Tell us something we don't know

"This is such a useful piece of paper we should cut it into strips and put it in the gents". So said Tim Dower, NewstalkZB host. "How much did this 'research' cost me?"

He was referring to a press release from the Ministry of Social Development which contains the following earth-shattering news;

“The report shows that a number of key factors contribute to living standards,” Deputy Chief Executive of Social Development Policy and Knowledge, Marcel Lauzière, said.

“While income can certainly help improve our living standards, this research demonstrates the importance of sustained employment, higher levels of education, home ownership and other assets".

“People tend to have lower living standards if they have experienced events such as multiple marriage break-ups, financial or employment shocks, or serious health issues."

“These factors seem to have a cumulative effect. People with up to seven life shocks have a similar average living standard to those with no life shocks. Eight seems to be the turning point, leading to substantially lower average living standards and a high likelihood of hardship,” Marcel Lauzière, said.