I think this is an excellent policy, and a long time coming. This is done overseas with good effect. While I don’t think it’s a magic bullet, it is definitely a step in the right direction.

  • @[email protected]
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    411 months ago

    Government either need to privatize or bring a government shopping way into the fray. Consumers are getting fleeced on every shop. No point allowing supermarkets the ability to bully the farmers. No one can fight the supermarkets and they make mega profits.

    Food shops are second biggest expediture after rent. There are better ways than taking her off. Really need to break up the monopoly and stop the supermarkets price fixing. There’s no reason to bring prices down as there isn’t competition.

    • @RangelusOP
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      211 months ago

      So because it isn’t a perfect, one-stop, solution, we shouldn’t do anything at all?

      Progress is made in small steps, not single giant strides.

      • @[email protected]
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        411 months ago

        It is far from perfect. It’s a labour manifesto. If they get in. I’ve heard plenty from them about fixing housing and yet they refused to change the tax brackets and refused to hold the such accountable.

        There was stuff In stuff calculating that you’d save $18 a month. Pretty pathetic. Better than nothing but still very pathetic.

        • @RangelusOP
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          -111 months ago

          Again, it is a incremental change to add to other changes. It is not a magic bullet solution, and anyone who claims to have such a thing is lying. There is no reason to reject positive change just because it doesn’t do everything all at once.

          • @[email protected]
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            311 months ago

            I’m not lying. You are.

            Solution is right there. Already laid out. Gst is not the solution. It’s really a nothing.

            It doesn’t do anything at all. It’s a nothing. 20 bucks saving maybe if supermarkets don’t just raise price.

            Government needs to actually do something. Something supermarkets can’t then directly charge consumers more for.

            So no I wholeheartedly disagree entirely with you

            • @RangelusOP
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              011 months ago

              You disagree that something is better than nothing? Because if you look carefully you will see that’s what I said. It’s not perfect, but it’s something. Small steps is how progress happens.

              What am I lying about? I never claimed to have a magic bullet solution. I never claimed this would solve all problems.

              • @[email protected]
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                111 months ago

                I disagree that this is anything. No I think it’s barely fluff. It’s not even meh. Very far from Perfect. I’m pretty sure you’d be hard pressed to find anyone expecting the govt to do anything perfect. But this is just nuts.

                No but you claimed nobody can come up with it. Plenty ideas out there. This isn’t it

                • @RangelusOP
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                  011 months ago

                  It is a small change, but a positive change nonetheless. GST/VAT free produce has been trialed and found effective in many overseas countries, so it seems plain to me that it would be a good thing here.

                  Complex social issues are rarely fixable with a single policy, so at least Labour is trying to do something.

                  • @Ilovethebomb
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                    011 months ago

                    GST / VAT has been a beaurecratic nightmare in a number of countries as well.

      • @Ilovethebomb
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        311 months ago

        It’s a valid point, rather than taking on the supermarket duopoly or other bold measures, Labour is tinkering around the edges with a feel good policy that has been absolutely torn apart by experts.

        • @evanuggetpi
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          111 months ago

          Absolutely torn apart? GST free fruit and vegetables is the norm overseas. We’re the exception.

          Sure there’s more they should have done. But I cannot see National or Act doing more.

          • @Ilovethebomb
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            111 months ago

            Yeah, and they have court cases over whether a Jaffa cake is a cake or a biscuit.

              • @Ilovethebomb
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                111 months ago

                That was the outcome of the case, yes.

                • @[email protected]
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                  111 months ago

                  Well no. That’s just the situation. That’s what makes a cake and a biscuit different.

            • @evanuggetpi
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              111 months ago

              They did the same in the UK many years ago. What’s your point?

                • @RangelusOP
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                  011 months ago

                  So because of one edgecase that we could simply learn from, you want to throw out the whole idea?

                  This country has a real problem of “if the solution isn’t perfect don’t do anything at all”.

                  • @Ilovethebomb
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                    011 months ago

                    I’m going to be honest with you here, you’re coming across as a bit dense with that comment.

                    Obviously this is just one example, but there will doubtless be others. Is a coleslaw fruit and veg, or a processed food, for example? What if it includes dressing?

                    I used the Jaffa cakes thing as an example because it’s so famous, and also quite funny.

            • @RangelusOP
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              111 months ago

              Holy non sequitur batman!

              • @Ilovethebomb
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                011 months ago

                Thank you for your valuable contribution to the conversation.

                • @RangelusOP
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                  011 months ago

                  I felt your unrelated argument deserved an equally flippant reply.

                  • @Ilovethebomb
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                    011 months ago

                    Do you not understand how a lawsuit over classification of food for tax purposes is relevant to a discussion on tax on food?

    • @BalpeenHammer
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      111 months ago

      Supermarkets don’t buy from the farmers directly.