NZ: Super is affordable and can start at age 60 on a proportional basis

 

New Zealand politics:

 

Super is affordable and can start at age 60 on a proportional basis, based on the time you have spent in New Zealand.

 

Example A:

 

You become a permanent resident at 55 and when you turn 60 you can apply. Calculation, based on 60-55=5: You'll receive the Super for an Individual per week x 5 (years) / (div) 60 (years) - for the proportion of time you have been in New Zealand.

 

Example B:

 

If you were born in New Zealand, but spent a portion of your life/time living outside of New Zealand, then you came back to New Zealand for your retirement, you would receive a proportional Super, unless you were coming from a Country with a reciprocal agreement (where the Country you are coming from is paying your Super from there to the NZ Govt).

 

Payouts:

 

The [present] lower [payout] rate for Couples would also be removed, as the Government is forgetting the 'care' that Couples [often] give to each other - 'care' given at no cost to the State !

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: Let's make GST lower and easier to compute !

 

(Originally posted 14 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

GST is 15% in New Zealand and there's quite a bit of admin to it !

 

Let's make GST lower and easier to compute !

 

At the moment it is Sales less Inputs and the difference between the two is where we find the GST.

 

Instead, let's make it 5% (Five percent) and Calculated on Sales only with NO Inputs used !

 

Example under the existing 15% regime: Goods sold for $215, less Inputs of $100, the GST portion on $115 for IRD is $15.00.

 

Example under the NEW 5% regime: Goods sold for $215, Inputs not used in this calculation, and so the GST portion for IRD will be $10.24.

 

Changes for Banks & Landlords: GST would be extended to 5% on Mortgage Repayments (paid as part of the Bank's gross income, not added to the Mortgagor's repayments) and 5% on Rents (if you are renting or leasing from a Landlord, paid from the Landlords gross income, not added on).

 

GST is called Good & Services Tax, but it should be called Government Sales Tax and its focus should be on the Sales (the Income) the entity is making and not distracted by the Inputs to make that sale.

 

GST should also be split 50/50 between Central Govt and Local Govt, that means when a Local only company pays $100 in GST, $50 is sent to its Local Council that can then be used to offset things like debt and local infrastructure upgrades. If a business is Nationwide, you'll be able to login into IRD and set where your Branch networks are located and the split will be evenly made between the Councils where your Branches are located.

 

The bigger picture of Local Councils getting a better share of GST is that your rates overall should start dropping over the longer term.

 

PAYE is taxed on Gross, so there's also no reason why Company tax should also be taxed at a lower rate on the Gross sum - and not the difference after Gross less Inputs.

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: Parties are in the media, instead of Parliament, to get the bills through !

 

(Originally posted 14 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

Parties are in the media, instead of Parliament, to get the bills through !

 

Parliament is in Wellington, however the Politicians creating the [most] trouble [for the rest of nz] are in Auckland, with their [time wasting] zip zap zip zap travel arrangements between Auckland and Wellington.

 

What we (the rest of nz) get is AUCKLAND MEDIA SLOP, AUCKLAND ISSUES SLOP, AUCKLAND POLITICAL SLOP broadcast on National State Media and one Talk* station (*that once upon a time was State Owned).

 

All the National and Local 'State Funded Broadcasters' are distracted from the role they need to be ! a-ccount-a-bility !

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: You, the taxpayer, pay for those Parties, pay for those Billboards !

 

(Originally posted 07 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

WOODEN PLASTIC POLITICAL BILLBOARDS FROM A BYGONE ERA

 

You, the taxpayer, pay for those Parties, pay for those Billboards.

 

Parties receive taxpayer funding and also receive donations from questionable organisations and characters !

 

Are you influenced by the litter of Billboards out there ?

 

They don't influence me one bit ! 

 

When I see them, I just see WASTE !

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: What I Have Found - Over Time - When I Get Quotes

 

(Originally posted 07 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

What I Have Found - Over Time - When I Get Quotes

 

As someone working in Business, I'm required to get Quotes - on a regular basis - for work [required to be done].

 

So, what have a discovered over the years of getting quotes ?

 

Commonly, the qualified LOCALS are better priced ! than the National or International Brands !

 

By how much ?

 

Well, how about the National or International Brands being [by often up to] three (3) times more expensive ! than GOING LOCAL.

 

Summary: National and International doesn't necessarily mean [they have] scale and a better price !

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: Super and other Benefits for Non-Citizens

 

(Originally posted 06 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

SUPER AND OTHER BENEFITS FOR NON-CITIZENS

 

How bizarre to find out that non-Citizens have been receiving benefits such as Super without having to become a Citizen.

 

W.Peters of NZF is looking to change some rules around this. He's only had 48 years in Parliament to make those changes !

 

Adding to the New Zealand Government 'fiscal hole' for 48 years, W.Peters of NZF !

 

Grant Seton 

 

ENDS

NZ: Hundreds regularly line-up for Hastings food-bank

(Originally posted 05 September 2026)

The Coalition's plan is working, yeah right. Hundreds lined-up for the local food-bank in Hastings today... 

 

NZ: The Obvious Harm from E-Scooter Incidents !

 

(Originally posted 03 September 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

The Obvious Harm from E-Scooter Incidents

 

Compulsory Helmets for e-scooters is not on the Coalition's radar at the present time. 

 

Not only do e-scooters not pay ACC at purchase and annually, helmets are not compulsory at the present time.

 

Remember, it's not just the e-scooter that may get harmed, but the misuse of them, e.g. more than one rider on one e-scooter at the same time.

 

The public, the taxpayer, having to clean-up the mess that could often be 'for life' when the incident is severe ! This Coalition, sigh !

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Central Government not using taxes for the purpose that they were collected for !

 

(Originally posted 26 August 2026)

 

THE CONSOLIDATED FUND OF NOTHING-NESS

 

The taxpayer is sick and tired of Central Government not using taxes for the purpose that they were collected for.

 

The visitor levy* is one such tax. The purpose was to collect and fund facilities - as people move throughout New Zealand - such as for extra toilets and rest stops along the way.

 

But NO, Central Government is sneak-er-ly stealing a lot of it and it's ending up in the Consolidated Fund of nothing-ness !

 

*International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD$100.

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: The proposed Social Media Ban for under 16s

 

(Originally posted 25 August 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

The proposed Social Media Ban for under 16s.

 

Full-time Mother and Part-time [Tukituki] MP Catherine Wedd's last ditch effort to ban under 16s from Social Media. I will also put [Napier] MP Katie Nimon in the same head-space as Catherine !

 

The real problem is Catherine's love to see herself all the time on Social Media as a Cutesy Princess; she's addicted and Katie is too !

 

The real problem are Parents posting their Children's images without their consent, to garner Votes with the Public, ie Look at Me, my Family, Vote for Me !

 

While the Coalition is [behind the scenes] burning the fiscals, the Coalition is trying to distract the Public by saying "Look Over There, we think there's a bigger Problem over There on Social Media" !

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Grant, have you been a name in any Public Elections in Hawke's Bay?

 

(Originally posted 20 August 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

Asking a question of myself, that you the public may be interested in...

 

"Grant, have you been a name in any Public Elections in Hawke's Bay?"

 

1/2) Yes, the Hawke's Bay District Health Board in 2016, receiving 6,000 plus votes, a 13% share, however that was still not enough to get a seat at the Hawke's Bay District Health Board table. Later, the District Health Boards were ended by Central Government for a Centralised Non-Elected Model.

 

2/2) Yes, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council in 2019, receiving 2,000 plus votes, a 14% share, however that was still not enough to get a seat at the Hawke's Bay Regional Council table. The Coalition (2023-2026) has signalled that they are ending Regional Councils.

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Being able to Vote Online should be an option !

 

(Originally posted 16 August 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

VOTING ONLINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN OPTION LONG AGO

 

You can vote in advance, you can vote on the day, but the Public are saying to this Candidate, "I also want the option to vote online" (eg, via RealMe login).

 

As someone that also works in the tech sector, this option should have been allowed 20 years ago at least.

General Election information is MISSING, compared to Local Government Elections. Not only should you see the names of the Candidates, you should be seeing their photo and their profile statement.

 

Voters can make a better informed choice, if they have better information given to them at the time of voting.

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Fireworks and Ferries. Government should be there to create obvious LESS harm, not MORE !

 

(Originally posted 08 August 2026)

 

Let's not forget:

 

NZ has a Coalition [at the moment] that still thinks annual retail fireworks is a thing to be okay with and yet new ferries should be cancelled (and a break fee paid) and the new ones (ordered by Winnie) have yet to turn up from the same country that Winnie is scathing of.

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Policy would see changes to GST and FBT !

 

(Originally posted 03 August 2026)

 

Policy from Grant Seton

 

New Zealand Taxes: GST and FBT

 

GST:

 

Time for the GST threshold for Small Businesses under 60k paying zero [GST], to [instead] pay GST from their first sale.

 

The reason for the threshold in the first place was to help Small Business not have as much admin, but the systems are out there now to cope with that calculation.

 

But wait, there's more that can be done about the admin and application of GST overall and the rate - and by rate I don't mean Increase, I mean [to] Decrease it. It started at 10% under a Labour Govt, then went to 12.5% under a later National Govt and then it went to 15% ! under a later National Govt.

 

FBT:

 

Needs to go, gone !

 

It's an envy tax by the Govt, stifling Individual and Business response times !

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS

NZ: Opposition parties that didn't set-up KiwiSaver in the first place like to meddle with it !

 

(Originally posted 30 July 2026)

 

New Zealand politics:

 

KiwiSaver is in the news, again.

 

Opposition parties that didn't set-up KiwiSaver in the first place like to meddle with it ! eg, the Annual [Govt] top-up REDUCTION.

 

So, given that meddling, KiwiSaver should be a CHOICE and not Compulsory for Employee and Employer.

 

If the NZ Govt is in a Surplus then they could top-up balances for all accounts, but [the Govt] to BORROW to 'do the KiwiSaver is not fiscally responsible !

 

Let's look at a REAL problem. Members of Parliament pay and perks and aftermarket pay and perks - that's a real problem!

 

Grant Seton

 

ENDS