Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Some actual politics

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  • Tom Semmens,

    All up, so far it appears National's policy for dealing with inflation is to basically strip buying power from the poorest New Zealanders to stop all the trickle up bouyancy in the consumption side of the economy.

    I hear Bill English saying the way to solve our economic problems is a return to more "labour market flexibility." I would hope the full meaning this somewhat ominous promise to apparently return ordinary New Zealanders to the powerlessness of the dark days of the ECA is more fully examined by the media than when it was trotted out by Brash in 2005 - especially as it frankly contradicts National's stated goal of closing the wage gap with Australia. But given our media generally completely ignores issues that may affect people who earn less than around 35k a year and don't look like them I won't hold my breath.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    I don't know about you, but I've felt weirdly switched off from politics this year. It has seemed petty and irrelevant, at a time when important challenges face us.

    Ditto - and I'm a junkie. The government has been treading water, doing makework legislation for most of that time, with previous little actual policy able to be advanced. This will change a little with the budget and upcoming electoral reform and climate change legislation, but after that they'll be stretching to find anything interesting, let alone inspiring.

    Combine it with the toxic tactics we've seen over the past few years, and its enough to make anyone turn off. And politicians wonder why so many people hold them in contempt...

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Jo S,

    Well I'm afraid I can't confirm the existance of Phil Goff, but I can confirm the existance of Lynne Pillay, MP for Waitakere. She performed perhaps her most important job of the year in awarding the Cup to Waitakere United on Sunday for Winning the Oceania Club championship in football (soccer for those who believe football is only played with an oval ball). My friend's father was also of the opinion that she has been performing other such important services as the opening of kindergartens and school galas. However, I have not been in attendance at such events.

    Viva la champions!

    is it autumn yet? • Since May 2007 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Smith,

    "All up, so far it appears National's policy for dealing with inflation is to basically strip buying power from the poorest New Zealanders to stop all the trickle up bouyancy in the consumption side of the economy."

    And this is different from what we have with Labour? Increasing interest rates, petrol taxes, holding onto taxes they don't need etc? Seems the 'poor' get a bum deal from the one's they love?

    Since Jan 2007 • 150 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    The last time I saw Phil Goff he was jumping out the back of a C130.

    But to characterize John Key as the perfect National front for its Strategic Emptiness is a bit harsh, why only a few months ago he came up with the marvellous idea of fixing the problems of poverty with muesli bars.

    I think the turnoff factor associated with politics at the moment is attributable to the willingness to dysinform and nastiness of tone adopted by some factions. Political disaffection affects mostly those already inclined towards disaffectation and disenfranchisement, and thereby benefits the right.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • DPF,

    Red Herring. Private charity in relation to food in schools was never touted by anyone as a solution to poverty.

    It was touted as a solution to hungry kids at school, which affects learning.

    And thanks to the initiative there are several thousand less kids now hungry at school. Oh how awful.

    Oh and Russel, despite spending 30 seconds blogging about the media reporting one of Clark's forgeries ws being auctioned, I've also covered in the last week free speech re ANZAC Day x 2, RMA costs x 2, dog muzzling, billboard bans, climate change x 4, smacking x 3, Ruth Richardson, sedition x 2, exchange rates, NCEA, Destiny x 2, Maori Party, broadband, minor parties x 2, interest rates, John Key, unions, Exclusive Brethren x 2, bail, Electoral Act, petrol levy, Telecom separation x 2, housing prices, electoral boundaries, art royalty proposal, unemployment rates, Kiwi Saver, and joint currency!

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 78 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Off topic perhaps, and noting Josh Marshall's caution...but in the US political scene this could be dynamite.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • DPF,

    Whoops Russell not Russel - I blame Dr Norman for introducing the other variation!

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 78 posts Report Reply

  • DPF,

    Rob - the former CIA Officer alleging that has not only not worked there for 15 years, but is a radical activist who has served "war crimes indictments" on the Bush White House from a "peoples tribunal." and alleged that western Governments will stage terror attacks across Europe and the U.S. in order to justify a potential invasion of Iran.

    Marshall himself is credible on the Niger issue, relying on facts (and he is very critical of the USG on it). McGovern though is a Rosie O'Donnell type conspiracy theorist.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 78 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Um... then again, if Michael Cullen is going to leading the 'charm offensive' I do hope he's going to try much harder to put the emphasis on the former. Taking my partisan hat off for a moment, I've said for a long time that he's a very smart man -- though I guess where you draw the line between 'sharp wit' and 'snide bitch' is a matter of preference, and your mileage may vary - but like many smart people, the condescension and intellectual arrogance has to be guarded against. The problem with true believers of all stripes is they can't win an argument they don't even think has to be made, let alone won.

    Meanwhile, I think politicians and commentators of all stripes might care to meditate on this observation Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. made in a letter to Harold Laski:

    His account of the Communists shows in the most extreme form what I came to loathe in the abolitionists--the conviction that anyone who did not agree with them was a knave or a fool. You see the same in some Catholics and some of the 'Drys' apropos of the 18th amendment. I detest a man who knows that he knows.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    "...And this is different from what we have with Labour?..."


    I never saw the minimum wage go up under a National government, or rises in benefit levels, or Working for Families, or reforms of Labour laws allowing workers to negotiate on a more level playing field... Labour's record in this area is pretty good.

    Most ofthe middle class angst you hear is largely grizzling about how they've missed out on their perceived share of the economic lollies, like tax cuts to save themselves from the the debt mountain they've got themselves into.

    To me, given the gap between rich and poor that developed in the 80's and 90's, the narrowing thats occured is in my mind totally justified. The Pakeha middle class has been looking particularly ugly and selfish in the last two years. Maybe its time it looked in the mirror!

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Danyl Mclauchlan,

    McGovern . . . is a Rosie O'Donnell type conspiracy theorist.

    DPF

    McGovern was a mid level officer in the CIA in the 1960s where his focus was analysis of Soviet policy toward Vietnam. McGovern was one of President Ronald Reagan's intelligence briefers from 1981-85 when he was in charge of preparing daily security briefs for the President, the Vice President, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Cabinet and National Security Advisor. Later, McGovern was one of several senior CIA analysts who prepared the President's Daily Brief (PDB) for President George H.W. Bush.

    Ray McGoverns Wikipedia Article

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Well, Johnny English-Key hasn't been invisible. Just ... insipid:

    In his first speech as National Party leader to a regional conference, John Key has called a halt to relitigating history and said National's vision for the future has three themes – economy, education and environment.

    Mr Key told the Southern Regional Conference in Invercargill that Prime Minister Helen Clark has lost her mojo and National will win the next election.

    "That's right, she's lost her mojo. Labour has lost the pulse of the people and it has lost New Zealanders' hearts."

    Mr Key said National had fresh ideas.

    "We owe a debt to those who came before us, but we do not honour them by re-entering the battles that have already been won and lost.

    "We must not allow Helen Clark to dress our new national conversation in the dated clothes of our yesterdays.

    "We are in a new century and a new millennium, with different and more complex challenges. The debates that Clark cut her political teeth on are over."

    His comments came after former National Party prime minister Jim Bolger and former National Party colleagues attended a conference in Wellington examining "The Bolger Years".

    Mr Key said: "__The next election will not be a choice between where we are and where we've been. The next election will be about where we go next.__" (my italics)

    Mr Key also used a sailing metaphor to coincide with the America's Cup challengers' yachting series off Valencia.

    "We need to raise our sails and catch the drift of this new millennium," he said.

    In the lead-up to the election in 2008, National will continue to set the agenda with three themes – the economy, education and the environment.

    "Today, I would like to send a very clear message; dramatically increasing the speed and coverage of broadband will be an economic priority for National. We are working on policies to achieve this objective and you can expect to hear more about them in future."

    (NZPA)

    It reads like a bad satire of vacuousness. We're in a new century already? Who knew?

    Smile on, nobody home.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    John Key has called a halt to relitigating history and said National's vision for the future has three themes – economy, education and environment.

    Good to see that National's policy priorities are apparently chosen on the basis of alliteration. Lucky 'climate' could be converted into 'environment' or he really would have been stumped for a third.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    "We must not allow Helen Clark to dress our new national conversation in the dated clothes of our yesterdays.

    The next election will not be a choice between where we are and where we've been. The next election will be about where we go next.

    We need to raise our sails and catch the drift of this new millennium," John Key said.

    the guy's a regular Kennedy

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Family, Future and Freedom
    Parents, Prosperity and Peace
    Children, Challenge and Chocolate

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    God, guns and gays
    Priviledge, pretention and perfidy

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    Lost her mojo!!!

    Still gettin jiggy with it, DJKey
    He is the man for the countree
    Got no time for yesterday,
    Get on his boat and sail away.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    The paradox at the heart of our monetary policy is that raising interest rates to control domestic demand/house prices also messes with our productive sector, both by raising the cost of capital for business and by raising the exchange rate.

    Of course, some of our inflation is driven by rising wages (something most of us want, provided we remain competitive) and the increasing prices of factor inputs on world markets. But it is right to say that we need a better way of controlling our housing market/inflation problem than raising interest rates. Obvious ways of achieving this are a capital gains tax on non-family-home house ownership and/or restricting non-resident ownership of New Zealand housing.

    Australia's GDP per capita (A$47,181) is about 30 per cent higher than New Zealand's (A$33,682), with NZ well below the OECD average. NZ's figure is now lower than all Australian states, including Tasmania.

    Hmm.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    It's time than Nat. & Lab. got some marriage counselling. We're still living wth the ideological total war that occurred in '05. Both sides have delivered such low blows against each other that any level of respect between them has been shattered. Maybe the GG could be useful for once; a brief, informal "truth & reconciliation" arbitration wouldn't go amiss.

    As I see it, the biggest problem facing the country is the rise of the corporatocracy. I can't find the reference right now, but I believe overseas ownership now accounts for 47% of GDP, compared with 17% in 1990. This is the elephant in the living room. Unless parliament starts addressing that, the sail we raise will be Cullen and Key holding one end each of a tea towel. No amount of tinkering with tax policy will help NZ if the pie keeps getting smaller and smaller.

    Regarding the cancerous housing bubble, how come no-one ever fingers the banks? It's totally in their interests to keep lending more and more and more, pitting citzen against citizen, and sending $2b back to Australia every year. They are vampires to this country, but the consensus is always that the market must be "free".

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Whoops Russell not Russel - I blame Dr Norman for introducing the other variation!

    De nada. Serves me right for teasing you ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan,

    Disintrest in politics = HIGH

    most people are doing pretty well, government dosen't want to upset apple cart. Oppisistion can't think of much they would do if the were government...

    both parties engage in sniping to fill the dead air...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    dead air? I thought we were all engaging in NZ's version of the culture war, what with smacking, and the like, or was all that just a diversion?

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Raymond A Francis,

    Well I for one would like to see the spot light on Shane Jones
    On paper he seems like a prospect for our first Maori PM
    Inteligent etc although on checking it seems he has never had a real job (not on the government tit) but that may just be missiing from his labour bio. His dad was a farmer so it seems likely he knows what work look like
    He has been a good breeder
    On the other hand his parlimentary behaviour has been less than stellar
    There was the business of him double dipping and then that statement that it was ok to use the unions as a labour cash cow
    So bring it on

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    The paradox at the heart of our monetary policy is that raising interest rates to control domestic demand/house prices also messes with our productive sector, both by raising the cost of capital for business and by raising the exchange rate.

    The real paradox is that it makes the country more attractive to overseas hot money - so foreigners throw their money at our banks, who then desperately try to lend it out. The increased access to credit pushes along the housing bubble, which drives inflation higher, which in turn drives up interest rates. Our efforts to solve the problem have instead created a counterproductive vicious circle.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

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