National – pissing debt against a wall.

Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, March 11th, 2014 - 77 comments
Categories: debt / deficit, national, same old national, treasury - Tags:

Of course it could be that John Key announced the election yesterday to divert attention from the press release from Treasury today.

The deficit was $637 million dollars bigger than expected. In fact it was more than double the expected size. Why? Well  mostly because of much smaller tax revenues than previously estimated. So much for the mythic recovery that National’s spinners have been pushing over xmas.

Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the Seven Months Ended 31 January 2014

The operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) was in deficit by $1.1 billion, which was $637 million more than expected, mainly due to lower core Crown tax revenue across most tax types. This result was partially offset by lower core Crown expenses and higher returns from Crown Entities.

And of course it just gets better. Bill English, the master controller of debt, has failed once more. Who’d like to bet against actually achieving the surplus in 2014/5 that he has been promising since 2009. My bet is that it will recede at the horizon  into – umm when is the next election year? 2017/8. After all he has to put in election bribes this year.

Net debt was $631 million higher than forecast at $59.9 billion or 27.7% of GDP. This was primarily due to a higher than forecast residual cash deficit driven by lower than expected core Crown tax receipts and higher than expected operating payments. Delays in insurance proceeds being returned to the core Crown also contributed to the higher than forecast residual cash deficit.

Quite simply this government’s economic abilities appear to rival those of Muldoon. They keep raising debt and praying that the world will help them out. While they’re being helped by the sustained drag of Chin’s demand for milk powder, but even so they still can’t stop putting us further into debt. We just finished paying off the mountain of debt that National gave me back in the 1970’s and early 80s. Now the shifty party of crony business morons are trying to do it to another generation.

Being a typical National government, they’re dead lazy. Rather than going out and helping the companies who’d sustain us when the commodity boom to China dries up (as it will sooner rather than later), they prefer pissing debt against a wall waiting for “the market” to help them out. Where a Labour government would be trying to provide and environment for out young businesses to flourish and produce jobs, National does nothing.

About the only bright news is that the governments financial portfolio, things like the ACC and the Cullen fund are doing better than expected. Probably because they aren’t highly exposed to this governments dead hand on the economy.

Full release with chart and Financial Statements: mediareleasefsgnz7mthsjan14.pdf]

77 comments on “National – pissing debt against a wall. ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. karol 1
    11 March 2014 at 3:52 pm

    I would like some financial/economic types to do some fact checking on the figures John Key was spinning in Question Time today. Key does this slippery con man act by reeling numbers off very fast, making it difficult to focus on any one of them – something to watch in election debates!

    This extract is just some of the figures Key was spinning in response to Cunliffe’s questions – more at the above link:

    Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) : I think the word was “indicator”, but, yes, and we have official statistics that regularly measure those things. Last year average weekly wages went up by 2.8 percent, compared with inflation of 1.6 percent. The year before that, average weekly wages went up by 2.9 percent, compared with inflation of 0.9 percent. The New Zealand income survey shows that the median personal income from all sources went up by 2.7 percent in the last year and median household income went up by 4.1 percent. So although people’s circumstances are all different, it is very clear that, on average, cost of living increases have been quite modest and New Zealanders and their families have been getting ahead.

    • Bill 1.1
      11 March 2014 at 4:04 pm

      Well, when somebody says ‘average weekly wages rose…’ rather than something like ‘on average, wages rose by’…then I start to wonder what it is they are referring to. Are we to take them literally and assume they referring to a rise in the average wage (worked from that $47k figure, or whatever it is) or just assume they ain’t constructing their sentences very well and are actually trying to refer to the average rise in wages?

      I believe the playing with language that goes on needs the same scrutiny as the numbers. But maybe that’s just me.

      • karol 1.1.1
        11 March 2014 at 4:15 pm

        Well, maybe it’s also that the government is throwing out a lot of numbers – as part of the diversion that Lynn posted about.

        At Question Time today, Labour MPs made a number of points of order asking for Key and Ministers to be stopped and reprimanded for their overly long answers. Various ministers were at it, too – throwing out a load of numbers.

        Key repeated stats re-wage rises to Russel Norman.

        Nick Smith

        Steven Joyce

        • McFlock 1.1.1.1
          11 March 2014 at 4:48 pm

          announce election date, stall like a farmers’ market at question time – Collins and their (as I think they are) laundromat dinners own goal has them playing defensively today.

        • Tracey 1.1.1.2
          12 March 2014 at 1:44 pm

          Average but no median…

    • Jenny 1.2
      11 March 2014 at 8:46 pm

      Well, for starters, he is using average weekly wages – which of course are pulled upwards by CEO-types on $1,000,000.00 plus salaries. He would give a better idea of what the central tendency actually is if he quoted the median. He uses the median for “income from all sources” in the NZIS – so that includes rent and returns on investments. He is betting on us being to dumb to no that they are different measures

      • Puddleglum 1.2.1
        11 March 2014 at 9:19 pm

        Exactly.

        I think the general population would be thoroughly perplexed to know just how many ‘statistics’ there are on these sorts of matters and what each of them actually indicates.

    • Tracey 1.3
      12 March 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Reliance on average not median… means smoke and mirrors galore.

  2. Sosoo 2
    11 March 2014 at 4:17 pm

    Don’t worry. The media will calmly explain that this is just another of Cunliffe’s evil tricks.

  3. just saying 3
    11 March 2014 at 4:48 pm

    It is time to scrutinise the way inflation is defined.
    Inflation on essential items has been much higher than inflation in prices of luxury or non-essential goods and services. Some of these have deflated in price. I’d like to see comparisons of inflation according to what particular income groups actually buy. The result would show dramatic inequality imo.

  4. Ant 4
    11 March 2014 at 4:50 pm

    National are a classic example of the Kiwi management class, no long term vision, lots of feeble tinkering around the edges, lots of talk, no new ideas. The unfortunate thing is that the only ideas they do recycle are old and discredited.

    To make up for their lack of vision their time is spent fighting fires one by one, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and creating the right spin for the inevitable terrible results that are bound to follow.

    • Sosoo 4.1
      11 March 2014 at 5:08 pm

      What do you expect?

      If you create a social model that rewards hyper-competitive aspirational monomaniacs (otherwise known as “meritocracy”), how can you be surprised when the people who end up running the show are a pack of pillocks?

  5. Ad 5
    11 March 2014 at 4:56 pm

    This year I’d like Labour to launch a proper alternative budget – one that shows the shift in direction that the progressive side would take the country. I don’t want this election to be solely about the best slogan, happiest smile, and wittiest withering put-down.

    I’d like Labour to respond not inside Parliament as they usually do, but with a press conference outside Parliament – as the Budget speech is being read – that explains Labour’s approach to the Christchurch debt, Labour’s approach to the NZSuper fund allocations, Labour’s approach to balancing the projected amounts from a Capital Gains Tax and corresponding changes in income tax.

    I want David Cunliffe to tell us why he and his team are superior at handling the economy and the public finances – just as Helen Clark and Dr Michael Cullen did for 9 budgets in a row (except maybe the last one when things were generally going tits up).

    I don’t think this is the year for Business As Usual – I think it’s time for more stunts direct to tv.

  6. Seti 6
    11 March 2014 at 5:03 pm

    “Well mostly because of much smaller tax revenues than previously estimated.”

    Perhaps it was less than forecast, although tax revenue was actually $2.37b or 4.9% higher than the same 7 month period last year. Pretty healthy growth.

    • lprent 6.1
      11 March 2014 at 7:41 pm

      Yes, but these fools that you follow have been forecasting strong business growth next year for how many years? The problem is that I suspect most of the tax growth has just come from companies running out of accumulated losses As their mild return to profitability was from cutting costs and retrenchment.. It hasn’t come from either business or jobs growth.

      Guess what was required for any of the lazy National fools plans…

      • JM 6.1.1
        16 March 2014 at 11:19 am

        ‘You suspect’ but have absolutely no idea. I run a business in manufacturing and I can tell you that the last two years have been the best in the last 10. This is also true for many associate’s and the simple way to verify this is ask the transport companies they are the barometer to growth , but hey, don’t let any good news get in the way of your myopic red eye view.

        • lprent 6.1.1.1
          16 March 2014 at 3:19 pm

          I do have an idea. My family has been pretty much in manufacturing for the last 5 decades. Both my father and my sister made their profession as a manufacturing operations managers. While I used to run factories. While these days I write code for export and the company contracts out the manufacture of the hardware, I still keep an ear to the ground in quite a few production paces.

          Basically you appear to lack perspective, and by the sounds of it you’re a bit of an idiot. After all transport companies move around a lot more imports and raw materials for export than they do for any local manufacture. The daily pickup routes for milk alone probably exceed all of the manufactured goods movements.

          The Stats department is reporting manufacturing plateauing in revenue and jobs after a pretty disastrous drop after 2007. The number of manufacturers going out of business has finally diminished. But while there has finally been an upturn in sales revenue this year outside of the farming sector, it has pretty much only just in 2013 after 4 years of declines or static sales. Jobs are damn flat in manufacturing outside on the farm processing sector.

          But here. Improve yourself and read the stats…

          http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/manufacturing_and_production/EconomicSurveyofManufacturing_HOTPDec13qtr.aspx

          You’ll note that important statement looking at the rise compared to the year previously

          Sales (seasonally adjusted) for the December 2013 quarter compared with the September 2013 quarter.
          Volumes
          Total manufacturing rose 5.7 percent.
          Excluding meat and dairy product manufacturing, sales rose 0.9 percent.
          Meat and dairy product manufacturing rose 15 percent.

          Values
          Total manufacturing rose 6.3 percent.
          Excluding meat and dairy product manufacturing, sales rose 1.1 percent.
          Meat and dairy product manufacturing rose 18 percent.

          In other words outside the farm processing sector the rise in sales and volumes is minimal over the last year.

          Fuckall use to the rest of NZ eh? Minimal new jobs in doing minimal processing of farm products and raw logs. Manufacturing firms still not able to kill off those accumulated losses and therefore not paying taxes. Treasury fucking up their revenue models in the areas that pay taxes (farmers usually don’t) because they persist in seeing growth where none exists.

    • Puddleglum 6.2
      11 March 2014 at 9:08 pm

      Which makes you wonder why the forecasts were so rosy.

    • Tracey 6.3
      12 March 2014 at 1:46 pm

      Hasnt the tax take been lower than expexted for 3 to 4 months now?

  7. Enough is Enough 7
    11 March 2014 at 5:21 pm

    It just makes me cringe thinking what could have been.

    We had a decade of surplus under Labour and we were the envy of every developed country in the world. Then in 2008 along came the crisis known as John Key and blew it all in a game of poker.

    Just for a second imagine how great and propserous this Nation would be if Labour had stayed in power in 2008 and continued to provide the surpluses it was renown for.

    • Wayne 7.1
      11 March 2014 at 5:31 pm

      You must have forgotten the global financial crisis of late 2008 that pretty much lasted 3 years. Or did John Key singlehandedly organize that for the whole world, just to drive NZ into debt.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1
        11 March 2014 at 5:32 pm

        He was certainly part of the clique that did drive the world into crisis.

        • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1
          11 March 2014 at 6:54 pm

          Indeed. Merill Lynch was one of the Fed’s “primary dealers.” Aptly named, if I do say so myself.

        • (Not the) Voice of Reason 7.1.1.2
          12 March 2014 at 9:13 am

          [deleted]

          [lprent: Standard flame troll pattern with clear indications of identity jacking. Comments deleted and auto-spammed. ]

          • Te Reo Putake 7.1.1.2.1
            12 March 2014 at 9:23 am

            Just to avoid confusion, that Voice of Reason ain’t this Voice of Reason.

            • thatguynz 7.1.1.2.1.1
              12 March 2014 at 11:00 am

              Nor is he/she the voice of reason.. All they have demonstrated is a complete lack of knowledge about how the GFC came to be although they have correctly identified who the punters were that lost money. I’ll give you a hint VoR – it was a massive transfer of wealth from Main St to Wall St.. Go do some research.

          • Tracey 7.1.1.2.2
            12 March 2014 at 1:48 pm

            I started laughing until I realised you believe this…

          • Dave_1924 7.1.1.2.3
            12 March 2014 at 2:36 pm

            The GFC started due to poor banking practice – namely lending money to people who couldn’t repay it aka sub-prime loans, in the worlds most influencial market place. Then pooling those loan assets up into a new security and selling them on to other financial institutions all with a dollop of derivatives based on those securities. When the underlying economy gets the jitters the borrower via the sub-prime gets squeezed and that asset goes toxic i.e. loses value based on the underlying cash flows of repayments stopping. And that all flows up the chain via the pooled, packaged and on sold securities. Amplify that via derivatives and you have a huge mess.

            Who’s to blame for that?
            The Bankers for building and selling it
            The Banks, Insurance Companies, Super Funds etc. who bought the packaged Sub-Primes and thought they could hedge their exposure away via derivatives?
            The Politicians who enabled it via reformed banking legislation and via “encouraging” banks to lend to the sub-prime market to allow the less well off to live the American dream and buy a house of their own?
            The punters who borrowed money whilst having a poor credit history and insecure earning capacity?

            OR All of the above – I vote all of the above. And all of the above were driven by greed

      • Blue 7.1.2
        11 March 2014 at 5:37 pm

        I’m pretty sure he organised a whole heap of tax cuts and corporate welfare for South Canterbury Finance.

      • Anne 7.1.3
        11 March 2014 at 6:33 pm

        Well, that’s pretty much what you lot said about Helen Clark in 2008. She and Cullen were – apparently – “singlehandedly” responsible for the financial crisis which drove NZ into debt.

        Can’t have it both ways mate. If Key and English aren’t responsible then neither were their predecessors.

        Edit : just seen DTB’s comment. Ditto… Key certainly is part of the clique who put us all there in the first place!

      • karol 7.1.4
        11 March 2014 at 7:00 pm

        That’s the spin line National MPs keep using in the House – they say the opposition thinks the GFC never happened.

        That’s totally wrong of course. The left remembers the GFC and what/who caused it. So we are wondering why National, & the global right, keeps using the same approaches that caused the GFC.

      • Jenny 7.1.5
        11 March 2014 at 8:49 pm

        Not single-handedly but he was one of the the hands that caused it , yes.

      • Puddleglum 7.1.6
        11 March 2014 at 9:31 pm

        Wayne,

        National has missed a once in a lifetime (or two) chance, courtesy of the GFC, to reorient the economy. It chose, instead, to sit on its hands and suck on the udder.

        It’s very reminiscent of the behaviour of CEOs who go for short-term share price inflation over long-term robustness because their ‘tenure’ at the top is fleeting and they just want to meet their KPIs (look good to electors) to collect the share bonuses (get re-elected).

        All that borrowing just to do ‘business as usual’ and satisfy what Matthew Hooton rightly calls the never-to-be-underestimated personal ambitiousness of John Key.

        • DS 7.1.6.1
          11 March 2014 at 9:42 pm

          National is a conservative party. Sitting on its hands is what it does.

        • McFlock 7.1.6.2
          12 March 2014 at 12:02 am

          National has missed a once in a lifetime (or two) chance, courtesy of the GFC, to reorient the economy. It chose, instead, to sit on its hands and suck on the udder.

          Actually, it chose to use the GFC as an excuse to sell assets, some of which were built during previous recessions and depressions by smarter governments.

          The level of disgust this government deserves is astounding.

      • dave 7.1.7
        11 March 2014 at 11:16 pm

        gfc is on going and still with us its a slow moving train wreak professor Steve keen said Govt. and public debt cant be separated they must be viewed as one and the same the result is a broken economy and a social disaster .

      • Tracey 7.1.8
        12 March 2014 at 1:47 pm

        Is this a tpp thread?

    • dave 7.2
      11 March 2014 at 11:03 pm

      what i worry about is what they are hiding 1984 comes to mind when Lange opened the books to a horror story history can repeat itself

      • thatguynz 7.2.1
        12 March 2014 at 11:03 am

        Agreed Dave. I’ve heard a number of rumours about an “off balance sheet” derivatives exposure for the govt (or Reserve Bank) that runs to hundreds of millions of dollars + but I haven’t seen any tangible proof.. yet.

  8. mickysavage 8
    11 March 2014 at 5:22 pm

    This should hurt because National is going to run on the basis it is a sound financial manager and it will get the accounts back into credit as promised. If it fails to do so then this will be a significant failure. Hence the flag diversion …

    • Arfamo 8.1
      11 March 2014 at 5:40 pm

      It should hurt, but given Key’s consistently high personal approval ratings and mastery of the art of telling people they are actually going to hell in such a charmingly dismissive and positive way many of them are looking forward to the trip, that remains to be seen.

      Opposition parties need to be all over the figures they’re tossing out, and they need to be able to articulate the plan to halt the debt madness.

    • Ad 8.2
      11 March 2014 at 5:50 pm

      It will only hurt if Labour shows how much better they would be at it. Otherwise National will simply say: “No-one could have predicted the dual effects of recovering from the GFC, and Christchurch.”

      Irrespective of whether that’s true, it’s an excuse that will ring true in the public against any high principle of fiscal rectitude National might otherwise aspire to.

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    11 March 2014 at 5:31 pm

    Where a Labour government would be trying to provide and environment for out young businesses to flourish and produce jobs, National does nothing.

    National aren’t doing nothing – they’re quite specifically selling us into debt-peonage.

  10. Sosoo 10
    11 March 2014 at 5:53 pm

    So Prime News relegated this item to 20 minutes into its half hour broadcast, but supposed Cunliffe gaffes were a lead item.

    They aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.

    • risildowgtn 10.1
      11 March 2014 at 6:26 pm

      Thats why their Facebook page is great to let them know and those others who read it , the truth … and its fun to see trolls hop madder and madder esp when using evidence and all they do is try and divert the threads… no such luck…..

  11. Ergo Robertina 11
    11 March 2014 at 6:47 pm

    The economy’s a weakness for National, but where is Labour spelling out the alternative?
    Mr Cunliffe is often reported saying his Government can walk and chew gum at the same time, which I interpret as: balancing the books, while paying some more workers a living wage, and addressing NZ’s economic structural problems. This prevarication without spelling out priorities adds to the perception he says different things, to different audiences, with different emphases.
    Worryingly, on his Sunday Q and A interview, Mr Cunliffe cited a Harvard degree as particularly qualifying him to transform the economy. Hello – it’s not the 1990s any more; these institutions have no credibility .
    Being upfront about all this would help negate any public perception of him as arrogant.
    Labour is intellectually adrift. My sense that Mr Cunliffe had the ability to rectify the malaise is fading.

    • Bearded Git 11.1
      12 March 2014 at 10:45 am

      Don’t buy into the MSM’s slamming of Cunliffe-he is smart and will roast Key in the election debates.

      Of course Labour has a plan but they won’t release policy early, that is now, because Key will then steal it.

  12. Colonial Viper 12
    11 March 2014 at 6:58 pm

    Why does everyone seem to be buying the BS that sound Government economic management = balancing the books or running a surplus?

    Such a strategy greatly increases austerity and private sector (household debt). It’s the worst thing that can be done to NZ during a time of major and ongoing current account deficits.

    • Arfamo 12.1
      11 March 2014 at 8:42 pm

      Well, the problem is nobody in politics who can attract the attention of the media and the public seems to be articulating this point at every opportunity. I haven’t seen it being made on Q&A, or The Nation, nor even in The House for that matter.

  13. feijoa 13
    11 March 2014 at 7:04 pm

    Sorry, maybe I’m stupid, but if the average wage is going up , etc, etc then, ahem, how come tax revenue is going down???

    • Arfamo 13.1
      11 March 2014 at 8:43 pm

      That’s a very good question. Has any opposition politician been asking the government or the media this?

      • karol 13.1.1
        11 March 2014 at 8:51 pm

        Here it is said that for the March 2012 year, the average wage rose by 3.8%. At the same time,

        The seasonally adjusted number of total weekly paid hours fell 0.5 percent for the same period

        • Arfamo 13.1.1.1
          11 March 2014 at 8:52 pm

          Yeah. Funny that, Karol.

          If income tax receipts are down isn’t that also a likely indicator fewer people are working, after so many layoffs in the public service and other business closures, and that many of those who lost jobs or who are supposedly now off welfare and getting jobs are probably getting only part time work or crap insecure jobs for short periods at minimum wages. The government should be getting hammered for answers to why this shortfall, because income tax receipts shouldn’t be down if we’re having an “economic recovery” and more people are getting jobs, as we’re being told.

          • karol 13.1.1.1.1
            11 March 2014 at 8:56 pm

            Actually, that link I gave above said that there were fewer part time jobs – so probably many who were struggling to survive on part time work were laid off.

            • Arfamo 13.1.1.1.1.1
              11 March 2014 at 9:04 pm

              Yeah but it only mentions that there are fewer part time jobs in some industries, mainly in Education and Training. I get the impression part-time work’s increasing in some of the low paid jobs as some employers try and casualise their whole workforce. Though I notice also our local supermarkets have been cut staffing down radically this year and are moving big time to self-service automated checkouts with only a couple of staff on duty as helpers, so even checkout jobs are disappearing at a very fast rate.

              • happynz …
                11 March 2014 at 9:48 pm

                Yeah but it only mentions that there are fewer part time jobs in some industries, mainly in Education and Training.

                Yup. I went from full-time to part-time to time’s-up. I’m still doing training, just no longer doing it in New Zealand.

                I’d love to return to New Zealand. Yet, without a job to go to I need to figure out something else to bring in a crust to afford the absurdly high cost of living in Aotearoa.

    • Ergo Robertina 13.2
      11 March 2014 at 9:09 pm

      The tax take includes GST; people are spending less, plus many public sector organisations and businesses have slashed spending on the likes of travel for conferences/meetings etc. Has a big flow-on effect.

    • dave 13.3
      11 March 2014 at 10:56 pm

      there is a reason English is called bullshit bill

    • Tracey 13.4
      12 March 2014 at 1:53 pm

      Because the biggest chunk of rises will be in the top 1% who have tax minimisation vehicles.

      Also all those people who came off benefits… where are their taxes?

  14. bad12 14
    11 March 2014 at 7:54 pm

    The Rock Bottom Economy is exposed, could the IRD personal tax take be down because the numbers of those now denied the unemployment benefit have gone through the roof prompting a whole set of false economic assumptions,

    Its easy to see why the receipts from GST and business taxation have fallen, National 3 years ago went from the top of the country to the bottom in an orgy of sacking a large part of the IRD workforce,

    As time moves on, more and more in the business world are realizing that the IRD no longer has the staff capacity to follow up on due taxes so they are simply giving themselves a tax holiday,

    The growth is in the figures, if the taxation then does not match the growth figures either these figures are wrong, OR, the majority of the 800 odd millions of taxation not being collected is being avoided or evaded…

  16. feijoa 16
    11 March 2014 at 9:59 pm

    So……we dont have a rock star economy then?????

  17. dave 17
    11 March 2014 at 10:50 pm

    I don’t know whose wages slippery is taking about mine in real terms has went backwards key and co must be on LSD

  18. RedLogix 18
    11 March 2014 at 10:52 pm

    Yes any govt would have had to borrow to cover the GFC and the rainy days that followed. But deliberately slashing revenue as well was obdurate ideological madness. There’s a line in Lynn’s OP that hits home for me:

    We just finished paying off the mountain of debt that National gave me back in the 1970′s and early 80s. Now the shifty party of crony business morons are trying to do it to another generation.

    I very clearly recall as a teenager my father – who knew Muldoon personally – tell me “You’ll spend all your adult life paying off the debt’s this self-styled, self-deluding ‘economic wizard’ has racked up”.

    Well not quite all my life. At one point I had the privilege of shaking Dr Cullen’s hand and thanking him for what he had achieved. (He was terribly embarrassed at my gushing…).

    Now it’s happening all over again.

  19. Stuart Munro 19
    12 March 2014 at 1:35 am

    Worst of all, the world economies refused to learn the lessons of 2008. Financial markets remain soft with even China no longer growing strongly. NZ’s local recession is about to be worsened by a global recession. And to think, until that silly woman Maggie Thatcher got involved, the western economies had largely put the spectre of cyclic depressions behind them.

    • RedLogix 19.1
      12 March 2014 at 8:23 am

      Worst of all, the world economies refused to learn the lessons of 2008.

      There were a number of things which could have been done post-2008. But all of them would have weakened or challenged the position of the bankers and money men.

      And for this reason they were not allowed to happen. They money system has humanity utterly in it’s thrall.

      The only thing that will break this spell is a complete change of heart.

      • Colonial Viper 19.1.1
        12 March 2014 at 8:49 am

        The only thing that will break this spell is a complete change of heart.

        The top 0.1% are not going to have a change of heart, that I can guarantee. Oligarchs serve the interests of oligarchic class, full stop. That has been the pattern throughout history.

        And the bottom 90%…well, most seem to be asleep, for the moment.

        Also…perhaps it was accidental, but your use of the term “spell” is precisely correct. Or perhaps is it a “curse.”

        • RedLogix 19.1.1.1
          12 March 2014 at 8:57 am

          heh – we may have both been reading too much JMG. 🙂

          But yes. I wasn’t imagining the a change at the top 0.001%. In all of human history has that ever happened? (I’d be interested if anyone would care to expand on this.)

          Nor is the rest of humanity exactly asleep. But given this nightmare cannot last forever, you really have to imagine the meek will indeed finish up inheriting what is left of the earth.

  20. aerobubble 20
    12 March 2014 at 10:01 am

    The country was booming under Clark, the reserve bank was so moved that it raised interest rates to curtail the housing bubble. Key went to the election with tax cuts, nobody dared inform the public that tax cuts stimulate the economy. Then shock of shockers the bottom falls out of the global banking industry, and a tax cut saves upper middle classes from a bath. Of course Key is king in many eyes, a politician that got lucky, its impressive how little Key knows.

    So of course after locking in the tax reductions to the upper middle class and businesses (mostly fast food), the great recession looks like coming up for a short breather, yet now debt is out of control, Key has failed to act and raise taxes. Never let it be said that a stupid banker would waste a recession, but Key has, the consumers have gone back to slap happy credit debt, housing is agian making them feel freer with their spending. Oops.

    Yet now the countries books is in far worse condition, and China is already over due a sneeze. The global debt crisis has not be dealt with, except to get accountants to shift the numbers around the books.

    Reasons why Key is a moron, question time yesterday…

    Key says because energy prices were rising fast under Clark, a booming, high interest rates, economy, that the slight slowing during a recession, when power use is shrinking!! that it must be Labours fault.

    Key says that because interest rates under Labour got so high, and he know reserve bank is independent, then Labour is responsible for the last five years of Key government doing nothing about housing.

    And why did Key continue the insulation program, well its raise the value of homes, lowers the value of power shares sell off, was a Green initiative, and slowing the demand for new building.

    Key’s only got such high polls because he got lucky his tax cuts would of bust the housing bubble.

  21. captain hook 21
    12 March 2014 at 1:57 pm

    the problem is as outlined by winny this morning on Radio NZ. The NZLP allowed itself to be browbeaten by the nats in the house and there was no one in the Labour Party caucus versed in macro economics and with enough knowledge to take the tories head on. Our MP’s are good with local issues but its time to get someone with the smarts to rip into the looters and pork barrelers.

    • Tracey 21.1
      12 March 2014 at 2:08 pm

      Anytime any nat mentions average wages opposition mps should start saying

      Cos of the anz banks ceo’s quarter of a million buck bonus… but half of kiwis earn less than 22 bucks an hour.

      I dont know what the anz ceo bonus was, if any

  22. aerobubble 22
    12 March 2014 at 5:10 pm

    Key raised GST, and done nothing about high dollar, now tax revenues are down as consumers avoid GST on online purchases; and guess what, those who spend most of their low income on foods and basics now have to pay more!!!! And worse, because the high dollar does not impact on nz made, the poorest don’t get any benefit from the high dollar, yet National aren;t above making the comparison that we have the highest comparable minimum wage. Of course its looks high, our dollar is higher. So its like kicking someon in the guts while telling them it should feel great.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-25T11:54:28+00:00