taika Waititi. Actually, let’s adjust that. I used to love Taika Waititi. His early movies showed an interesting comedic genius and, as his career got better and better, he was recognised as a great talent, with a wicked sense of humour. I went to all of his

Members Public
Will Labour Actually BUILD the Roads?

Will Labour Actually BUILD the Roads?

I get the feeling that Jacinda suddenly wants to be taken seriously. She has announced that there will be no wedding this year, thus presumably responding to the #Turnardern movement that said we want a prime minister who doesn’t spend all her time doing fluff pieces and photoshoots. She

Members Public
Is a Deal on Ihumatao Imminent?

Is a Deal on Ihumatao Imminent?

The TV1 newsreaders were agog last week with the startling news that there might… only MIGHT… be a deal on Ihumatao about to be announced. They made a few implications and shadowed promises, but it was all speculation really. It is not exactly surprising that the main TV bulletin of

Members Public
A Toxin That Should Be Annihilated at This Year’s Election

A Toxin That Should Be Annihilated at This Year’s Election

George One of the greatest private enterprise success stories during the last two years has been the growth of Rocketlab. During the 2018/9 financial year, this enterprise added $1.75bn to the New Zealand economy and supported 12,000 jobs. There was an article in the Guardian with reference

Members Public
Rents Continue Their Upward Spiral

Rents Continue Their Upward Spiral

What happens when you have a chronic housing shortage, too few state houses and a government that continually comes out with landlord unfriendly policies? I have watched landlord after landlord sell their rental properties over the last few years, citing various reasons, but just about all of them are to

Members Public
Support for Minimum Wage from Subsidised ‘Business Owner’

Support for Minimum Wage from Subsidised ‘Business Owner’

Straight arrow Yesterday I came across a New Zealand “business owner” who tweeted support for the increase in the minimum wage and declared that they are already paying their employees a ” living wage.” Frustrated yesterday by ACTs tweet today saying that the raising of the minimum wage is detrimental to

Members Public
Never Mind the Returns, It Looks Pretty

Never Mind the Returns, It Looks Pretty

Ten thousand mirrors form a spiral approx 3 km (2 miles) wide that winds around a skyscraper rising above the desert between Las Vegas and Reno. It is a billion-dollar memorial to man’s stupidity. It was supposed to soak up enough heat from the sun’s rays to spin

Members Public
Another Way to Profit from the Plastic Bag Scam.

Another Way to Profit from the Plastic Bag Scam.

Credi, where credit is due, Countdown have successfully turned lemons into lemonade, finding various ways to profit from the Government’s plastic bag ‘save the turtles’ scam. Their latest scheme is to counter all the naughty customers taking off with their plastic baskets by turning around and selling plastic baskets

Members Public
The ‘Everyone is Better Off’ Mirage

The ‘Everyone is Better Off’ Mirage

Smoke & Mirrors So I have been reflecting on how the CoL (and the Media Party) do their propaganda campaigns in relation to tax in general; a real gem is when they call them ‘levies’ not taxes and do so with straight faces. The most recent example was when Jacinda

Members Public
2020: Back to the Future on Tax Policy

2020: Back to the Future on Tax Policy

The biggest problem with NZ First having scuppered Jacinda’s proposed Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is that the subject will never go away. Even if Jacinda adheres to her promise to never introduce it, the next Labour leader will bring the subject up again. It doesn’t matter what the

Members Public
Who Would Want to be an Employer?

Who Would Want to be an Employer?

A few years ago, we were looking for an extra accountant for our practice. Applicants were in relatively short supply, but we were approached by an accountant living in Tauranga. He was qualified, had about 5 years experience, seemed nice enough and he was happy to relocate to Wellington. Also,

Members Public