Patrick Nolan

Taxing times

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Below is a link to an updated calculator that allows people to compare how their tax situation would change should they shift to Australia.

Taxing times.

The model also allows people to work out how the tax situation and family income assistance for people in their circumstances have changed this century.

The provision of tax relief in this year’s New Zealand budget has closed part of the tax gap with Australia. Yet while this relief kept pace with recent changes in Australia, the growth in the tax gap over the earlier part of this century largely remains unaddressed.

While incomes remain higher in Australia than in New Zealand, Australia will remain an attractive country for Kiwi workers to relocate to. Given the commitment in Australia to reviewing the tax system (including family income assistance) to attract and retain workers in competitive global labour markets, the competition for workers with Australia is only going to become more important for New Zealand.

Matt Nolan

Compulsory redundancy payments

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I see there is some talk of compulsory redundancy payments after this sad story.

Now even though it would be nice if those people hadn’t been left high and dry after all their years of commitment, it is important that we try to get an objective idea about the costs associated with the scheme.
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Matt Nolan

Make expansionary fiscal policy work – give it to the technocrats

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I have no doubt that my views here will be contentious – but they need to be put forward nonetheless.

I think that Treasury (or some mix of part of Treasury and IRD) should function at arms length in the same way as the Reserve Bank, and that they should set tax rates in the same way that the RBNZ sets interest rates.

Now, let me discuss why.

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Matt Nolan

Probation periods: How I see it at the moment

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In net terms I am AGAINST the probation policy being put through today. That puts me in a pretty significant minority among my economics peers, oww well it gives us something to talk about. However, I would also add that I am NOT THAT against it – I am only against it in net terms because of value judgments.

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Matt Nolan

Question: How is probation period policy different to current policy?

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Please, explain to me how the current probation policy is different from the one National is going to introduce!

I know about economics, but these subjective terms like “natural justice” do not have a clear meaning to me 🙁 .

I was all ready to rail against the scheme this morning because I thought they were making probation period compulsory – however, now that I can see that isn’t the case I need to find out more about it before I say what I think.

Tane at the Standard states that:

All National’s proposed legislation would do is remove the right to fair process and natural justice

So how exactly does this impact on policy. What are the definitions of “fair process” and “natural justice”. Once I have an idea I’ll talk about the policy, and I’ll compare it and the current scheme to the extremes of “compulsory” and “no probation” – using economics to frame the issue.

Update: I have been informed that the main differences are:

The 90-day provision will apply to any workers employed by businesses with fewer than 20 staff. Workers who are sacked by their employer in their first 90 days on the job will be unable to challenge their dismissal or take a personal grievance case.

Is there anything else?

Kiwiblog has a good run down here.

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jamesz

National chooses not to rule ‘by decree’

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It looks like National has decided not to continue with the previous government’s plans to introduce a standard for lightbulb efficiency. They say

We want to encourage people to [switch], we think there may be benefits for them to do it, but it should be a choice they make as consumers.

It’s a good point: efficient CFL bulbs are tough to dim, take time to reach full brightness and don’t bring out the sparkle in chandeliers, apparently. So why would we want to force everyone to use them when they’re clearly not suited to some applications? Of course, if people did use them in their homes and offices, where they are suitable, it would be great for reducing our national power consumption. Read more