Noticing the disparity between the quality of hospitality venues, and the subsistence income of the people working in them, the New Zealand Labour Government, sometime in the late 2000s, legislated mandatory time-and-a-half pay on public holidays – a fairly standard piece of law in larger, overseas economies. In response, New Zealand’s “nation of small business owners” set about passing on this increased cost to their customers. But not, as even a half-wit, Year 10 Economics drop out would advise, by spreading the price increase through-out the year. Rather, in a fit of protest – and demonstrating the collective intelligence of Michael Laws’ talkback radio audience – the majority of businesses instead chose to add a surcharge to the bill, of anything up to 20%, on public holidays only.

Nothing informs the world of wearer’s modest Kiwi patriotism better than a printed T-Shirt with words or images cleverly rearranged into the shape of New Zealand. Ironic, then, that 99% of these are worn exclusively in this country only.