By: Larry Williams | Thursday, June 21, 2012 6:30 PM

GDP

The latest economic growth figures are much better than expected.

The economy grew by 1.1 percent during the first three months of this year, taking the annual year on year growth to 2.4 percent, which is better than most other developed countries.

GDP for the year to March was 1.7 percent.

Economists were predicting GDP around 0.6 percent. The Reserve Bank was forecasting just 0.4 percent.

The encouraging thing was the growth was broad based.

Construction continues to decline and Christchurch had little impact which confirms that the rebuild is slow in getting under way.

The GDP number is very good in light of global conditions.

 

ACC

ACC is back in the gun again, this time for paying staff big financial incentives to get people back into the workforce.

The Greens' Kevin Hague has released papers under the Official Information Act showing staff who move the most people off ACC dependency get the biggest rewards, more than 20 percent of what they could earn out in the market.

Mr Hague claims that means ACC workers are encouraged to get people off compo before they're ready.

I don't know about the 20 percent figure, but the point is, what is wrong with getting people back into the workforce?

If it’s before they are ready then there is an appeal process.

ACC is an insurance scheme, it’s not a welfare scheme as the Greens would like it to be.

 

SkyCity

The SkyCity worker has won the right to keep her Bible with her at work. Tuni Parata will be able to carry her Bible in her pocket. It’s a very small Bible.

This was always going to be the outcome and all the SkyCity achieved was to create more negative publicity.

SkyCity created this. They only have themselves to blame. They could have sorted this rather innocuous matter without the drama of letters threatening dismissal.

 

Gay Marriage

Mana leader Hone Harawira is coming under pressure from his party to support gay marriage, despite previously expressing discomfort about it, saying he was ‘morally very conservative’.

"I might be politically radical but morally I'm very conservative."

He said some of his own family were gay, but: "I'm still on the edge on that kind of thing”.

Harawira has indicated he will vote with the party. I suspect the party will vote to support gay marriage.

I'm with Sir Bob Jones on this one.

If someone wants to marry their budgie - who cares.

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