Perriams Pacesetter — 17 August 2026

Every Monday we post some thoughts in our Perriams Pacesetter, containing fresh thoughts for the week, the weekend just gone, and a bit of left field. Click below to read.

TOPICAL

Both Labour and National look like they’ll need the Opportunity Party to take power after the Opportunity Party’s leader announced that they’ll talk first to the party that polls highest on election day.

There’s talk now that the Opportunity Party might get to 10%. Are you perhaps one of those 10%?

SPOTLIGHT

Number one has to be the pressure hospital’s EDs are under and what needs to happen in healthcare to alleviate this.

Many stories of patients having to be treated in corridors and hallways. This is like we’re living in the Third World.

Our health workers are suffering burnout, and it will be the patients treating the medics soon!

Healthcare should not be an election issue. We promote private initiatives in the public healthcare system, but what are the hidden costs here?

OF INTEREST

Across 2025, just on one in ten Kiwis with health insurance terminated their cover as the cost of premiums has hit hard.

Were you one of those 10%?

SPORTIFY

They’re saying, “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?” Well, the same can be said for the All Blacks in South Africa.

How many first-fives does it take to fill the position?

How many is too many?

The All Blacks now have five first-fives in South Africa. Have you thought about just how much money is going nowhere? $$$$

But here’s my beef on this. The community game needs some of those dollars but they’re getting zilch.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

This ties in with our Spotlight blurb:

What is the solution to our overloaded hospital EDs?

DID YOU KNOW?

That a tuatara is not a lizard. They are the sole surviving member of a reptile group which flourished some 200 million years ago alongside the dinosaurs.

THE MARKETS

Annual wage growth in NZ has slowed to a five-year low of 2.7% for the year to June 2026, according to Stats NZ labour market data.

Let’s take a peek then as to what it has done over the last 33 years. It has averaged 2.19% per annum from 1993 to 2026.

OCR 2.5% ↑ July 2026 CPI 4.1% ↑ June 2026 Unemployment 5.3% ↓ March 2026 House Price Movement 2.3% ↑ July 2024 Rent Price Movement 4.3% ↑ July 2024

Only 130 days to go until Christmas!

PERRIAMS POWER RANKINGS – 17 August 2026

Each week we announce Perriams power rankings for the week.

1. The Wahs

The Wahs’ win over the Broncos, 40–6.

But the hamstring injury to Luke Metcalf put a huge damper on the result. If you saw his face after the video, it said it all. ☹️

2. The All Blacks

Our All Blacks are three from three against the provinces in South Africa, so no complaints with the start—but that’s not the reason why we’re there.

The test is just that: the Test. There are three of them in South Africa, so this Sunday morning is when it all begins—NZ time.

3. A South Island NRL team.

Lots of media talk of late, with Sir Graham Lowe heading a syndicate to secure the 20th licence for 2029, but my jury is still out on who is going to be able to attract it outside of the NRL itself?