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TagMeInSkipIGotThis @ TagMeInSkipIGotThis @lemmy.nz
Posts
4
Comments
331
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • I just think that if enough people vote for some party that it would (absent a threshold) amount to 1 MPs worth of votes, that those people deserve representation even if its a conspiracy theorist nutter. But i'm open to ranked choice or other similar systems that are better at ensuring everybody has at least some say in who's represented in parliament.

    Agree re the dark money in the TU, NZ Initiative etc. But even if we found an effective way to nullify that the same interests still own most of the media and would spread their messaging and campaigns through influence on those outlets instead.

  • I'm definitely in favour of ditching the 5% threshold, and i'd also be happy reducing the ratio of electorate:list MPs too (probably by increasing the size of the house).

    I would also prefer all political party funding to be provided solely by the state and to ban private money from political parties entirely.

  • I have some sympathy for protecting what the agricultural/horticultural lobby would refer to as productive land, and would prefer we build cities up more than out. But to do either well infrastructure & planning is the important bit.

  • I love these maps, its useful to show folks from both here & abroad how fricking massive New Zealand actually is (relatively).

    We have challenging topography which does mean we'll never get a population comparable to Britain or France but its hard not to conclude that we are massively under-populated, and perhaps that puts a fixed limit on our economic possibilities.

  • Its not as if NZ has recent history with a citizen's detention that some would argue was 'justifiable' escalating to having someone's fingers lopped off.

    Combine this possibility for escalated violence, with private surveillance and pseudo-justice from Auror and its a recipe for disaster.

  • Its also a massive size jump too. I've stuck with my iPhone 8 in large part because I just don't want a massive phone in my pocket. At this rate god only knows what i'll do when the 8 finally dies, most manufacturers followed the trend and got their phones to swell.

  • I grew up on a farm with rainwater, but my mum made us have a fluoride tablet every morning so my teeth did ok :)

    I think we were a bit of an aberration back then so god only knows what its like nowadays. The generation before my parents (my Great-Aunts) by the time they were in their late 30s their teeth were so bad all 3 sisters basically had them all pulled and had false teeth for the next 50 years.

  • I used NPM as well, and eventually just got sick of various issues i'd had with it (probably all my fault, but...) so switched to Caddy and it was just so much easier and reliable for me. I'd heartily recommend it.

  • Oh right, yeah I suspect that's it, in theory futures should cost in the likelihood of more droughts / floods so this could be a one off spike factoring in new (not at all new) information about climate risks ahead of a constant year on year rise in the future until coffee can't grow anywhere (at least not coffee that tastes good).

  • Climate change & demand.

    Demand is increasing all the time, climate change is making crop yields less reliable. Probably also complicated in that for espresso we're all essentially trying to buy Arabica, but there's also problems with the supply of Robusta more commonly used for instant.

    In the last year Brazil has had a drought that's impacted supply (and might have a consecutive one) of Arabica, and Vietnam has had both a drought and flooding impacting Robusta.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/28/business/coffee-prices-climate-change.html

    Given futures are spiking, its also possible that its residual covid stimulus money still hunting for something to make money off.

  • Australia is a lot more like NZ than the US, and crucially compared to NZ their unions didn't get smashed like ours did so still hold a lot of sway. This is the main reason why their work conditions are often a lot better, as is their pay. Culturally they're pretty similar but maybe a bit more open and friendly than Kiwis, we can be a bit quiet & insular but weirdly moreso to people we see regularly than a random tourist stopping and saying hello. We are also super clique-y and it can be hard (even as a kiwi) to make friends if you're new to a city etc.

  • NZ being an island definitely makes a lot of stuff expensive, but housing is a whole other kettle of fish. We have no capital gains taxes*, and due to high immigration and very low interest rates housing has been seen as a can't lose investment because you buy, hold for 3-4 years and in the best periods of the boom would double your money. That basically triggered a bit of a doom spiral where because people need houses they had to buy at highly inflated prices triggered by those buying them for investments.

    *Sort of, there are some exceptions where they apply, but mostly no.

  • Don't forget to add the public holidays as well, i've found lots of folks overseas are surprised we get so many on top of our 4 weeks.

    I think at last count there's another 11 public holidays that you will also get, as well as the 4 weeks/20 days annual leave.

    The employer can require you to work on the public holidays, but you will get paid 1.5x and a day in lieu (ie you take the public holiday at another date). Employers can also have a mandatory annual close-down, which is very common in bigger companies and organisations, will usually happen over Christmas & New Years and at that point they can require you to use up some of your 4 weeks.

    I guess the other thing about leave which might be different in NZ compared to elsewhere is that especially if you have a bigger employer they'll actively push you to take leave - pretty commonly they aim for you to have no more than 10 days annual leave owing, or at least plans to reduce it to get to that cap. That can be awkward but its also good that you get to take your leave!