Hard News: Some Lines for Labour
326 Responses
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
More generally, it amazes me that no one held Labour to account for leaving benefit levels largely where Ruthless Richardson put them relative to wages.
I know people who choose not to work, sickness beneficiaries who believe you shouldn’t have to “Earn” a living (this is seen as a sickness by the powers that be) life is your only real right and nobody gets out alive and get by quite happily.
If you want to be part of the “consumer society” expect to be, in some way, consumed. The rational is that it wasn’t their choice to live in an economy, they just wanted to live on the same planet they were born on and not have to play silly games. -
I have to add that this is why people want to live in affluent countries, we are still one of those in many respects, you can actually have a life as opposed to just struggling and surviving like many in "undeveloped" nations.
Since the enactment of Enclosure people have lost the right to just plain exist. Civilisation took a bad turn along the way I reckon and financial skulduggery is to blame.
What's next? a return to slavery?. -
Che Tibby, in reply to
It’s a constant refrain from Australian friends who’ve relocated to NZ.
it was my experience when getting back here in 2005.
it's the trouble with being a net exporter of foods i guess.
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Rob S, in reply to
Labour introduced a specific local petrol tax [aimed at benefiting Aucklands rail network] for just this purpose.
Who killed it on entering Parliament?
Hint the party name starts with an N and J K are the leaders initials.
I despair at some of the opportunities that have been squandered in the name of Ideology and political vote purchase.
Muldoons aptly named National Super spring to mind. -
James Butler, in reply to
Labour introduced a specific local petrol tax [aimed at benefiting Aucklands rail network] for just this purpose.
Oh I'm aware of this, but I'm afraid it was too little, too late - hence National was able to kill it before it was implemented. LGv5 seemingly discovered the necessity of public transport investment very late in their final term, missing their chance to undo some of the damage of LGv4. Who knows, a little more strategic infrastructure investment might have been an even better use of some of Dr. Cullen's magical surpluses than paying down debt, as the current gov. might have found that kind of gain harder to reverse.
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This from Cunliffe is more like it.
The budget will be a success if it shows that National has realised it cannot go on as it has: borrowing and splurging on tax cuts for the wealthy, then asking the rest of us to pick up the bill.
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A successful Budget will be one that confronts the fundamental problems of this country's economy head on, rejects the "borrow and hope" mantra of John Key's National Government, and protects important public services while asking all Kiwis to contribute their fair share to the cost.
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It wouldn't pretend that selling public assets to tackle Government debt makes any more sense than selling your house for scrap to pay off your mortgage.
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Rob S, in reply to
Northern Busway ?
Much derided public transport can be a political hard sell, although late [for the bus],sorry, I think that Labour was starting to "get it"
Not so much our road building maniacs on the treasury benches.
NZ is starting to wake up to peak oil and our leaders should have had the knowledge and foresight to realise that more roads is not the mode that will see us through what may be a more constrained future as regards personal transport.
I agree with what you're saying but wish that longer term stratgies were being more vigorously pursued now rather than holiday highways etc.
When is someone going to call up J Key in regard of the much publicised national cycle track which got lost after he pushed the send button
All those weekend holiday homes are starting to become a liability with petrol over $2/l and rising. -
Stephen Judd, in reply to
A friend who returned from Britain last year can’t get over how expensive food is here. I worry about that.
Supermarket duopoly surely has a lot to do with that. When independent retailers (Halal Butchers in Newtown, or any weekend market) are consistently cheaper than the supposed cheapest supermarket in town (PakNSave) for fresh meat, veg and fruit, there's something wrong.
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Che Tibby, in reply to
When independent retailers (Halal Butchers in Newtown, or any weekend market) are consistently cheaper than the supposed cheapest supermarket in town
we've been using the weekend markets for going on three years. we've very very rarely spent more than $40 for all the fruit and vege we need, and usually that's only when we've bought meat/fish/artisanal foods.
only buying seasonal produce makes a big difference too (although aug/sept are looong months)
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There's clearly an opportunity for Labour to bring back more memories of the mistakes of the 90's in this mornings announcement by Nick Smith regarding the future of ACC.
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
This from Cunliffe is more like it.
Once again, policy is on his side. Now all it needs is a slick publicity machine.
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Kracklite, in reply to
Alas, the glib, illogically formatted and meaningless winner of Beige Alert's billboard competition proves that they still refuse to learn a damned thing.
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I lost faith in Cunliffe when he got into populist scare-mongering over South Canterbury Finance. the bailout of which was an intended consequence of legislation he voted for at every opportunity.
If he had questions over what Cullen was doing he should have been asking them at the time.
It was always going to be a very difficult Greater Public Good argument to make and Cullen was well aware of the possibility of such unfortunate but necessary consequences of this least worst option to safe-guard our broader finacial system.
To their credit National continued with Cullen's initiative. It's a pity that Cunliffe opted for cheap shots. With all his talk of new ways, he resorted to the old ways when given the opportunity.
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Reading Cunliffe's opinion piece today suggests to me that Labour have perhaps finally listened to what has been said in this thread.
There's still something of a credibility issue that Labour will need to resolve though. They are proposing to kick start the economy to a bigger extent than National, make a bigger and bolder effort to reduce borrowing - yet so far the only policies would seem to involve more spending.
I think the Greens alternative budget proposes some good ideas at fairly raising revenue. It makes one wonder whether Labour will reassess their support of a capital gains tax, what they might do about the Emissions Trading Scheme and (of most interesting to me personally) that they might finally say something about transport.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Once again, policy is on his side. Now all it needs is a slick publicity machine.
No, Red, while I'll concur with Idiot Savant that it was a pretty good exercise in "high level framing", it doesn't matter how nice the frame is if the picture is rubbish.
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Oh, and when it comes "slick publicity" I really really hope this FUBAR is not a sign of things to come...
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
I really really hope this FUBAR is not a sign of things to come…
Me too because although that 90% may have been a poll of nine rabid Labour haters and one staunch Labour supporter. The fact is that it indicates that people will vote on an emotional level without a clue about policy even facts and Mr Smiley still holds sway.
There is also the possibility that the respondents thought it was about last years budget, who really knows?. -
Kumara Republic, in reply to
No, Red, while I'll concur with Idiot Savant that it was a pretty good exercise in "high level framing", it doesn't matter how nice the frame is if the picture is rubbish.
Mind you, the same was said about the infamous Children Overboard affair in Oz. Blatant lies it was, but John Howard made a Big Lie out of it. And unfortunately it went horribly right.
Oh, and when it comes "slick publicity" I really really hope this FUBAR is not a sign of things to come...
A similar thing happened when a Granny Herald online poll on the Electoral Finance Act a few years back was taken down, after being reputedly skewed by a flood of Labour supporters. Yet it barely got any press.
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Sacha, in reply to
it doesn't matter how nice the frame is if the picture is rubbish
Please do share your critique of the painting, as it looked pretty good from here compared with some of the childish doodling on offer previously.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Absolutely nothing that his audience wouldn't have wanted to hear, and who the fuck thinks "fairness" is a bad thing? :Let's see the promised "affordable, fully-costed policy" before elevating Cunliffe to the thinking man's Beiber, shall we? Because the last time Labour tried, even that well-known Rogernome Brian Easton was calling bullshit on the numbers. Labour can't afford to do that again, and shouldn't be allowed to.
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3410,
Your thoughts?
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
Your thoughts?
Let’s act like we’re a serious alternative government.
Let’s not.
(I’m almost tempted to e-mail the ever-so-slightly litigious Lucasfilm and ask if Labour got clearance to use that picture of Pouty Luke & Slave Leia, but that would be mean. I also believe Ridley Scott expects to be paid when he does political campaigns.)
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3410,
Precisely.
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Please.
This is a spoof, right? Cos if not, I do give up. Lost my vote. -
3410,
This is a spoof, right?
'Fraid not. It's official.
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