Bill English – Ashamed of being a hypocrite?

Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, February 18th, 2009 - 12 comments
Categories: bill english - Tags:

David Cunliffe has been doing something that Bill English really hates – asking questions about actual accounting and fiscal practices. The reason that Bill hates this is because he keeps getting caught in his mythologies of opposition. These were designed more for the dogwhistle brigade who prefer a good incorrect story to what is required for a minister of finance. This press release amused me because it so epitomized the internal conflicts that Bill faces.

Labour Finance spokesperson David Cunliffe today called on Finance Minister Bill English to come clean on the use of specific and contingent fiscal risks in the budget process.

‘Instead of trumping up charges of ‘unallocated’ future spending, why does he not admit that specifying future but unquantified fiscal risks is a requirement of the Public Finance Act,’ David Cunliffe said.

Today in an answer to oral parliamentary questions Mr English reluctantly confirmed that he intends to continue the practice of listing such risks in Budget 2009.

‘Mr English cannot have it both ways. Either these practices are reprehensible fiscal holes that bedevilled the former Government, or they are a legal requirement that he intends to continue,’ David Cunliffe said.

‘It is unfortunate that as well as dissembling on this crucial probity matter, Mr English was unwilling to face ongoing questioning, and fled the House during Question Time.”

Bill English's alternate ego

Bill English's (alter)ego

It is obvious to anyone that has done any kind of accounting or project planning that it is difficult or outright impossible to fully define contingent risks and liabilities. You have to put the risks into the accounts to show that they are present and what you think that a reasonable cost is. You do not fully find them because you actually don’t have any real idea about what the actual cost is. It is more of a probability statement than anything else, an exercise in the arcane art of quantum accounting probabilities.

The closer you get to the period of time the tighter your estimates can be and the more limited the risk levels. Then your funding provision can be more accurate. Long projects are typically use some kind of staged funding system.

If Bill still needed to know this simple fiscal truth when he was attacking the 5th Labour government as finance spokesperson, then he was either incompetent for the role or was simply being a hypocrite. I (charitably) tend towards the latter view. The prospect of having another incompetent National minister of finance is appalling to someone with memories of previous incarnations.

So it is no wonder that Bill is ashamed to face questions on the subject. For that matter he seems to be avoiding questions of why he is faking routine spending or tax cuts by the last government as being a new ‘stimulus package’. That lack of backbone does seem to be the Bill English trademark these days. You can tell, he always looks like he is swallowing a dead fish.

Thanks to The Lineman for his depiction of Bill English as Palpatine. The twisting, turning, and outright squirming that Bill has had to do recently does seem to make him as trustworthy as a sith apprentice. Perhaps John Key should read and learn from other mythologies than his own PR..

12 comments on “Bill English – Ashamed of being a hypocrite? ”

  1. BLiP 1

    Palpatine English is a National Party politician – they have no shame.

  2. ghostwhowalks 2

    I see the private (unintegrated) schools are howling that they are running out of money,

    Whats the bet that this is one area that wont be getting a cut in this years budget and will probably be getting a huge boost.
    Making do with less is not something these elite private schools are interested in.

  3. I thought Cunliffe did a very good job on English in Parliament yesterday and it really did sound like he [English] was on the mat. He then left before he could answer the next question.

    I have always had a grudging respect for English, he appears to be more competent, more honest and less shrill than his colleagues. Maybe he had the dignity to be embarassed when he used the “Labour did not budget for this” because he knew it was not true?

  4. Mike 4

    Roger Douglas is Palpatine.
    Bill is the fresh faced padawan who has yet to be eaten out from within by the dark side.

  5. Mike,

    I couldn’t agree more. English hasn’t got a clue what he’s in for and boy, will he have a wake up call soon. I wonder will he ever wake up to the fact that the corruption he will have to embrace if he wants to stay in his job will come from mr Nice, his boss?

    John Key who will do his money masters bidding while all the time saying “it’s nothing personal, just business”, just as he did when he fired all his colleagues at Merrill Lynch in 1998 earning him the nick name the “Smiling Assassin”?

    Who and what will he Assassinate here in this country I wonder?

    Captcha: VANQUISH dugout. Hmmm.

  6. northpaw 6

    lprent,

    vg. — so very interesting, too.

    Mike,

    RD is Palpatine = aka Darth Sidious.. So very IN as it happens. Though elsewhere.. with wannabes here.

    Of course.

  7. Tigger 7

    shost – English is a private school alumni so expect lots of sympathy from him there.

    National really do have ‘cuts’ and ‘stimulus’ mixed up, don’t they. They remind me of an impotent guy who thinks taking Panadol will give them the same effect as taking Viagra. There’s nothing at all stimulating about their plans.

  8. Tim Ellis 8

    LP wrote:

    It is obvious to anyone that has done any kind of accounting or project planning that it is difficult or outright impossible to fully define contingent risks and liabilities.

    I’m sorry LP, but that isn’t correct. There is very clear criteria for including both quantified and unquantified fiscal risks in the BEFU, HYEFU, and PREFU. Most fiscal risks are generally announcements of policy intentions by government, or areas of expenditure which are highly likely to be incurred, for which no budget allocation has yet been made. These risks can be either quantified or unquantified. Contingent liabilities are a different element entirely, which may have a lower likelihood of being incurred, such as the outcome of litigation.

    The 2008 BEFU and PREFU documents were jammed with both quantified and unquantified fiscal risks that weren’t included in the 2008/2009 budget. They were spending commitments that formed promises that Labour Ministers were trumping up and down the country but for which no budget allocation had been made.

    The purpose of including a statement of fiscal risks is to provide an accurate picture of likely liabilities under active consideration by Ministers that will have an impact on the operating balance. The purpose is not to hide all your spending commitments so that you don’t have to account for them and make your operating balance look good.

    [lprent: I was using contingent is the management version rather than the legal or accounting (or as you pointed out government fiscal) more specific meanings. It means where the actual values are reliant on other factors that are outside your direct control. For instance looking at discount rates or inflation rates or labour rates or interest rates or the price of fuel in 5 years time.]

  9. Tim Ellis 9

    Tigger, English went to St Patrick’s college in Silverstream, a Catholic integrated school. That hardly makes him a “private school alumni”. You may be confusing him with Michael Cullen, who went to Christ’s College, or perhaps even David Cunliffe, who went to Harvard.

  10. Kevin Welsh 10

    Tim

    As someone who also attended a Catholic integrated college, I can assure you that although integrated, certain conditions must be met to enrol your child there. You do not have automatic right of attendance unlike the local high school.

    I would have thought you would be all-for Michael Cullen and David Cunliffe having a private school education.

  11. Tim Ellis 11

    Kevin, I understand your point. I don’t have a view on Michael Cullen and David Cunliffe getting private education. My point was that trying to imply that Bill English is an elitist because of a “private school” background, when he went to St Pat’s, is ridiculous.

  12. Tim Ellis 12

    LP, under the PFA, there are a whole range of fiscal risks that are specifically excluded from the forecasts, including asset revaluations, exchange rate fluctuations, and accounting policy changes.

    That isn’t what Bill English was talking about. Let’s say, hypothetically, a Minister went around the country saying before the election: “We are going to build the Waterview Connection.”

    Now, in the PREFU, because the full costings haven’t been done on it yet, it appears as a quantified risk of $1.5 billion, and forms part of the statement of fiscal risks. They know how much it is going to cost, but the Minister of Finance hasn’t approved the project yet, and decisions needed to be made before the election on whether to toll the road or not, which would have reduced the fiscal risk. That quantum doesn’t form part of the operating balance.

    The issue is, knowing even the quantified fiscal risks, that is, how much they are going to cost, and making promises to commit to those projects, as Labour did with Waterview, is it appropriate to allow such projects to remain as merely fiscal “risks” and not budget for them, just to boost your operating balance?

    The quantified risks alone in the PREFU amounted to at least 5 billion of extra spending, which Labour was happy to announce but for which they didn’t provide a budget allocation. Are you comfortable with that scenario? I’m not.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T22:08:39+00:00