Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Māori language week starts te reo teaching conversation, Tax Working Group looking likely to reject capital gains tax, and landlords propose alternative to rental WOFs.
And finally, if you want to speak te reo to people in everyday life, just start doing it. That’s the message from Paul Anderson, the guy behind Kōrero Māori Mai, who spoke to Spinoff Ātea editor Leonie Hayden. If you’re wearing one of the badges or shirts that you can identify fellow Māori speakers with, there’s nothing stopping you from using it as a day to day language. Except, of course, actually doing the mahi to learn.
The Tax Working Group is back in the news, after Stuff reported that there’s growing doubt the TWG will come back with a recommendation for a broad capital gains tax. That’s a significant development, as designing a CGT was one of the jobs the group was tasked with. However, the Stuff report indicates that there are concerns that such a recommendation would be effectively too political for an independent group to recommend, and so should be something left to politicians. A warning though – there is an interim report due soon, so this could prove to be unfounded.
Landlords concerned by a proposed rental WOF system have proposed an alternative, reports Stuff. The Wellington Property Investors Association would prefer to see a landlord accreditation and rating system – like with hotel stars – that would give properties a grade rather than pass or fail them. They say landlords would then be incentivised to maintain and improve their properties, so as not to be listed as owning one star houses. It wasn’t clear if there would be other consequences, like rent controls for example, of renting low rated houses.
A grim picture is being painted for freshwater fish species in New Zealand, with a new report indicating three quarters are in decline. Radio NZ has details of the study, which was co-authored by prominent ecologist Dr Mike Joy. He blames habitat loss and pollution as the main causes, and says central government, local government and DOC have all failed to protect wildlife. Dr Joy also says the actual situation is probably worse than the report was able to conclude.
There’s been a surge in police misconduct allegations over the past year, reports Newshub. The numbers are up 21% on this time last year, with complaints most frequently made about service failure, unprofessional conduct, and use of force on duty.
As well as that, in Radio NZ’s news bulletins this morning, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was concerned about the loss of 90 day trial periods for larger employers, and union access to workplaces. Their spokesperson said it would be a chance for the government to “demonstrate they are truly listening to business” – which doesn’t sound like a threat at all.
Radio NZ have outdone themselves with this remarkable and confronting piece on the lives and work of cleaners on the minimum wage. It’s part of a series called Minimum, which will be rolled out over the week. And here’s a dire statistic to chew on while watching the video: 61% of minimum wage jobs are held by women.
The Bulletin is The Spinoff’s acclaimed, free daily curated digest of all the most important stories from around New Zealand delivered directly to your inbox each morning.
Right now on The Spinoff: Youth worker and theology graduate Aaron Hendry writes that homophobia remains rife in Christian circles. Sam Brooks reviews the limping finale of the Tomb Raider trilogy of games. And TV and Radio producers – consider booking Madeleine Chapman for your next panel. She’s as qualified to talk on most topics as Dr Don Brash is qualified to talk about Māori issues.
This is an interesting commentary from Newsroom‘s Thomas Coughlan, looking into whether New Zealand’s electoral laws still reflect voting privileges being based on property ownership. It breaks down the historical context for asking the question, and identifies some hangovers from when that was formally the case. But more importantly, it applies the analysis to how politics is conducted today – namely, a nation full of renters being governed by property owners. Here’s an excerpt about local government:
“It would come as no surprise then that the Mackenzie District, home to a large number of non-resident buyers charges the lowest rates in the country — an average of $1,637 per year, well short of the $3,134 charged in Auckland, according to the Ratepayers Alliance 2017 report.
It seems especially odious that one need only be a ratepayer, not a citizen, to vote in local body elections, meaning the wealthy international elite like billionaire Peter Thiel, who now own large tracts of land around Queenstown, have a say in its local body politics, while people pushed out of the city because of high rents do not.
The issue is less pronounced in cities, where most elections post non-resident voting rates of below 1 percent, but it could get worse as the country’s rate of home ownership decreases, particularly in small towns where cash-strapped Aucklanders are starting to look to purchase a first home.”
This is a hard hitting column from the NZ Herald’s Gregor Paul, about the dwindling levels of interest in rugby outside of New Zealand. It jumps off the sight of empty seats at Suncorp Stadium as Australia beat South Africa, and then assesses whether there really is the global interest in Southern hemisphere rugby that is suggested by the TV deal secured by Sanzaar. Could it just have been that AFL and NRL playoffs were also on over the weekend? It’s entirely possible, but on balance, Paul’s argument seems sound – Southern hemisphere rugby could be in serious trouble.
And over in England, Alastair Cook has finished his final ever test innings with a big, emotional century. His dreadful recent form forgotten, and the decision to retire from tests made, Cook cut loose as England piled up a big 2nd innings lead over India. Here’s a video of the moment it came up, off overthrows no less. What a player, what a sport.
From our partners, Vector’s Beth Johnson writes that if you get a cheque in the mail, no, it isn’t a scam. It’s just the Loss Rental Rebate system in action.
That’s it for The Bulletin. If you liked what you read, and know other people who would find it useful, pass on this signup form to them.
This content is brought to you by Vector. If you live in Auckland, they also delivered the power you’re using to read it. And they’re creating a new energy future for all of us, as showcased by the incredible Vector Lights in partnership with Auckland Council.