Hard News: The Best Country in the World: Selling fast!
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It may read like a NZ First press release, which is ironic given that I haven't lived in NZ for the last 10 years. As for a criticism of foreigners, I would say it's more of a statement about Antipodean attitudes towards easy credit and reckless spending.
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The issue is then that people simply can't afford to pay the rental price.
Only to get worse, with a Westpac economist noting that in Westpac's view landlords should be upping rents 36% over the next 5 years to compensate landlords for expected lower capital gains. But, said economist added, that's OK, because wages are expected to go up an average of 5% pa.
The phrase 'rack-renting' could come into some currency locally.
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A little off topic but thought the Mallard Guilty plea a totally just outcome.
He pleads guilty & pays $500 to the Sallies but doesn't get a criminal record but looks the prat he was.
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It would be nice if I could blame the media for the 2002 election result, when National received its lowest share of the popular vote ever - but the only problem is that it just wasn't true.
Well, there was that lack of money thing, but oops, I forgot, money doesn't buy elections.
Actually Craig, I did think English got a very bad run in the media at the time, much of it unjustified. I still rate him as the best leader National never had.
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Well, there was that lack of money thing, but oops, I forgot, money doesn't buy elections.
Actually, Don, I think that's another fatuous cop out - but if there are some people in the National Party who want keep wallowing in that particular river denial, so be it. Lots of big ticket donors sure didn't prevent the British Conservatives getting thumped at the polls in 2001 and 2005, or Congressional Republicans getting their clocks cleaned last November.
Actually Craig, I did think English got a very bad run in the media at the time, much of it unjustified.
I'd kind of agree with you there, but it's a little rich to blame the media for not ignoring the endless infighting, a piss poor campaign and a frankly incoherent policy platform. I like Bill - think he will be a excellent deputy PM and Finance Minister but I stand by my original point. I remain unconvinced that 'the media' single-handedly re-elected Helen Clark in 2002. That's moving beyond denial mode into the realms of willful psychosis.
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Psst, Craig, there's this thing called the Fallacy of the Excluded Middle.
Money matters (thus all the spending), press matters (remember the worm?), policy matters (because some of us care), personal magnetism matters (because he looks honest), community support matters (because Bob explained it to me) and everything else gets lumped together as the X factor.
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See now, this is why more women need to post.
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Time for me to chip in again.
First (no Russ I'm not saying I got to post first ;-) )
Mallard was under stress and got his buttons pushed, yes no excuse but we all F**K up occasionally and the fact is they were both grown men able to look after themselves. Bill English, on the other hand, took part in "the Fight for Life" and everybody thought it either cool or pathetic. Nobody, to my knowledge, came out and said he was promoting violence but for him and his cohorts to vilify Mallard was just another Govt. beat up.Second,
If anyone thinks a National Govt. will ease the burden of those paying high rents and turn NZ into Nirvana, think again. Whilst it may be true that you cannot buy an election it is only the wealthy that would benefit from a Nat. win in the next election but many others will vote for them because they believe that a Govt. for the wealthy will make them wealthy "I'll be able to keep $30 more each week thanx to tax cuts" ignoring the fact that inflation will spiral out of control as service costs rise (power, gas, rent etc,) as the assets get stripped.Third (ish)
Many have said that asset selling was started by a Labour Govt. but the Lange Govt. was "sold a lemon" by Muldoons National Govt. and the corruption that ensued is a national scandal that cost us the leadership of David Lange who could of, under better circumstances, become one of our greatest Prime Ministers. Instead we got ACT. The bastard child of capitalism.I'm sure I had more points but...errr
Anyroad. Craig, I would be interested to know why you think National is so great. Or are you just another of those people that think this Government is "Past it's use-by date" and we need a change?
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Bill English, on the other hand, took part in "the Fight for Life" and everybody thought it either cool or pathetic. Nobody, to my knowledge, came out and said he was promoting violence but for him and his cohorts to vilify Mallard was just another Govt. beat up.
I said it! Perhaps I didn't say it to you, but I think 'Fight for life' is (was now?) a terrible fundraiser - not just for English to be involved in, but every All Black and rugby league player etc. The whole raising money for youth suicide by getting a bunch of people together to watch two men beat each other up... yup.
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Craig said:
Oh, FFS, could it just be even marginally within the realms of possibility that:
1) New Zealand Herald readers aren't all a pack of fuckwit drones utterly incapable of independent thought?
Who has said, or implied, that all (or even most) NZH readers are mindless drones?
The point is that the paper has run a sustained and openly partisan anti-government campaign. This is noteworthy in and of itself, independent of any effect it may have on voter preferences and opinions.
But for the sake of argument I note the gap between Labour and National at the last election was about 2% of all list votes cast (42% vs 40% from memory). So if around 1 in 20 Labour voters can be convinced to switch their vote to National (while all other factors remain the same), then you have the situation reversed.
It doesn't seem entirely beyond the bounds of possibility that the media might be able to exert that much effect.
2) The Government might be slightly responsible for their own misfortunes?
Hey, as I said, if Labour wants to believe its all the fault of the media out to get them, fine. It works for me, because you can't effectively come up with a solution when you're in total denial about the nature of the problem. It would be nice if I could blame the media for the 2002 election result, when National received its lowest share of the popular vote ever - but the only problem is that it just wasn't true.
What is Michelle Boag up to nowadays?
But again, has Labour said (or implied) that the media is out to get them? I must have missed this. But I stand by my observation that Labour isn't getting an easy time of it in the media at the moment, with the Herald leading the anti-government charge. In the past I have seen this combination lead to a landslide victory for a right-wing opposition party.
Does Labour have some responsibility for the current state of affairs? Definitely. But governing in hindsight is easy. e.g., I might wish they had side-stepped the anti-smacking bill like the electoral turd it turned out to be, kept the tax bracket adjustment promise, and - for the sake of argument - cut the lowest tax personal income tax rate.
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I said it! Perhaps I didn't say it to you
IIRC A lot of people said such things at the time but I was supprised no-one mentioned it in relation to the Mallard/Henare fiasco.
They say a week is a long time in politics but a year is, well err, longer. No doubt Labour has a few policy things up it's sleeve (but not million$) what National has to offer, going by their recent childish antics I would say they have very little in the way of policy. This next year it is going to be interesting to watch National foam at the mouth with "all wind and fury but little substance" and the Herald sink into the mire of gutter politics.
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