Written By:
Ben Clark - Date published:
12:30 pm, November 9th, 2011 - 48 comments
Categories: bill english, david cunliffe, Economy, john key -
Tags: in quotes
National want it both ways. They’ve brought us economic recovery through their brilliance (we’ve just not felt it yet), but also the lack of a recovery is not their fault and is in fact why all the stats are so bad.
Just a wee reminder about what Bill & John have been saying about “the recovery”:
1. “I am sure the country can have enormous confidence in my leadership as we look to deliver productivity growth in a stronger economy,” (John Key 16 Dec 08).
2. “it is important we convert this early start to recovery into a permanent lift in growth rates,” (Bill English 25 Mar 10).
3. “There are encouraging signs that the recovery is headed in the right direction,” (Bill English 22 Jun 10)
4. “Tax cuts are just one of the Government’s policies to get faster growth and boost incomes,” (John Key 28 Jul 10).
5. “I think actually starting to come out of it reasonably aggressively. I’m more optimistic about 2011 than 2010 but nevertheless I think 2010 will be positive,” (John Key 18 Aug 10).
6. “The recovery has been quite considerable,” (Bill English 19 Aug 10).
7. “we are going to see a recovery in which people are careful with their spending and pay down debt, and in which the growth in the economy is driven by strong export prices. That kind of recovery will give us sustainable jobs,” (Bill English 14 Oct 10)
8. “there was aggressive recovery,” (Bill English 20 Oct 10).
9. “It is encouraging that the recovery is being built on savings, investment, and exports rather than consumption, housing speculation, and wasteful Government spending,” (Bill English, 16 Nov, 2010).
10. “the economic recovery is a bit flatter than was expected, but that is a good thing,” (Bill English 24 Nov 10).
11. “The economy did not grow in 2010 as quickly as most people anticipated … Although in the short term it means that there has been a bumpy road to recovery, in the longer term it is laying down a stronger foundation for future growth,”(Bill English 15 Feb 11)
12. “the Budget is likely to see very strong growth in real wages for New Zealanders … very strong job growth; and a much stronger economic outlook for New Zealand,” (John Key 17 May 11).
13. “More good news. This morning the Reserve Bank issued its Monetary Policy Statement. It confirms the early signs of an economic recovery. GDP has probably increased modestly through the first half of 2011, despite the impact of the Christchurch earthquake. The bank expects the pace of growth to pick up,”(Bill English 09 Jun 11)
14. “Today’s figures show that the recovery is under way, and the pace of growth is picking up,” (Bill English 14 Jul 11).
15. “there’s no guarantee”. Bill English admits Government’s estimate of obtaining between $5 billion and $7 billion from asset sales may not be realised (Bill English, Q and A, 8 November, 2011).
h/t David Cunliffe
Although this post should be covered by the opinion section of electoral law and shouldn’t need authorisation, here’s mine anyway, just to be safe:
Authorised by Ben Clark, 54 Aramoana Ave, Devonport
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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B U L L S H I T !
How??
Ben.
‘How??’
Less economic activity = lower emissions = the Earth remaining habitable for humans for a few more months. Let’s postulate that translates to the Earth becoming largely unihabitable by June 2051 instead of unihabitable by December 2050.
On second thought, I’m not sure that would be a good thing.
Actually, according to the International Energy Agency there is a good chance the Earth will become largely unihabitable by around 2035, since they have forecast a 3.5oC rise in average temperature by around 2035 (based on rapdily rising CO2 emissions). I personally cannot quite see how positive feedbacks can act that quickly but I am open to persuasion.
Escept…
“The spike in carbon emissions in 2010, a 6% increase over 2009, was so humongous that the scientists measuring it initially thought that there must have been a mistake somewhere in the measurements.”
http://www.juancole.com/2011/11/godzilla-carbon-emissions-in-2010-unprecedented.html
Bill English in flat out denial…
“I did not have sexual relations with that economy”
…but dude, there’s slurry on the nation’s financial frock !!!
Jeez, what a load of hogwash Key sells the determinately wishful ears of his true believers. Lets get real here:
* does Keys idea of “recovery” actually consider the huge youth unemployment levels, or the unpayable debt foisted upon students to make themselves “employable” (which in terms of actual employment available is dubious)?
* does Key really believe that the financial fiasco unfolding in Greece and Italy will allow “growth” and “recovery”? If so he is a total fool, more likely he is deliberately keeping a low profile.
* does Key really believe he will be able to continue to pull $300 million a week from offshore to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy? Any idea that the trickle down from that to the whole economy will stoke a “recovery” is equal hogwash.
* do English and Key really expect us to believe the prognosis of Treasury whose “expert economists” are hamstrung by willful blindness, proscribed IQ and a deliberately soft focus on reality.
The only saving grace for Key and his cronies is that Labour have also got f.a. real vision of what is unfolding. Winning this time around is going to be a one way trip to extinction.
Cassandra and I will enjoy taking the photos.
As posted on Open Mike… if the Ozzies are spluttering from self imposed Austerity, how exactly do the ideologues in the Beehive expect NZ to cope..
-[ Here is an Australian economist pointing out how Austerity is killing the Ozzie economy, which holds two warnings for us, the Ozzies upon who’s economy we rely is now on a serious slow down, secondly, responsible for this is a mantra of surplus, which is Nationals platform. Careful what you promise…
“Employment growth has been virtually zero for some months and other indicators of growth are faltering.
The ABS published the latest International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia for September 2011 today which showed the trade surplus (before invisibles) narrowing with exports falling on the back of declining terms of trade (so prices rather than volumes falling).”
http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=16807
Same as Muldoom did in the seventies and eighties the light at the end of the tunnel
The light never came SmugKey and dipstick telling us the same porkies
The same policies even sinking lid it was called then Borrow and hope
It became will the last person leaving for Australia please turn of the light
They squeal that Labour’s policies mean more debt, this from the $40 BILLION DEBT creators Bill English and John Key!
it never closed the door on the way out and we are stil leaking cash for gross consumerism. I’m off to mongolia next week and ariazona after that. seeya.
Mongolia in the Winter Randal? Got your winter woolies then?
The media have launched their own attack on labour instead of focusing on national’s failings,the continual rant from national about the disasters does not contribute to their attack on the middle to low income earners,putting people out of work,dumped in other words,inevitably ends up in less
tax take and gst intake in govt and more to add to the benefit levels,this aspect is lost on national
though and they target those on benefits that are going to get the cane for not finding work,they will also have their benefit cut,is this absurd or what?
The media should be focusing on the raft of questionable deals done with sky,with fonterra and the meat industry,scf english changing terms and conditions,while blaming labour once again,the bmw’s another rort,there are so many and yet the media looks past national’s courruption
practices,incredible.
All nz’ers get is spin from national and the above writing proves it.
Bill English’s words about the last Labour Government were inaccurately ascribed, ‘inept and mismanaging the economy’ is Bill English to a t, and he’s a greedy little man as well.
Where’s our $500,000 Bill – you still owe it and we’re still waiting!
National has just announced that it is delaying the entry of certain sectors into the ETS.
What I want to know is:
1. What this will cost the state.
2. How this affects National’s costings and its projected deficits.
3. Will it mean that a National Government will not make a surplus for a further period of time.
4. WHERE THE FECK IS THE MSM. WHY ARNT THEY SHOUTING OUT “SHOW US THE MONEY” TO KEY AND QUESTIONING HIS ECONOMIC COMPETENCE.
Scuse me for shouting …
Need a Left wing MSM, and also a public broadcasting news service which sets the standard globally.
“a public broadcasting news service which sets the standard globally”
Now don’t get ahead of yourself, there. It’ll be difficult to beat the BBC, with their funding from television licenses in a hugely populous country like the UK.
I’d happily settle for a MSM that investigated and tried to understand issues, rather than just parrot back what they’ve been told.
Why, other than it being the prevailing ideology around our Govt debt phobia, are we all so caught up on the concept of surplus?
This Ozzie economist takes the surplus argument to task..
http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=16807
the msm are fawning at the feet of their idols seeking acceptance and requesting the next CT spin line or JK soundbite to feed the masses as that’s what they get paid to do.
Actually report objectively with a view to remembering stuff……oh the hilarity of that gag, good one.
I’m with you you there,its like there is a black out in the media,voters dont need to know basis,
i dont think i have ever struck the media being in such favour with one party,murdoch’s empire reaches far and wide,even in nz.
Was blown away to see John Campbell do a piece on Keys plans to close eight special needs schools and chuck kids into mainstream. He made special mention of Anne Tollys disinterest in either fronting for the show and for turning down repeated invitations from the various special needs units to visit.
Campbell even has a “stone wall” thing going with the faces of those not willing to front over issues. Keys mugshot was on there of course, why I’m not sure as I had given up on ch.3 last week due to the bias.
Can onlyhope this bit of unbias reporting will grow and continue…its getting fucking depressing with all the msm crap put out lately thats appeared to be an attempt to brainwash the masses into voting for Mr shonKey.
Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but…………. Can’t make up their minds can they? I think JK and BE are channelling Vicki Pollard!!
Anne the msm are a disgrace to the journalism profession. they are like that thing in the little shop of horrors that only knew two words, “feed me”. in short they are just too bloody lazy to get off their bums and do the legwork. look at them. they are all fat and greasy like dunnycan or neurotic anorexics like gluon. either way they never get off their asses.
Cunliffe is a hypocrite. Here Cunliffe has a go at English for trying to play down the prospects of a recovery and suggests it will be better than what the government thinks.
English didn’t play anything down, he got it wrong, and we are all paying.
Where are those 170,000 jobs we were promised by English from from 2010 onwards?
Ben, you could never be a journalist working in New Zealand today, because you clearly understand plain simple logic, contradiction, and have a memory longer than an hour.
Tom.
‘Ben, you could never be a journalist working in New Zealand today’.
On the other hand, Ben has shown himself to have the prerequisites to become a politician, i.e. the capacity to ignore all the evidence relating to the key issues of the times (Peak Oil, environmental collapse and unravelling of the monetary system) and the capcity to churn out drivel about economic growth when anyone with a brain knows economic growth is no longer possible (and if it were possible it would simply bring about faster destruction of the habitability of the planet we live on).
Having been supplied with all the information he needs to start talking/writing about policies based on sanity, he has chosen to ignore all that information. In other words Ben has declared himself to be a mendacious sociopath, which makes him well qualified to serve in parliament.
I find it interesting that Labour, and all on left, berate the Nats for increased unemployment ,lack of growth etc… yet seem to be conveniently ignoring the global situation over the last 3years.
This BBC page puts our situation into perspective.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13359367
Its a bit of a summary of the Eurozone situation including some nice simple graphs of various aspect for each EU Country. Deficit, GDP, Unemployment & Debt. Not a single Eurozone country has shown improvement in any of these areas since early 2008, yet Labour are grilling National that they havent improved things here. Look at ireland… annual deficit of 30%!! unemployment in all these countries is above 8%, the worst being 20%.
Surely its obvious that there is more to it all than just the current NZ governments management of the situation?? Or maybe you think that National are responsible for the global economic problems??
No, it’s John Keys fault. If Labour were in power the Rena would have never hit the shores.
Finally infused you are getting it, now just tick Party vote Labour.Lol
While we cant blame them directly there has certainly been more than our fair share of disasters under this NatAct to make me wonder if its more than just their policies that are bad luck for this country. Hope we dont have to pay via karma for all his previous boardroom warfare collatoral damage. If so the next asteroid will hit NZ.
Just repeating Key’s and English’s mantra …”Global situation” is not a logical aspect of real debate.
Try to think of something real, if not original.
I think recessions are going to become more likely, and more severe going forward. I’d like to see a government in power that has the grit and attitude to deal with them instead of using them as an excuse for their poor decision making and leadership.
National has had their chance, they cannot deal with them, and if it comes to pass that they get back in, and we hit another recession (very likely) it looks like all we can expect from the Nats is more of the same excuses.
I’m not seeing any: “We had a rough time, We learned some lessons from it, Here’s how we’ll deal with it if it happens again or is worse” from the Nats.
All I’m seeing from the Nats is: “Boo-hoo, nothing is ever our fault! Don’t blame us, blame Labour coz theoretically they would have done worse than us! Vote for us because we are oh-so hard done by and reality is oh-so mean to us in particular, etc..”
National’s Message off Target
It’s interesting to see how hypocritical National is with their blame Labour, the Christchurch earthquakes and the recession for everything…
John Key had all the answers lets see what he said before he was elected watch it till the end Jem then tell us have tax cuts been the answer and did national go into deficit to fund tax cuts ? The left know the answer but do you, John Key as slippery as a snake Campbell on Key: “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3E9SCBOYYA&feature=related
I cannot belive it. The Herald has aksshully posted this list! All 15. Almost surreal.
Obviously an error. Some poor bastard will pay for that. Fascinating how the best minds at the Herald accept Key and English simultaneously arguing the global economy is responsible for their shocking books and at the same time that venal mismanagement by Labour was the cause of the ‘decade of deficits’ projections. Brain dead idiots.
The latest National interview strategy, I guess from Crosby Textor, is, in an interview, to try to define the questions which should be asked. In the past they’ve used the linguistic diverter , “Look!”
I remember Melissa Lee unsuccessfully using, “look, look, look! ” about 20 times in one interview.
But now…..Look! must be old hat.
….Notice in each interview how the National interviewee tries to take charge and say, “the real question is….” and proceed to give their pre-prepared answers.
John Palmer tried this technique with Kathryn Ryan on ‘Nine to Noon’ but she didn’t let him get away with it. Jon Key tried it with Mike Hoskins but he also wasn’t prepared to be manipulated and kept firing the important questions at the PM.
Hoskins went back up in my estimation after this interview (close up 9th November). I wish we had more journalists and interviewers with his guts. Key floundered and looked a dick still trying to pose his own Crosby Textor scripted questions.
While it is pathetic PR psychology 101, if that, it still works with some of our less competent interviewers and I fear still resonates with the easily influenced voters.
Well done Ryan and Hoskins!
( Like Enid Blyton I use exclamation marks when I’m excited!!!)
Yeah I watched Hoskings and dipshit tnoiute….
Good on Hoskings for taking a bite-
a bit more kicking and dipshit would have dropped his likeable guy bullshit and shown NZers exactly what he is-a kunt
As some troLL NAct eloquently called Cunliffe yesterday on this site
Dipshit is a kunt,pure nasty ….and theyre panicking
Dont believe the bullshit they can govern alone
I was in Palmy today and heaps of Nat billboards defaced-strangely alot featured The Kunt
hahhah made my day
Yes an incredible Pollyanna act from Slippery tonight – basically called Hoskings, the loveable ex-pats in the clip and every person who knows that wages and prices are better in Oz – liars. And then kept asserting that, akshully, people aren’t heading there in droves!
Massive dent in his credibility. Huge exposure of his technique of relentless salesman’s verbal bullshitting, bullying, and assault with dodgy figures in the face of irrefutable facts. Hoskings is a mate, and he looked stunned.
Jumped the shark. In primetime. Watch the eyes at the end. He knows it.
The eyes indeed. Had exactly your response. Almost became a Hoskings fan, heaven forbid. One of the directest interviews I’ve seen, and maybe Key’s minders got this one wrong. The anticipated script went awol, perhaps. Nice to see the linking of promises to outcomes.
The eyes have it 😉
At this point I’ve decided they’re the Cheshire Cat party – the onlything left that’s real is the smile
@ Paul Cambell
And even the smile is often a sign of fear left over from our ape days apparently. The zoologist and anthropologist Desmond Morris mentioned this in his book “The Naked Ape”.(1967). I think it was chimpanzees that were cited as showing their teeth when anxious or frightened – likewise for us initially!. Funny how simian behaviour has cropped up so many times this week……..
Desmond Morris is a zoologist and ethologist. He has no qualifications in anthropology, this fact being one of the major sources of criticism of “The Naked Ape”, a book whose popularity is not matched by its accuracy.
As for smiling, (I’m doing it right now) it’s its own reward. Put one on your face and tell me I’m wrong 🙂
OAB
I see you life still revolves around attempting to score points off those who comment, rather than accepting basic truths.
The baring of teeth with the mouth closed is a signal of non-agression/appeasement/submission in many mammalian species.
What is particuarly interesting is that people with no qualifications in a particular field are often more capable of understanding than those who are locked into whatever othodoxy the so-called experts in that field adhere to.
A good example would be Semelweiz, who did not get good peer reviews in his early days, even though he was absolutely right in his opinion that lack of hygiene caused post-operative death.
And how hypocritical David Cunliffe is. How about a list of quotes from Goff, Mallard, Cunliffe and more showing there optimism.
1. http://www.3news.co.nz/Sub-zero-Budget-worst-in-27-years—Goff/tabid/419/articleID/211868/Default.aspx#ixzz1d9dDbU5O.
2. http://labour.org.nz/news/all-new-zealanders-must-get-their-fair-share-recovery
3. http://labour.org.nz/news/kiwis-deserve-share-stronger-recovery
4. http://labour.org.nz/news/declining-opportunities-grim-news-struggling-kiwis
5. http://labour.org.nz/news/higher-incomes-prime-minister%E2%80%99s-statement-parliament-proposed-new-zealand-labour-party
6. http://labour.org.nz/news/speech-labour-not-relaxed-about-government%E2%80%99s-deals-reward-privilege
7. http://labour.org.nz/news/kiwis-national-let%E2%80%99s-have-decent-minimum-wage-rise
8. http://labour.org.nz/news/astounding-40-percent-tax-claim-arrogant-and-wrong
9. http://labour.org.nz/news/japan-new-zealand-forum-will-seek-build-stronger-partnership-between-two-countries
10. http://labour.org.nz/news/phil-goffs-reply-prime-ministers-statement-parliament
11. http://labour.org.nz/news/crown-accounts-further-proof-government-scaremongering-over-acc
In case you cant get through via these links, the info is x David Farrar, Kiwiblog.