Skip to content

Economy

Crazy Taxes

Crazy Taxes

When we were talking about Capital Gains Tax a few years ago, I was told by a tax specialist that there would never be enough tax revenue from the sale of only non-owner-occupied property, and that, at some point, after CGT had been introduced, it would be extended to include

Members Public
blue yellow and red flag

South Africa Descends into Looting and Violence Amid Economic Turmoil

Chris Hattingh fee.org Chris Hattingh is Project Manager at the Free Market Foundation. He has an MPhil in Business Ethics from Stellenbosch University. He is the author of published articles on consumer rights, economic freedom, inequality and individual freedom. After more than a year of enterprise-killing lockdowns, and a

Members Public
Five Reasons Why David Parker Should Abandon a Death Tax

Five Reasons Why David Parker Should Abandon a Death Tax

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union As Inland Revenue investigates New Zealanders’ inherited wealth, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is warning the Government against taxing this wealth via a death tax. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager Louis Houlbrooke lays out five reasons New Zealand doesn’t need a death tax: Incentives: A death

Members Public
black man riding horse emboss-printed mail box

The View of NZ from 12,000 Miles Away

July 16th, 2021. In my career, I have spent many years working in a variety of countries, ranging from third world despotic regimes, dictatorships, autocracies and just plain corrupt governments. I never thought that this experience would allow me an insight into the current governance of New Zealand. In my

Members Public
Death and Taxes in One Fell Swoop

Death and Taxes in One Fell Swoop

The government has allocated $5 million to the IRD to assess the incomes and wealth of high-wealth individuals. This is being taken as a sign that the government is looking to introduce some form of inheritance tax, although it is not expected to be introduced before the next election. Another

Members Public
Collins’ Comments

Collins’ Comments

Hon Judith Collins judithcollins.national.org.nz I was excited to launch the Demand the Debate publicity campaign last weekend. I think it will be a really effective way to communicate to the New Zealand voting public on important issues that are otherwise lost in the ‘news’. People are asking

Members Public
Labour Re-Awakens the Inflation Kraken

Labour Re-Awakens the Inflation Kraken

The battle against the robbing effects of inflation had been largely won for more than 30 years, delivering wealth into people’s pockets. Now, as a result of the profligate spending by this Government, the inflation Kraken has awoken again: Annual inflation has hit a near 10-year high of 3.

Members Public
Groundswell NZ Protests

Groundswell NZ Protests

The BFD staff attended as many of the protests on Friday as possible. We ran and updated this post continually throughout the day in order to keep those that couldn’t be there informed in order to highlight the magnitude of unrest around the country, and also to provide a

Members Public
Average Kiwi Family $9000 a Year Worse off under Labour

Average Kiwi Family $9000 a Year Worse off under Labour

Since coming to power, the Labour Government has managed to make the average Kiwi family about $9000 worse off, or more than $170 a week, National’s Shadow Treasurer Andrew Bayly says. “A combination of poor policy, direct tax increases, and economic mismanagement has seen the cost of living soar,

Members Public
Government Taxes Bite as Cost of Living Rises

Government Taxes Bite as Cost of Living Rises

Damien Smith ACT Associate Finance spokesperson It’s no wonder the very areas the Government has piled taxes on are driving the largest increase to inflation in 10 years. Housing costs are up, so are housing taxes. Petrol costs are up, so are petrol taxes. Rents are up, so are

Members Public
Anger Management

Anger Management

I travelled into Wellington from the Hutt Valley on the train today. The view along the water was delightful. The passengers provided an eclectic mix of people and races – roughly 50% Europeans and 50% Asians – mostly heading into the capital for work. At the station, I took a taxi to

Members Public
Groundswell NZ Protests. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Groundswell NZ Protests. Here’s What You Need to Know.

The BFD is very supportive of the fledgling Groundswell NZ protest movement and we encourage everyone who supports our Farmers, Growers and Tradies to put in an appearance if possible. As an amateur movement in its infancy, info has been a little slow in coming out but there is now

Members Public
Halt to Monetary Stimulus Welcomed

Halt to Monetary Stimulus Welcomed

National welcomes the Reserve Bank’s announcement that it will reduce the level of monetary stimulus, and it comes none too soon, National’s Shadow Treasurer Andrew Bayly says. “This doesn’t come as a surprise given the overwhelming evidence that the economy is heating up too much too quickly.

Members Public
Rising Costs Slam Middle New Zealand

Rising Costs Slam Middle New Zealand

Damien Smith ACT Associate Finance spokesperson Middle New Zealand is being hit in the pocket because of the Government’s poor policy-making decisions. The Government is continuing to pour fuel onto the fire by increasing costs to businesses at every turn and imposing a fortress New Zealand mentality not seen

Members Public
By the Numbers

By the Numbers

Grant Robertson Deputy Prime Minister Labour Party As the second half of the year gets underway, I wanted to send a quick update on our COVID recovery and in particular, how our economic response is tracking. The recent outbreaks in Australia and Fiji have highlighted that the global pandemic is

Members Public