Douglas gets it

Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, March 25th, 2009 - 15 comments
Categories: act, national/act government, tax - Tags:

Roger Douglas in a press release today:

National’s goal of a top personal, company and trustee tax rate of 30 cents in the dollar is laudable – but it must remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch, ACT New Zealand Finance Spokesman Sir Roger Douglas said today.

“It is pointless setting goals around tax revenue without first looking at the other side of the Government’s accounts – the expenditure side,” Sir Roger said.

So what are they going to cut?

15 comments on “Douglas gets it ”

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  1. Chess Player 1
    25 March 2009 at 3:25 pm

    “So what are they going to cut?”

    Hmm, not much, by the look of the number of answers to your question so far…

  2. TomSe 2
    25 March 2009 at 3:27 pm

    This sort of economics has a name – it is called Bushonomics, after our dear friend George W, and as i have said before, it is becoming clearer by the day that it is the reign of King George W. The First that this National administration is most resembling.

    Vacillating leadership by an inconsequential stuffed shirt, the mirage of “decisions” by PR farrago from their fantasyland of hired flacks, followed by a bullying edict where the likes of Collins or Ryall or Brownlee try and make their own reality, and lobby groups of the hard right running wild in the policy hole left by weak and incompetent ministers. It is all there.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1
      25 March 2009 at 7:54 pm

      This sort of economics has a name – it is called Bushonomics,

      And Rogernomics and Reagenomics and Thatcherism…
      As you imply – it’s been tried before and it didn’t work then either.

      Definition of stupidity – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This can definitely be applied to NACT and the Dunne Party.

  3. George Darroch 3
    25 March 2009 at 3:34 pm

    These aren’t tax cuts. Because there are no corresponding spending cuts.

    They are simply a shift of tax from current New Zealanders to future New Zealanders. Debt.

    Now, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. I’m saddling my future self with a couple of debts, because I think that they’re worthwhile investments. Productive investments are good. But all this debt is funding is extra consumer spending – in the hope that this will benefit the economy and cover the difference.

    It won’t. There is no evidence provided by this Government, or in international experience, that such an approach works.

  4. Kaplan 4
    25 March 2009 at 3:47 pm

    The truth is that they are going to cut plenty. The problem is they are not upfront about it so having any kind of meaningful debate is difficult because you can’t counter the ‘That’s your opinion’ retort.
    At least until after the cuts have been made, and then it is to late…

  5. BLiP 5
    25 March 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Humanity and the arts

    • Phil 5.1
      26 March 2009 at 4:39 am

      I’m assuming you meant humanities in the educational/artistic sense, and not humanity in the biological sense…

      … but that would work too – we can start with the oldies and get rid of GRI altogether.

      • BLiP 5.1.1
        26 March 2009 at 10:54 pm

        I meant basic humanity – but take your point. National is doing a pretty good job on the poor malnourishing themselves with McDonalds, pies and Coke at school. Must reduce life expectancy, surely – but have they considered the health costs, I wonder.

    • Felix 5.2
      26 March 2009 at 6:40 am

      Cuts to humanity need to be made globally, it’s not much use just getting rid of a handful of humans in NZ while the rest of the world’s population continues to grow.

      A concerted international effort is required.

  6. Kaplan 6
    25 March 2009 at 4:19 pm

    God I sound defeatist. bugger it.
    To be cut;
    Kiwisaver, Jobs, KiwiRail, ACC, Road Safety, Inconveniently Placed Trees, Public Transport, R&D, Health.
    I’m sure there is heaps more but it’s all OK because along with my tax cut I am getting a fastererer interweb and a shiny new cycling way.

  7. Simon-5 7
    25 March 2009 at 5:16 pm

    Welfare.

    It’s time the Labour electorate started pulling their weight. The rest of us are tired of carrying you.

  8. vinsin 8
    26 March 2009 at 7:11 am

    There’s some cuts planned to mission-on mentioned in today’s granny. They’re soft cuts but they’re obviously starting small like a snowball.

  9. Stephen 9
    26 March 2009 at 9:17 am

    haha nice one Phil