KEY POINTS:
Consumers are in for some bargains as the New Zealand dollar soars to dizzying new heights.
Though crippling many exporters, the high dollar is bringing consumers a bonanza of cheaper imported goods.
Are you cashing in on the high dollar? Here is the latest selection of Your Views:
DB from the 'Tron.
Am I cashing in? My partner and I are off to North America for one month's holiday next Friday night. Go you good thing!
Hey big spender
It's about time we had a dollar that was actually with the paper it is printed on. And it's still undervalued as far as I am concerned. I am sick of travelling overseas and getting nothing for all of my hard earned cash.
There is always someone unhappy no matter what the dollar value. It's always the importers or the exporters though. It's about time we had a dollar that was actually worth something. Long may it remain so. I am for once enjoying the benefits of a weekly wage that actually allows me to do something with it.
Ray Eyre (Whangarei)
Bring it on. It's about time the average Kiwi got a decent return for his buck. I'm looking forward to spending some cash and getting a fair deal for a change. I feel it's about time the Reserve bank and the government stopped playing God and took a back seat for a change. Can't see why the dollar is worth a dollar. Can you? If people spend more, the product demand is more, therefore the business's sell more, therefore they make more. Who needs to be a banker to work that out. As for mortgages, I reckon if you sign a contract at say 6 per cent then that's what you agree too, you do not agree to 9 per cent a year later. Mortgagees are been ripped off by the lending companies. Look at how HP works and figure the rest out for yourself.
Murray
Absolutely! I am now getting 8.1 per cent on my investments compared to 6.8 12 months ago. Hang in there Dr. Cullen. The voters (me included) are going to kick you out of office, but there are not quite enough of us who realise just what you, Madame Trotsky, Sue Bardford and co are doing to this country. And when National takes over the Treasury benches with sufficient majority to wave the Hawaiian gesture of farewell to coalitions and hopefully MMP, we will make a further killing on our US dollars as inflation, interest, and consequently the dollar drop.
Andrew Fletcher
It should be the case that the high NZ dollar brings consumer benefits but the fact is that there is a serious lack of competition within NZ retail and distribution and the currency gains remain with those companies. Structural reform in NZ competition policy is urgently needed, anti competitive oligopolistic behaviour as demonstrated by the oil importers, electrical and car retailers to name but three should be one of the governments prime concerns. The high NZ dollar is here to stay exporters better get leaner and meaner if they intend to survive. Competitive devaluation is not an option for a country that wishes to be perceived in any shape or form as a world class player.
Holly
I have been shopping on Amazon & EBay lately. Music & DVDs are a lot cheaper online, for 3 new release Cds it would cost me around $80-$100 to buy them in New Zealand, on Amazon it cost me NZ$50 including shipping charges. I don't think there will really be a change in retail prices because of the High Dollar. To me it makes more sense to buy online, the price difference is very obvious and you can get practically anything shipped from the States or Europe.
BP
Petrol down from $156.9 to $156.9!
