Same Old.......Same Old
I firmly believe there is nothing new under the sun. In 2012, following the Christchurch earthquakes, the then National government introduced "zero budgets" with a focus on "getting better value from public spending".
Sound familiar? We heard a lot about curbing public spending in the lead up to the last election. Unfortunately, the austerity measures haven't stopped there. As we come to the end of the government's anti-Labour 100 day rampage (arguably the biggest waste of public money I have seen in a long time), prices in the supermarket continue to rise, week on week, despite claims that inflation is easing.
(Well.... it might be, but greedflation is still rampant). We find we are in for more expense for car registration, road user charges have been introduced for electric vehicles and schools will be eating into their operating budgets (literally) to feed hungry children. A UN expert in the UK recently stated that austerity policies were directly linked to a rise in poverty. No surprises there either.
But isn't it ironic that, as a direct result of cancelling all road maintenance during the last round of RONS, the National government is now introducing a special dedicated "pot hole fund" Monty Python couldn't have done it better. Will we be shortly forced to eat hot gravel?
But all is not lost. Despite my Superannuation being cut by $30 this week, for no apparent reason, there's an outside chance I might get it back in the annual CPI adjustment (something the government is legislatively required to do fortunately) And apparently we are still in line for a tax cut sometime in the near future. When is it Tricola? We wait in hope.......
Step by step for a great cause!
Our amazing Hillary Hikers from Edmund Hillary Village showed their support for Bowel Cancer New Zealand's Move Your Butt campaign this month!
Sporting the bright purple and orange campaign shirts, these wonderful walkers hit the Auckland waterfront and marched from Mission Bay to Kohimarama, raising awareness for bowel cancer and the importance of early detection along the way.
Click read more to read the full story.
🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…
I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Do you think you know the answer?
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Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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