Thanks John...god what a stupid gullible twit she was...she did National's dirty work and then they threw her out....and Nicola No-boats is on a similar trajectory, I believe.
I made a verbal submission against the Moving On Amendment Act & I suggested that instead of hearing points of view on this cruel nastiness, they should be setting up an emergency shelter. Then they should be building ‘home-grounds’ (such as that built by the Auckland City Mission) in every suburb & every region. Accommodation with wraparound services & s social supermarket. It’s so cold today. I can’t even imagine being on the streets in Auckland let alone Taupo!
No, it's not. And it's a political choice not building homes for our people. And for those who find it a struggle to cope, assisted care homes and places like Home Ground with wrap around services. All the best with keeping warm Kim and everyone else!
I’ll explain myself. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Opportunity but know that they will be nowhere near the major party at this election. Nick and Keith has raised the issue of being brave. Someone needs to be. National don’t seem to even understand and have problems relating to poverty, housing difficulties and now it seems even understanding struggling businesses. They need now to be made irrelevant to our country’s future. They certainly have shown no wish to be brave about anything apart from maintaining an established approach clearly outmoded and ineffective. Labour are nervous about policies that might scare the horses and are nervous about Opportunity in some way lowering the chances of them being the major party on 7November. Understandable. But Opportunity can be brave about a a practical proposal to substantial raise incomes for the poorer end as well as as gently as possible extracting the wasted capital and wealth locked up in the ridiculous ponzi scheme that our housing market has become over a 45 year period. Ponzi scheme make a minority feel wealthy at the expenses of late joiners of such a scheme. Opportunity tax-reset policy is a brave way of restoring wealth of this country to all. More equality allows businesses to thrive, and should greatly improve worrying social harms that far too many are experiencing.
The reasons you describe are why I support the Greens, so the wealthiest contribute a fair amount. I agree a reset is needed, and I agree with some of what TOP proposes, but some of it, e.g., public service cuts, seems more aligned with National.
My understanding is that “public service cuts” naturally attained through efficiencies gained by undue monitoring of beneficiaries and their life styles etc and resulting punitive action. The administration and processes should be basically much simpler with so many less questions asked. This should not be seen as a reduction of worthy social services but maybe redeployment to more positive and ultimately better productivity support across the economy. A nice theory anyway. I personally would be happy with more Government involvement in the positive side of the economy and not just mopping up the dregs of failed Government policies. Research, training, health
I will be voting Green. Thought-through policies, coherent set of values with governance experience and between-elections action. As well as integrity and honesty of mps.
If you’re on Super then you’re over 65 and you can defer it forever. Your children will meanwhile probably be receiving 19400 each a year. They could pay the tax if you think it is so important to them. Unlike most countries we don’t have an inheritance tax otherwise your property you would like to leave them would be taxed. Something has to change. Our inequality gap is widening. How businesses are lacking investment. How country is getting poorer rapidly . Who has a better idea that has been well considered and costed? I’m open to ideas.
It is compensated for by a an annual citizens income of $ 19400 per year for every adult above 18 years old in the house. Or if you are over 65 years old it can be deferred until you sell - or die. In most cases this works well for at least 70% of the population and about neutral for up to 90%. It is intended to be introduced over at least a six year period and probably more like ten. It is intended to reduce inequality caused by an enormous investment distortion in particularly in NZ. Something has to be done.
I can answer this myself - TOPs policies were designed by a group of well off individuals, to answer the problems of the 2010s. They do not translate well to a situation 10 years later, when we have falling property prices, rising energy prices, and increasing evidence of environmental instability caused by climate change.
I’m assured that the LVT/CI/Tax reset policy is the most easily implemented and deals more directly with the distinct identifyable issue of the disproportionate capital tied up in Land and not just the Land of the wealthy. Private investment in Land in Nz is highest in the world, (per pop). The policy will produce a more predictable set of numbers to manipulate and the Land Valuations are basically ready to go. The other distinct complementary issue is low income. I think Opportunity is the only party to address this more directly and quickly.
Wealth Tax and Capital Gain Tax is too easily avoided, not so much the Land tax, according to experts.
Anyway, search for your own range of educated opinions, one way or another but I have long accepted the views of Bernard Hickey, Gareth Morgan and many others and I’m pleased that finally their ideas are at least being aired. The country needs bold solutions. I’m sure you could come up with other views. Meanwhile I’ll look closer at the Greens, Labour again to see if that is evolving.
The fact that you criticise Labour is one of the reasons I take your stuff seriously and subscribe to it. It's VITAL that we remain able to take issue with the things that happen within our political sphere.
I used to be a vehement free market libertarian as a younger chap. There was a time, when the neo liberal cause was still fresh and new, that if something wasn't working properly, people took the time to both acknowledge this and do something about it.
Then, inevitably, the point was reached where doing this became 'heresy' rather than honest appraisal. Point out there's a growing problem and you get shouted down and told you're 'not a team player' or some such drivel. The next thing you know, you've got creepy little bastards like David Seymour destroying everything.
The post war shift leftwards ended up like this by the mid 1970s. There was no more reasoned discussion, just blind ideology. (That's why I ended up as the right wing type I mentioned earlier.)
But now neo liberalism has reached the same stage, so here I am, firmly supporting Labour and the Greens with enthusiasm. But not so much so that I won't take issue with some of the things they say and do.
Sorry Alan, but you bought the cool-aid with Neo-liberalism...the old ways had their faults, but Neoliberalism depended totally on people's honesty....and then came the highly predictable 2008 total sell-out of Neoliberal free-market 'principles........they were , based on taking pseudo-evolutionary 'natural' principles seriously, and this was fostered by long- established super-rich sociopathic old-school 'laissez-faire' (free-market) Late19th/Early 20th Century Capitalist Gangster/War-Mongering Dynasties....and the new Techno-1% Broligarchy
It's 'Kool Aid' I believe, and I think the zeitgeist was more what I was chasing. It was the late 1970s in Britain and the Labour government had more than just 'faults'. They were collapsing into chaos and really had nothing to offer to someone like me, going into my first general election. Anything, I felt, had to be better than the soggy mess that we had at the time.
Which wasn't exactly 'the old ways'. The post war system, which I would have voted for enthusiastically in 1945, had I been born at the right time to have that year as my first election, produced many wonderful things. But, as I say, by 1979 it was all very much past its sell-by date.
I should also add that my dad was a prominent left wing political correspondent, and what sort of spirited teenager has the same politics as his dad eh?
Anyway, nearly fifty years have passed and I long ago abandoned right wing politics in favour of clearing up the mess I helped create in my daft, drug addled youth.
To bring about radical change I think we need to break down the first past the post coalition deals in government. We need to get discussion going between what has become two opposing viewpoints. We are creating, by policy and neglect of real debate, a class society.
A radical change would be to destroy property as a source of capital gains. Introduce large scale publicly owned housing, available to all who want it, for long term leasing.
Nick - I don't get upset when you and others criticise Labour It is part of the discourse. I might push back but believe me, I have my say in Labour, and isn't it great we have political parties where members have their say without sanctions. Like you, I want them to do well, and despite not being a Green voter, I want them to do well also. The figures out today on unemployment are chilling, and especially under-employment. Real humans behind those figures. Then what we learned from Q time is that our PM has been using NZ Air Force planes to get from a National Party fundraiser to his next event. Reminds me of the limousine across the road when he first became leader. Tamatha Paul just reminded the House it snowed in Wellington yesterday and the homeless were freezing. There are no homes for them. And then,overnight, another worker died in a meat works. David Seymour had the gaul to stand up in parliament this afternoon and boast about Brooke van Valen's health and safety reforms. Makes me weep.
One problem with dropping house prices - if you’re in a bigger more expensive house and planning to downsize to free up $$ for retirement, dropping prices means you’ll probably have less money freed up. I am in this position - personally, I think that is something I am happy to live with if it creates wider home ownership, a better housed community. Well worth the trade off.
I think capital gains are like an inheritance - not to be expected and counted on, but received with joy and gratitude - and used as needed, nurtured, and handed on to the next generation where possible, and partly donated to charities so it also benefits the community
👍 Totally agree re housing should be about "somewhere to live" & not a means to increase wealth. My own driver is independence from landlords telling me what I can & can't do with my "home" plus security of tenure (earthquakes & extreme weather events aside!) And yes, the homes have increased in value when I moved on, but of course I had to pay more for the next one & moving between cities with differing housing markets can make that either better or worse as well. I have been lucky that although never on a high income, my mortgage outgoings have been cheaper than renting (even with insurance & Rates) plus none of the having the property sold from under you & having to move AGAIN that I had when I was a renter.
Isn't it sad that the return to the "old days" ACT talks about is for inflicting violence on disadvantaged children & NOT housing for everyone as a govt goal?🙇
I'm personally not panicking about election policies from any of the parties just yet - most of the coalition members shenanigans seem desperate & poorly received, so "don't interrupt while your enemy is shooting itself in the foot" seems wise for now. There is a LONG time til voting day & the work to get voters registered is the MOST important before the cutoff date - no good having the best policies if those who like them can't vote 🤷 (& yes, if you look you can see Labour & Greens actively working to get eligible voters registered ...)
Students skiing down hills in Dunners is nothing new - I remember walking past the bottom of Park St, one chilly morning more than 50 years ago, and seeing the ski tracks in the snow.
A wise old bloke I knew once said that if you build houses or other places for people to live in it's a jump start to the economy. Jobs in construction, carpenters, electricians,plumbers, furniture and retailers, carpet makers, garden suppliers , roads and schools and parks.
So what happened to Kaianga Ora building plans.?
Those houses end up paying for themselves as well as contributing to the physical and mental health of the entire Iwi.
I am not at all in favour of a land tax. It's easy, I suppose, to work out from the rates bills we receive (the land value is stated separately from the capital value) but for many people who are struggling now, it will be the last straw. Postponing payment until owners die or sell the property compounds the debt and the anxiety.
What if you have a modest house on a small section and your enormous wealth is in shares or crypto or metals? A land tax won't touch that.A wealth tax, such as the Greens propose, would. Dr Harpreet Singh's explanation and examples are interesting:
I care about Labour too; I channel that via emails. They have to expect criticism from their caring public, in fact should welcome it. And I am sure that they do. The debates at conferences are very robust. .
Agree, I also communicate thoughts/concerns via email to Chris Hipkins and have always received an appropriate and thoughtful response from his comms team.
Our economy depends on inflation, what we count as growth includes inflation! Business, financial trading, real estate, selling goods and services, is mostly all about inflation. Then, if we consider people, mostly buying things, we want the opposite of inflation. That is a dichotomy that is a result of our political structure, right against left interests. It does not need to be that way! And, that is what government means, but when we persist with political coalitions we fail the process of government and people. A binding referendum demanding an end to coalition control of elected Members to the House of Representatives is a clear straightforward change that can provide the governance we need - as the entire population.
A couple of observations. I've just been to an industry association conference that included Matthew Hooten as a "political commentator". Matty argued that there are three possible outcomes from the election - the current teams are returned but with National less than 30% means losing a lot of list MPs thereby giving NZF even more power than they currently have, a Labour-Green-TPM grouping (Matty didn't think very highly of that option), and a Labour-Green-TOP option, supported by defecting National voters who vote either Labour or TOP to ensure TPM is out of the equation. I asked about a Labour/National grand alliance, which he considered might occur for specific policies, but the innate tribalism in both parties would see a mass desertion to the more extreme options - Green/ACT/TPM.
Oh, and the second observation is linked to the first: for God's sake, Labour - be brave!
The best result would be the destruction of the National party, leaving the other two coalition members stranded, and a Labour/Green /TPM coalition, with some guts...TOP to my mind is an irrelevance.
One thing that has contributed to the steep rise is the use of the tender process and auction process in the last few years. Even if you want to put a price on your house, agents insist on a Buyer Enquiry Over process to encourage a higher price.
The elephant in the room regarding house price vs wages is since Ruth Richardson crushed the unions wages have not kept up with inflation.
Thanks John...god what a stupid gullible twit she was...she did National's dirty work and then they threw her out....and Nicola No-boats is on a similar trajectory, I believe.
I made a verbal submission against the Moving On Amendment Act & I suggested that instead of hearing points of view on this cruel nastiness, they should be setting up an emergency shelter. Then they should be building ‘home-grounds’ (such as that built by the Auckland City Mission) in every suburb & every region. Accommodation with wraparound services & s social supermarket. It’s so cold today. I can’t even imagine being on the streets in Auckland let alone Taupo!
I'm living in my old campervan in Reefton, been waiting for a council flat for 6 months....not that much better, eh, Kathy....!
No, it's not. And it's a political choice not building homes for our people. And for those who find it a struggle to cope, assisted care homes and places like Home Ground with wrap around services. All the best with keeping warm Kim and everyone else!
Labour, please be brave!
Yeah, now is the time....take 2billion bucks of tax back off corporate landlords would be a reasonable start......
I’ll explain myself. I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Opportunity but know that they will be nowhere near the major party at this election. Nick and Keith has raised the issue of being brave. Someone needs to be. National don’t seem to even understand and have problems relating to poverty, housing difficulties and now it seems even understanding struggling businesses. They need now to be made irrelevant to our country’s future. They certainly have shown no wish to be brave about anything apart from maintaining an established approach clearly outmoded and ineffective. Labour are nervous about policies that might scare the horses and are nervous about Opportunity in some way lowering the chances of them being the major party on 7November. Understandable. But Opportunity can be brave about a a practical proposal to substantial raise incomes for the poorer end as well as as gently as possible extracting the wasted capital and wealth locked up in the ridiculous ponzi scheme that our housing market has become over a 45 year period. Ponzi scheme make a minority feel wealthy at the expenses of late joiners of such a scheme. Opportunity tax-reset policy is a brave way of restoring wealth of this country to all. More equality allows businesses to thrive, and should greatly improve worrying social harms that far too many are experiencing.
The reasons you describe are why I support the Greens, so the wealthiest contribute a fair amount. I agree a reset is needed, and I agree with some of what TOP proposes, but some of it, e.g., public service cuts, seems more aligned with National.
My understanding is that “public service cuts” naturally attained through efficiencies gained by undue monitoring of beneficiaries and their life styles etc and resulting punitive action. The administration and processes should be basically much simpler with so many less questions asked. This should not be seen as a reduction of worthy social services but maybe redeployment to more positive and ultimately better productivity support across the economy. A nice theory anyway. I personally would be happy with more Government involvement in the positive side of the economy and not just mopping up the dregs of failed Government policies. Research, training, health
Hmm - too indefinite, too many assumptions.
I will be voting Green. Thought-through policies, coherent set of values with governance experience and between-elections action. As well as integrity and honesty of mps.
Sadly the land tax is a definite negative for me!
Me too. I subsist in the super but own a lovely piece of bare land near the mountain that i want my children to have.
I pay rates on it but more rates would cripple me
If you’re on Super then you’re over 65 and you can defer it forever. Your children will meanwhile probably be receiving 19400 each a year. They could pay the tax if you think it is so important to them. Unlike most countries we don’t have an inheritance tax otherwise your property you would like to leave them would be taxed. Something has to change. Our inequality gap is widening. How businesses are lacking investment. How country is getting poorer rapidly . Who has a better idea that has been well considered and costed? I’m open to ideas.
Exactly.
Explanation?
Unaffordable. Its a tax then there is rates as well. I doubt many could afford it. .
It is compensated for by a an annual citizens income of $ 19400 per year for every adult above 18 years old in the house. Or if you are over 65 years old it can be deferred until you sell - or die. In most cases this works well for at least 70% of the population and about neutral for up to 90%. It is intended to be introduced over at least a six year period and probably more like ten. It is intended to reduce inequality caused by an enormous investment distortion in particularly in NZ. Something has to be done.
So that is equivalent to a pension, and I will not do deferment… I don't live carefully to have that kind of anxiety in my old age!
A very BIG no!!
Its cruel, its unfair. Its totally unacceptable. .
Why is the proposed tax only on land, and not on other assets, as well?
HEAR, HEAR!!! Especially assets owned by f...ing tax-dodging corporations...who by the way invest in land assets....
I can answer this myself - TOPs policies were designed by a group of well off individuals, to answer the problems of the 2010s. They do not translate well to a situation 10 years later, when we have falling property prices, rising energy prices, and increasing evidence of environmental instability caused by climate change.
Too complex. Do you have ideas. Let’s talk about it.
The Greens have a proposal for a wealth tax. What is too complex about that?
I’m assured that the LVT/CI/Tax reset policy is the most easily implemented and deals more directly with the distinct identifyable issue of the disproportionate capital tied up in Land and not just the Land of the wealthy. Private investment in Land in Nz is highest in the world, (per pop). The policy will produce a more predictable set of numbers to manipulate and the Land Valuations are basically ready to go. The other distinct complementary issue is low income. I think Opportunity is the only party to address this more directly and quickly.
Wealth Tax and Capital Gain Tax is too easily avoided, not so much the Land tax, according to experts.
Anyway, search for your own range of educated opinions, one way or another but I have long accepted the views of Bernard Hickey, Gareth Morgan and many others and I’m pleased that finally their ideas are at least being aired. The country needs bold solutions. I’m sure you could come up with other views. Meanwhile I’ll look closer at the Greens, Labour again to see if that is evolving.
Opportunity may have to be brave for you. I’m sure Labour could work with Opportunity. Ruling out not required.
It's OP who needs to rule out.
Tell them Keith
The fact that you criticise Labour is one of the reasons I take your stuff seriously and subscribe to it. It's VITAL that we remain able to take issue with the things that happen within our political sphere.
I used to be a vehement free market libertarian as a younger chap. There was a time, when the neo liberal cause was still fresh and new, that if something wasn't working properly, people took the time to both acknowledge this and do something about it.
Then, inevitably, the point was reached where doing this became 'heresy' rather than honest appraisal. Point out there's a growing problem and you get shouted down and told you're 'not a team player' or some such drivel. The next thing you know, you've got creepy little bastards like David Seymour destroying everything.
The post war shift leftwards ended up like this by the mid 1970s. There was no more reasoned discussion, just blind ideology. (That's why I ended up as the right wing type I mentioned earlier.)
But now neo liberalism has reached the same stage, so here I am, firmly supporting Labour and the Greens with enthusiasm. But not so much so that I won't take issue with some of the things they say and do.
Sorry Alan, but you bought the cool-aid with Neo-liberalism...the old ways had their faults, but Neoliberalism depended totally on people's honesty....and then came the highly predictable 2008 total sell-out of Neoliberal free-market 'principles........they were , based on taking pseudo-evolutionary 'natural' principles seriously, and this was fostered by long- established super-rich sociopathic old-school 'laissez-faire' (free-market) Late19th/Early 20th Century Capitalist Gangster/War-Mongering Dynasties....and the new Techno-1% Broligarchy
It's 'Kool Aid' I believe, and I think the zeitgeist was more what I was chasing. It was the late 1970s in Britain and the Labour government had more than just 'faults'. They were collapsing into chaos and really had nothing to offer to someone like me, going into my first general election. Anything, I felt, had to be better than the soggy mess that we had at the time.
Which wasn't exactly 'the old ways'. The post war system, which I would have voted for enthusiastically in 1945, had I been born at the right time to have that year as my first election, produced many wonderful things. But, as I say, by 1979 it was all very much past its sell-by date.
I should also add that my dad was a prominent left wing political correspondent, and what sort of spirited teenager has the same politics as his dad eh?
Anyway, nearly fifty years have passed and I long ago abandoned right wing politics in favour of clearing up the mess I helped create in my daft, drug addled youth.
Radical change is required to rid us of the curse of neoliberalism
To bring about radical change I think we need to break down the first past the post coalition deals in government. We need to get discussion going between what has become two opposing viewpoints. We are creating, by policy and neglect of real debate, a class society.
A radical change would be to destroy property as a source of capital gains. Introduce large scale publicly owned housing, available to all who want it, for long term leasing.
I don't think we should mention that one until after the election; there might be some resistance.
Nick - I don't get upset when you and others criticise Labour It is part of the discourse. I might push back but believe me, I have my say in Labour, and isn't it great we have political parties where members have their say without sanctions. Like you, I want them to do well, and despite not being a Green voter, I want them to do well also. The figures out today on unemployment are chilling, and especially under-employment. Real humans behind those figures. Then what we learned from Q time is that our PM has been using NZ Air Force planes to get from a National Party fundraiser to his next event. Reminds me of the limousine across the road when he first became leader. Tamatha Paul just reminded the House it snowed in Wellington yesterday and the homeless were freezing. There are no homes for them. And then,overnight, another worker died in a meat works. David Seymour had the gaul to stand up in parliament this afternoon and boast about Brooke van Valen's health and safety reforms. Makes me weep.
It was awful to hear of another workplace death. I do not like that, Brooke. Sam, I am.
One problem with dropping house prices - if you’re in a bigger more expensive house and planning to downsize to free up $$ for retirement, dropping prices means you’ll probably have less money freed up. I am in this position - personally, I think that is something I am happy to live with if it creates wider home ownership, a better housed community. Well worth the trade off.
I think capital gains are like an inheritance - not to be expected and counted on, but received with joy and gratitude - and used as needed, nurtured, and handed on to the next generation where possible, and partly donated to charities so it also benefits the community
👍 Totally agree re housing should be about "somewhere to live" & not a means to increase wealth. My own driver is independence from landlords telling me what I can & can't do with my "home" plus security of tenure (earthquakes & extreme weather events aside!) And yes, the homes have increased in value when I moved on, but of course I had to pay more for the next one & moving between cities with differing housing markets can make that either better or worse as well. I have been lucky that although never on a high income, my mortgage outgoings have been cheaper than renting (even with insurance & Rates) plus none of the having the property sold from under you & having to move AGAIN that I had when I was a renter.
Isn't it sad that the return to the "old days" ACT talks about is for inflicting violence on disadvantaged children & NOT housing for everyone as a govt goal?🙇
I'm personally not panicking about election policies from any of the parties just yet - most of the coalition members shenanigans seem desperate & poorly received, so "don't interrupt while your enemy is shooting itself in the foot" seems wise for now. There is a LONG time til voting day & the work to get voters registered is the MOST important before the cutoff date - no good having the best policies if those who like them can't vote 🤷 (& yes, if you look you can see Labour & Greens actively working to get eligible voters registered ...)
Students skiing down hills in Dunners is nothing new - I remember walking past the bottom of Park St, one chilly morning more than 50 years ago, and seeing the ski tracks in the snow.
Love your stuff Nick.
A wise old bloke I knew once said that if you build houses or other places for people to live in it's a jump start to the economy. Jobs in construction, carpenters, electricians,plumbers, furniture and retailers, carpet makers, garden suppliers , roads and schools and parks.
So what happened to Kaianga Ora building plans.?
Those houses end up paying for themselves as well as contributing to the physical and mental health of the entire Iwi.
I am not at all in favour of a land tax. It's easy, I suppose, to work out from the rates bills we receive (the land value is stated separately from the capital value) but for many people who are struggling now, it will be the last straw. Postponing payment until owners die or sell the property compounds the debt and the anxiety.
What if you have a modest house on a small section and your enormous wealth is in shares or crypto or metals? A land tax won't touch that.A wealth tax, such as the Greens propose, would. Dr Harpreet Singh's explanation and examples are interesting:
https://drhsinghnz.substack.com/p/the-wealth-the-opportunity-partys?r=1nloyc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
A very wise man is Dr Harpreet Singh.
I care about Labour too; I channel that via emails. They have to expect criticism from their caring public, in fact should welcome it. And I am sure that they do. The debates at conferences are very robust. .
Agree, I also communicate thoughts/concerns via email to Chris Hipkins and have always received an appropriate and thoughtful response from his comms team.
Our economy depends on inflation, what we count as growth includes inflation! Business, financial trading, real estate, selling goods and services, is mostly all about inflation. Then, if we consider people, mostly buying things, we want the opposite of inflation. That is a dichotomy that is a result of our political structure, right against left interests. It does not need to be that way! And, that is what government means, but when we persist with political coalitions we fail the process of government and people. A binding referendum demanding an end to coalition control of elected Members to the House of Representatives is a clear straightforward change that can provide the governance we need - as the entire population.
A couple of observations. I've just been to an industry association conference that included Matthew Hooten as a "political commentator". Matty argued that there are three possible outcomes from the election - the current teams are returned but with National less than 30% means losing a lot of list MPs thereby giving NZF even more power than they currently have, a Labour-Green-TPM grouping (Matty didn't think very highly of that option), and a Labour-Green-TOP option, supported by defecting National voters who vote either Labour or TOP to ensure TPM is out of the equation. I asked about a Labour/National grand alliance, which he considered might occur for specific policies, but the innate tribalism in both parties would see a mass desertion to the more extreme options - Green/ACT/TPM.
Oh, and the second observation is linked to the first: for God's sake, Labour - be brave!
The best result would be the destruction of the National party, leaving the other two coalition members stranded, and a Labour/Green /TPM coalition, with some guts...TOP to my mind is an irrelevance.
One thing that has contributed to the steep rise is the use of the tender process and auction process in the last few years. Even if you want to put a price on your house, agents insist on a Buyer Enquiry Over process to encourage a higher price.
I think those practices are amoral.