Mad Cows

Bro what are we doing here

In 2025, facing dozens of claims and projected costs exceeding NZ$10bn, the govt passed emergency legislation tightening the equal pay regime. They raised the threshold for bringing claims, narrowed acceptable comparators, and most importantly, discontinued unresolved claims.

Pretty odd antics on New Zealand X this week about a free trade deal with India, a country that is on track to be one of the worlds largest economies, is a democracy in a world where those are very rare and authoritarianism is growing rapidly, and provides a massive new market for our trading nation in an era of the greatest geopolitical uncertainty in the last 80 years. Rather than celebrating that; some have been trying to replicate some of the “great replacement” social media angst sweeping Europe - in some cases for what appear to be cynical political reasons, for others out of misunderstanding driven by what they’ve seen from those trying to scare them at a time when they already feel uncertain about the world. The reality is that New Zealand’s sovereignty over permanent immigration, residency pathways, and citizenship remains fully intact. The agreement is limited to temporary mobility, and does not create or lock in any permanent outcomes.

A minimum wage of £15 would end my coffee shop, it would have to close, as would many other businesses. I’ll explain for the economically illiterate. Staff costs are currently half our costs, a £15 minimum wage is actually more than £15 an hour for the company, because you have to add: - 12.07% holiday - Sick pay - Maternity pay if and when required - National insurance - Pension contributions These costs would mean the shop loses money because remember, energy costs are up, rates are up, regulations are up. Now you can pass these costs onto the consumer - that would mean charging a lot more for coffee, people won’t pay it. The likes of Starbucks and Costa can, because they have economies of scale. The independent doesn’t. Now the little socialist will say well this is your fault, if you can’t run a business that can afford to pay its staff properly, but the little socialist has never run a business and does not understand the dynamics. Now I could pay some staff off and fill those hours myself or reduce us to one staff member during certain periods - but this proves the point that a minimum wage costs jobs. There was a time when these jobs were done by kids, perhaps on the weekend, paid a lower wage, no holiday and no silly employment rights. Perhaps they were even paid cash. The dynamic worked and small businesses like this could operate. It was also a great first job. Sadly now it isn’t worth employing entitlement youngsters at this level of pay. So alas, I don’t need the stress, the business would close, a number of jobs would be lost. Economics is about understanding these dynamics, no vibes. The cost of living is not solved through passing on inflation to the business, it is solved by ending high inflation and creating prosperity. This is what socialists don’t understand, they can’t create prosperity, they can only destroy it.

The Greens will raise the minimum wage to £15 for all workers 💪

How Europeans feel claiming racism doesn't exist in Europe as if they don't have some of the most racist people ever