Look.
I appreciate that there is a lot of anger from many on the Left at the incremental ‘progress’ of Jacinda’s Labour Party.
I appreciate there is a deep resentment to the Covid response and an anger towards another round of being told what to do by people who have work from home privilege.
I get all that.
But not one of you can seriously believe that National’s economic ‘plan’ is anything other than total bullshit that won’t in any way shape or form solve the complex problems in front of us!
Let’s look at the above ‘plan’
‘Stop adding costs to business’ – You mean like the extended sick pay that we needed because of Covid? You mean like allowing workers who have been beaten during domestic violence time off work? You mean like Matariki? You mean like the minimum wage increases? If your business is on the verge of collapse because of sick days during a pandemic, allowing your workers to heal their domestic abuse bruises at home, basic pay rises and the only Māori public holiday, could I humbly suggest you shouldn’t be in fucking business! The low wage economy that National and ACT live for is the problem here, not extra days off that attempt to provide better work conditions.
‘Remove bottlenecks to the economy’ – Oh you mean mass immigration, the very mass immigration that crushed Auckland, sparked the housing crisis and forces domestic workers to compete against cheaper migrant labour? That’s not a solution, that’s the problem! It’s like National are the Dr and they’ve suggested amputating the body away from the Tumour so the Tumour can keep growing!
‘Disciplined Government Spending’ – National always tell us that will cut spending, but never actually explain where that spending cut will come from because you the voter will shit yourself when you see how much they want to slash and burn out of welfare, education and health.
‘Tax relief for hard working Kiwis’ – The average worker will get less than $1000 in National tax cuts, Luxon will take home $18 000 in tax cuts! Poor people aren’t stupid, they see through that!
‘Focus the Reserve Bank solely on inflation’ – So remove the welfare of the citizens and just focus on inflation? What a great step backwards!
NONE and I mean NONE of this is a solution! Cutting sick days, dumping public holidays, stopping minimum wage increases, mass immigration, tax cuts for the rich, vast slash and burn campaign on public services (but not telling you what those public services will be) and forcing the Gods of NZ Capitalism to focus solely on inflation are not solutions, they are a joke looking for a punchline.
You can be shitty with Labour, but don’t dare pretend National has any answer!
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Thought that The National Party of Aotearoa New Zealand was the finist economic managers in the world. Where’s their detail?
They have plans which labour never had or has. Vast improvement.
Please be specific.
Can’t because Bob has such a simple understanding of economics or indeed no understanding at all is displayed, as he admitted too..
Have qualifications in economics which Bert certainly hasn’t.
School Certificate mathematics if he’s lucky but some how even doubt that.
National are last now Sam, they are simply the worst by a long stretch, no detail because they don’t have any.
Add in corruption and and how they run as a dictatorship government and that just shows how far National have deteriorated. $100,000 to get two Indians or one Chinese, meh!
I don’t care about that. I want more than words. A 1200 word essay, 600, or a spread sheet. Not words, ink, paper, hard copy. Something. It’s all over Labours Facebook wheres Nationals?
In Bob’s head.
Yes I’m able to comprehend.
we all know a National led government isn’t the answer.
Why are they so high in the polls?
With their poodle/hemorrhoid ACT in tow?
Labour really are that fucking useless deceitful vision-less and destructive National are seen as a credible alternative government.
The populace doesn’t share your view of Jacinda Bomber.
You need to focus on the why.
They are all treasonous neo-liberal scum!
Incremental window dressing Balirism is not brilliant, or healthy or national building.
A brain dead putsch towards co governance is divisive and destructive.
There’s a couple of clues.
If a party with an empty blue suit like Luxon is ahead in the polls, how appallingly bad must the Labour Government be?
Apparently, they can’t even give money away to poorer New Zealanders without cocking it up.
Not to mention the stupid voters!
Look they can even tell when you’re picking your nose so how come they don’t know someone has been living and working overseas for the past 8 years or so? They sik private investigators on you for the smallest infraction at a cost of hundreds of thousands to taxpayers (you) yet say it’s too hard to differentiate between the resident and non-resident taxpayer so computer says pay into bank account….wtf?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cost-of-living-payment-government-in-dark-on-number-of-payments-overseas/5RCWET6ULYWRHQRIC2QCVGE6DE/
Neither government is going to change this and we all know it. Information is now banned unless of course it pertains to the amount of power which you have consumed over a certain period, and so also is transparency. ..but, but, but “the National Assistance Fund got over $34.6 million – more than the Red Cross’ $28.2m.”… here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/471553/ex-plymouth-brethren-christian-church-members-call-for-its-charitable-status-to-be-stripped mm very strange..
Most certainly true your last paragraph Ada in particular.
Parker is cavalier with our money.
Something I’m sure he wasn’t when an employee of the late Howard Patterson one New Zealand’s largest corporate poultry and dairy farmer’s.
Cavalier is giving yourself an $18,000 a year tax cut.
Something I’m sure he did when an employee of New Zealand’s largest corporate Airline.
Analogy awry.
You need to stop being so nice about Labour but I think you have summed up the thought of many .
Agree Trevor why be nice to Labour when they are awful to most.
Agree Trevor why be nice to National when they are awful, nasty, corrupt and deal in the art of dirty politics an political donation scandals, to most.
Good heavens what did that mangled mash of words mean?
Shona good on you,
Nailed it Martyn.
Martyn, respectfully, you are not the audience for that poster.
The audience is small business owners, and those wage and salary earners who don’t get a government top-up through WFF.
That phrase “all New Zealanders” just took another pitiful fall.
Yes Ada the audience is the people who hold this country together not the sideline critics.
And who were kept going by Labour through covid
Agree with ya Bert when National came to power under John, Aunty Helen and Uncle Mc Srooge Cullen (god bless him) left plenty of money in the kitty and who wasted and spent it all and then had a bloody cheek to fuck of cause NZders finally took their rose coloured blinkers of and saw right through him. And by then it was too late as the damage had been done.
Still better than engaging Shortland Street to solve our nursing crisis
A good commentary Martyn. I thought we lost you to the tories a way back there but i know that it was a way to score hits on the Blogg. Labour has done well with social housing considering the NATZACT coalition hasn’t built a social house for at least 30 years. In 2017, the Tories didnt include families in garages, cars, caravans, tents, homeless, families, motels on the waiting list for social housing. Labour immediately invited those unfortunate people to register their needs. NATZACT are a do nothing conservative party who believe in tax relief for the rich, cuts to health, education, welfare and police.
Quite correct.
My wife commented last night, after returning home exhausted from another 12 hour shift at the hospital, that the nurses were furious about Andrew Little denigrating their profession by using Shortland St to promote nursing in NZ. After all it’s not really patient centred but more about frivolous relationships inside and outside the hospital.
They are equally annoyed that Labour could be spinning a $10,000 grant to help returning nurses, with re-entry into the profession, as this has be happening for some time with her former DHB.
Did she vote for this?
Yes Edward your wife is correct yet we have some on this site who purport to work in the health sector that worship and adore Andrew Little.
Antforce62 should be ignored for his lack of anything useful to say.
And there is Bob on this site who should be ignored completely for his intellectual impairment.
And those on this site that don’t work in the health sector who purport to be experts( on every subject) and adore themselves. They go by the name “Bob”
Well well, what a surprise, they are never happy these days no matter what , at the moment we are in a pandemic, nurses are supposed to train for these eventuality’s , this is what its all about. When has nursing EVER been easy. The union and the nurses gave away so much during the Key years. There was no wage increases for 9 years and what they did get was negotiated down with losses of valuable hard fought concessions and conditions of employment such as penal rates unlimited sick leave etc.etc.. They want overseas nurses on fast track then these nurses are offered incentives , all of a sudden they don’t want overseas nurses because of this payment. Nurses have a massive pay equity wage increase sitting with the ERA, their union presented the offer to the members with out the full promised back pay, now that has become Andrew Little’s fault not the union who was party to the deal.
Not against the grant Queeny just against what they view as political dishonesty. The grant is not new, nor is the nursing shortage. The implication, from Andrew Little that this is a new Government initiative, marking them out as responsive and nimble, is completely incorrect and misleading. Let’s be honest with ourselves here – it is not a new Government inspired Health NZ initiative at all but one that has been in place with many former DHBs for some time.
Unfortunately Andrew has lost the confidence of the majority of professional health organisations and with the majority of rank and file workers in the health sector – whether we like it or not that is simply a fact and it makes him ineffective as a responsible Minister.
Andrew Little is the only person with balls that will get you through this time. Its a pity the same resentment wasn’t shown towards Jonathan Coleman who did next to nothing for health and even less for the workforce nurses in particular. The NZNO became very soft in the Key years and only got some teeth when the members woke up. The sad thing is that even after pay equity etc. is settled many nurses will still vote for a National/ ACT government who will once again short change both health and education.
For what it’s worth Queeny getting through, to me, means having a sufficient nursing and health care workforce to ensure patient safety on the wards. In the particular acute ward my partner works on they are funded and staffed for far less patient numbers than they routinely care for. They also face physical constraints including ward space and limited or ageing (prone to breakdown) equipment. This creates stress and promotes absenteeism particularly amongst younger staff members who are often “thrown in at the deep end”.
What many don’t realise is that the whole fabric of our health system could unravel in a very short space of time as the baby boomers retire. This applies to GPs and primary health care also. We are facing a crisis now because of demographics, workload and previous inadequate training and employment polices as well as remuneration. Pay has only really become a focus point now that we face a world wide labour shortage.
From my association with the industry, no one cares about the politics. What they care about are effective solutions and Andrew Little is at best simply not offering them and at worse making things worse with for example the restructuring and centralisation of the Health System (there are important reasons why this will result in less money for frontline healthcare and more administration cost while, through the defunding of duplicate services in the regions, less access to timely healthcare to those not living in the main centres).
I find nurses and healthcare workers generally to be amazingly caring and often heroic people who are less concerned about themselves individually and more concerned about what they view as the impending collapse of our health system. They, and we, need real solutions now not political grandstanding.
another badly thought out PR misfire seriously if my PR team fucked up so often and so completely they’d be signing on the dole….why the govt pay so many ‘comms’ people for sheer ineptitude defeats me (sacking the ‘comms’ dept and funding nurses now that would be a great PR move)…I can only assume there’s lots of ‘sister in laws’ to be taken care of.
Can I say Labourer are just a joke.
Why, were you taught English under Labourer?
Yes he was. Look at the education stats under Labour.
Works everytime!
The failure of the English language in New Zealand under a Labour Government? Agree with you Bert.
Really?
Why?
Was that a Labour Government or Labourer?
Labour that should read.
You need to watch ‘someone else’s country’.
Labour 1984-1990. They are not left. Theyre a right wing party who doesnt want to govern but instead, wants to handover governing to any cabal. Like they did then, they’re doing again now.
What has (really) changed in the last 38 years?
Roger Douglas & David Lange in action carving up NZ.
The only difference between then compared to now is that ‘they’re’ not saying the word ‘reform!’
Someone Else’s Country looks critically at the radical economic changes implemented by the 1984 Labour Government — where privatisation of state assets was part of a wider agenda that sought to remake New Zealand as a model free-market state. The trickle-down ‘Rogernomics’ rhetoric warned of no gain without pain, and here the theory is counterpointed by the social effects (redundant workers, Post Office closures).
It didn’t work then, and it isn’t going to work now.
PS. Even then they didn’t limit how many times they used the word, “Crisis!”
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/someone-elses-country-1996
Hahahaha Labour’s big economic plan – the cost of living payment – well that’s a bit of a fuck up isn’t it! Ok, not for the folks in London on 200,000 pounds who got their $113, but for the 800,000 people here at home who didn’t get it. Yay, go Labour with your huge economic plan. Shortland Street will save you come election time…not.
These are deliberately vague statements at this point in the election cycle. This is to prevent Labour either stealing specific policies or undermining them.
Well Labour won’t steal Nationals state house build or Nationals housing or health crisis and low wage economy.
We are aware of Nationals impending policies.
Actually Bert National doesn’t know themselves what their policies are, they change from minute to minute depending on whose being interviewed
Truly depressing.
National is so small in their thinking and Labour so outrageous in their policies, spending and delivery.
Effed every which way.
You’ve completely missed the point Bomber.
There are NO differences between National and Labour.
Your attempt to differentiate them is totally disingenuous. It makes no real difference whom you vote for.
Truer now than ever before…
National are the farmers party, give or take the one or two like myself. Unfortunately for national they never saw the internet coming and now even farmers can see, read and surf for the awful truth. While national were cynically pretending they were for the farmer the MP’s within National were being their most deceitful, greedy and grasping and we all know what happens then. You get exposure! National were at grave risk of being exposed for who they truly were to the very people, the primary industry people, who trusted them the most. So something had to be done about that one immediately and with grave haste lest the puffed up urbanites suddenly found themselves without all that love free money. Is true. Just ask Nancy Pelosi what that feels like.
And do, they did. The natzo’s destroyed Old Labour and they did it by stealth. And no doubt bribery and lobbying.
Labour, by the very definition of the title was for the labourers and the working class Joes of post farm gate industry. National’s very worst nightmare was if farmers and their down stream service industry labourers should coalesce into one powerful political entity. That would have meant that politicians, no matter who, would have been made to do what they we’re told which is to do their best by us rather than the other way around which is what we’ve seen for more than 40 years and has defined modern AO/NZ politics to this day and saw in the New Labour.
roger douglas.
Roger Douglas has redefined the word traitor. He lurked within Labour for two terms as finance minister while snuggling up to an innocent David Lange and so once Lange’s back was turned and after dirty rat douglas had his confederates well secured within caucus, roger the rat stabbed Lange through his big soft trusting old heart.
Did someone ask? “Why did roger douglas do that? What was his motivation? ” The answer is simple enough if you understand the questions. Under national, there was such common and institutionalised thievery of the post-farm-gate money, money that had already built so many millionaires that were the truth to come out there’d be an uproar. Farmers, for years, been kept within a web of enduring difficulties thrown at them simply to keep them off balance and powerless. Farmers were kept off balance and unpopular by an all bought and paid for MSM who’ leap on any farmer daring to go to town in a new car for example.
Did someone else ask? “Well, what now then?” My answer would be simple enough. “We’re fucked. ”
There’s no going back from what the national party’s deep state plant did. roger douglas did to AO/NZ and its economic engine room is beyond resuscitation. roger and his mates did such a good job of destroying our AO/NZ that there’s literally no going back short of a violent revolution and I can’t see that happening anytime soon.
AO/NZ is going to become a lunatic asylum for an ageing population of hyper rich global billionaires as the planet heads deeper into a death spiral.
In 1972 Led Zeppelin played Western Springs, the ticket price was $3.10 & $4.10; the Postmaster General would have had oversight of the then vehicle licensing register held at the post-office, this postmaster general went on to become minister of customs before becoming minister of finance. I remember the day Kirk died and it was the end of honesty, quite literally. Lange would have signed many things in his time but signing over the government printing office on his death bed??? Pffft
We quite clearly can’t have a National led government because of the probability that it would be short sighted. They would cut funds to health, welfare, and education and if they are elected and then they do these things then our economy will surely be stymied as a result of that. What we need is a workable and progressive economic plan.
Thanks Labour for my first Cost of Living payment!!
Well said Dan
And of course a Labour government would end up doing what they are doing now, rectifying Nationals years of destruction.
Silly.
Dan. You might change your mind after you watch this and compare it to now. Labour is still the same party as they were then.
You need to watch ‘someone else’s country’.
Labour 1984-1990. They are not left. Theyre a right wing party who doesnt want to govern but instead, wants to handover governing to any cabal. Like they did then, they’re doing again now.
What has (really) changed in the last 38 years?
Roger Douglas & David Lange in action carving up NZ.
The only difference between then compared to now is that ‘they’re’ not saying the word ‘reform!’
Someone Else’s Country looks critically at the radical economic changes implemented by the 1984 Labour Government — where privatisation of state assets was part of a wider agenda that sought to remake New Zealand as a model free-market state. The trickle-down ‘Rogernomics’ rhetoric warned of no gain without pain, and here the theory is counterpointed by the social effects (redundant workers, Post Office closures).
It didn’t work then, and it isn’t going to work now.
PS. Even then they didn’t limit how many times they used the word, “Crisis!”
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/someone-elses-country-1996
So here’s the thing, Luxon said the cost of living payment was a waste of tax payers money, essentially wasted on would be voters. Yet an $18,000 a year tax cut for Luxon is not a waste of tax payer money?
Remember that when voting next year.
Yes Bert, Luxon also said it was taxpayer money Labour are giving away yeah right! My partner got a big fat 20 cent pay rise on April 1st 2022, he went from earning $21.00 to $21.20 he deserves this money (cost of living payment) he earns fuck all and gets fuck all back in taxes and works hard just as hard as the Nurses.
It’s very rare in a democracy for voters to choose a political party based on policy. The average voter has such a simple understanding of economics that most policy detail is beyond them. Elections are a popularity contest and not much else.
Yeah a popularity contest and who best can manipulate the political process.
To understand the failure of democracy is to spend a minute with the average voter.
That’s so true Peter Bradley such a simple understanding of economics or indeed no understanding at all is displayed daily on this site. It’s very scary.
Yes mosa a good quote from he who also said Socialism is a race to make everybody equally miserable.
Said it before. Jacinda took Labour from 24% to 37% on the number of Facebook followers alone. Not one policy change just a prettier face than Angry Andy…that’s all
So people moaning about policy are wasting their time, when you have people voting for the person who looks better on the cover of the latest Women’s Weekly.
That’s New Zealand politics now. We’re screwed
Yes BG depressing.
” So people moaning about policy are wasting their time, when you have people voting for the person who looks better on the cover of the latest Women’s Weekly ”
Yes very poignant BG.
the nats haven’t had a new idea since the 80s…and it shows, moral and intellectual pigmies clutching their mail order MBAs it’s a bit pathetic really
Ok Yuri
What be a new idea. Give us one.
nationalise power generation, free school meals for all children, german style tenancy law, CGT, finnish education system, nationalise public transport, free kindy….I can go on if you’d like me to…ps all these policies work overseas show me a functioning laisse faire free market economy…
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