In the run-up to the last election Bill English was asked what new ideas National had to boost the economy. He couldn’t think of a single one. Now, a year after the election, John Key has so much time on his hands that his main occupation is trying to dig himself out of the huge hole he has dug for himself on the bungled flag process. How many kids will that feed?
Someone must have asked Key what his government has achieved in the last year. He came up with the following list:
Key talks up Government performance
Extended free doctors visits and prescriptions to children aged under 13,
Yes, and credit where it’s due for that.
extended paid parental leave,
Yes, and though it is still well under the OECD average National has threatened to veto extending it further.
reduced ACC levies
Levies which were too high in the first place.
and increased benefit payments.
Credit where it’s due, but much much more was needed. (Update: See comment 6 below.)
Helping young New Zealanders into their first home through our HomeStart programme, and by working with local councils to free up more land faster through Housing Accords.
And done nothing while rampant house price rises made a nonsense of such minor tinkering.
Investing heavily in health and education.
In fact failing to keep up with growth and inflation resulting in cuts in real terms.
Rolling out ultrafast broadband, investing in infrastructure and in research and development, and negotiating free trade deals.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel, and the TPP appears to be the worst free trade deal ever.
Completed the first of the anchor projects in the Christchurch rebuild, 75 percent of key infrastructure has been repaired, and progress made on red-zone properties.
The Christchurch rebuild has been bungled and is well behind schedule.
Overall that list gets gets a grade of Not Achieved. National are drifting, the economy is in the doldrums. I guess it’s time for Key to go and hitch his wagon to the All Black for a few weeks. But then what?
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