Daily review 30/05/2019

28 comments on “Daily review 30/05/2019 ”

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1. The Chairman 1

   30 May 2019 at 6:17 pm

   The Budget – what others are saying

   With only 6,400 state homes planned for the next four years and over 11,000 families currently waiting for a state home we expected additional funding to match the current need of state housing.

   The net change of incomes as a result of indexing benefits to the average wage is small increase when the costs of living continue to increase…

   The Government needs to introduce a wider range of welfare reforms and invest on public housing if it is serious about the wellbeing of low-income people. This budget, unfortunately, failed to deliver on these two crucial issues.

   AAAP

   The Green Party is proud to welcome New Zealand’s first Wellbeing Budget to deliver change for New Zealanders,” Green Party Co-leader James Shaw

   With this budget, the Government have shown us they define ‘transformational’ about as well as Treasury defines ‘hack’. – Martyn Bradbury

   There's some valuable initiatives in there, including almost $2 billion for mental health, a move to index benefits to wages rather than inflation, and a $1 billion investment in rail infrastructure. All of this is great. At the same time, there's something huge missing from the budget: climate change. – NRT

   In fact, most of the important changes in the Budget had been well telegraphed in advance. Therefore, any left-wing supporters who were hoping or expecting to see some rabbits pulled out of Robertson's hat will be disappointed by what is actually a very pedestrian Budget.

   In fact, there's good reason to view this as a "Status quo Budget". This is despite the Minister of Finance stating straight off in his Budget Speech that this Budget "shows a Government that is not satisfied with the status quo". In reality, fiscal policy and other important settings remain mostly the same. There really aren't any amazing new initiatives that will be seen as "game changers".

   None of this means that it's not a "good Budget". This will be a subjective call. If you're happy with the status quo of New Zealand economy and society, with all its strengths and weaknesses, and if you'd like to see a bit of tinkering and improvement, then the Budget might go down well with you. – Bryce Edwards

   Research shows that the most effective way to reduce poverty is through boosting the income levels of poor families, and supporting their educational attainment from early through to vocational study, and the Wellbeing budget does seem to adopt that approach. There is a need to go further in developing a fair and equitable, as well as a sustainable, economy; with further measures to help low income earners, and greater efforts to tax the wealthy. – Cath Conn head of department, Public Health, at AUT

   Behind the glitz, glam and melodrama of this year’s budget rollout are some promising injections for Kiwi business – Kirk Hope

   Russel Norman: This is not a climate emergency budget Inequality: There is a bit of tinkering but where is the Wealth Tax? How can we we turn around NZ’s obscene inequality if we don’t tax wealth? What about an annual 2% tax on all wealth above, say $10m, and use the proceeds to cut poverty and build state houses? Using a wealth tax to fund state housing, now that would be transformative.
   • Sacha 1.1

     30 May 2019 at 8:57 pm

     Please include links where you are quoting text from somewhere else; it's also hard to tell which words are yours without formatting.
   • Muttonbird 1.2

     30 May 2019 at 9:25 pm

     Nice thoughts from Cath Conn there and ones which I fully agree with but this has to be more than a one term government to be able to effect lasting change.

     They stated before the 2017 election there would be no tax reform in their first term. That is something they must stick to. They made an attempt at a CGT but didn't even get to the creating of a mandate stage. Any other tax reform will not be in this term of office.
2. Anne 2

   30 May 2019 at 6:45 pm

   I don't know who gets to choose the DR photos but congrats for being so insightful. Tonight's is a pearler. 😀
   • ianmac 2.1

     30 May 2019 at 6:50 pm

     Yes Anne though not everyone in National is comfortable with Simon displaying such a lack of integrity to try and boost his status.
     • Jilly Bee 2.1.1

       30 May 2019 at 6:55 pm

       I really don't know whether to laugh or scream at what Simon Bridges has been saying (rather yelling). Been a combination of both to date.
     • Anne 2.1.2

       30 May 2019 at 6:59 pm

       There are many National voters who have ethics. Over the years I have counted some of them as personal friends. That we had political differences never came between us. I am sure there are National members and supporters who are feeling deeply uncomfortable at this time.
       • Rosemary McDonald 2.1.2.1

         30 May 2019 at 8:19 pm

         There are many National voters who have ethics.

         My bedtime reading is Marylin Waring's new book. How many of today's National (or any) Party candidates travel their intended electorate in a borrowed car with a volunteer driver/general factotum and gratefully receive donations of cash and advice to improve their wardrobe? At the time, Labour were avowedly against homosexual law reform and insisted MPs always vote with the Party regardless of conscience.
       • Sacha 2.1.2.2

         30 May 2019 at 8:30 pm

         I'll bet they are. Wonder what it would take for enough of them to form a breakaway party like the left did from Labour/Act in the 90s?
   • gsays 2.2

     30 May 2019 at 7:04 pm

     Is it just me hearing the Jaws theme?

     To be fair, this is as close to a good budget as To Nowhere is gonna get.

     Here is the soundtrack to the life of the leader of the opposition:
3. Anne 3

   30 May 2019 at 7:41 pm

   eeeooowww…. 😯

   Geez. that film was scary. Had my eyes shut through most of it.
   • WILD KATIPO 3.1

     31 May 2019 at 7:06 am

     Oh gawd… I recall swimming at Long Bay and imagining brownish shadows in the water with every damn wave… that bloody film !!!

     And later on in the Manukau ,… fishing from our 16 foot plywood constructed family runabout huddling inside against the rain… when my rod was violently snatched from its holder over the side and in the process turning a full 5 gallon petrol container 180 degrees,… then seeing my rod surfing on the water in a semi circle round the boat… and less than 5 minutes later it reappeared again in the same manner…my Dad quietly said 'I think we better move'… and calmly got me to haul up the anchor…
4. joe90 4

   30 May 2019 at 7:52 pm

   Sykes-Picot 2.0.

   /

   https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1133847307261304833
   • Brigid 4.1

     30 May 2019 at 8:02 pm

     His defeat speech? I thought he won the recent elections.

     Ah.. just read that he has failed to form a coalition so there will be a new election

     https://www.rt.com/news/460587-israel-knesset-dissolution-vote-netanyahu/
     • Cinny 4.1.1

       30 May 2019 at 11:17 pm

       Good job, hope bibi is voted out.
   • Dennis Frank 4.2

     30 May 2019 at 8:06 pm

     Huh. Look at the timing: we get the news that there's to be a new election (because the rightists won't support him, because he isn't right enough). Suddenly, he springs up like a jack-in-the-box, announcing a three-way global summit to make peace in the middle east, with him personally replacing Xi as the third leg of the stool. Vote for me, I'm great! Another `you couldn't make this shit up' play, eh? 🙄
     • joe90 4.2.1

       30 May 2019 at 8:18 pm

       Huh. Look at the timing:

       But wait, there's more..

       https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1133065945113612288
       https://twitter.com/BarakRavid/status/1133066505363570688
       https://tttthreads.com/thread/1133065945113612288.html
     • Brigid 4.2.2

       30 May 2019 at 8:19 pm

       If you do a search on 'netanyahu tripartite' you'll find hes inviting all and sundry to this or that tripartite committee.

       With the aim of course of exerting control over those naughty naughty Syrians who shoot his rockets down before they even land, and not only that, they've invited Iran to help. The cheek of those Arabs eh?
5. marty mars 5

   30 May 2019 at 8:04 pm

   Weak wankers

   Bottling company Cloud Ocean Water has been fined after inspectors found contaminated water and plastic beads at risk of polluting a nearby waterway…

   …The firm has been fined $750 and ordered to change its working practices following the discovery of loose plastic beads and overflowing dirty water…

   In August last year the company was ordered to stop taking water from one of its bores after it was caught doing so without permission.

   Three days later it was ordered to clean up its act after regulator WorkSafe found it had breached regulations over machinery safety and protective equipment for staff.

   And in November 2017 WorkSafe issued notices over concerns about electrical safety, falls from heights and the general workplace environment during the plant's construction.

   Read the weakness here
   • Sacha 5.1

     30 May 2019 at 8:52 pm

     ECan is a bloody disgrace.
6. Muttonbird 6

   30 May 2019 at 8:07 pm

   It turned out that the 2000 "unauthorised attempts" to get Budget materials were in fact people using Treasury's own search engine in a somewhat tricky way. A staffer for National MP Chris Bishop had stumbled upon the fact that the search engine had indexed a boatload of supposed-to-be-confidential budget figures already, and while you couldn't click through to get details, you could get some figures in the previewed search snippet.

   Serial offender, Mr Snapchat, Chris Bishop. He's got form for snooping around where he shouldn't.

   Grubby little man.

   https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/113131088/transformation-within-a-tempest-a-very-stormy-budget-day
   • James 6.1

     31 May 2019 at 7:17 am

     just because people are in snap chat doesn’t make them grubby.

     Dont judge others by your own behaviour.
     • Muttonbird 6.1.1

       31 May 2019 at 7:26 am

       Snapchatting with teens is not a good look.

       There's a culture of snooping becoming apparent in this opposition and the heart of seems to be the office of Chris Bishop.
7. joe90 7

   30 May 2019 at 8:12 pm

   $650

   https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/photo/mother-with-her-daughter-enjoying-outdoors-royalty-free-image/934658320
   • A 7.1

     31 May 2019 at 6:46 am

     Good find @Joe90
8. marty mars 8

   30 May 2019 at 8:19 pm

   I hope the full force of the law is applied to these so called people.

   Sixteen people have been charged in Bangladesh over the shocking murder of a teenager who was burned to death after reporting sexual harassment.

   Nusrat Jahan Rafi, 19, was doused with kerosene and set on fire on the roof of her Islamic school on 6 April, days after filing a complaint.

   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48441604
9. joe90 9

   30 May 2019 at 9:06 pm

   She's taken the world for a ride.

   How often during my years under house arrest have I drawn strength from my favourite passages in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

   ……. disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspirations of the common people,

   https://twitter.com/Lauraehaigh/status/1133584591577464834

   https://tttthreads.com/thread/1133584591577464834.html
10. WILD KATIPO 10

    31 May 2019 at 6:48 am

    Yeh, the usual gang still here ,-'here comes the big boss ,- heeah ha !- everbuddy wuz kung fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightnin’, … in fact it was a lil bit frightening …

    And Anne , your not the only one that spent their youth with that sinking feeling when swimming in the tide off popular beaches. We all felt that shite.

    I think I’ll circle around around a few times myself on this site before making the move …

    Carl Douglas – Kung fu fighting(original) – YouTube

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