Comments on: No more jobs for Nats’ old mates

By: More jobs for the old “boys” « The Standard

More jobs for the old “boys” « The Standard — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:02:38 +0000

[...] 2025 Taskforce looked like nothing so much as a pension scheme for retired Tory old boys. Marty wrote: No more jobs for Nats’ old [...]

By: Unholy Alliance

Unholy Alliance — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:26:39 +0000

The reason why NZers rush for the gates at Auckland is never accounted for by the elites. Pretty simply its how much of their, the employed citizen income, is kept at the end of a days work. This is called after tax income which is not measures or analyzed. Since driving an economy forward requires the said designated driver (media, economic and political class) to actively look out and measure whether we are increasing after tax income so we can be certain that we will not crash (or continue on a divergent path to wasting opportunities in the future). Kiwis will continue to jump the border for a better life where they can keep more of their after tax income, pay capital gains, no problem! The idea that tax cuts, as opposed to quality government policy that may take increases in tax, will lead to a massive jump in productivity is a crock. Its is a disgrace that so many in the government and opposition, media, continue to accept the lying that is offered up at face value. But it is pleasing to see economists, the few fringe radicals (not the fake status quo taskforce reporters), can call it a crock when they see it. You can keep more of your income when higher taxes are imposed, look at Denmark, Sweden.

Solution to falling economic prosperity, simple sack our elites who
cite tax cuts as the one true solution. The taskforce was not radical it
was a conservative manifesto of everything that has made us poorer,
more indebted and exposed to a massive debt collapse.

By: Systemic failure of the media at The Standard

Systemic failure of the media at The Standard — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:52:17 +0000

[...] in comments points out in his usual sarcastic style about the media response on Don Brash’s 2025 Taskforce [...]

By: felix

felix — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:48:47 +0000

Dead right.

For example, consider this online poll (tvnz):

What do you think of Don Brash’s 2025 Taskforce financial report?

* It’s too radical
* It’s about right
* It doesn’t go far enough

All the questions imply some degree of agreement with the general direction of the proposals.

Strange that “It’s completely arse-backwards” and “It’s insulting to my intelligence” or “It’s been tried and failed” don’t get a look in, eh?

I know it’s just a meaningless online poll but it more or less represents the framing of the discussion across most of the media.

By: Rodel

Rodel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:00:21 +0000

Yes I heard that.
Brian Gould made a significant point but the interviewer didn’t follow it up and the general media haven’t grasped it.

The business round table guy (and the rest of the right) are portraying the Brash report as TOO Radical, thereby allowing them to be seen as nice moderates. We’ll only go half way.Nice simple trick and it will probably work.

Gould spoke intelligently and said what was wrong was not that it was radical-it proposes the opposite of what is really needed.’Wanky’ was the expression he used. What would you expect?

By: felix

felix — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:57:15 +0000

Oh Timmy.

You’ve spent all morning saying that Brash’s taskforce can’t be considered a right-wing neoliberal ideologically motivated group because Caygill is on it.

I’m simply asking you to back up that assertion by showing that Caygill is not a right-wing neoliberal ideologue.

If you’re unwilling to stand by your own claims then I take it you’ve backed down from them and won’t be repeating them.

If you don’t like being questioned on your assertions then don’t make such blatantly false ones, Timmy.

Simple eh?

By: Tim Ellis

Tim Ellis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:43:43 +0000

Thanks for your review Felix, but troll on somebody else today if you don’t mind.

By: felix

felix — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:35:48 +0000

Anything to avoid confronting even the most simple and obvious truth if said confrontation would require you to admit to your own deceptive behaviour, eh Timmy?

Don’t know why they call you “nice but dim” – you’re not very nice at all really.

By: Geek

Geek — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:36:33 +0000

I think you are under the mistaken impression that I feel there is some merit to what this task force has proposed. Try reading my post fully (it’s not that long) and I think you will see that I was merely pointing out these people aren’t just bare face lying to you. They actually believe what they are trying to sell. Mostly because they think if they are benefiting then every one must be. They just don’t see that pulling up the average wage by swelling their own coffers does nothing for those who are left at the bottom.

By: Lanthanide

Lanthanide — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:03:17 +0000

“Did Labour want a neoliberal in charge of the electricity industry?”

I guess that would explain the rapid rise in power prices in the last 9 years that you blamed Labour for – turns out it was really a righties’ fault.

By: Bored

Bored — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:35:14 +0000

Back to the original question “what exactly are we getting out of the Government’s half million dollar 2025 Taskforce?”

Simple answer, Some very expensive toilet paper.

By: felix

felix — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:25:31 +0000

Yes or no will do, thank you Tim.

It’s really simple.

By: Tim Ellis

Tim Ellis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:21:58 +0000

I don’t know Felix, I haven’t asked him. He has obviously known Dr Brash for a long time, given that Dr Brash was governor of the reserve bank when Mr Caygill was finance minister.

Did Labour want a neoliberal in charge of the electricity industry? If he is a neoliberal then I guess the answer is yes.

By: felix

felix — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:18:21 +0000

Economically, is Caygill a right wing neoliberal?

Simple question, Tim. Yes or no?

By: Olwyn

Olwyn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:17:49 +0000

Did anyone hear a guy from the business roundtable and Bryan Gould debating the Brash report this morning on Morning Report? It struck me that one good thing has come from it – it has made the terms of a particular debate explicit – that between the finance sector and the productive sector. Right wing ideologues like Brash assume that they will see their interests as identical, but this is no longer the case, if it ever was. In fact, at this point in time, the productive businesses and the workers may share more common interests than the financial sector does with either of them.