The Government says it won't punish genuine mistakes with its planned new crackdown on misleading pricing. 

A bill's been introduced to Parliament that would increase the maximum penalty for misleading prices from $600 thousand to $5 million. 

The Commerce Commission estimates such prices are costing New Zealanders tens-of-millions-of-dollars a year.  

Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer told Mike Hosking there's always room for error. 

But he says there's also some businesses who treat the current penalty for misleading pricing as the cost of doing business. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The Government says it won't punish genuine mistakes with its planned new crackdown on misleading pricing.&nbsp;
A bill's been introduced to Parliament that would increase the maximum penalty for misleading prices from $600 thousand to $5 million.&nbsp;
The Commerce Commission estimates such prices are costing New Zealanders tens-of-millions-of-dollars a year. &nbsp;
Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer told Mike Hosking there's always room for error.&nbsp;
But he says there's also some businesses who treat the current penalty for misleading pricing as the cost of doing business.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Cameron Brewer: Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister on the harsher penalties for misleading pricing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/43404498-797e-40a1-8cd4-b44901532a1f/transcript

So the Government has moved on rates. 

The cap is 4%, unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

Of all the price pressures that are out of control, rates would have to be the worst. 

As we have heard this week, insurance is starting to curtail, if not fall, in some areas. 

Power is actually falling for commercial users, although not to what it should be. Certainly, the cost of generation is down and once the build out of solar and wind is complete there can be no excuse not to see prices drop domestically. 

Food is back down within the Reserve Bank band. 1.9% was your last reading. 

Petrol is all over the place but beyond our control, which basically leaves rates. 

Look at the last inflation read and look at the part that rates played in driving it up. And the difference between rates and all the other examples I have just given is there is no sign of it ever ending. 

Oh they have excuses! "There is no shortage of jobs to be done." And even if you strip out the frippery, the nice-to-have nonsense, the multi-cultural nods to Lord-knows-what, you are still left with genuine and real tasks that need attending to. 

But the reason those jobs are so overdue and urgent is because they were never done in the first place because the frippery always took precedence, and it took precedence because it got headlines and they knew the ratepayer was a never-ending pot of money. 

Well, no more. 

What makes it tricky of course is councils will have to fund work through debt. The trouble is for too many they are tapped out. 

They drained that well, as well. So in a purely numeric way they are between a rock and a hard place. But then they have no one to blame but themselves. 

They will hope Labour wins the election of course, because Labour will open the tap up. 

Which leads to the question, if Labour let councils charge bed taxes and let them charge whatever rates they want, is that a broken promise given they said there is only one new tax? 

Anyway, 4% is restraint and reality and fiscal discipline. 

Not a moment too soon. 

So the Government has moved on rates.&nbsp;
The cap is 4%, unless there are exceptional circumstances.&nbsp;
Of all the price pressures that are out of control, rates would have to be the worst.&nbsp;
As we have heard this week, insurance is starting to curtail, if not fall, in some areas.&nbsp;
Power is actually falling for commercial users, although not to what it should be. Certainly, the cost of generation is down and once the build out of solar and wind is complete there can be no excuse not to see prices drop domestically.&nbsp;
Food is back down within the Reserve Bank band. 1.9% was your last reading.&nbsp;
Petrol is all over the place but beyond our control, which basically leaves rates.&nbsp;
Look at the last inflation read and look at the part that rates played in driving it up. And the difference between rates and all the other examples I have just given is there is no sign of it ever ending.&nbsp;
Oh they have excuses! "There is no shortage of jobs to be done." And even if you strip out the frippery, the nice-to-have nonsense, the multi-cultural nods to Lord-knows-what, you are still left with genuine and real tasks that need attending to.&nbsp;
But the reason those jobs are so overdue and urgent is because they were never done in the first place because the frippery always took precedence, and it took precedence because it got headlines and they knew the ratepayer was a never-ending pot of money.&nbsp;
Well, no more.&nbsp;
What makes it tricky of course is councils will have to fund work through debt. The trouble is for too many they are tapped out.&nbsp;
They drained that well, as well. So in a purely numeric way they are between a rock and a hard place. But then they have no one to blame but themselves.&nbsp;
They will hope Labour wins the election of course, because Labour will open the tap up.&nbsp;
Which leads to the question, if Labour let councils charge bed taxes and let them charge whatever rates they want, is that a broken promise given they said there is only one new tax?&nbsp;
Anyway, 4% is restraint and reality and fiscal discipline.&nbsp;
Not a moment too soon.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: Rate caps – not a moment too soon

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/31bc593b-878e-4136-b920-b4b101729498/transcript

Canada's launched more than NZ$33 billion of retaliatory tariffs on US imports as a trade war between the two neighbours escalates. 

The tariffs will impose duties ranging up to 50% across 700 products, matching new American tariffs on Canadian goods. 

It follows trade talks blowing up over the weekend, with Canada claiming unfair last-minute changes from the US. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking the retaliatory tariffs apply to steel and aluminium, as well as dairy, seafood, construction materials, paper products, and home appliances.  

LISTEN ABOVE  

Canada's launched more than NZ$33 billion of retaliatory tariffs on US imports as a trade war between the two neighbours escalates.&nbsp;
The tariffs will impose duties ranging up to 50% across 700 products, matching new American tariffs on Canadian goods.&nbsp;
It follows trade talks blowing up over the weekend, with Canada claiming unfair last-minute changes from the US.&nbsp;
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking the retaliatory tariffs apply to steel and aluminium, as well as dairy, seafood, construction materials, paper products, and home appliances. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on Dolly Parton, escalating trade war between the US and Canada

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c99ed5d4-29e6-42ba-a62d-b4b101707929/transcript

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen delve into the biggest stories of the week thus far. 

They discussed the social media ban and Labour's stance on the subject, Five Eyes, election campaigning, and paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen delve into the biggest stories of the week thus far.&nbsp;
They discussed the social media ban and Labour's stance on the subject, Five Eyes, election campaigning, and paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Pollies: National's Mark Mitchell and Labour's Ginny Andersen on the social media ban bill, Labour's stance, Dolly Parton

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1f9a5574-9ed4-41de-b78d-b4b1016db8c3/transcript

Cameron Brewer: Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister on the harsher penalties for misleading pricing

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