Jens, Why Cuba & North Korea,?TThey are dictatorships. There are democracys in poverty too. besides New Zealand.

But then we had a dictatorship in the previous administration under Helen did we not?

Squirter

Naughty naughty you will be reported swearing at Gods gift to the Labour Club . The Secretary she will be putting out a report card about you very shortly and wham bang you may be gone depending on the wording of the report.
I hope you survive.

"But then we had a dictatorship in the previous administration under Helen did we not?"

We have had a dictatorship for as long as I can remember ever if the Dictator has changed every 3 years or so. That's the problem with "Party" politics!

An Electorate MP should be representing his Electorate! Not a political party.

BTW if you thought Aunty Helen was a "Dictator" then what would you call old Piggy Muldoon?

DR Livingstone - obviously, because there is more "equality" (even though there are still some more equal than the masses) in Cuba and North Korea than in any poverty stricken democarcy I can think of.

In other words - I believe the basic equality in at least some wealth ownership by all citizens is more desirable than the equality in no ownership at all by anyone, because the former gives you more freedom and independence (and responsibilities) of actions and choices than the latter.(?)

How many have lost their chance of saving towards retirement, because they have had to draw on their savings to pay the bills they used to earn the money to pay for. The Budget has stepped in to free the bosses from their share, so put the onus where it belongs and quit badgering the employees.

The people who are paying immigrant workers eight dollars an hour should be named and shamed.
The worker signed a contract stating 14 dollars an hour then the employer did the dirty.

That's been going for years - it was happening in the Bay of Plenty in the 90s and into the early 2000s - in the Kiwifruit industry, pumpkins, strawberry fields and it wasn't only migrant workers but also beneficiaries.

They'd go and apply for the picking and packing jobs and the contractor would offer them $5 an hour cash in hand, but they had to stay on the benefit, or go off it of course, but not say why...

If they weren't willing to do that, to be cheats and benefit bludgers, they didn't get the jobs. End of story. And nothing in writing, no tax to pay, no proof of any sort that it was happening. But we all knew it was. We'd hear about it, and we'd report it and it would be investigated but it was only rarely possible to catch anyone willing to talk and to get a prosecution. Maddening.

Joybel, the potential tragedies of people losing all their savings because investing too much of their "nest eggs" with smooth salesmanship based speculative entrepreneurs will be greatly reduced through KiwiSaving, but especially through universal NZ Super Fund savings, because there will be no Fund in New Zealand able to match the diversity of NZSF savings eventually, and the latter can also afford to invest at low profit return expectations in New Zealand, with substantial indirect benefits to our economy through that.

So, instead of moaning over what has happened, look forward to what can be done to reduce the possibilties of repetition through poor or unfortunate choices.

As a matter of interest, Jens, would the sheer size of NZSF overwhelm the other savings funds and cause them to shrink both in volume and value?

And is that not also likely if the (part-)privatised Power Cos are listed on the Stock Exchange? Would they too not be so big, so profitable, so failsafe, that most/all other possible investments listed on the NZX would lose value and support?

The problem with any superannuation system is that as soon as it becomes profitable the "Pollies" will be unable to keep their grubby hands off it and manipulate it to their advantage!

Actually, it isn't the politicians that we have to be wary of - it is our own greed and selfishness and the fear that induces in politicians. That is what allowed Muldoon to can the previous contributory scheme, he promised universality and people fell for it.

By 2015 the cost of superannuation will exceed all the costs of education; pre schooling, primary and secondary schooling and tertiary and gets worse for the next thirty years.

If anyone thinks that is right and can be allowed to continue then we have a problem, Houston.