IMF calculations on house prices and the exchange rate | Real Economy Blog

Kieran Ormandy Posted:
Thanks for the question Steven, Germany has seen increases in manufacturing employment since 2009, and Switzerland has had stable manufacturing employment between 2006 – 2011, even in the face of ongoing Euro-zone issues. Korea has seen increases in manufacturing employment since 2008 and Israel experienced large increases since 1998, while being stable over the last 4 years. Singapore has had increases in manufacturing employment over the last two years. These countries all value their manufacturing sectors and work to protect them, this is reflected in the above numbers and their performance through the GFC. Note data around the above examples was sourced from OECD labour market stats.

John Walley Posted:
Point one: you should have no doubt what our Association says publically represent the views of our members. Point two: we don’t knee jerk responses, if you trace back our comments around NZPower you will see them link all the way back to our research in 2004 and 2005. All that material is fully linked from our comments above. Point three: you will note our comments on major users, sadly the same advantage does not accrue to smaller industrial users. The perverse incentives of the LRMC approach in all this are well known. Point four: the NZMEA is not like any other Association in New Zealand we admit only manufacturers and exporters into membership, and our public expressions are the views of that restricted membership.

Craig Nelson Posted:
Thanks Scott, - I dont disagree with your view on renewable energy, and I dont disagree that energy costs are key to ensuring New Zealand remains internationally competive and I agree things can be improved - I just disagree with the NZMEA view that the labour Greens proposal is the solution - I do share the concerns of MEUG (who do also export) and I believe the proposal is based on flawed data, a model that labour discounted while in power for good reason and that it wont deliver lower cost electricity for Manufacturers in the medium term.

Scott Yates Posted:
Craig, I am a member of NZMEA. I would welcom you to visit our factory and other NZMEA member's factories in other centres, Chch, Wellington.... whereever you may live. We have a planned new panel product for the USA market.to compete with a Chilean product It is based on NZ produced MDF, to be machined, and then primed on the face, and possibly sealed on the back with a rfelctive paint for thermal and moisture reasons. Electricity is a significant cost in every process

Craig Nelson Posted:
So far we have seen NZMEA come out with a stance that is at odds with other similar groups and I doubt reflects memebrs views. Talk of single buyer being the solution to preventing blackouts and energy shortage is not supported by Fact. More and significant outages were caused by the old single buyer/government controlled model that NZMEA advocates a return to. The one reasoned comment is that "Sadly scorn, distortions and exaggerated characterisations" and that is what we have seen from Labour/Greens in response to the numerous Analysts and Employer groups that have said this is a very bad idea.