The Bull Ring

𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℂ𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕: 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕂𝕚𝕨𝕚𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕨𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕍𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕤, ‘𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖, 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕣 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝/𝔸ℂ𝕋’. 3283 – NZ (population 5m) 24755 – Sweden (10m) 9162 – Ireland (5m) 191211 – Italy (59m) Those are the numbers. T hat’s how many died from Covid and the population of each nation, compared to Ireland we are talking about 6000 lives difference. That’s the price we sacrificed to protect as many people as we could, to leave no one behind. It was expensive and forced a level of borrowing that was unprecedented. Of course there were mistakes made, it was a once in a century pandemic and we were flying blind during it! . . There were sacrifices made that generated unequal consequences in an unequ...

ℍ𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤. ℍ𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕚𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕆𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤. C oreLogic says house prices could be set to rise again if National gets elected. Their latest property figures show house prices are flattening, with prices dropping just 0.2 percent in August. But Chief Property Economist, Kelvin Davidson says there could be a surge in demand from investors if National is able to implement its housing policies. Davidson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. RNZ . . ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝’𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕟 𝕓𝕦𝕪𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕓𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕦𝕡 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕥, 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤...

𝕋𝕒𝕩 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕘𝕖𝕥 '𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕕𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞' 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕕 '𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖' 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕪 𝔸 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕠𝕨 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕥𝕤 "𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕧𝕖" 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕪, 𝕨𝕙𝕚𝕔𝕙 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕥𝕙𝕖 "𝕤𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕫𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕝𝕖". T he Opposition will lift the lid on its highly anticipated tax policy at 10.30am on Wednesday. Without revealing the full plan, National has said families without children earning less than $120,000 a year could get an extra $100 in their pocket each fortnight, which extended to $250 every two weeks for those with children. Support would also increase for superannuants and minimum wage workers.   But tax experts still remain puzzled about how National will fund their highly anticipated tax policy. . ...

𝔽𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕞𝕤 ℕℤ 𝔸𝔸+ 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥’𝕤 𝕡𝕣𝕦𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝔽𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙. F itch  affirmed  New Zealand’s long term foreign and local currency ratings at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Moody’s annual credit analysis affirming a stable outlook on New Zealand’s local currency and foreign currency ratings at Aaa.  “This is further endorsement of the Government’s financial and economic management in a difficult and uncertain global environment,” Grant Robertson said.  . . “Fitch praised the Government’s fiscal policies, saying the rating reflected the Government’s robust governance standards and policy framework and our commitment to return to surplus, and lower debt in the medium term. RELATED: M...

  National's tax plan and costings: What you need to know Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Low to middle income earners will be ripped off to make the very wealthy even wealthier. 

  Florida gunman thwarted at Black college before store shooting By Julia Harte for Reuters Floridian Will Walsh builds a cross at a memorial for Jerrald Gallion, Angela Carr and Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr, as a person grieves, near a Dollar General store where the shootings took place in Jacksonville. Photo: AFP A campus police officer chased a white gunman off Florida's first historically Black university a few minutes before the shooter killed three Black people at a discount store, the school's president said on Monday, two days after the attack. The gunman, Ryan Christopher Palmeter, 21, parked his car on the Edward Waters University campus in Jacksonville and was putting on gloves and a military-style vest when students spotted him. They summoned the officer, president A Zachary Faison Jr told reporters, providing new details about what occurred. Palmeter then sped off, pursued by the officer, and headed to a Dollar General sto...

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕛𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕞 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕦𝕟𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕗𝕥. 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕨 ℍ𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕓𝕦𝕣𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℝ𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕 ℙ𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕦. E xploring the role and power of the media in the lead up to the election in shaping the narrative. . .

ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕦𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕚𝕝𝕤 𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕒𝕩𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕘𝕟 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕓𝕦𝕪𝕖𝕣𝕤, 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕚𝕞𝕞𝕚𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕒𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤. I t would also reinstate commercial building depreciation tax, which Labour planned to use to pay for its GST-free fruit and vegetables, and make more extensive cuts to the public service - though it says this would exclude non-core and frontline agencies. Funds raised for tackling climate change through the Emissions Trading Scheme would also be paid out directly to families through a climate dividend - a policy prospective governing partner ACT has long held. National had released some details of its tax cuts, billed as the "Back Pocket Boost", ahead of its announcement. Combined with the  FamilyBoost tax rebate policy , the cuts would mean a family with chil...

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕠𝕗 𝕃𝕆𝕋𝕆 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟? 𝕆𝕟 𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕧𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕡. 𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕠𝕗 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕚𝕟 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖? N ational party leader Christopher Luxon was forced to move his media stand-up on Monday after it was hijacked by a heckler. Luxon was in Pakuranga with local MP Simeon Brown when he was interrupted by Vision New Zealand candidate Karl Mokaraka. Mokaraka accused him of not visiting Otara - a south Auckland suburb that forms part of his Botany electorate- something Luxon denied. So, what do people in the Botany electorate think? How often do they see not only Luxon but any of their local candidates? First Up's Leonard Powell went to find out. . ....