The Tova Show

Jen from Stuff

Hello! Are you a …
- A student/young professional renting
- A young family, renting or owning
- An older New Zealander/retiree/pensioner

We’re reaching out from the Tova show, the flagship weekly politics podcast on Stuff, as we prepare for our budget coverage and how it’s affecting Kiwis - we’d love to hear from you.

We need a few people who are available the week before the budget (Wednesday 22nd/Thursday 23rd May) and on the day of the announcement (Thursday 30th May).

Please email tova@stuff.co.nz or comment below if you’d like to share your perspective with us. We give you our commitment to treat your experience with sensitivity and care.

Type NFP if you don't wish your comments to be used.

Poll: What could the Christchurch City Council fund if it didn't have to pay GST on rates?

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says GST on rates, currently taken by central government, would be better spent locally.

The comments follow an Infometrics analysis that found over $1.1 billion of rates revenue nationwide was collected by the Government in 2022 as GST.

According to Infometrics, $88.5m of that came from Christchurch city ratepayers. It would be enough to save the Christ Church Cathedral from ruin; restore the Dux de Lux seven times over; cover both the Art Centre and Orana Wildlife Park’s request for regular public funding for over 26 years; contribute to light rail in Greater Christchurch; or get the South Library rebuild completed.

Read the full story by reporter Sinead Gill here and share your thoughts in the comments below. (Note: Subscription required. You can still read two free stories a month if you're not a ThePress.co.nz subscriber).

What could the Christchurch City Council fund if it didn't have to pay GST on rates?

• Light rail
• South Library
• Orana Wildlife Park
• The Arts Centre
• Dux de Lux
• Christ Church Cathedral
• Something else (share your thoughts in the comments)

Vote View Results

• 22.1% Light rail
  22.1% Complete
• 5.2% South Library
  5.2% Complete
• 38% Orana Wildlife Park
  38% Complete
• 13.1% The Arts Centre
  13.1% Complete
• 2.8% Dux de Lux
  2.8% Complete
• 12.7% Christ Church Cathedral
  12.7% Complete
• 6.1% Something else (share your thoughts in the comments)
  6.1% Complete

213 votes

Insurance premium increase inconsistency

Chris from Mairehau

Hi all, I recently got my annual contents insurance renewal, and let out a few words that cannot be repeated here when I read my premium had increased 23% for the next year, now 40% in 3 years. So I looked at what I own, and calculated I could drop the insured value by 30% - I rang the insurer and asked them to recalculate based on the new number, and they advised that they could reduce the premium by only 9%. I do not accept that a 30+% reduction in insured value, equating to only a 9% reduction in premium, is arrived at using their standard calculation tables - I believe they are applying non linear "adjustments" (lets call them "spite adjustments"), to spite us for wanting to reduce upward spiraling premium increases, AKA to keep sucking us dry. I'd like to hear the stories of others who have tried as I have to reduce their premiums but have been offered what is frankly an insultingly measly reduction in premium for such a significant decrease in insured value - EDIT - the insurer made over A$100M in profit in the prior fiscal year, I'm with AA