Hard News: Rationalisation is at hand!
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Fletcher B and Lyndon Hood:
Sorry - I am wrong. It looks as though WFF, superannuitants and others on government benefits who earn under $40,000 miss out in 2009 and 2010 and are about $15 behind by 2011.
However, if you earn over $48,000 and are receiving a government benefit you get exactly the same tax breaks as everyone else. This seems to constitute a back door removal of Working for Families - taking from the people with kids and giving to those without - creating another of those level playing fields the Nats like so much.
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I thought Roy Morgan was a nasty foreign organisation with dodgy methodology and a long run of rogue polls?
I wouldn't say "rogue", but the odd one has provided false comfort to Labour in the past, for sure.
Still, does show that not releasing any policy and sticking to headline-grabbing 'reallocations' is doing the trick. Perhaps.
I fear shopping lists of policy initiatives are the stuff of fonder times.
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Steve: I agree entirely
And it would be interesting to know how today's children feel about John Key saddling them with debt so he can give a great stonking tax cut to his rich mates.
Actually, I was being a bit facetious. But now you mention it, I would be in favour of lowering the voting age. You say on your blog:
"16 year olds have interests, and those interests should be counted.”
Again, 15 year olds also have interests, and also need representation. Where do you draw the line?
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Further on the Prime Minister's upbeat mood:
Might she have had an inkling that the SFO would find that while there could be breaches of electoral law, NZ First did not commit fraud?
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he went off about the property rights of Telecom and its investors
Yes, that is certainly one of Rodders' pet ideologies. Never mind that Telecom's shareholders have been thoroughly reimbursed for the purchase cost at least twice over by way of monopoly rents. Never mind that we were demonstrably being held back by the stranglehold over the market that Telecom enjoyed.
I look at what's happened in the last two years, since unbundling was announced, and I'm staggered. We've come so far, and I'm left wondering just where we'd be if this had happened in '01/'02, or even better, if, and I know this is way out there in thoroughly-drug-fucked-cuckoo-land, Maurice had done his fucking job and clobbered Rod with a heavy, nail-studded stick in '98/'99.
On the R&D credits thing, while I was never going to give National my party vote (my Epsom electorate vote is a whole different story), that was just the last straw. It's an incredibly stupid, totally short-sighted move. After the right's constant hammering of how terrible NZ's wage situation is, National effectively announces that economic salvation shall ride forth on the back of a white steed that goes by the name of "consumer spending". Never mind that anyone with a rudimentary understanding of economic policy knows that you grow modern economies through the value of your exports, not the value of what your consumers spend. We're a low-wage economy with a distinctly-unhealthy reliance on primary exports. That's a situation that encourages a race to the bottom for wages. Whereas if we can encourage the likes of Tait, and Rakon, we've actually got companies making valuable, unique products. But, hey, National doesn't seem to think that matters a damn because we'll just get consumers to spend us out of this recession. Until the next time our economy gets into strife because it's all built on a house of credit cards.
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Wooo! Some Friday!
The terror-raids contempt charges against Fairfax have been dismissed.
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Again, 15 year olds also have interests, and also need representation. Where do you draw the line?
As low as I can get away with. That relentless downward pressure, you see...
Austria lets 16 year olds vote. In Iran, the voting age is 12. There's no principled reason why we shouldn't do the same.
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Yes, that is certainly one of Rodders' pet ideologies. Never mind that Telecom's shareholders have been thoroughly reimbursed for the purchase cost at least twice over by way of monopoly rents. Never mind that we were demonstrably being held back by the stranglehold over the market that Telecom enjoyed.
Isn't that what ACT's about - too bad if Telecom was a ruthless and somewhat shonky monopoly - "Let no mere mortal put asunder what St. Roger hath created" ?
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"Again, 15 year olds also have interests, and also need representation. Where do you draw the line?"
if the maori can have maori seats, how about a seperate electorate for youth interests? that could make the political landscape really interesting. say 3 or 4 MPs representing those aged 12 to 18?
could engage young people in politics before they hit 18 and are too cynical to vote
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Isn't that what ACT's about - too bad if Telecom was a ruthless and somewhat shonky monopoly - "Let no mere mortal put asunder what St. Roger hath created" ?
Yeah, pretty much. "Free market uber alles", says Sir Roger, and his faithful "Act-olytes" bow, and scrape, and fellate the great man, for what he says must be true.
The notion of market failure is totally alien to Act. That the market could possibly not produce a perfect outcome is anathema to them, but Rodders is left only with the "property rights" hymnal in the face of a unified Parliament that has declared "the market is broken".
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TV3 poll
National 45
Labour 39
Greens 6.8%Maori Party chooses the government.
Golly.
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Indeed it is. But that's not what I'm doing. Meanwhile your (and others) preciousness is obscuring rather than aiding the discussion.
*cough* Project much, Idiot? And, yes, that's exactly what you're doing -- but if it gets you through the night, fine. Just pardon me if I take you about as seriously as the right wing-nuts who think everyone on a benefit is sitting on their arses breeding for dollars and keeping Restaurant Brands in the black.
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I was pleasantly surprised to see a Stuff poll yesterday with most respondents (3000+) rejecting the bribe (yes, I know teh online polls are unreliable - but the bias usually seems to go the other way, much like the rabid comments).
So, Sacha, I look forward to a tsunami of charitable donations and refund cheques being sent to the IRD in the event of a National-lead government. Since we're now taking on-line polls with self-selecting samples terribly seriously.
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the change in polls is interesting as polls must favour those in upper income brackets. Many households don't have landlines. I know this from my work in the community sector.
By the way I am a long time lurker, but have always felt that others put my point of view rather more eloquently. And some of the response can be a little scary. -
Whadddya mean, scary?!??! We're NICE! GENTLE, even!! And NEVER OVER THE TOP!!!! ;-)
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@ Mark
well that is your opinion... and I appreciate the tongue firmly in your cheek
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The Icelandic government is refusing to guarantee British deposits and in response Gordon Brown is threatening to use anti-terrorism legislation to freeze Icelandic assets in Britain. It does make things here seem quite sedate.
Cod wars !
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Barbara:
By the way I am a long time lurker, but have always felt that others put my point of view rather more eloquently. And some of the response can be a little scary.
Couldn't agree more Barbara. I think you might be speaking for quite a few women. It would be interesting to see how well represented we are among the lurkers.
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3410,
"John Key's rich mates" does not imply that anyone rich is John Key's mate.
I/S deserves better than today's responses.
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@ Mark
well that is your opinion...
I see you are learning fast there Barbara ;)
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@Sofie
and @Markthanks for the welcome!! It is actually quite reassuring
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By the way I am a long time lurker, but have always felt that others put my point of view rather more eloquently. And some of the response can be a little scary.
Barbara, do you fancy joining the PAS Women's First XV? It's a very inclusive team.
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@Deborah
I've seen it mentioned and have been intrigued as to what it would involve. I'm sure I'd enjoy being included -
Apropos of our usual discussions, Palin investigation can proceed, Alaska high court rules
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Very inclusive :)
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