Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, April 11th, 2015 - 67 comments
John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year. Looks like they are going to fail.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, December 11th, 2014 - 31 comments
The lied about surplus in the run up to the 2014 National Election is looking like matching Penn and Teller for magical skills. It’s the ultimate disappearing act. Unlike bad economic figures when Labour is in Government, this isn’t National’s fault. Bill English says so. It’s all down to a whole lot of unusual and […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, July 5th, 2014 - 15 comments
I have spent a large chunk of the this week digging my way into Labour’s fiscal plan after the Liu smear collapsed. I think that the fiscal plan is a work of art, and very classy art at that. Of course you have to read it closely and look at what it is intended to do. I was particularly intrigued about why there was ring fencing of future increases to education and health.
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, June 11th, 2014 - 70 comments
Five years after making cuts to the training incentive allowance for solo parents wanting to educate themselves National is moving to provide some support and now realises that it makes long term sense to invest in education for solo parents. Could it be there is an election around the corner and National realises that it is vulnerable on issues relating to poverty and inequality?
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, May 17th, 2014 - 44 comments
In the pursuit of a balanced budget it appears that the Government has cut funding from a number of areas of Government activity, the Christchurch rebuild included. And Gerry Brownlee is refusing to accept that flooding has been exacerbated by the earthquakes and trying to undermine the suggestion that costs estimates are overly optimistic.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 16th, 2014 - 174 comments
National must be worried about its prospects in this year’s election. Because its budget did not have the normal hard right policies that we have come to expect of it and it is trying to lessen the attraction of some of Labour’s announced policies.
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, May 16th, 2014 - 82 comments
You could tell it was coming.
When, about two days out from the Budget. English started trying to downplay expectations, you knew there wasn’t enough in it.
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 pm, May 15th, 2014 - 37 comments
In the next few hours Peter Dunne could stand by his word and help Kiwi Families.
The question is, will he do it?
Update: No he didn’t. So much for his principles.
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, May 15th, 2014 - 14 comments
For Facebook users there will be a chance to ask David Cunliffe questions on the budget this evening.
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, May 15th, 2014 - 40 comments
Earlier this week I predicted the Budget would be Labour-lite. I was right, but only in part. By far the biggest disappointment is in housing. The government signalled help for home buyers would be a highlight in the Budget. A few pathetic morsels isn’t a highlight. This will make next to no difference to the housing affordability crisis. First home buyers aren’t $3,500 short of a house. They are hundreds of thousands short, because there aren’t nearly enough homes.
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, May 15th, 2014 - 227 comments
Despite having never presided over a budget surplus and despite the nearly tripling of core crown gross debt John Key is talking about the possibility of future tax cuts.
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