Free Press
ACT’s regular bulletin
TAX, TAX, TAX
The Labour Government's legislation of a fuel tax in Auckland continues its weird habit of punishing the poorest New
Zealanders. Just like Tobacco Taxes and Fees Free tertiary education, this policy steals from the poor and gives to the
rich. Poorer New Zealanders live further out so have longer commutes, drive older cars that use more fuel, and earn less
income to cover fuel taxes with in the first place. They will be hurt by the Government that was supposed to help them.
A Simpler Solution
Before its spending spree, this Government had $18bn of surpluses coming down the line over four years. It could easily
have afforded to give half the GST on construction to councils who issue resource consents, as per ACT's policy. There
is a problem with funding infrastructure in New Zealand, but it does not require new taxes, merely better using the
taxes Government already collects.
A Popular ACT Policy
ACT commissioned independent polling to test the popularity of Partnership Schools. As one of our former leaders likes
to say, politics is hard slog in the fog, then suddenly you’re out in front. After six years of battling everybody,
including the National Party half the time, ACT’s Partnership Schools have gone mainstream. Sixty per cent believe the
Government has handled the issue badly, fifty-seven per cent believe the schools should stay open.
Government Overture Fails
Jacinda Ardern wants to get rid of Partnership Schools because they’re a failure, but wants them to stay open because
they are a success. Her strategy was to avoid closing them by inviting operators to turn their Partnership Schools into
state schools, but Ardern admitted this week only one of the eleven schools has applied, and only two more are ‘close.’
She can’t close them, so what now?
How you can Help
Ardern says she will meet anyone and work across partisan lines to achieve more for New Zealand. We like this style and
have written asking her to meet signatories to a petition to save Partnership Schools. You can help by signing here www.savecharters.kiwi. If you have already signed, please use your email and social media to share it with more people. Stay tuned for the
presentation date.
Where’s the Report?
The previous Government commissioned Wellington policy shop Martin Jenkins to do a three-part report on the Partnership
Schools policy. It cost over $400,000. The first two parts are public and highly complementary of the policy. They say
it promoted innovation in education and engaged marginalized kids well. The public deserve to see the third, due since
the change of Government, but it has been suppressed.
Aussie Cricketers Would be Proud
Chris Hipkins has claimed in answers toParliamentary Questions that he has not read the report. We find this
extraordinary as it has existed for months. Free Press predicts that Hipkins’ staff have read it and are busy trying to
get Martin Jenkins to recast it with the schools in a less favourable light before the Minister reads it. Australian
cricketers would not attempt such brazen tampering.
Government Ghetto
Let’s start by complimenting Phil Twyford for recognizing that the housing market is a problem, and it is a problem of
supply. But his plan to cram 4,000 homes onto 29 hectares of Unitec Land in Mt Albert is nuts. It is reminiscent of the
1960s projects that British and American Governments are now pulling down.
The Numbers in Context
At Unitec, Twyford wants to put 4,000 homes on 29 hectares. A hectare is roughly the size of a rugby field. The densest
area of Auckland at the moment is the Waitemata Local Board Area, taking in Parnell, the CBD, and some western
inner-city suburbs such as Freeman’s Bay. It has a density of 19 dwellings per hectare. The Albert-Eden area has a
density of 12 dwellings per hectare. Twyford’s proposal puts 138 dwellings per hectare. The new development will have
seven times more homes on a given area than anywhere else in New Zealand. It will be nearly twelve times denser than the
surrounding area.
Density Problems
Many Free Press readers may be spending or will have spent two years in London or perhaps North America, and they
probably are loving or loved living cheek by jowl. That all changes as life goes on, something we see in the Epsom
Electorate daily. Dense living is living with parking disputes, noise, traffic, and other unexpected incidents. Council
compliance officers privately admit their jobs are growing because of the Council’s push for density. It is no
exaggeration to say that the Government risks creating American-style projects with its plan for Mt Albert.
What ACT Would Do
Regular Free Press readers will be able to rehearse it with their eyes closed. If only the Government would replace the
Resource Management Act with pro development legislation, give councils better incentives to issue resource consents by
funding infrastructure properly, and get councils out of the building consent business, the Government would not need to
get into the property development game because the private sector would be doing it. Alas, Phil Twyford has admitted
that the Government hasn’t even discussed the RMA in Cabinet yet.
Research Shows Students are Rational
A new study from Motu Economic Research shows us what happens when students stop getting free money. In one of its better ideas, the previous Government took
Allowances from post graduate students in 2013. Did this stop ‘poorer’ students (those who had been eligible for an
allowance as undergraduates) from doing Masters’ Degrees and Doctorates? No it did not. They simply borrowed more on
their loans and studied at the same rate.
Government Waste in the Billions
Free money doesn’t affect whether Postgraduate students’ study or not. They’ll laugh all the way to the bank if offered
it, but they won’t stop studying not. Free Press predicts that wiping fees for undergraduate students will have the same
effect on studying. None. There won’t be any more students studying, but they will happily bank the taxpayer’s money.
What ACT Would Do
There actually are kids who need help, but it’s not the ones who get into Tertiary education and earn millions more for
the rest of their lives as a result. It’s the kids who never make it to the starting line who deserve any extra
education spending. If a Government was going to spend more taxpayer money on education, it should pay good teachers
more but only if they leave the union. There is nothing more powerful we could do to give poor kids a chance in the
current system than flushing out bad teachers and rewarding the good ones.
An Even Easier Solution
Of course, a much easier solution would be to leave Partnership Schools alone. They are getting more kids a high school
qualification than sate schools for the same cost. Please don’t forget to add your weight to our petition and share it www.savecharters.kiwi
More Government Waste from ‘Demographic’ Ministers
We are no fans of ‘demographic’ ministers. The ministers for Seniors, Youth, Pacific Peoples, Ethnic Communities, Women
and Pacific Peoples cannot point to one achievement for their respective types of human. Their real job is to provide a
lot of photo ops with said humans for the various Governments they’ve served. They are an enormous waste of taxpayer
money.
Foot in Mouth Disease
Women’s Minister Julie Anne Genter has proved these positions are useless at best and hazardous at worst when she told a
group of intermediate-aged girls and boys that old men in senior positions should ‘move on.’ Had a male MP gone and said
women dominating, say, the education sector should move on to give men a chance, there would be outrage. What message
does it send to the little girls in the class? That they should be ashamed to succeed? Did Genter think of the boys she
was addressing?
Incredible Silence
People wonder why traditional media outlets are in trouble. The answer is right before us in this mini-saga. Not a
single journalist has asked Race Relations Commissioner Susan Devoy how Genter’s comments square with her
#givenothingtoracism campaign. This would not be difficult, and lots of people would love to know, but there you go.
ends