Was it a case of a battling business in a GST mess, a Working for Families matter? We can only surmise that the person spent what must have seemed a very long time waiting on the phone.
Thanks to IRD's policy of publishing responses to requests under the Official Information Act that "may be of interest to the wider public", we know that this citizen asked for two things: a list of the songs played to people on hold with IRD and an answer to the question: "How come the IRD still plays the same songs since, like, forever? Have yous eva thought about changin the beats that yous play when ppl ring up the IRD?" IRD duly provided its playlist as of June 2023 70 songs, structured into nine groups, each group with a single title in bold at the top ("when a customer calls and enters a queue, the hold music will start with one of the songs in bold and continue through the list").
Denne historien er fra September 23-29 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra September 23-29 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.