New Zealand

[FD2]

'fraid so - the curse of obesity has been here for some time. For some sections of the community that is normal but low wages and high rents has pushed some other sections into eating too much cheap junk food - which the government forgets to do anything about. Tax it higher anyway and the food bill goes up because, amazingly, healthy dairy, meat, fruit and veg prices have been rising fast and are now out of reach for poorest sections of society. Food or rent - take your choice.

My ex-wife's best friend and family emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand, her husband had been a diary farmer in Natal in South Africa, and in New Zealand he stuck to his last, working managing a local farm while she worked in an office for a local council. There seemed to be a strong health and exercise consciousness in that office at least, as they were always attempting to do x many steps a day, using the stairs, and they were encouraged partake in the strong out of office sports culture etc. I had assumed this was a national thing, but maybe I was wrong or maybe the lockdown fouled that all up.

I don't think there is any more of a national movement towards keeping fit than in any other country. There are a few factors at work here. Our isolated position means that transport costs have escalated dramatically over the last year or so. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/ ... r-shipping This not only applies to transport of goods from China to NZ. It's easier money for them to concentrate shipping goods to the US and Europe. Last year due to the Covid outbreak there was a big hold up at container ports, especially Auckland and Tauranga. Delays in shipping containers inland by road and rail meant that ships were often leaving with fewer containers than they should and the problem escalated.

Inflation is growing here as well so that adds to costs and building material costs are also rising with the container costs. When John Key was prime minister he stated that no dairy products should be sold internally at less cost than they could earn on the export market. The big export earner to China is milk products. Now we have a country which is famous for dairy products and meat (baaah!) but the costs of those items have escalated dramatically.

It's fine if half a couple has a very well paid job or both have fairly good pay but those at the bottom of the ladder are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and so they are forced to buy cheap food and drink, often laden with sugar and or fat. Sadly also there is a section of ladies who now claim to be proud of their bodies - love me as I am - because they can't stop eating so much!

There has been a marked shift of inequality between the pay of those at the bottom and those at the top of the money tree in what used to be a proud country of social equality.

Finally there's no real competition in the supermarkets as half of them are owned by a New Zealand company and the other half by an Australian company. The figures just don't stack up for companies like Tesco to come here and provide real competition - mainly due to the fact that the whole country only has a population about that of a European city.

[TheGreenGoblin]

'fraid so - the curse of obesity has been here for some time. For some sections of the community that is normal but low wages and high rents has pushed some other sections into eating too much cheap junk food - which the government forgets to do anything about. Tax it higher anyway and the food bill goes up because, amazingly, healthy dairy, meat, fruit and veg prices have been rising fast and are now out of reach for poorest sections of society. Food or rent - take your choice.

My ex-wife's best friend and family emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand, her husband had been a diary farmer in Natal in South Africa, and in New Zealand he stuck to his last, working managing a local farm while she worked in an office for a local council. There seemed to be a strong health and exercise consciousness in that office at least, as they were always attempting to do x many steps a day, using the stairs, and they were encouraged partake in the strong out of office sports culture etc. I had assumed this was a national thing, but maybe I was wrong or maybe the lockdown fouled that all up.

I don't think there is any more of a national movement towards keeping fit than in any other country. There are a few factors at work here. Our isolated position means that transport costs have escalated dramatically over the last year or so. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/ ... r-shipping This not only applies to transport of goods from China to NZ. It's easier money for them to concentrate shipping goods to the US and Europe. Last year due to the Covid outbreak there was a big hold up at container ports, especially Auckland and Tauranga. Delays in shipping containers inland by road and rail meant that ships were often leaving with fewer containers than they should and the problem escalated.

Inflation is growing here as well so that adds to costs and building material costs are also rising with the container costs. When John Key was prime minister he stated that no dairy products should be sold internally at less cost than they could earn on the export market. The big export earner to China is milk products. Now we have a country which is famous for dairy products and meat (baaah!) but the costs of those items have escalated dramatically.

It's fine if half a couple has a very well paid job or both have fairly good pay but those at the bottom of the ladder are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet and so they are forced to buy cheap food and drink, often laden with sugar and or fat. Sadly also there is a section of ladies who now claim to be proud of their bodies - love me as I am - because they can't stop eating so much!

There has been a marked shift of inequality between the pay of those at the bottom and those at the top of the money tree in what used to be a proud country of social equality.

Finally there's no real competition in the supermarkets as half of them are owned by a New Zealand company and the other half by an Australian company. The figures just don't stack up for companies like Tesco to come here and provide real competition - mainly due to the fact that the whole country only has a population about that of a European city.

A lot of those very same factors are at play here too, exacerbated by out of control energy costs and put on steroids by Brexit inefficiencies and transport delays. The perfect economic storm with inflation rising and the poor just getting poorer! The poorest are eating thanks to food banks!

[FD2]

Lots of food banks operating here too. The two supermarket operators deny making excessive profits but as Mandy Rice-Davis said, "They would say that wouldn't they". The Commerce Commission report into the whole affair is due to be submitted to the government next month - it needs to recommend that each of the big boys gives up a percentage of their stores to allow another company to get started. In reality I suspect they will fight tooth and nail against any change in the very profitable status quo.

An item in a TV programme tonight, by coincidence, showed that initially there were twenty or more supermarkets but bit by bit the big ones bought up the minnows and they ended with just two. They just follow the prices of the opposition and keep offering 'specials' which are often not special prices at all. How it's been allowed to go on for so long is a scandal. There doesn't seem to have been any form of monopolies and/or mergers control.

[1DC]

A friend volunteered for a food bank locally but gave up after a few weeks because he was convinced that the majority were free loaders who were only there because it was free.

[FD2]

Yes - there's always that suspicion.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Yes - there's always that suspicion.

The number of free loaders is is so small as to be statistical noise (yes, there are some). To ignore poverty is willful ignorance.

[1DC]

Mrs 1DC has a friend who runs a very succesful charity, mainly to help mentally disabled and under privileged into a better life by preparing them for work and either getting them or providing them with jobs. We both think very highly of her. She also runs a food bank ( not the one I mentioned before) and says if you do not have very stringent checks on the people you are providing for you will soon find that you will be considered a soft touch by the non needy. She tells stories of people turning up in taxis claiming they are desperate to feed their starving children!
I believe that the largest food bank is the Trussle trust and they will only give to people who are sent to them by social services.
We also support a local group who provide a hot meal for some of the local plonkies and drug addicts every Sunday, it doesn't stop them being druggies and plonkies and they don't try to do that but at least it gives them at least one decent meal a week.Some people would say what is the point but occasionally one decides that he or she wants a better life again and their is always someone there who will put them on the right path.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Mrs 1DC has a friend who runs a very succesful charity, mainly to help mentally disabled and under privileged into a better life by preparing them for work and either getting them or providing them with jobs. We both think very highly of her. She also runs a food bank ( not the one I mentioned before) and says if you do not have very stringent checks on the people you are providing for you will soon find that you will be considered a soft touch by the non needy. She tells stories of people turning up in taxis claiming they are desperate to feed their starving children!
I believe that the largest food bank is the Trussle trust and they will only give to people who are sent to them by social services.
We also support a local group who provide a hot meal for some of the local plonkies and drug addicts every Sunday, it doesn't stop them being druggies and plonkies and they don't try to do that but at least it gives them at least one decent meal a week.Some people would say what is the point but occasionally one decides that he or she wants a better life again and their is always someone there who will put them on the right path.

1DC, you are right. My point was that what your mate was doing was basically a good thing.

Best

TGG

[llondel]

A friend volunteered for a food bank locally but gave up after a few weeks because he was convinced that the majority were free loaders who were only there because it was free.

I would rather a few freeloaders got away with it than those who were desperately in need went hungry.

[FD2]

A friend volunteered for a food bank locally but gave up after a few weeks because he was convinced that the majority were free loaders who were only there because it was free.

I would rather a few freeloaders got away with it than those who were desperately in need went hungry.

+1

It's dreadful that we need foodbanks anyway.

[1DC]

Yes I agree, the fact that good people were prepared to start up food banks was a wake up call to the supermarkets and food distributers. Nowadays very little food is allowed to go to waste and most of it finds it way to charitable causes, the supermarkets are particularly good in that respect.

[FD2]

Hooray! Some good news in these dark times:


Cheers! Cheaper Sauvignon Blanc as UK and New Zealand sign post-Brexit trade deal

Tariffs on favoured products will be slashed by five per cent, knocking an average of 20 pence off each bottle imported
By Joe Barnes, BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT 28 February 2022 • 8:18pm


Shoppers in Britain will enjoy cheaper wine after a new post-Brexit trade deal with New Zealand was signed on Monday.

Tariffs on favoured New Zealand products such as Sauvignon Blanc will be slashed by five per cent, knocking an average of 20 pence off the cost of each bottle imported from the country.

Manuka honey and kiwi fruit should also become cheaper to import into the UK, while British-made exports such as clothing, footwear, buses, ships and bulldozers will have tariffs as high as 10 per cent removed.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the International Trade Secretary, said: "This deal will slash red tape, remove all tariffs and make it easier for our services companies to set up and prosper in New Zealand.

"Our trade with New Zealand will soar, benefiting businesses and consumers throughout the UK and helping level up the whole country."

The deal, agreed in principle in October, will also benefit British lawyers and architects, who will be able to work in New Zealand more easily. Negotiators spent 16 months working on the pact, which is expected to deliver an £800 million boost to the UK economy.
‘We will scrutinise the deal and hold the Government to account’

Almost 6,000 smaller British businesses will find it easier to break into the New Zealand markets, as the amount of customs red tape on trade is slashed.

But British farmers have raised concern over the impact that cheaper exports from New Zealand, such as lamb, will have on their industry. An impact assessment published by the Government suggested agriculture and other food-related sectors could take a £150 million hit from the agreement.

The overall deal was forecast to deliver an economic gain of between 0.02 per cent and 0.03 per cent by 2035 – a total of around £12 per person.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour's shadow trade secretary, said: "Labour is supportive of a free trade deal with New Zealand that supports jobs, businesses and livelihoods, promotes UK interests and increases exports.

"We will scrutinise the deal and hold the Government to account on the promises that have been made, especially with the farming and agriculture sector. The Conservatives undercut our farmers in the Australia deal – this deal must do the opposite and support the agriculture sector."


Look out for Waipara sauvignon blanc or Marlborough likewise - as Tony the Tiger said about Sugar Smacks - they're great! Otago pinot noir - yummy!

I'm looking forward to some of the UK goods being cheaper here but not the food because the supermarket near monopoly might negate any possible savings.

[llondel]

The cost of shipping the stuff will go up by more than 20p.

[FD2]

Think you're right.

[John Hill]

The goods cannot be sold at reduced prices as that would be unfair to people who have already bought the stuff.

[ExSp33db1rd]

It's called Life. Can Supermarkets never sell anything On Special at a lower price than you paid last week ?

[FD2]

The goods cannot be sold at reduced prices as that would be unfair to people who have already bought the stuff.

Good joke John. Perhaps they should compete with each other for business and keep their prices as low as normal profit margins allow.

[John Hill]

FD2, were you in NZ when the sales tax was removed from new cars? The NZ distributer for Beemers advertised that they would be 'keeping faith' with existing owners by not dropping price on their new cars.

[FD2]

No - I couldn't afford a new Beemer here so wouldn't have noticed anyway.

Companies do sales promotions frequently - on a smaller scale look at the 'savings' from 'sales' prices in Noel Leeming, Briscoes, Farmers, Harvey Norman etc.etc. It may rankle (and has in the past!) when I've missed out on a promotion, but that's life in a sales driven world. When our daughter and family moved back here after 10 years away her husband joked that he was amazed to see the Harvey Norman sale was still running.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Do Briscoes EVER sell anything at full price ? I wish to Christ they would go out of business, Mrs. ExS can't "resist" their "sales" and the local store is in walking distance. Barstewards.

( and God said I'll give you a sign, the sign said SALE )