Make it 1000%!
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of 125% on the US, up from the 84% announced earlier.
OPINION: This old mut would like to tip his hat to the Government for its move to extend pay freezes for the highly-paid walk-short brigade who infest Wellington - public servants.
Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins recently announced that public servants earning more than $60,000 will only be offered pay increases under select circumstances for the next three years and there will be no pay increases for those earning more than $100,000.
However, those earning less than $60,000 - abiut a quarter of the sector - will still see pay increases.
And before anyone sheds a tear about this, they might consider that since Labour took office in late 2017 the public service has increased in size by 10,000 people.
During this period, the number of bureaucrats earning more than $100,000 has grown by 43%, from 10,159 in 2018 to 15,055 now.
Not a bad wicket for a job for life!
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.