nz's economic future

I was just coming to post about this story.

Obviously the main thrust of the story is refreshing, in that people are actually working to ensure the Public Service is impartial.
BUT:
Why does Stats NZ need a Cultural Advisor?, and
Why would a Stats NZ Cultural Advisor need to attend Ratana, a political and religious rally, in an official capacity (assuming all expenses paid, etc)?

PS, is that the same Stats NZ that can't organise a root in a whore house, the same one that has badly bungled the last two census?


“The government has three coalition partners, two of which are present and the third electing to stay in his constituency to lick his own arse and indeed declining the invitation to listen to the grievances and the suppression cast upon my Māori people,” he said.

Rua also lambasted high-profile New Zealand First MPs Winston Peters and Shane Jones as “taurekareka” [slaves] for the Crown. At the time, Jones said the comments were insulting and grossly inappropriate.

"
You've got all the pieces in place that can survive the globalisation collapse.

"Your biggest concern is going to be access to manufacturing goods in a post-China world."


www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/519988/why-new-zealand-needs-to-prepare-now-for-a-future-in-a-world-without-china

some effects of planting pines everywhere are showing up ...https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/markets/unheard-of-prices-as-northland-cattle-supply-dries-up/?
the country can't afford it beeflambnz.com/sites/default/files/news-docs/Economic-Contribution-of-the-NZ-Red-Meat-Industry.pdf
and the beleaguered housewife won't be able to afford the price increases either. (i've heard reports of people bursting into tears partway through their grocery shop in recent times) . i recall widespread stock rustling just after jenny shipley's? benefit cuts in the early 90's... people have to eat so something will give

Way way back in the day when I was working in the meat works, tongue was worth more than fillet.
I just couldn't get my head around it.
All anyone could tell me was that tongue was popular in the Asian countries. The only thing I would work out was supply and demand, there are two fillets in every beast but only one tongue...

Using my universal metric of the price per kg of beef mince, the price shot up about 4 to 6 weeks ago.
Could get 95CL (or was it 85CL, need a bit of fat for the flavour) for about $12/kg at Gilmours or $14/kg at Pak n Save, that is now $18/kg across the board.

Used to be able to pick up whole rump or whole ribeye at bargain prices, thinking about $13/kg for rump and mid to low $20's for ribeye.

My perception was that was at end of summer / autumn de-stocking phase. I get mixed up with the weather at the time but fairly sure it was the dry part of autumn where people would have been getting twitchy about grass levels.
Jim would probably know what I'm on about. If farmers in large parts of the country did a big weather / feed related de-stock the market would have been flooded with red meat, now they've de-stocked everyone will be sitting on their capital stock and popping out calves. 
That, and being calving seasons I expect the works are closed for maintenance and no-one is that bothered about red meat prices, in that the price may be high, but volumes would be low to non-existent at this time of year.

Last good deal I got at Gilmours was venison leg at about $20/kg (boneless and completely lean). Went into a stew that did ;-)