chocolate cake

I'm not confusing NZ$'s high with Sterling's low. The NZ$ is historically high or near it against a whole raft of countries (Aus excepted), yet the price of those white goods, tv's etc. are no cheaper. None of these goods are produced here.

'Guess what - if you trip over it almost certainly WAS your fault.' sure, but compare this with some of the serious 'accidents' in NZ tourist and leisure sectors and compensation that's given is no way reasonable in relation to the restriction in liability through ACC.

Re: 'sick days', haven't seen the stats, but certainly in my experience sickness days taken here are more than in the UK, some see sick leave as an extension of annual entitlement.

Browner_

What is it with the paint?
Is the price of paint so high cos kiwis only paint one room every 50 years or so? Or do they only paint one room every 50 years or so cos of the price of paint?
Must be an opportunity for someone to import a ship load of paint from China or something, and sell it for a tenth of the price it is here.

Browner_

No it isnt an option - you wont have any spare income.

DC10

An ISA that will pay you -3% real interest (but it's tax free!), and that's only for the first 12 months. After that they hope you forget about it* and the rate will come down to -5% real interest. If you do remember, because it's an ISA it is deemed extremely complicated, so to change it you will have to queue for 2 hours at your local bank (during your working hours) with your passport, NI card, bank statements, gas bill, great grandmother's driving licence and some other document that you will have forgotten (to the teller's utter delight).

*In contrast to the Australasian banks, who diligently write to you when your term deposit is about to expire and will reinvest at best available rates unless you advise otherwise.

Woodlea

But they are cheaper, 3 years ago I bought my 42" Panasonic plasma for $2400 now they are less than a grand or is that due to things like that getting cheaper anyway? White goods are a lot cheaper now, look at front loading washing machines, previously these cost a fortune now $849 - only 3 years ago I bought a crappy top loader for a grand as it was all I could afford.
I remember pricing chest freezers before and they were 150 quid in John Lewis and over $800 here for a similar brand/model - now they are $450. So still more expensive than UK but certainly cheaper than they were.

Bo-Jangles

People here take sick on behalf of other family members, really it is pathetic. The wife's sick, so I have to stay home an look after her and can claim sick pay too. I never heard of that being possible when I was in the UK.

How is ACC any different? The NZ system is far from perfect! ACC encourages deceit and abuse of the 'tax' system; people cheat and lie to get onto the ACC benefit, claiming all kinds of things are due to 'accidents' or work related injuries in order to get on the paid sickness scheme and avoid paying GP fees.

People brag about their trumped up claims, saying that they need help at home and all kinds of rubbish, because it is 'FREE' or they feel it's due to them. Talk about inefficient, instead of dealing with not just one monstous Government department; people are pushed back and forth around the ACC and health system whilst someone figures out who's gonna pay.

A surgeon stuffs up and chops your leg off instead of removing your tonsils - oops sorry, never mind she'll be right they can't get sued anyway.

The emergency departments are stretched to capacity, full of folks who don't want to or can't afford to pay fees to see GPS.

You can go out and mangle your foot in self-inflicted sports injury and get treatment, rehab and physio all for free. Yet the minute your kids need orthodontic treatment - kerching $8000 thanks very much.

Kiwis are very proud of ACC, but please don't try to hold it up as any kind of model of efficient perfection. At least the NHS does have a reasonable excuse with 61 million people to look after. Like I said earlier, really how difficult can it be, catering for the health of 4 million?

Bo-Jangles

It's special Kiwi paint, doncha know? Nowhere else in the world has conditions as tough as us, so we have to get the real expensive stuff.

Woodlea

As I read that I thought you were talking about the UK, how long have you been out of the UK? Benefit fraud was invented in Liverpool and they're proud of it - NZ has a lot of catching up to do to draw level!

Bo-Jangles

Alternatively you could always invest the money in one of the remaining NZ investment companies, whose directors apparently have carte blanche to squander, embezzle, rob and steal the money, live it up large or struggling to manage on $8000 per week on the Gold Coast; whlst leaving you potless and without a single leg to stand on.

I'd rather have the ISA thanks.

Woodlea

Like the Mirror pensioners and all the other final salary pensioners that aren't gonna get what they were promised, the only ones that will are those like Genesis that can take it out now and invest it elsewhere.....

Stormer999

Unfortunately in the UK we all know where the NHS is headed, more and more people are having to pay for operations so that they can carry on working as the NHS are now just not offering people the chance just handing out painkillers!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14034835

Bo-Jangles

I can actually understand people on benefits trying to get more benefit, but with ACC I am talking about 'professional' or folks that I work with or know. It's different!

DC10

Sorry but I just can't believe that anyone could suggest that there is more of a sick pay culture in NZ than here. One clue is in the entitlements: mine is 3 months full pay + 3 months half pay per year.

Folk in NZ laugh their heads off when I tell them that.

Woodlea

My wife's got 97 days of sick pay left and I never used any, it must be a North Island thing!

Woodlea

Yeah the NHS is stuffed with gender re-alignment surgery and old people having their hips done 3 or 4 times.....but they only have 2 hips??? Go figure!