Looking back over the past week and to the weeks ahead – to rate the noteworthy, the cringeworthy, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the truly amazing.
Coalition talks drag on and on and on
It’s a month ago that we went to the polls and cast our votes in the general election and while we have a solid understanding of which parties will make up our next government, the principal players have yet to come to a binding agreement to formulate a government.
Since our first MMP election in 1996 our governments have been made up of different parties, except for the last election held in 2020. That’s to be expected and reflects the spirit of MMP. However, one hugely irritating facet of coalitions in the time it takes to satisfy the policy demands, and dare I say it, the vanity, of various party leaders before agreement is reached. Why?
Surely we are not still waiting because the sticking points centre on ministerial positions or who gets to be deputy prime minister? We elect to be governed, not for a squabble over the baubles of office.
Perhaps I should be more patient, after all, after the 1996 election it took two months to work out who got what. The good news is that the three leaders have finally got together in person today. Something they should have done day after the special votes were tallied.
0 stars – how hard can it be for three blokes to get their act (terrible pun) together?
Financial literacy would be a great tool to teach, again
I recently revisited some fond memories from my childhood in the 1970s, thanks to a post in a New Zealand nostalgia group on Facebook. It featured the old Post Office banking books we used as kids. This experience, complete with the ritual of depositing coins and notes, was more than just saving; it was our first lesson in financial literacy.
This got me thinking: do we have similar initiatives for children today? The landscape of banking has certainly evolved, with many former national institutions now part of larger, international networks.
Among these changes, it’s noteworthy to see how banks have navigated the financial complexities of recent years. For instance, it’s interesting to observe that ANZ, an Australian-owned bank, reported a substantial profit. While profits like these are a common feature in the banking industry, they do raise questions about the flow of financial benefits.
In reflecting on these changes, I find myself appreciating the simplicity and educational value of those old banking practices. They were not just about saving money, but also about instilling a sense of financial responsibility from a young age.
3 stars – it’s a great thing to learn to save when we are young.
Black Caps into the semi finals of the Cricket World Cup.
After a mixed bag of results in the group stages, the Black Caps play India in the semi finals this Wednesday night. We have a great record in recent World Cups, apart from actually winning it, but the last final against England was so utterly heartbreaking that it’s hard to take it as an actual loss, even if it is.
So, here’s hoping for a win and another chance at a final. India are a cracking team though, so it’s going to be a huge challenge.
5 stars – great achievement to make the semis, so here’s to a win and a chance at the big one!
