Armstrong on “Austerity”
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- Date published:
5:24 pm, April 7th, 2011 - 12 comments
Categories: capitalism, economy, national -
Tags: austerity, john armstrong
John Armstrong is losing patience with the Nats:
John Armstrong: Age of Austerity? We’re still spending on plastic
So much for Bill English’s much-heralded Age of Austerity. The close to $2 million in taxpayers’ money for Auckland’s “plastic waka” suggests the Old Age of Waste is still with us.
National is certainly consistent when it comes to cutting spending. It consistently fails to practise what it preaches – be it the purchase of replacement chauffeur-driven BMWs for Cabinet ministers or this latest exercise in excess.
Bill English has entitlement in his genes. Cuts are for the little people.
If anything falls within the Finance Minister’s definition of a “nice to have” that can be lost then surely it is the waka on the waterfront.
You do not have to look far for more pressing demands. What about legal aid for the company that owns the Pike River mine so it has no excuse for not fronting up at inquiries? ….
Above all, the funding of the waka is nothing short of an abdication of fiscal responsibility on National’s part.
As Zet has pointed out, that $2 Million could have provided a lot of accommodation for Christchurch refugees. And as for “an abdication of fiscal responsibility” – isn’t that what a Tory government is all about? Tax cuts, and leave everything else to “the market”…
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Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 22 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
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He misses the point, austerity for us, double dip bailout wakas for them.
Englishes version of puttin it on the plastic…
Very strong words from a former Key fanboy.
This continuous series of frankly stupid decisions which makes them look like they are only there for the baubles of office is starting to hurt them.
But the thing that will really hurt is the lack of a coherent plan. As time goes by in Christchurch this will become more and more obvious.
I really think that this election could be up for grabs as long as Labour MPs concentrate on the job and do not do anything stupid.
If only they could ditch Goff it would be in the bag
Oh bollocks. Panicking never does anyone any good.
Goff can win this. Key is popular, but the Nats are hopeless. They’ve bolloxed up the economy, and they’re making a mess of Christchurch. As Armstrong is pointing out here, they have no integrity at all. I can’t believe that we’ll be dumb enough to give them another three years.
So, make the election about Bill English, Gerry Brownlee, and Rodney Hide, and keep repeating that John Key is just a front man.
Could work.
“as long as Labour MPs concentrate on the job and do not do anything stupid.”
HAHAHAHAHA! Fat chance.
Yep, Nats – socialism for the ‘have mores’, capitalism for the ‘have nots’.
Expect this winter to be the “Winter of Discontent” for National. There will nothing like hundreds of cold Cantabrians to send Smile and Waves fortune into free fall.
Austerity for the poor and perks for the top earners. That summarises National’s term in government. Remember the celebrations and how they got in with so many disaffected voters punishing Labour. Now how bad is Labour and how bad is National now – in hindsight. I think the people that voted this government in are largely kicking themselves now. If only Labour would get more teeth, present a unified and decisive front, have a proper plan for the country and push this hard through media and so forth, then they will get this lot thrown out easily in late Nov. 2011. John Key is now as faded and worn out as any shallow PM can be. He kept few promises and runs a crowd of incompetent and indifferent imbeciles, who primarily look after themselves and their lobby group supporters. This is NOT what NZ needs!
If only Labour would get more teeth… seems that the red team are jockeying for position behind the scenes, leaving goff to bumble to defeat. Feels like MP’s are more interested in how their position will be improved after losing this election than standing up and biting back and actually representing… leaving NZ in the hands of these wankers until who knows when – sad. Give em a good gumming…
Interesting times. Unfortunately, it is a traditional Han curse to wish for people to “live in interesting times”. It will be a long cold winter for many Cantabrians, and I can’t help wondering if it will be reflected in higher mortality among the young and the elderly.
A few childrens and infants advocacy groups are saying that babies and infants are going to suffer from being displaced from their usual homes, or living in cold homes. One problem is parents sleeping in the same bed with a baby under 12 months – it’s very easy for them to get smothered in the night, particularly ‘weaker’ babies that don’t struggle as much when they can’t breathe.
Also, peak oil = interesting times. We’re likely to see a serious pull back, if not destruction, of the American Empire during our lifetimes, as well as the rise of The East (to take back their historical domination – western influence in the last 400 years is a historical aberration).