Raf Manji
@rafmanji
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Governance, Strategy, Risk. Former politician. Bookworm 📚
Christchurch, New Zealand
Joined April 2009
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بايرن
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موناكو
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Wizkid
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Davido
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Adams
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#BrightestStarBangChan
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#우리의_찬란한_청춘_방찬에게
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Doug Emhoff
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Shakira
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CHAE X JESBIBLE
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Shana Tova
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Centro Carter
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Gago
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KARIME EN HOY
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Cassper
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Rosh Hashanah
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GALA EN HOY
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Lille
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センラさん
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NASCAR
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Girona
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Channie
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Bologna
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Marburg
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ITZY IS THE MOMENT
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Feyenoord
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Camavinga
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Who wants to set up a fundraiser for the playground and lawn repair at Parliament? Happy to kickoff support for this (preferably a local organisation).
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My Dad just passed away, peacefully with my Mum by his side. He had an interesting life and was a good man, loved by all. He was born in Jamnagar, Gujarat in 1940 and had a comfortable childhood until Partition when the family had to leave home in a hurry,
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Jacinda Ardern has given so much to NZ and given the challenges of the last 5 years must feel like she’s already served 3 terms. I wish her well for the future. Looking ahead it’s critical that we have a strong, progressive party in the centre of NZ politics.
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A lot of news at the moment but this is the only story that really matters for today 🤲🏽
#peace
#tolerance
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It’s a real honour and privilege to be the new leader of The Opportunities Party
@top_nz
I believe we can get into Parliament in 2023 and make the change we need 👍
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Maybe just have a fairer tax and welfare system 🤷🏽♂️ > National social investment fund could allow wealthy New Zealanders, charities and philanthropists to support welfare system
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Removing the half-price fares for public transport feels like a missed opportunity and a step backward from a more progressive approach to mode shift
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Whether it’s ‘band-aid’ or ‘trickle-down’ economics, our main parties are stuck in a status quo that needs to go. Fiddling at the edges will not deliver the change that is needed to support our people, planet and prosperity 1/n
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Depressing but compulsory reading. The Labour centralization project is failing at huge cost, and will continue to do so. Wellington is completely out of touch with the rest of the country, which is a serious problem
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Finally! This is great news…an easy payment system for public transport across the country 👍 🚌 🚊
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Who investigates the Speaker? Doesn’t seem to be much integrity in the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act given yesterday’s actions in Parliament. Speaker needs to explain what actually happened
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Thanks for all the supportive messages following yesterday’s announcement. Also, happy to see
@top_nz
on the polling scoreboard. Long way to go to Election 2023 but the only way is up 🔝
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Time to drop these ridiculous rules. Your relationship status shouldn’t matter for your income support (or your superannuation). Also impacts women unfairly> ‘When I lost my job, I had to pick between the benefit or my boyfriend’ 🤨
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Thinking of Christchurch today as it marks another 22nd Feb Earthquake Anniversary and also the start of the Coronial Inquiry into the 15th March Terror Attack 💕
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Removing GST from food sounds good but it’s not the best way to support families with cost of living issues. Direct cash transfers are much simpler and more effective as is a land value tax to improve housing affordability
@EricCrampton
with the evidence 👇
Once you grant an exemption for one worthy-sounding thing, it is hard to resist the call for more. It would be much better to achieve progressivity by adjusting income tax rates - Newsroom Pro - $ -
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Love to travel by train. Surely it’s time for more rail? 🚂 🚊 🚆
In other news, Parliament will have a select committee inquiry into inter-regional rail.
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Great to chill out with the Skyman team and discuss the huge opportunity for NZ in cannabis cultivation
#100
%Pure
#legalise
#decriminalise
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This is a bit off.
@jamespeshaw
has done some hard yakka over the years and put some good frameworks in place. Greens should be thinking ahead to the next stage and the opportunities ahead 🤷🏽♂️
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Reserve Bank cancels Xmas 🎄 a 4% rise in rates in just over a year post- global pandemic, major supply chain crunch and conflict. Financial destabilization at its finest…they really are out of touch.
The Monetary Policy Committee today increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 3.5 percent to 4.25 percent to ensure inflation returns to its target range over the medium-term. Read more here:
#rbnz
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The latest fix to the flawed 3 Waters proposal doesn’t solve the issue of funding and credit risk but makes it even more complicated with 10 new entities and boards 🤷🏽♂️ This policy should be flushed
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Good to see the shift towards A Fair Tax System is starting to gather momentum
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You may not trust Labour on tax but you can trust
@top_nz
: we will introduce a land value tax and use the funds raised to support incomes 👌🔝
#lvt
#taxswitch
You can’t trust Labour on tax.
Today the PM would not rule-out introducing a new wealth tax, despite promising in 2020 she wouldn’t impose one while she remained PM.
Labour’s only idea for meeting NZ’s economic challenges is to ramp-up spending & tax Kiwis more to pay for it.
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I have been considering whether I would stand again in Ilam in
#Election2023
, this time as Leader of
@top_nz
and I’m still considering that option🔝
#nzpol
Gerry Brownlee going list-only! Interesting decision, given you would have picked Ilam to (probably) swing back to National after Sarah Pallett's success last time. Could open up the race - paging
@rafmanji
...
Could also make it easier for Brownlee to bail if Nats lose next year
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This is a serious issue and escalating all the time. It needs to to addressed head on using all available options. A cross-party approach to upgrading the HDCA and increased resourcing would also send a strong message
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Pretty ho-hum ERP, nothing really to shift the conversation. Cash4Clunkers? I think that was tried at huge cost. Would have liked to see a commitment to the 15-min city: High-density, resilient cities, cheaper PT, Carbon Tax+Dividend. Long journey ahead.
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We say yes to 1. Register of lobbyists ✅ 2. Lobbying Stand down period for Ministers ✅ 3. A new Anti-Corruption Commission ✅
We asked seven major parties questions about whether New Zealand needs an anti-corruption commission and lobbying registers - here's the responses we got back
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This is one of the most fundamental policy shifts we need to make if we want to deal with the cost of living crisis
#lvt
If NZ were to do something genuine about fixing its broken economic system, the housing crisis and rising wealth inequality it would shift the tax burden from incomes to land. Great stuff from
@dileepa_fonseka
. Vote TOP
@rafmanji
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This narrative really is nonsense. Inflation is being driven by fuel/energy which feeds into food prices (incl weather), housing (added to by higher interest rates) and other supply issues. Tight Labour market is also a function of Covid disruption.
'Not a great economic story': Kiwis need to lose jobs to get inflation under control - Bagrie
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Hoped for a bit more teeth in the ComCom report into the supermarkets. The current duopoly position is not good for people (consumers or producers) at all and serious action is required.
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This is disappointing. Whilst the public transport system still needs huge investment and better delivery, half-price fares do help those on low-incomes
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Firstly, agree that a decent, meaningful life for most is not about getting ‘rich’.
Secondly, agree that we need to tax land and raise incomes.
Thirdly, agree that unpaid labour needs to be recognized and remunerated through a universal basic income. 👌
Firstly, I’d say most people’s priority is a decent, meaningful life, not “get[ting] rich.”
Secondly, the economy is rigged to enable landbankers, not workers, to “get rich.”
Thirdly, we’re still not talking about all the unpaid labour necessary to keep this ‘economy’ going.
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These relationship rules are completely outdated and unfair. I’ve heard so many stories like this. We will remove these rules.
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Raucous citizenship ceremony this evening in
#chch
. 186 new citizens showing their voice and joy at becoming
#kiwis
A
#chchstrong
message 🙏
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Happy to support the campaign to stop the budget cuts to the new Dunedin Hospital. It’s false economy. Invest upfront 🏥
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Direct cash grants work. They boost incomes, giving people the choice and freedom to make their own decisions. It’s time to introduce a Universal Basic Income, make our tax system fairer and enable opportunities for all
#UBI
OPINION: In this current cost of living crisis, there is one policy that political parties lack the courage to discuss - a Universal Basic Income (UBI)
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A
#UBI
would provide support for those in precarious and uncertain work, those in situations of providing care to others and those trying to keep small businesses afloat. The time has come.
We need a UBI for the events workers who have lost work to support our public health measures
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Just get on with a land value tax. You can’t move or hide land and we gave excellent data on its value
#lvt
David Parker today announcing plans for a Tax Principles Act, which would require regular reporting on how the tax system is performing against generally accepted principles like efficiency and fairness. In lecture at VUW.
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Have watched a lot of these mayoral debates. Foster has presented better than expected and knows his stuff, Eagle seems a bit middling and uninspired but it’s time for a generational shift and some new energy, so it’s
@MissWhanau
for the win 🥇
#Wellington
#WATCH
Wellington's mayoral contenders are facing off in
@NZMorningReport
debate hosted by Susie Ferguson.
📱💻 Watch the debate here or follow for live updates:
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ICYMI but heard the echo today: Remove sanctions, abatements, rules and treat everyone with dignity. That might have better outcomes and empower people to chart their own course.
#nzpol
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@nickgalitzine
enjoying the
@AllBlacks
at AMI Stadium on a break from filming
#thechangeover
@stuartmckenzie1
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It was distressing for our
@youngtop_nz
VP to receive a racially abusive online message a few days ago. This is unacceptable.
@netsafeNZ
has processes for dealing with this and it’s important that people use this reporting system 1/2
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3 Waters policy springs another leak. Goes from bad to worse. This could have all been avoided if they left the assets on the Council balance sheets
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‘Hipkins added it's not just about tax, it's also about increasing New Zealanders' incomes’ > Support for a tax switch then? 👍
Incoming PM Hipkins hints at tax changes, says some NZers aren't paying their way
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It’s time to start ‘seriously engaging with the structural problems of our society’ 👌Dealing to the gangs sounds great but cracking down on poverty is more urgent.
“We struggle to imagine our social landscape without prisons. They relieve us of the responsibility of seriously engaging with the structural problems of our society.” — Professor Tracey McIntosh
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A tax on land values is long overdue. Both National and Labour have simply ducked this issue, fiddling around the edges and have stoked a long-term property bubble.
#lvt
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A deliverable tax switch policy has already been proposed: $15,000 income tax free threshold funded by a land value tax. Shifting the burden of tax from work to land
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This is one of the reasons a simple Land Value Tax is preferable to a complicated Wealth Tax. You can’t move or hide land
#LVT
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The obsession with centralization of governance structures instead of just funding public services properly and reducing management red tape is an unfortunate and costly feature of the current government
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@chrishipkins
Please ask
@AucklandCDEM
to update their website too. There should be clear and current information on here.
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I must say I find
@simonbwilson
vision for above ground light rail more compelling than what has been proposed (high emission, high risk, big 💰). The role and impact of urban form and hi-density inner city living has been sidelined.
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@dvdjhnhll
@CubaRaglanGuy
I imagine Auckland will need to go through a similar review to the one we did in Christchurch post-2014 Floods. This led to significant new investment into stormwater and flood management. No time to waste on climate adaptation
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@top_nz
has its first elected representative in….Featherston! Let’s hear it for John Dennison in the South Wairarapa…👏👏
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Congratulations to
@chrishipkins
as our new PM 👏 It’s a difficult time to assume this responsibility, as we have some very challenging times ahead. Look forward to the election debates
#election2023
#nzpol
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Clear communication 👌🇺🇦
Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin was asked about a potential off-ramp for Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Her reply:
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Big fan of school lunches. So many benefits 👌
“In all the years of educational initiatives [I’ve seen], this is the one that has made the single biggest difference for our kids.”
Max Rashbrooke: Ardern's low-key school food revolution
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We put this on the political agenda last October. And we will put it to the voters this October. If you want a Fairer Tax System, then vote
@top_nz
otherwise the status quo will remain in place
We urgently need radical tax reform. But we have two big barriers: Cowardly politicians and Vested interests - my column today on the debate on tax inequality:
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Only
@top_nz
is proposing policies that will address the major imbalances in our economy. Next year we have the opportunity to change direction. Let’s do that.
#taxswitch
…all the chatter and tweaks from
@grantrobertson1
&
@NicolaWillisMP
et al are just that, performative distractions from their refusal to address the rotten heart of our society and economy: these gains are so untaxed, leveraged and certain that they drown everything else…2/n
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As expected, a fairly vanilla budget with the $ spread around. Not much ambition, but I guess that’s for the election. Little nibble of the Teal Card with free public transport 👍 All eyes on the election 👀
#Budget2023
#nzpol
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Epic fail indeed, but as
@bernardchickey
notes, this total policy cluster* is nothing compared to the ongoing failure to introduce a tax on land value. It’s critical to address this at the next election
#nzpol
#lvt
@top_nz
🔝
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Good to see land value capture being proposed to help fund the Auckland transport upgrade. Of course, a simple land value tax would capture all impacts of public investment
#lvt
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Reading a lot of magical thinking about economic recovery, opportunities and bounce back post-lockdown. Experience from post-EQ tells me this is going to cost more and take longer to recover from than people assume. Need to focus on the basics for now.
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@pandemik0
@top_nz
@MaxRashbrooke
@josiepagani
@bernardchickey
Agreed. The austerity rhetoric that has developed over the last 30 years has undermined society and restricted the necessary investment in our basic public services, the building blocks of a decent society. Time for a new narrative.
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Expect more ‘self-protectionist’ action, as climate and conflict impacts ramp up. Climate change is a significant national security issue and needs to be treated as a priority across all policy areas.
#climate
#food
#energy
#water
India bans wheat exports as heatwave hurts crop, domestic prices soar
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Awesome to finally launch some new tax, welfare and housing policy. Launch video here Press release here
#nzpol
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He actually took part in the first bank workers strike for better pay and conditions! He was a banker for 45 years, in the days where the bank manager knew all their clients. He lent money to refugees expelled from Uganda and helped them set up businesses.
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@Kieran_McAnulty
Er…someone is going to pay the bill regardless. Cheapest approach is to fund it off the crown balance sheet.
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Fully-funded dental care up to 30? What a great idea! Here’s even more great ideas 💡
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Tax is going to be a major issue in the next election. Good to see
@DavidParkerMP
talking about it but we need real action not more ‘light shining’ 🔦. Labour had 9 years of thinking time, and then 6 years of not doing anything 🤷🏽♂️
#disappointed
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This has become a running joke but it points to a serious issue. We really need to restore the credibility of our core public service to provide free, frank and expert advice and stop contracting this out to the private sector.
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@bernardchickey
@coughlthom
@JeneeTibshraeny
‘Hey, let’s put an extra tax on long-term savings, but don’t mention housing’ 🤔 The 2023 election tax debate is going to be an absolute humdinger !
#lvt
rules.
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Did someone say by-election? Best wishes to
@simonjbridges
Definitely more to life than politics and 14 years is a decent time as a representative.
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This is an important discussion to have. The main issue with MMP is it hasn’t brought fresh thinking into Parliament due to the 5% threshold. That needs to change but also look at STV etc. Hope
@ElectoralCommNZ
review shifts this status quo
#nzpol
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