Asleep at the wheel: the KiwiSaver GST flip-flop

Asleep at the wheel: the KiwiSaver GST flip-flop
Even the adult mayfly lives longer than the ill-fated KiwiSaver GST proposal. (Image: Getty)
Pattrick Smellie
Governments are generally lumbering beasts, but this one proved today it can still turn on a dime when it needs to. After a five-year gestation, the proposal to impose GST on all KiwiSaver provider fees lasted less than 24 hours once it reached the light of day. This puts it in the same league as the adult mayfly, except that the adult mayfly generally lasts a full day before expiring.At Question Time in parliament today, and in revenue minister David Parker’s press statement announcing the climb-down, we are asked to believe th...

More Opinion

Red tape? More scissors, less string please
Opinion

Deb Te Kawa: Red tape? More scissors, less string please

We need a complete rethink of how we approach regulation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Is advertising ready for the giant babushka?
Opinion

Kelly Bennett: Is advertising ready for the giant babushka?

Advertising was built on mergers but has not seen anything like IPG and Omnicom joining.

Microsoft’s shiny new NZ datacentre
Opinion

Peter Griffin: Microsoft’s shiny new NZ datacentre

NZ is a sort of experiment demonstrating the role of high-capacity infrastructure.

Peter Griffin 12 Dec 2024
Token-ology: the next thing
Opinion

David Chaplin: Token-ology: the next thing

Despite promising developments, fund tokenisation remains in an experimental phase.

David Chaplin 11 Dec 2024