The Insider: Ich bin ein Kiwi

The Europeans bringing down the Berlin Wall.

A bill that aims to stop people from standing for more than one Auckland local board has begun wending its way through Parliament, with general support. The prize for most over the top speech on the issue has to go to Matt Doocey, MP for Waimakariri. He cited the spirit of 1989 - "a great year for democracy. The Europeans were bringing down the Berlin Wall and New Zealand was setting up community boards."

Time to pay up?

The State Services Commission has taken a lot of flak lately, and now its staff are bracing for more challenges in the next few months. Wages and salaries make up 70 per cent of state sector operating costs, and because several pay cycles coincide in 2015-16, the SSC is facing a peak in employment bargaining. As well as a number of smaller departmental collective contracts expiring, major negotiations for nurses, police and teachers are coming up. The SSC's job is to formulate "effective employment relations strategies that balance the Government's fiscal priorities with the need to attract and retain talented people". This may be a nigh-impossible balancing act. Orders from ministers are to meet any salary increases through existing funding, and that funding is already stretched. Industrial action is being picked in many areas.

Picture this ...

Emoji (for those still communicating with words, emoji are cute little pictures that can be strung together to tell a story).

Chevrolet is preparing to launch its "next-generation" car - the latest Cruze, designed for the "millennial generation". In keeping with this target market, the company sent out a press release consisting entirely of emoji (for those still communicating with words, emoji are cute little pictures that can be strung together to tell a story). Too cute by half, or is this the way of the future?

Dumpster test

While many people are worrying about trade deals that might or might not happen, some businesspeople are more concerned about trade-related matters closer to home. New Zealand has dismantled most trade barriers, but there are still the anti-dumping or countervailing duty rules, used occasionally to stop unfair importing. Officials are now consulting businesses about whether a wider public interest test should be extended from building materials to all goods. That means that if cheaper goods help people, perhaps the dumping should be allowed. Some local suppliers competing against imported goods are none too happy. Officials are also talking about an "automatic termination period" - meaning that if someone dumps goods for long enough, any countervailing duty would automatically end. Again, this has not been met with universal acclaim.

Off the phone

MP, Winston Peters.

One of Parliament's more experienced MPs, Winston Peters, has suggested mobile phones should be banned from Parliament's debating chamber, saying their use debases the House. This comes as the privileges committee continues musing over how Parliament's rules should deal with social media. Some MPs have taken to Twitter and other forms of social media with a vengeance, and whatever Peters may say, the genie isn't about to go back in the bottle.

Practical test

Retirement has long been a field of study for Michael Littlewood, co-director of the Retirement Policy and Research Centre at Auckland University. Now he's trying the real thing - retiring himself next week, after nine years in the job. Littlewood - a long-time campaigner for more informed debate on the size and shape of NZ Super - will maintain his links with the research centre, and offer news and opinions on www.pensionreforms.com.

Bank reservations

By publicly noting the Reserve Bank's failure to get near its inflation target, Finance Minister Bill English could be seen as suggesting that Governor Graeme Wheeler stick to his knitting. In the late 1990s, English was faced with another troublesome governor, from a rather different angle. Back then, Don Brash lifted interest rates as the country edged into recession, regarding inflation as the key issue. This time, English has a Reserve Bank which is very keen on looking at the wider issues.

TPP warning

Anti-trade deal campaigners got some ammunition this week from Australia's Productivity Commission. The commission came out with a damning critique of Australia's latest trade deals, and raised significant doubts about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is in the final stages of negotiation. Among other things, the commission noted the TPP's possible effect on pharmaceutical prices, and the dangers in dispute-settlement procedures.