NZ First conference – Sunday.

Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, July 20th, 2014 - 40 comments
Categories: nz first - Tags:

I keep walking into the “In Committee” sections of the conference. As a amateur “journalist”, I’m really going to have to start working on that.

Listening to a quite good speech by a 17 year old from Dunedin (must find out his name – Kobe?). It sounds like he has been reading our site. But it is heavily scripted and rehearsed. None the less pretty impressive. Winston in a standup said that NZ First hadn’t been involved in writing it. He isn’t a member – too young?

In the stand up. Winston said that his announcements this afternoon will have monetary policy, tax policy, asset and land sales, and sound economy on issues like dirty dairy. By the sound of it there will be the law and order issues.

Winston really not interested in talking about polls – he just thinks (like me) that they are simply inaccurate. Nor is he interested in talking particularly about other parties.  However he does think that they will get more MPs and that is why NZF has been taking quite a lot of care about candidates.

Speech by Winston Peters at 2pm. Starts as traditional with what NZ First has done in the past.

  • NZ First is committed to a target of 2% of GDP for R&D. Not interested in picking winners, so not willing to have grants. R&D taxes instead. But don’t cheat otherwise you will spend time in prison. Will also figure how to keep technology in NZ.
  • Tax system change to target poverty. Remove GST from the basic foods in the household budget. Cost ~$3 billion per year. Paid by cutting down on tax evasion.
  • Remove GST on rates to get rid of a tax on a tax.
  • Talking on immigration, youth, and Maori issues. Can’t quite see where he is heading with this apart from reducing separatism which has been NZF policy forever. Having ago about one particular immigrant who John Key didn’t know?
  • Will cut immigration, but no particular detail thus far.
  • Superannuation to stay as it is. Changes to superannuation, reduce availability to immigrants. Change section 70 for people with overseas pensions to get superannuation.
  • Legislation to have a full picture of who owns land and homes for non citizen buyers.Non citizens to have capital gains tax.
  • Alcohol or drug addled. Offence to be drunk or drugged on someone else property. Fines up to $2000.
  • Regardless of your position on climate change, overseas buyers will be looking. Need a policy unlike National.  A progressive phase out of fossil fuels is possible. Policy later.
  • Local government, locals have a say on amalgamation.

Looks like he is winding up. Talking about the 21 years of NZ First despite being predicted to be “dog tucker”.

The campaign pitch. Slogan “It’s common sense”

 

 

 

40 comments on “NZ First conference – Sunday. ”

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  1. Clemgeopin 1
    20 July 2014 at 11:37 am

    Winston is a master politician. I will not be surprised if NZF gets 6% plus at this election. I think its support is much more than what the strange media ‘polls’ are indicating. The recent Ipsos poll put it at 2.6% while for the same period, the RM poll put it at 6%!! Shoes the unreliability of these polls so far away from the election date.

    My vote though will still be for the Labour party.

  2. bad12 2
    20 July 2014 at 12:33 pm

    ”I keep walking into the ‘in committee sections of the conference”, Freud is looking to have a word with you about such ‘accidental intrusions’ LPrent,

    i should imagine that Winston would have had some ‘interesting’ discussions with the behind the scenes power structure of NZFirst after the Brendon Who fiasco,

    i was of the opinion that He of the switch on/switch off smile had been chosen by the Party to be blooded in the Parliament as the future Leader once Winston had relinquished the reins,(and Winston didn’t like the intrusion one little bit),

    On my wireless this morning East Coast Bays got a mention via the will He/wont He question surrounding the gifting of the seat to Colon ‘we are not fucking insane’ Craig,

    Winston of course also got a mention in the small news item, so, whether Peters really intends to follow through and contest the seat or not if it is gifted to Craig, the cunning old so and so has just bought himself one hell of a pile of free air-time via the announcement that He ‘might’, and i imagine that such free media will continue apace while the question of the fate of the East Coast Bays electorate remains open….

  3. phillip ure 3
    20 July 2014 at 1:11 pm

    rnz is reporting that peters will have policies to attack poverty/inequality..

    ..it will be embarrassing for labour if all these other parties have real-policies to deal with poverty..

    ..and labour doesn’t…

    • Michael 3.1
      20 July 2014 at 4:52 pm

      Labour isn’t interested in poor people any more. Its focus groups tell it the middle classes fear and despise the poor so it abandoned them some time ago and doesn’t want them back. Why else would a Labour government design its flagship income redistribution policy (aka “Working For Families” [sic]) so that children of parents too sick or disabled to work went hungry and cold?

  4. Chooky 4
    20 July 2014 at 2:16 pm

    I hope Winston and NZF gets back in! ( also hope he changes some of his MPs … “cavalcade of stiffs”(Martyn Bradbury’s term)….some of whom are a motley tawdry lot of alley cats, picked up when NZF seemed done for …NZF could do better here!)…but it is the Party vote that counts

    …Winston is NZF !….He has a particular constituency and it certainly is NOT Colin Craig’s religious party , as Bradbury suggests.( dont make me laugh!)

    Nor is Winston a racist as Bradbury suggests…As Minister of Foreign Affairs he was supremely successful in Helen Clark’s Labour Government dealing with Asian politicians/ governments. They understood him and where he is coming from…New Zealand First and New Zealanders First…he represents the interests of New Zealanders and their country, just as they represent their own Asian countries …unlike John Key’s Nactional…who do not represent New Zealand’s interests!

    Nor is Winston about to be one upped by the Dotcom Int Party, as Bradbury hints….Winston’s constituency is entirely different..they are older for a start…and more conservative …but they are also socialist and egalitarian….They are thinking and patriotic New Zealanders, who harken back to a more inclusive and caring and just New Zealand, before Rogernomics and the Neolib onslaught of John Key’s Nactional…many are former National Party members…some are swinging Green voters …some are cynical disenchanted former Labour voters

    Mark my words, Winston the Silver Fox will slinking around New Zealand wooing the constituencies with his brilliance , oratory and flashing smile…he is on the hustings soap box tours…a pleasure to behold in action…and as usual flying beneath the radar of the mainstream media

    • blue leopard 4.1
      20 July 2014 at 2:23 pm

      My two cents worth: I would be very surprised if Peters didn’t make it back in.

    • Visubversaviper 4.2
      20 July 2014 at 8:35 pm

      Winston Peters did bugger all as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Helen gave him a fistfull of airtickets to go and “press the flesh” but had Phill Goff and Chris Carter doing all the real work.

      • Colonial Viper 4.2.1
        20 July 2014 at 8:43 pm

        Winston Peters did bugger all as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

        Yes, that is true. However he did give us the Government which is something worthy in of itself…

        • Populuxe1 4.2.1.1
          21 July 2014 at 2:38 am

          Actually that’s not true – he did much to rebuild post-ANZUS relations with the US. Yes, I’m not suprised you don’t regard this is terribly significant.

      • Chooky 4.2.2
        21 July 2014 at 8:39 am

        @Visubversaviper and CV

        Really?…Phill Goff and Chris Carter would have been better than Winston?…charisma?….mastery of the facts and scope of the arguments?….they are great support backroom boys ( their records speak for themselves)

        I know a senior public servant who said that Winston was the best Minister he had ever worked with…he listened very carefully to the advice and research and analysis from experts…asked probing questions…did his homework ….was well briefed….had a great memory and made his decisions accordingly. He treated his senior advisers with great respect … ( unlike McCully)

        Winston Peters was a pleasure to work with. He is widely acknowledged as a superb Minister of Foreign Affairs

        • Colonial Viper 4.2.2.1
          21 July 2014 at 8:56 am

          Winston was good with conceptual and big picture stuff. A very weak finisher through the grind though – needed people on side good with deliberate hands on detail.

  5. Clemgeopin 5
    20 July 2014 at 3:42 pm

    Just saw this on TV3 news site:

    NZ First’s key election policies:

    Remove GST from basic household food
    Remove GST from rates on residential property
    Measures to deal with the exchange rate to encourage export growth
    At least 2 percent of GDP for research and development, with targeted tax incentives
    Cut down on immigration – only people New Zealand needs
    Superannuation shouldn’t be “free for all”
    Government-run KiwiSaver provider KiwiFund to buy back assets
    Laws to clamp down on binge drinking and drugs.

    Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/NZ-First-Remove-GST-from-food/tabid/1607/articleID/353385/Default.aspx#ixzz37ybpY6BV

    • bad12 5.1
      20 July 2014 at 4:16 pm

      Lolz, Winston is a cunning old so and so, i described Him thus in my comment above as well, and, will keep on doing so,

      From my wireless, RadioNZ National, those policies come with one rather large codicil, an IF, writ in large bright colors across the whole policy platform,

      That IF?, IF Winston LEADS the next Government!!!, i call snake-oil on the whole policy platform…

      • Clemgeopin 5.1.1
        20 July 2014 at 4:41 pm

        Remove GST from basic household food——-Labour friendly policy
        Remove GST from rates on residential property…….National/Labour
        Measures to deal with the exchange rate to encourage export growth……National/Labour
        At least 2 percent of GDP for research and development, with targeted tax incentives………Labour
        Cut down on immigration – only people New Zealand needs…………Labour
        Superannuation shouldn’t be “free for all”………..Possibly National
        Government-run KiwiSaver provider KiwiFund to buy back assets…..Labour
        Laws to clamp down on binge drinking and drugs……National/Labour

        Labour friendly policy…….4
        National friendly policy……1
        National and Labour friendly policy……3

        Labour gets 7 ticks
        National gets 4 ticks

        Yes?

        • Kiwiri 5.1.1.1
          21 July 2014 at 4:10 pm

          NZF’s super policy about keeping the age at 65 and no mean-testing does resonate.

          But there is a fine print (NZ residency-based):

          Introduce Pro Rata Entitlement (PRE) to New Zealand Superannuation based on residency in New Zealand between the ages of 20 and 65 (45 years) so that a person with:
          – Residency of 10 years would get 10/45th of NZS
          – Residency of 25 years would get 25/45th of NZS
          – Residency of 35 years would get 35/45th of NZS

          I do not think that is very fair. If NZF wishes to go down that path of differentiating NZ-born from NZ residents, the PRE should also take into account years of working life in NZ, i.e. those who have been at a job for most/all of the working life in NZ should not have their super reduced.

          NZF has also indicated they will:

          • “Ensure that all applicants for NZS with overseas pensions will retain their overseas pensions without any deduction from their NZS or from their spouse’s NZS under Section 70 of the Social Security Act 1964.
          • “Bring the labyrinth of bureaucratic complexities and unfairness caused by existing reciprocal agreements with other countries to an end, and will not interfere with or inquire into the overseas pensions held by applicants for NZS.
          • “Allow New Zealander Superannuitants from the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue to keep their pensions should they wish to return home to live on their heritage island.”

          Updated 20 March 2014.
          Further updates in the 2014 election campaign.

          Source: http://nzfirst.org.nz/policy/superannuation

      • Clemgeopin 5.1.2
        20 July 2014 at 7:56 pm

        Watch this interview to see what a clever and wily old master of politics he is !
        http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/nz-first-announce-soon-if-peters-stand-in-electorate-video-6032838

    • karol 5.2
      20 July 2014 at 5:26 pm

      Clem: Superannuation shouldn’t be “free for all”

      Does that mean NZ First will make it means tested rather than universal.

      Lynn: Changes to superannuation, reduce availability to immigrants. Change section 70 for people with overseas pensions to get superannuation.

      Not sure what this means.

      Currently if a person gets a state pension from overseas, it gets deducted from their NZ super entitlement. That includes for many of us Kiwis who have worked overseas.

      If a person worked overseas for over a year in places like Aussie and the UK, we are pressured to apply for super/state pensions in those countries, under threat of losing any NZ super we might have been entitled to. And the Aussie application form is a confusing, detailed test of perseverance.

      • Poission 5.2.1
        20 July 2014 at 5:38 pm

        Policy is here,

        very succinct summary of the policy, (a mechanism which should be used by other parties,rather then delve through great tomes of indecipherable rhetoric ruminations)

        http://nzfirst.org.nz/sites/nzfirst/files/new_zealand_first_superannuation-immigration_policy_-_summary.pdf

        • karol 5.2.1.1
          20 July 2014 at 5:45 pm

          OK Thanks. Actually that does simply it.

          Making me apply for Aussie super seemed like a time consuming exercise in futility – it’s means tested. I have doubts I’ll be given it, and I only worked there a couple of years anyway. And I have a little money in another work-based scheme there that was compulsory to pay into when I worked there.

          The UK Pension I get is the result of money I paid into the scheme while working there. It gets deducted from my NZ entitlement.

          Doing a pro rata adjustment based on years resident in NZ is a much simpler way of working it.

  6. Leachy 6
    20 July 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Winston is showing the way. God bless him.

  7. Skinny 7
    20 July 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Some sound policy coming forward from NZF well done!
    Be interested to see if Labour come out with a positive reinforcement of the GST off food policy and the scrapping of the raising of the retirement age? We all know National won’t have a bar of any of these policies so Labour need to react swiftly in particular to the GST policy. It will show just how Left the LP really are won’t it?

    • Clemgeopin 7.1
      20 July 2014 at 7:06 pm

      Sound policy or not, I am guessing that it will help him get public support to take him over the 5% threshold as follows:

      Remove GST from basic household food [1%]
      Remove GST from rates on residential property [Plus 1%=2%]
      Measures to deal with the exchange rate to encourage export growth [Plus 0%=2%]
      At least 2 percent of GDP for research and development, with targeted tax incentives[Plus 0%=2%]
      Cut down on immigration – only people New Zealand needs[Plus 2%=4%]
      Superannuation shouldn’t be “free for all”[Plus 1%=5%]
      Government-run KiwiSaver provider KiwiFund to buy back assets[Plus 2%=7%]
      Laws to clamp down on binge drinking and drugs.[Plus 1%=8%]

  8. deep throat 8
    20 July 2014 at 4:45 pm

    somebody has to pay for public spending.
    this election is all about the patronage that goes with it.
    Labour showing the nats how to do it properly or the nats doing their best to loot the treasury and make off with as much of the public purse as they can before they get chucked out..
    Impeach john keys.

  9. Colonial Viper 9
    20 July 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Jessica Williams thought that the young 17 yr old speaker was actually Young Labour…joked about him being the newest Labour defector

  10. karol 10
    20 July 2014 at 5:51 pm

    I’m not keen on the “binge drinking” and drug punishment – fines.

    It would be no deterrent to people with addictions, and probably would just make their lives more difficult, and the addictions harder to manage.

    GST off fruit & veges is fine with me.

    Tax to deal with poverty is only part of the answer. Social Security needs a major overhaul. There should be no tax on benefits, and the amounts need to be raised. Also, need more state houses, etc.

  11. Draco T Bastard 11
    20 July 2014 at 6:07 pm

    NZ First is committed to a target of 2% of GDP for R&D. Not interested in picking winners, so not willing to have grants. R&D taxes instead.

    2% isn’t enough for such a small country – needs to be at least double that and probably a lot higher. Personally, I’d go for around 25%. R&D Tax credits almost invariably don’t work and the most successful economies in the world have the government picking, and backing, winners. Quite simply, the private sector doesn’t have the long term interest in doing the research that actually produces winners.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      20 July 2014 at 6:18 pm

      No, that big money has to go into low carbon infrastructure which uses proven robust low energy tech.

      • Draco T Bastard 11.1.1
        20 July 2014 at 8:14 pm

        No, not really. Robust high technology is a far better idea.

        • Colonial Viper 11.1.1.1
          20 July 2014 at 8:32 pm

          High tech is fragile and hard to repair. A 1980’s F&P washing machine or fridge freezer has a life span far longer than a 2014 one.

          • Murray Olsen 11.1.1.1.1
            21 July 2014 at 3:03 am

            Does that have anything to do with the level of technology, or is it a combination of planned obsolescence plus cutting costs on materials? I don’t see any reason why high tech needs to be fragile at all.

          • Draco T Bastard 11.1.1.1.2
            21 July 2014 at 7:00 am

            Nope. A high tech washing machine lasts longer and requires less repair over it’s lifespan than a 1980s machine. And it won’t be any harder to repair than a machine from the 1980s – take out the old part and replace it with a new part.

  12. Disraeli Gladstone 12
    20 July 2014 at 8:54 pm

    “Winston really not interested in talking about polls – he just thinks (like me) that they are simply inaccurate.”

    At this rate, either the polling industry is shot come the 21st September or Karl Rove’s meltdown and “is this maths you do as a Republican” is going to apply for the whole of the political left of New Zealand.

    I just have a bad feeling that it’s the latter.

  13. greywarbler 13
    20 July 2014 at 9:06 pm

    AColonial viper 8.32
    You can say that again. Am I sick of new frig design and my washing machine is limited by its technology not expanded. I can’t tweak water temperature by turning a knob, and the automatic water level is skew wiff.? And other miscellaneous complaints about design that should be basic on machinery that is old tech. really.

    My car windows can’t be moved without the key, which is very inconvenient if it rains and their open as I have to go and get or find the key and the car gets soaked.

    • Colonial Viper 13.1
      20 July 2014 at 9:44 pm

      high tech depends on complex inter-dependencies between multiple systems. A single minor failure in one system can cascade unpredictably into a catastrophic and total failure. It’s the very definition of fragile.

      Similar to your electric window tale, I once had a faulty $5 oxygen sensor electronically disable an otherwise perfectly working car so that it wouldn’t even turn over.

      And as you say, in many of these systems, the ability to manually fine tune system performance has been eradicated. So much so that the line between “working” and “irretrievably broken” is becoming a very fine one.

  14. Clemgeopin 14
    20 July 2014 at 11:11 pm

    His election slogan, “It’s common sense” is pretty cunning too. Dunne must be fuming thinking of the leaping ‘worm’ that saved him a few years ago on a leaders TV debate!

    • Phil 14.1
      21 July 2014 at 3:56 pm

      The campaign pitch. Slogan “It’s common sense”

      Given that ‘common sense’ is shown time and again to be neither common, nor particularly sensible, I cannot think of a better slogan for a political party supported almost exclusively by senile old busy-bodies and the eternally racist.

  15. dave 15
    21 July 2014 at 6:50 am

    polls are rubbish peters will be well over 5 percent media even understate there numbers at there conferences

  16. Jenny 16
    21 July 2014 at 8:24 pm

    “Its Common Sense”

    New Zealand First leader Winston Peters throws Labour a major lifeline.

    Will they pick it up?

    Or is Labour determined to cling to Right wing neo liberal experiment, even if it sinks their chances of unseating Key?

    All it will take, to guarantee New Zealand First as a coalition partner is for Labour to take their own shelved GST off food scheme back off the shelf.

    Probably that, and a promise not to rise the age of Super entitlement and Winston Peters will have absolutely no excuse to go with National.

    Will Labour do it?

    Will it require David Cunliffe to take strong decisive action against those in the Labour’s caucus that he has labeled “Strike breakers”?

    Or will he choose to sit on his hands and take responsibility for this train wreck?

    Common Sense is rarely common.

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