Key loses 30,000 jobs in a single year

Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, March 26th, 2013 - 148 comments
Categories: jobs, john key - Tags:

Key reacts to criticism of his appalling jobs record, which has 300,000 Kiwis jobless and 30,000 fewer people in work in the last year:

“Throw criticism if you see things that we are not doing, but in terms of trying to stimulate jobs we’ve done a lot of things on that front. We’ve done everything from 90 day probation periods, to starting out wages.”

That’s his solution? Cut wages and work rights? Gee, why not bring back workhouses too while you’re at it? The truth is four years of attacking work rights and driving down wages has failed to create jobs.

And it’s hard to believe that Key really cares. Not when a government department, an employer that he controls, is firing people today.

Here’s criticism of things that you’re not doing on the jobs front, Mr Key –

  • get the exchange rate down so our manufacturers can export and our local businesses don’t get kneecapped by cheap imports;
  • stop the housing bubble with CGT, LVR, and residency rules to free up capital for business;
  • build affordable homes, sell them to families, and create jobs that way;
  • invest in public transport that is, dollar for dollar, several times more jobs intensive than motorways and means we send less of our money overseas to pay for oil and get to keep it here to spend on investment;
  • renew and enhance the home insulation scheme, which has created 2,000 jobs and is about to run out of money
  • introduce insulation initiatives for public buildings like schools that saves money in the medium and long term and creates jobs in the short-term;
  • tax pollution so you can reduce tax on companies and income;
  • back domestic tourism to replace the plummeting international tourism take, which has cost 7,000 jobs in four years;
  • create a national investment fund that Kiwis can invest in via their Kiwisaver and use that money to build Kiwi-owned companies that private enterprise can’t get the capital for;
  • make WINZ into a replacement for the shark-like labour hire companies that currently pray on the un- and underemployed and, in doing so, promote insecure work arrangements;
  • unashamedly favour Kiwi businesses when making government contracts like the new rail rolling stock, the ultrafast broadband cable, the Mighty River website, Novopay, and IRD’s new computer system which all could have been done by Kiwi companies;
  • and stop firing people from government jobs

That’ll do for starters, eh?

As for Key’s claim that unemployment will be 6% by year’s end, well he hasn’t been that flash at living up for expectations thus far:

2013 unempoyment rate forecasts

(source: Budgets)

148 comments on “Key loses 30,000 jobs in a single year ”

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  1. BM 1
    26 March 2013 at 8:02 am

    There you go.
    All Shearer has to do is
    1.Print Money or borrow a shit load more money.
    2.Whack on a pile of extra taxes
    3.Get the government to run everything.

    Why National isn’t doing this has me stumped, it’s so obvious.

    I look forward to Shearer campaigning on this at the next election, go Labour.

    • Colonial Viper 1.1
      26 March 2013 at 8:06 am

      But National are:
      – borrowing a shit load more money every week (thanks English)
      – whacking on extra taxes (GST, cigarettes/alcohol, petrol,…)
      – trying to run Auckland city from Wellington

      The thing is, unless both Labour and National realise that the current bankster asset speculation ponzi scheme is changed nothing else will change.

      • BM 1.1.1
        26 March 2013 at 8:16 am

        Of course they have to borrow money.
        Christchurch, roads, WFF,interest free loans, we don’t make enough to cover those expenses.
        Personally I’d like to see WFF canned and interest put back on student loans but it’s such a large group of voters who will hammer you in the polls if you touch either of those.
        Thanks for that, Helen.

        You may know.
        I was thinking during the last Labour term did Labour do any infrastructure projects.
        National is currently getting a pile of roads built which is very popular with the majority of voters, what did Labour do, I’m sure they did something or was it just tax,tax tax.?

        • framu 1.1.1.1
          26 March 2013 at 8:19 am

          you forgot $1000000000 in lost revenue because of poorly structured tax cuts that didnt stimulate the economy

          remember only the mexicans pay less tax than us

          and isnt saying “1.Print Money or borrow a shit load more money.” then in the very next comment saying its cool if national do it a tad… hypocritical?

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.2
          26 March 2013 at 8:21 am

          building even more roads as people are gving up their cars, and petrol will be unaffordable to most within 10 years.

          That’s not really smart is it?

          Glad you accept that English is borrowing record sums of money.

          I’m interested in why you would continue to burden the younger generations of this country to make life easier for the established middle class and middle aged?

          • BM 1.1.1.2.1
            26 March 2013 at 8:25 am

            I’m interested in why you would continue to burden the younger generations of this country to make life easier for the established middle class and middle aged?

            In what way are younger people being burdened?

            Also, we’ll still be using roads for at least the next 100 years, unless some one invents the flux capacitor.

            • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.2.1.1
              26 March 2013 at 8:35 am

              In what ways are the young being burdened? I dunno, how much student loans did Joyce, English and Key have to pay back from their free uni educations? How many multiples of the average income did their first house cost them, 3 or 4?

              Seriously wake up man, if you are going to comment on politics at least try and make an argument.

              Those roads will be a monument to waste a stupidity in the next 10-15 years, let alone 100. And in 100 years, horse shoes still won’t wear well on bitumen.

              • BM …
                26 March 2013 at 8:49 am

                Paying for education has been around for 20 years and a good portion of that time was with interest on the money that you borrowed.

                And fuck all people went to Uni in the 1980’s, that’s the big difference, the country could afford it because only about 5% of school leavers went onto higher education.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  26 March 2013 at 1:53 pm

                  Paying for education has been around for 20 years and a good portion of that time was with interest on the money that you borrowed.

                  So how much did Joyce, English, Key, Clark, Cullen pay for their uni educations?

                  Its the old people in charge making the young people pay. When they never had to themselves.

                  That’s what I meant by you supporting increasing burdens on young people to pay for the privileges of the middle aged middle class.

                  BTW fewer peopel should be going to uni and fewer should be doing post grads. For most its a waste of time. This economy will never let them pay back the money it costs.

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    26 March 2013 at 4:00 pm

                    BTW fewer peopel should be going to uni and fewer should be doing post grads. For most its a waste of time. This economy will never let them pay back the money it costs.

                    So, you’d prefer it if people were ignorant and on the dole?

                    We use automation to decrease the amount of work that needs doing and that leaves either R&D or arts & crafts.

                    BTW, money is not the economy and it really doesn’t need to be paid back.

                    • Colonial Weka …
                      26 March 2013 at 10:37 pm

                      There are lots of ways to educate and be educated without expecting so many people to pay for tertiary education. People used to learn by working.

                      “We use automation to decrease the amount of work that needs doing and that leaves either R&D or arts & crafts.”

                      Seriously?!?

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      26 March 2013 at 11:47 pm

                      People used to learn what was already known by working.

                      But even that’s incorrect – they also used to go down to the local railway shed and have discussions and readings. You’ll note that the buildings and other resources were still supplied by the government.

                      There are lots of ways to educate and be educated without expecting so many people to pay for tertiary education.

                      What it comes down to is having the resources available to learn and the most efficient way to make them available is from the government. I mentioned my concept of Learning Centres a few weeks ago. These are centres in each community where such resources,both knowledge and physical, would be made available to any body who wishes to learn in an informal environment where they could discuss with other interested parties what’s known and experiment on new ideas.

                      The idea is to get more people learning and experimenting without all the formal structure of universities and polytechs. And with less ongoing costs.

                      Seriously?!?

                      One work is removed, Yes. What were you expecting? That we’d all sit round on the beach getting drunk?

                    • Colonial Weka …
                      27 March 2013 at 12:05 am

                      I guess it depends on whether you see work as a negative or not (I don’t). I thought you meant everything would be automated, and the only work left was R and D and crafts.

                      Learning centres, sounds good.

                      My point was that the whole elitist approach to education is unhelpful. Apprenticeships should sit alongside university degrees should sit alongside learning on the job.

                      “People used to learn what was already known by working.”

                      Patronising much? However did humans ever learn anything new before classrooms were invented?

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  26 March 2013 at 3:56 pm

                  And fuck all people went to Uni in the 1980′s, that’s the big difference, the country could afford it because only about 5% of school leavers went onto higher education.

                  Incorrect, we could afford it because we had 66% tax rates on the richest. Same as we could afford to send everyone to university today as well – if we a) taxed correct;y and b) stopped borrowing money and just printed it (having no interest it’s a lot cheaper).

                • GregJ …
                  26 March 2013 at 8:30 pm

                  Not sure where you got your figures from – World Bank Statistics show that 32% of school leavers in 1985 went onto Tertiary Education (roughly 50% University/Colleges of Education & 50% Polytecnhics). You appear to be out by a factor of 6. Perhaps it would help if you link through to something to make that sort of assertion – otherwise it just looks like you are making it up.

                  By 2001 this split had become 44%, 34%, 4% Wananga & 18% in Private Training Establishments (PTE). Most of the growth through the 1990’s and through the 2000’s has been PTEs offering non-degree courses (those taking degrees or higher qualifications since 2001 has gone from about 150,000 to approx 180,000 while numbers engaged in Tertiary Education in the same period have gone 350,000 to a peak in 2005 of about 450,000 to about 390,000 in 2011).

                  Participation has increased to approx 85% by 2011 but numbers have actually been declining for NZ domestic students since 2005 (despite the interest free student loans). The growth in participation in the last decade has been principally around Private Training Establishments mainly offering non-degree courses (those taking degrees or higher qualifications has gone from about 150,000 to approx 180,000 while numbers engaged in Tertiary Education. There is some fairly comprehensive statistics and analysis out there for you to look at if you want – you could start with this and also here.

                  • karol …
                    26 March 2013 at 8:48 pm

                    Stats NZ shows this picture – graph on p7.

                    1980 = approx 50 per 1000 of the working age population enrolled in tertiary education.

                    Continued rising from about the 1960s.

                    • GregJ …
                      26 March 2013 at 9:10 pm

                      Thanks Karol – so 5% of the Working Age population as opposed to 5% of school leavers (as per BM above). Linking to support the post – what a wonderful tool! (Plus editing is back – woo hoo!)

                    • karol …
                      26 March 2013 at 9:23 pm

                      I think further on in the Stats NZ report it says that at 19 yrs old, around 21% of the birth cohort born between 1949 and 1961 went to tertiary education, compared with about 27% of the 1962-1974 cohort, and 40% of the 1975-? cohort. (p9)

                • rosy …
                  27 March 2013 at 12:01 am

                  “And fuck all people went to Uni in the 1980′s, that’s the big difference, the country could afford it because only about 5% of school leavers went onto higher education.”

                  I’m guessing by higher education is shorthand for university? An awful lot of people got trades training through apprenticeships and Technical Institutes. For free, or near enough. Try doing that nowadays. Actually, try getting a trades or technology job without having had paid to get some sort of ‘foundation course’ at a polytech first. Employers tend to want their new employees ‘work-ready’ they don’t want to train them themselves.

                  Good that Labour’s plan to bring back apprenticeships is finally in the frame for the current government. Pity jobs in construction in Christchurch have already been filled by ripped-off employees from overseas.

              • TightyRighty …
                26 March 2013 at 12:47 pm

                This comment will be more of a monument to stupidity than roads. You seriously think the age of personal vehicles is over? You ridicule those who don’t believe in your science yet ignore very real gains in small alternative energy propulsion. Sheesh. Fucking Luddites

                • felix …
                  26 March 2013 at 1:26 pm

                  Depends what you mean by “personal vehicles” really. What we’re probably looking at is a fleet of much, much smaller personal vehicles – built to carry only one or two people – for day to day use and short trips around the area where you live and work.

                  Long distance travel will be better served by public transport, and actually it already is in most cases – try beating the price of a commercial flight from Auckland to Wellington by driving your personal vehicle.

                  There will still be a use for the family-sized cars we have now but no need for every household to own two of them and it will be stupid to use them to pop down to the shop.

                  So no, it’s not so much that the age of personal vehicles is over, it’s just that the age of thinking of a Humvee as a personal vehicle is.

                  • karol …
                    26 March 2013 at 1:36 pm

                    I saw an adult guy peddling a tricycle in my area this week – I want one, plus off road cycleways that would accommodate it.

                    I also saw a guy with his prototype hand-powered quad-cycle on Campbell live last week. Great for some, though I prefer foot power.

                    These would also be great for short trips to the shops & able to carry stuff.

                  • TighyRighty …
                    26 March 2013 at 4:02 pm

                    Good. Useless toys to lessen feelings of inadequacy. But personal vehicles need roads regardless of the size of the vehicle. So we should stop building them? That’s just retarded.

                    • felix …
                      26 March 2013 at 4:16 pm

                      The point is we aren’t going to need the same sort of roads at all. A fleet mainly comprised of these much smaller one-seater personal vehicles doesn’t require the same sort of infrastructure as a fleet of 4x4s and Camrys so it’s stupid to keep building as if these cars are going to be around forever.

                    • Tony …
                      27 March 2013 at 12:41 am

                      Feelings of inadequacy? I love how some people believe we all envy them, their big cars and badly designed homes – it must be fascinating to live in a world of delusion.

                      Regarding roads, who’s saying we should stop building them? You did. People are addressing levels of investment compared to public transport. National’s roads of national significance have failed their cost benefit analyses and still they push on – why?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  26 March 2013 at 1:50 pm

                  Fucking Luddites

                  The luddites had some very good societal points to make.

                  The advances of the western lifestyle over the last 30 years have been based on near-slave labour conditions in China and other sweatshops. We imported their deflation and our economies our incomes are all suffering for it.

                  • TighyRighty …
                    26 March 2013 at 4:04 pm

                    How is it that you can never back your original argument up. You say the roads are a monument to stupidity, you get argued with, so you say something even more stupid. And to think, you we supposed to typify the left?i can’t believe anyone bothered to stand up of such an idiots Internet freedom. I’m regretting my choice.

                    • Murray Olsen …
                      26 March 2013 at 7:24 pm

                      I hope you’re not getting paid to write that. Someone should ask for their money back if you are.
                      We do not need to drive a Humvee from Parnell to Omaha. We could catch a train to Warkworth and then get a shuttle. It’s very unlikely that we’re going to find anything in the near future that holds and releases energy as efficiently as petroleum does. Petroleum is only being extracted at an increasing cost to the planet. A sane policy would be to look for alternatives rather than make ourselves ever more dependent on it. I doubt if those alternatives are going to allow for 300 kmh personal transportation devices that normally carry one person. You might just have to share your travel arrangements with the great unwashed. I feel sorry for them.

                    • karol …
                      26 March 2013 at 7:34 pm

                      Hmm… Murray@7.24pm

                      There are no trains to Warkworth. It only goes as far as Swanson these days – at least as far as passenger trains are concerned. Probably would be better to take the bus all the way.

                    • Murray Olsen …
                      26 March 2013 at 10:37 pm

                      We should have passenger trains going north from Auckland. I was thinking of the future.
                      (For some reason, perhaps because nesting has got too deep, I can’t reply to the post pointing out that the trains only go to Swanson.)

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2.1.2
              26 March 2013 at 8:39 am

              In what way are younger people being burdened?

              That’s what happens when one generation pays for white elephants by borrowing.

          • infused 1.1.1.2.2
            26 March 2013 at 9:46 am

            Yeah, as if cars will disappear. Been hearing that shit for years. Nothings changed.

            It’s like you think suddenly you’re going to wake up and there are going to be no cars on the road. Never, ever, will this happen.

            • felix 1.1.1.2.2.1
              26 March 2013 at 9:51 am

              Who said anything about them disappearing?

              They’re getting more expensive to run and people are using them less and more and more people are giving them up entirely.

              When you say “nothing’s changed” what you really mean is “I haven’t bothered to look at any of the data.”

              • infused …
                26 March 2013 at 10:25 am

                Not enough has changed to stop building roads.

                • felix …
                  26 March 2013 at 11:03 am

                  I’m not sure what you think that means.

                  Do you think it means we’re building more roads than we were at some previous point?

                  Do you think we need more roads? Do you think we’re building enough of them fast enough?

                  Do you think we’ll be able to afford to keep building roads seeing as how they’re made of oil?

                  Or do you think the existence of any road building whatsoever means people aren’t making fewer car trips? (I note that you haven’t disputed that at all btw.)

        • Adrian 1.1.1.3
          26 March 2013 at 8:30 am

          14 new or rebuilt hospitals instigated, Nats have started none ( Chch doesn’t count its earthquake related ). It was Labour that started all of the new roading projects, although surprisingly none of them went anywhere near Ministers holiday homes. Labour had a fund that paid 50% of small community sewerage and new water reticulation schemes, Key scrapped it.

          • BM 1.1.1.3.1
            26 March 2013 at 8:42 am

            That’s really good.
            People like to see that the money they pay in taxes is going into something useful.

            That may be a bit of Labours problem they do rather have a perception of just taxing people and giving to the “more deserving”
            Building hospitals and other bits of infra structure are popular because everyone gets of the benefit of it, not just a favoured few.

            Which is why building roads are so popular, it’s a very visible display and people like that.

          • prism 1.1.1.3.2
            26 March 2013 at 11:10 am

            Could say that Jokeyhen crapped it eh!

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.4
          26 March 2013 at 8:37 am

          Of course they have to borrow money.

          No they don’t, they can print it and thus not pay any interest on it. Makes it so much cheaper.

          I was thinking during the last Labour term did Labour do any infrastructure projects.

          Yes, they did.

          National is currently getting a pile of roads built

          Which cost more than they’re worth.

          • Akldnut 1.1.1.4.1
            26 March 2013 at 9:29 am

            Western Ring Rd
            Auckland Motorways Upgrading
            New Lynn Railway Transport Hub
            Britomart
            Nth Shore Transport Hubs
            Double Lining and electrification and upgrading of Railways and rolling stock.

            Everything they did in Auckland was lessen traffic on the road or speed up the existing traffic flow.

            That would produce more income than lets say a “Road of National Significance” to Snells Beach/Omaha.

        • aj 1.1.1.5
          26 March 2013 at 11:20 am

          WFF would be unnecessary if we weren’t sliding into 3rd world wages

        • TheContrarian 1.1.1.6
          26 March 2013 at 1:09 pm

          Student loans should always be interest free. Education is vitally important an should be open to all at ease.

          • One Tāne Huna 1.1.1.6.1
            26 March 2013 at 1:14 pm

            Education is a cost that would be better socialised in its entirety if you ask me.

            It makes no sense to saddle citizens with debt in this way – interest free or not.

            • felix 1.1.1.6.1.1
              26 March 2013 at 1:29 pm

              Yep. If TheContrarian really thinks education is so vitally important then why punish people with a mortgage at the start of their adult life for taking part in it?

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.6.1.2
              26 March 2013 at 4:03 pm

              Bingo!

              We actually need as many people as possible with higher learning.

              • TheContrarian …
                26 March 2013 at 7:17 pm

                This is an area where we are in complete agreement Draco. Education is of the upmost importance.

                • felix …
                  26 March 2013 at 7:32 pm

                  And while we’re on the subject of education, the word you want there is “utmost” 😉

              • Colonial Viper …
                26 March 2013 at 8:23 pm

                Nope. Most higher learning is a waste of resources from what our society needs today. More graduates and less engagement today in society than ever before.

                • felix …
                  26 March 2013 at 8:33 pm

                  Yeah well we’ve graduated a couple of generations of lawyers and accountants and bugger all engineers. No wonder we’ve got problems.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    26 March 2013 at 9:01 pm

                    I know “kids” whom at 22 have worked full time in forestry or on farms since 15 years of age. Earning up to $40K pa, no student debt, who own their own house.

                    Compare that to some fresh grad struggling to get more than $15/hr in the job market out there. With a $40K student loan and no work experience.

                    • felix …
                      26 March 2013 at 9:06 pm

                      That’s great, I’m glad they had that option. And if they wanted to study and do something else they should have had that option too, without the crippling debt.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      26 March 2013 at 9:26 pm

                      +1

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      27 March 2013 at 12:05 am

                      The market isn’t the best judge of worth. In fact, it’s rather useless at it.

                • TheContrarian …
                  27 March 2013 at 1:11 am

                  That’s complete shit CV. We need more higher learning, not less.
                  We need more doctors, microbiologists, cosmologists, historians, dentists, anthropologists, physicists, geneticists, tree surgeons, palentologists etc etc. maybe we can do without more lawyers but it is stupid to suggest we need less higher education…and you should feel stupid for saying so.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    27 March 2013 at 1:53 am

                    Postgrad quals will ever provide only a tiny fraction of the answers that our society needs. Also, intelligence and a university education frequently do not go together.

                    And as real world systems decline and decomplexify, theoretical and academic abstractions risk becoming increasingly pointless and wasteful luxuries.

          • Roy 1.1.1.6.2
            26 March 2013 at 1:47 pm

            Students should not have to pay anything for a tertiary education.

          • freedom 1.1.1.6.3
            26 March 2013 at 8:08 pm

            Education should be free (imagine struck out text here minus the ‘e s b f’ bit)
            fixed it for you 🙂

            the commenter apologies for the weakness of this tacky gag which was meant to be more visually entertaining, seems strike out isn’t working 🙁

        • MoiMoi 1.1.1.7
          26 March 2013 at 2:21 pm

          Suffering a brain fade? Most of the vital railway and motorway connections in Auckland started under the last Labour government and are being currently brought to completion. It is most likely that the rail loop would’ve been completed by now if it was up to Labour.

        • Squeeze 1.1.1.8
          27 March 2013 at 6:08 pm

          Oh plzzzzzzzzzz tax was fairer, jobs were more secure esp in the Public Sector AND…. THEY LEFT WITH A SURPLUS …I mean really – and you ask????

      • Mary 1.1.2
        26 March 2013 at 12:20 pm

        If we didn’t have a dysfunctional opposition Key wouldn’t find it so easy to sweep calamity after calamity under the carpet. It’s unbelievable the ease at which Key and his mates get away with such outrageous lies.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 1.2
      26 March 2013 at 8:07 am

      Well Key saved the jobs of film workers at taxpayers expense.

      Was he just star struck, or or ordinary kiwis not worth his time and effort.

      • BM 1.2.1
        26 March 2013 at 8:19 am

        I thought you guys were all about government intervention and picking winners.
        Key saw a winner and went for it.

        • Colonial Viper 1.2.1.1
          26 March 2013 at 8:23 am

          Giving tax rebates to a billionaire?

          Yeah you are right, Key saw a winner who was wealthier than he was, and couldn’t help himself.

        • One Tāne Huna 1.2.1.2
          26 March 2013 at 8:44 am

          BM, why people bother engaging with you I’m not sure. Weasel words, straw men, blatant lies, misrepresentations. None of which you ever back up when challenged.

          Up-thread, when you were “thinking” about Labour’s infrastructure projects, and couldn’t remember any, and then had several pointed out to you, was that evidence that you have some sort of brain fade, or memory loss, or just that everything you say is said in bad faith?

          PS: you do realise, I hope, that “picking winners” is a pejorative term.

          • TightyRighty 1.2.1.2.1
            26 March 2013 at 12:49 pm

            Says the person who has never offered an argument in their entire online life. Just criticism, such a “progressive” person you are

            • One Tāne Huna 1.2.1.2.1.1
              26 March 2013 at 1:10 pm

              Do what?

              Some common arguments presented by my anonymous self –

              That NZ should adopt strictly evidence-based policy – I can’t see why this shouldn’t have support from all sides.
              That David Cunliffe would be a better leader of the NZLP than David Shearer.
              That David Shearer will make a better PM than John Key.
              That John Key is bored and doesn’t want the job.
              That free market fundamentalism/neo-liberalism – call it what you will – is destructive of that which it seeks to protect as well as pretty much everything else.

              I can probably go on.

              But right now I’m arguing that BM offers little of substance, and neither does your comment, for that matter.

              • TighyRighty …
                26 March 2013 at 4:06 pm

                Those are opinions (if not mere populist slogans). you’ve never backed any of them up as well as Pete George backs his opinions / slogans up.

                • felix …
                  26 March 2013 at 8:59 pm

                  FFS Uptighty, he’s listing some of the arguments he’s made, not making them here for you.

                  Do you get upset when you open a book and find the contents page? “This book is just a fucking list! There’s fucking nothing in it except titles!”

                • One Tāne Huna …
                  27 March 2013 at 9:44 am

                  Let’s see how few words I can do this in.

                  The first is self evident.
                  The second is based on a comparison of their ability to articulate policy.
                  The third is based on policy.
                  The fourth is based on observations of his behaviour.
                  The fifth is based on multiple threads of independent evidence, including but not limited to that provided by links in previous comments.

                  Pete George is your benchmark? That explains a lot.

                  PS Thanks Felix.

            • One Tāne Huna 1.2.1.2.1.2
              26 March 2013 at 2:01 pm

              PS: Think of me as your friendly quality controller, trying hard to prevent the crap you spout in this forum spewing out of your actual face, in public, where it could embarrass your family and friends.

        • Akldnut 1.2.1.3
          26 March 2013 at 9:35 am

          “I thought you guys were all about government intervention and picking winners.”

          Yep but it’s about everybody being winners – 8.6% tells me Keys not winning for everyone!
          Huge tax cuts to the already exceptionally wealthy tells me who’s winning!

    • vto 1.3
      26 March 2013 at 8:08 am

      National is doing all those things BM. You need to open your eyes.

    • Lightly 1.4
      26 March 2013 at 8:57 am

      sorry, BM, what in that list needs more taxes or an extension of government power?

      Home insulation pays for itself in reduced health costs, government procurement happens anyway – increased costs of using a domestic supplier are recouped by taxes reaped from keeping the money in NZ – tax swaps don’t add to the overall tax burden

    • aj 1.5
      26 March 2013 at 11:24 am

      And the Nats whacked GST from 12.5 – 15% and stole 2.5% of the cash in people’s pocket and banks.

    • Frank Macskasy 1.6
      26 March 2013 at 3:48 pm

      Hmmmm…

      BM, is that the best you can do? Deflect to Labour?

      Whatever happened to the much-vaunted “taking responsibity” that your party (Nat/ACT) espouses?

  2. Tom 2
    26 March 2013 at 8:22 am

    There are heaps of things which need doing in terms of affordable housing and stable water supply in a time of climate change. They have been done before and they can be done again, but they are not things which get tend to get Auckland oligarchs excited. Indeed, they may think it threatens their interests.

    Shearer was reportedly on NZ$0.5mil/year at the UN. At that rate, his interests will converge with the oligarchy as time goes on.

    It is a tragedy to see the wasted talent in opposition, and the possibility that others may leave for points overseas.

  3. Ed 3
    26 March 2013 at 8:23 am

    There is no longer even a pretence at not cutting front line staff – and the strain is showing with the data errors. Key appears to have given up on any promises except making the wealthy wealthier

  4. Draco T Bastard 4
    26 March 2013 at 8:34 am

    And it’s hard to believe that Key really cares.

    Profits are up, CEO pay is up, what’s your problem?

  5. Psycho Milt 5
    26 March 2013 at 8:56 am

    That’s his solution? Cut wages and work rights?

    Well, to be fair, those aren’t his entire solution – he does have tax cuts for the rich on the list as well.

  6. Ennui 6
    26 March 2013 at 9:04 am

    James,

    Some criticism from an employer, and from somebody very aware of the end of economic growth, cheap energy and Ponzi finance….

    Cut wages and work rights? This is where the rubber hits the road, as an employer I cut costs when income and profit get squeezed, workers go out the door, or wages / conditions get slashed. In hard times (like now) business owners look after themselves first OR nobody has a job, crap wages or otherwise.

    Not when a government department, an employer that he controls, is firing people today.
    The government is no different as the tax take goes down, there is no borrowing available to keep public servants behind desks.

    ….get the exchange rate down so our manufacturers can export and our local businesses don’t get kneecapped by cheap imports . Too late for local manufacturers, the capital costs and IP licensing alone of rejigging ourselves back to local manufacturing as opposed to distribution of foreign manufactures would be huge: hard times means capital is short and risk averse.
    …..stop the housing bubble with CGT, LVR, and residency rules to free up capital for business;
    build affordable homes, sell them to families, and create jobs that way;    Good idea but you might want to consider that the banks are sitting on top of this bubble, its sort of chicken and egg as it will burst and take banks balance sheets to hell, or we can pop it and the banace sheets go to hell, end result even more severe recession.
    ….invest in public transport that is, dollar for dollar, several times more jobs intensive than motorways and means we send less of our money overseas to pay for oil and get to keep it here to spend on investment;Fine idea again, the issue is how is this funded as tax tale falls, and the finance sector collapses…..
    ….renew and enhance the home insulation scheme, which has created 2,000 jobs and is about to run out of money
    introduce insulation initiatives for public buildings like schools that saves money in the medium and long term and creates jobs in the short-term; More tax demands… fire a few public servants to insulate houses….
    ….tax pollution so you can reduce tax on companies and income; Companies dont pay tax in this climate, tax is paid on profit….we would do better to get rid of pollution by letting the polluters go bust…in fact taxing them would be good for our health and ecosystem. Less jobs result but really thats going to happen anyway.
    …..back domestic tourism to replace the plummeting international tourism take, which has cost 7,000 jobs in four years; When households have less disposable income, who is going on tour?
    ……create a national investment fund that Kiwis can invest in via their Kiwisaver and use that money to build Kiwi-owned companies that private enterprise can’t get the capital for;Agree, sovereign funds independent of the banking sector. Watch the politiciaqnsd of both sides loots it though for their own vote buying purposes.
    …..make WINZ into a replacement for the shark-like labour hire companies that currently pray on the un- and underemployed and, in doing so, promote insecure work arrangements; i think we should get rid of WINZ altogether as a useless artifact of control over poor labour: they dont create jobs nor do they place people at all well…all they do is hassle beneficiaries. So we need a new benefit distribution model for as long as the tax take holds up….after which we are all shot.
    ……unashamedly favour Kiwi businesses when making government contracts like the new rail rolling stock, the ultrafast broadband cable, the Mighty River website, Novopay, and IRD’s new computer system which all could have been done by Kiwi companies;So wheres the capital coming from again? Why NZ companies, companies demand profit, these are all infrastructure.
    …..and stop firing people from government jobs Howzabout the public service salaries get trimmed, especially at the top. They dont have any risk, so they should not be rewarded as if they do.

    Negative….Cassandra was a realist.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1
      26 March 2013 at 12:43 pm

      stop the housing bubble with CGT, LVR, and residency rules to free up capital for business;
      build affordable homes, sell them to families, and create jobs that way;

      Good idea but you might want to consider that the banks are sitting on top of this bubble, its sort of chicken and egg as it will burst and take banks balance sheets to hell, or we can pop it and the banace sheets go to hell, end result even more severe recession.

      So, in your opinion there’s nothing we can do?

      Well, actually, there is – stop kowtowing to the banksters. The government doesn’t need to borrow.

      So wheres the capital coming from again?

      You mean money and that just needs to be printed.

      Why NZ companies, companies demand profit, these are all infrastructure.

      Because hiring NZ people to up skill NZ is better than paying foreign conglomerates. IMO, the government should have its own IT department developing all software used by the state – they’re certainly big enough to require full time IT staff. They could base the software on OpenSource and make it freely available to everybody and they could also make it so that the whole lot integrates seamlessly.

      Howzabout the public service salaries get trimmed, especially at the top. They dont have any risk, so they should not be rewarded as if they do.

      Agreed, I think all public servant wages/salaries should be capped at $200k – that includes the PM and SOE CEOs.

      • Ennui 6.1.1
        26 March 2013 at 5:09 pm

        Draco,

        I think we disagree about the true nature of money:fractional banking whether public or private to create money (or more precisely) future debt can be done as you suggest.

        Without growth the end result will be the same train wreck we are heading for now. The real issue is how long can we keep putting it off?

        In summary, in the old paradigm where growth was an option I would probably agree with you and James, i now see it very differently as in “games up, all bets off”.

        • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1
          27 March 2013 at 12:11 am

          Without growth the end result will be the same train wreck we are heading for now.

          It’s growth that’s causing the train wreck, Growth in money supply, growth in population, growth industrialisation – we need to get away from it and go to a stable state economy. That means fixing the monetary system so that growth isn’t a requirement and that means getting rid of the debt based, interest bearing monetary system.

    • Rogue Trooper 6.2
      26 March 2013 at 1:08 pm

      a balanced list lessness of disssatisfaction;
      “when the anti-proton was discovered, it sent a wave of ennui through the physics community; not that its discovery was unimportant, just that everyone expected it.”
      “The servants relieved their ennui with gambling and gossip about their masters.”
      -John Barth.

      • Ennui 6.2.1
        26 March 2013 at 5:11 pm

        Such is the fate of us Bored types……we stand below the cliff, listening to the rumours, awaiting the crush of reality to fall.

  7. pollywog 7
    26 March 2013 at 10:38 am

    30 000 ???…pffft

    Just add it onto the 170 000 to make an even 200k hes gonna create.

    Ya gotta have faith!

  8. NZ Groover 8
    26 March 2013 at 11:10 am

    Can you get some of those 30,000 to knock on my door. I’m offering full time employment, no experience necessary and well above minimum wage…..but the response has been poor and of those who have applied most have a terrible attitude towards work. I don’t understand it!?

    p.s. If it wasn’t for the 90 day law I doubt I would be looking to employ. The outcome to a small business like mine of a bad hire would be disasterous.

    • BM 8.1
      26 March 2013 at 11:24 am

      I’ve been reading a lot of stories similar to yours and have seen how hard it is for employers to get good reliable staff.The mind set of the younger people these days seems to be very poor,

      Things I’ve noticed:

      Everything has to be exciting
      No one wants to work particularity hard, always looking for the easy way
      Prone to sulking and won’t listen
      Can’t focus, easily distracted.
      Lack the ability to retain information
      No idea how to behave or what’s acceptable behaviour.

      Makes it tough.

    • clashman 8.2
      26 March 2013 at 12:10 pm

      Where are you located Groover, I’m in the market.

    • McFlock 8.3
      26 March 2013 at 12:15 pm

      what’s the job sector? Might be interested.

    • Poission 8.4
      26 March 2013 at 12:37 pm

      The 90 day rule is a constraint on hiring as often those with trade able skills< and existing tenure will not swap security for insecurity unless the risk is well rewarded.This reduces the pool of available labour.

    • MrSmith 8.5
      26 March 2013 at 6:10 pm

      NZ Groover instead of blaming everyone else when you can’t find what your looking for I find a good look in the Mirror is the best place to start.

      And piss off with the 90 day bullshit, if you can’t find the right employ for the job thats your fault fool.

    • felix 8.6
      26 March 2013 at 7:22 pm

      According to market theory you’re not offering to pay enough.

      When you offer the right amount, you’ll get the right people. Right?

    • Frank Macskasy 8.7
      26 March 2013 at 9:06 pm

      If you’re telling us the truth, “NZ Groover”, and still looking, why not give us your workplace details. I happen to know some folk looking for work.

      That is, if you’re for real.

  9. Steady Course 9
    26 March 2013 at 1:05 pm

    A great list of achievements unashamedly stolen from another blogsite commenter, Just saying:

    The National government has rescued New Zealand from the worst recession in living memory and quietly gone about building a brighter future.

    •After-tax wages up 20 per cent since 2008 – almost twice the inflation rate.
    •In 2012, our economy grew faster than at any time since 2007.
    •New Zealand currently has the lowest inflation rate since 1999 – the everyday cost of living is increasing at its slowest rate in 13 years.
    •Record low interest rates: a family with $200,000 mortgage is $200 a week better off.
    •Households’ disposable income is up by almost a third since 2008.
    •All rates of Superannuation have increased since 2008 – the married rate is up by $194, which is 22 per cent higher than April 2008.
    •65,000 net new jobs in our economy over the past 3 years.
    •Personal income tax cuts across the board have left the average family $25 better off each week.
    •Three-quarters of income earners pay no more than 17.5 per cent tax.
    •New Zealanders are saving more, with positive household savings rates for the first time in a decade.
    •Working for Families payments increased by 5 per cent on 1 April 2012, meaning higher payments for most families.
    •$400 million more for health this year, on top of $1.5 billion for health in the past four years.
    •35,000 more elective operations provided than in 2008, including almost 40,000 more operations for seniors during this time.
    •All patients ready for radiation or chemotherapy treatment receive this within four weeks – the international gold standard.
    •92 per cent of emergency patients are seen, treated, or discharged within six hours –compared with only 80 per cent in 2009.
    •93 per cent of under-two year olds fully immunised – up from just 76 per cent in 2007.
    •More frontline staff in the public health service under National – 1000 extra doctors and 2000 more nurses on the frontline.
    •1,800 doctors, nurses, and midwives signed up to work in hard-to-staff areas and specialities under National’s voluntary bonding scheme.
    •Funding for 56,000 more WellChild visits.
    •Free visits to the doctor anytime of the day or night for 90 per cent of under-sixes.
    •$54 million to boost maternity services to support new parents.
    •PlunketLine fully-funded 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to support new parents – 33,000 additional calls made by parents
    •600 more frontline police.
    •Lowest crime rate in 30 years
    •3000 fewer victims of crime in the past year
    •4000 crime victims getting better support services
    •$50 offender levy is funding 13 support services for victims
    •6000 families protected by police safety orders
    •Tougher sentences for crimes against children.
    •Less stress on victims through extended maximum intervals between parole hearings.
    •Increased search powers for Corrections officers meaning more contraband being confiscated in prison.
    •Since 2008 only 4.8 per cent of prisoners are testing positively for drugs down from 13 per cent.
    •Prison escapes and positive random drug tests are at the lowest ever levels.
    •Over $135 million in cannabis seized by Police in a major crack down on criminals and the proceeds of crime.
    •Over 3000 prisoners in on-the-job training and a 45 per cent rise in educational credits gained by prisoners.
    •Over the past 12 months, our youth justice reforms halved the number of youth needing to be held in secure units.
    •3,144 prisoners in Release to Work programmes, the most ever, helping to reduce reoffending and protect communities.
    •34 per cent increase in ECE funding since 2008.
    •National’s total investment in early childhood education and schooling is $9.6 billion for 2012/13.
    •3500 more ECE places targeted at vulnerable children who are missing out, but would benefit the most.
    •20 hours free Early Childhood Education (ECE) maintained for our youngest and most vulnerable children, and we extended this to cover Play Centres and Kōhanga Reo.
    •Over 1,000 new ECE places for vulnerable children in areas of high need.
    •$7600 paid per child enrolled in ECE – more per child than at any other level of their education.
    •On average, over 70 per cent of kids reached National Standards. Measuring progress in reading, writing, and maths, and reporting results to parents.
    •70 per cent of school leavers achieving NCEA level 2, up from 65 per cent in 2008. Our target is 85 per cent in 2017.
    •410,000 students across New Zealand with access to faster broadband by July 2013.
    •$60 million to help stop bullying in schools through a Positive Behaviour for Learning Action Plan.
    •$18.6 million spent to put nurses into decile 3 secondary schools and specially trained youth workers in selected low decile secondary schools.
    •Three new teen parent units set-up to help young mothers stay engaged in education.
    •2000 more trades training places, through 11 new Trades Acade•12,000 more tertiary places.
    •More investment in engineering, science, and research-led learning in institutions.
    •$20 million in overdue student loans collected so far.
    •97.7 per cent of schools will receive ultra-fast broadband by 2016.
    •99.9 per cent of students will be connected to ultra-fast broadband by 2016
    •Almost 13,000 fees-free youth guarantee places next year, in trades and service academies, and polytechs.
    •Four times as many adult students gaining literacy and numeracy skills.
    .5 billion to help rebuild Christchurch.
    •$1 billion of building work consented in past 6-months in greater Christchurch.
    •25,000 homes repaired by EQC so far.
    •Every Christchurch home now zoned – 181,000 zoned green.
    •Two-thirds of red-zoned property owners settled with the Crown.
    •80% of CBD demolition work completed.
    •Major – and permanent – infrastructure repair projects underway: $2.2 billion to be spent on infrastructure repair works with $73 million spent already.
    •Implemented the $200 million wage support and job loss package to assist 63,000 Cantabrians and their families.
    •$6.8 million to help earthquake-affected Canterbury businesses get back on their feet.
    •$10 million for social service agencies and c•Ensuring New Zealanders are ready with the skills needed for the long-term rebuild through the $42 million, 1500 place Skills for Canterbury programme.
    •$2 million Social Housing Unit funding to provide 25 new housing units for vulnerable people living in Christchurch.
    ounselling support for Cantabrians rebuilding their lives.
    •Over 1,100 families provided with Temporary Accommodation Assistance.
    •Built a new $20 million temporary stadium at the site of Rugby League Park in Addington, giving Cantabrians the chance to enjoy major sporting and music events again.

    Give this track record., why would anyone vote for the collection of losers who claim to be an alternative government?

    • Rogue Trooper 9.1
      26 March 2013 at 1:11 pm

      Wow. that IS some propaganda. 😉

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1
        26 March 2013 at 1:30 pm

        Funny how so many good things have apparently happened yet people are still leaving the country at record rates.

      • KJT 9.1.2
        26 March 2013 at 1:36 pm

        Yeah. Especially as most of the good stuff here was introduced by Clark’s Government. And National are cutting funding for these same programs left right and centre.

        The trades academies being just one example.

    • BM 9.2
      26 March 2013 at 1:28 pm

      It’s incredible what they’ve achieved.
      I wouldn’t be surprised if Key get selected for a Knight hood within the next year or two.
      A well deserved honour.

      • Colonial Viper 9.2.1
        26 March 2013 at 1:31 pm

        When you set your expectations so low and only look up delusional stats, it’s easy to be self-impressed

      • SpaceMonkey 9.2.2
        26 March 2013 at 2:12 pm

        That list is spectacular. Knighthood’s are so yesterday… John Key should be Sainted.

        • lprent 9.2.2.1
          26 March 2013 at 4:00 pm

          I’m not sure that making him a martyr is such a good idea. Those are the two routes right – martyrdom or good works? He certainly won’t get in on good works.

          The amusing thing about that list is that many of the things are inaccurate (for instance having lots of people being made unemployed raises wage rates) and most of the rest are not the result of National doing anything (like the crime rate has been falling for more than a decade because of demographics, or it was something that Labour set in motion).

    • Lightly 9.3
      26 March 2013 at 1:42 pm

      christ. You’re taking credit for the fact that the houses in Chch have been zoned? I should bloody hope so after 2 years.

      Taking credit for growth getting back to 2007 levels? That would be the 2007 when John Key was going around saying ‘we have a growth problem’?

      Taking credit for low interest rates, which English has admitted are a sign of a weak economy? (and aren’t that low in real terms anyway).

      ‘65,000 net new jobs’? lolz. The number of people employed fell by 30,000 in the last year.

      One could go on, looking at your list and selecting a point at random and rebutting but I’ve got a job to do too.

    • Draco T Bastard 9.4
      26 March 2013 at 4:10 pm

      Because everything you listed there is a lie and/or a distortion.

      • freedom 9.4.1
        26 March 2013 at 5:20 pm

        I stopped reading at point one because I was laughing so hard, which was very welcome, as after spending two and a half hours of wasted (unproductive ) time in the Winz office I desperately needed a smile.

        That place has a seriously toxic case of Automaton. The experience today left me with very little to laugh about as I was told ‘oh this is just a seminar on what your jobseeker obligations are, you can’t apply for assistance today, maybe in a week or so but first you must jump though abcd and tell us xyz, ( none of which by the way was explained to me on the phone when i made the appointment, i was told i was going to a meeting to apply as a jobseeker) Oh and the sixty to eighty hour weeks you currently do, including the three very interesting projects that you presented in such detail (and that we can see you have a fulltime commitment to) are not relevant as they are not earning money right now so there is nothing we can do for you. You must follow the policy as it is written. There will be no exceptions. We are sorry you have been made redundant but to get help you must prove every week that you are applying for three to five jobs a day! I live in an agricultural service town where there are maybe three jobs a week, period! And forget about everything that motivates you, or helps others or will produce income as soon as you get the items produced, just be a good little carbon copy, tick the right boxes, fill in the job hunt diary every day so our forms look pretty and we might be able to swing something.

        I was asking for two months assistance, tops, before I can guarantee to be back on Independent St DENIED. anyone surprised? Because i sure wasn’t. Starving and risking eviction to see these projects out is looking a lot more attractive than being flogged by the unbelievably restrictive dogma that has taken over what was already a barely flexible operation. Oh well better lock up the studio and go read my ‘how to staple paper’ manual. grrrrrrrrrrrrr

        • BM 9.4.1.1
          26 March 2013 at 5:40 pm

          That’s how winz works.
          Winz is for the completely helpless and useless, the ones that have never contributed a bean to NZ.
          You may have contributed taxes to the economy for the last 20 years and never taken a bean, but if you ever fall on hard times you’re stiff out of luck, they won’t help you.
          The current system is total horse shit.

          • freedom 9.4.1.1.1
            26 March 2013 at 5:46 pm

            I have had their assistance in the past and was aware of many of the changes, so was fully prepared for the experience to be difficult but wow, just wow, there is nothing left of the genuine service they once tried to offer, the logic gland has been fully extracted and the current regime is quite frightening.

        • Colonial Viper 9.4.1.2
          26 March 2013 at 6:01 pm

          We are sorry you have been made redundant but to get help you must prove every week that you are applying for three to five jobs a day!

          Well this explains the flood of shite inappropriate CVs circulating around.

          • freedom 9.4.1.2.1
            26 March 2013 at 6:12 pm

            i got a big frowny face when i raised that point today CV 🙂

            • Colonial Viper 9.4.1.2.1.1
              27 March 2013 at 12:32 am

              Ahhh yes, must be that people just expect me to blurt this stuff out 😀

          • Draco T Bastard 9.4.1.2.2
            27 March 2013 at 12:19 am

            Yep, it does. Also explains why people are so demotivated. Put that much effort in and get nowhere in a few months you’re going to be depressed and being told by the ignoramuses down at WINZ that you have to keep doing knowing that the job situation’s getting worse isn’t going to help.

            3 to 5 jobs a day – if there was that many available we wouldn’t have any unemployed. Instead there’s 170k and growing.

    • Ad 9.5
      26 March 2013 at 5:09 pm

      Will National stand and be counted on the successful completion of what they promised at the last election?

      – A successful economy
      – A balanced government budget
      – Huge uptake in mining
      – A major financial services hub
      – Public sector debt controlled

      And for me the things that are the most important and have got worse:
      – Long term unemployment worse
      – We are weaker facing shocks to our economy
      – Foreign ownership and local ownership of New Zealand land and companies is worse
      – Highly skilled and highly paid jobs also decreasing as high end manufacturing exits
      – Social deprivation in housing – totally missing in action
      – Housing ownership continually tracking down
      – Child poverty just incredibly bad

      And unlike the Clark era, simply no sense that New Zealand is going anywhere, or has values to believe in and aspire to.

      Sure, I’m frustrated with Labour, but oh good god throw this National lot out.

      • Steady Course 9.5.1
        26 March 2013 at 8:17 pm

        Nationals steady hand has guided us through a whole list of unforseen and unpredictable circumstances. The largest financial meltdown in living memory, multiple earthquakes, psa, rena, finance company collapses, pike river, drought etc etc. Labour cant even sort out there own party for fucks sake!!!!! Only a one eyed idiot would give them a shot at running the country!

        • Frank Macskasy 9.5.1.1
          26 March 2013 at 9:01 pm

          Steady Course…

          “The largest financial meltdown in living memory”…funny how naked neo-liberalism has brought the global economy to it’s knees.

          “Multiple earthquakes”… ok, we’ll let that one slide.

          Oh, no, we won’t. Why has National not implemented a crash-training programme for thousands of unemployed and instead opted for the easier option of importing foreign workers whilst we have 85,000 unemployed youth and 170,000 jobless in this country. In the two years since the earthquakes we could have trained thousands of tradespeople.

          Instead, the Nats have done bugger all.

          Psa… allowed into this country because of short-sighted, cost-cutting policies that’ve resulted in slashing bio-security border controls. PSA, in case you’ve forgotten entered the country in 2010 – with Key as Dear Leader. And you claim that as a National “victory” of some sort?

          “rena” – yes, well, you will get that kind of disaster with an unregulated foreign shipping policy.

          “finance company collapses”… Thankyou, capitalism and the free market for ruining people’s lives. Please sir, may we have another?

          “pike river”… brought on by dismantling the Mines Safety inspectorate in 1991, by the then-Bolger led National government. No mines inspectors led to sloppy or non-existant safety practices and 29 men paid the price for de-regulation.

          “drought”… Feel free to blame droughts on previous Labour governments. I’m sure Key would try it. He blames everyone else for his stuff-ups. http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/dear-leader-key-blames-everyone-else-for-solid-energys-financial-crisis/

    • Murray Olsen 9.6
      26 March 2013 at 7:41 pm

      You include health and specifically the time taken to provide treatment. I know people who cannot get on hospital waiting lists because the hospitals are required to treat them within a certain time. When thet can’t guarantee this, they just refuse to put them on the list.
      I wonder how many of the other items on your list would also not withstand scrutiny?

      • Steady Course 9.6.1
        26 March 2013 at 8:07 pm

        “I know people…….” that old chestnut!

        • Murray Olsen 9.6.1.1
          26 March 2013 at 11:02 pm

          Personally knowing people in the situation I describe is far more reliable than cutting and pasting from a John Key love site.

    • Frank Macskasy 9.7
      26 March 2013 at 8:44 pm

      Steady Course; you should be aware that interst rates are not set by the government of the day. That went out with Muldoonism.

      And interest rates were low in 1999, as they are now, when the economy is not growing. As such, your list is dishonest, to put it mildly.

      For example (again), “Personal income tax cuts across the board have left the average family $25 better off each week.” – is more than offset by the increase in GST, government charges; higher fuel costs (and taxes on fuel); user-pays; etc.

      Like I said. Dishonest.

  10. Richard Down South 10
    26 March 2013 at 3:54 pm

    Dont forget the 170,000 jobs primary industry was predicted to create for the last several budgets by National… oh… wait… /facepalm

  11. Steve (North Shore) 11
    26 March 2013 at 7:21 pm

    “Key loses 30,000 jobs in a single year”

    He already has a job, why would he apply for another one or more?
    Should John Key apply for jobs and get them, only to give them away to those who can not get a job?
    Think about it JH

  12. Noel Ferguson 12
    26 March 2013 at 7:48 pm

    Off the top of my head I would add six things to his ToDo list:

    a) Print some NZ dollars, give them to KiwiBank, and buy back the farmer’s mortgages at lower rates than they can get from the Aussie/UK banks. This would save 28% of our overseas earnings from dairy floating off overseas

    b) Help Fonterra market products, not sell commodities. Instead of selling our milk powder at auctions, market finished food products. We could pull back a 30% margin rather than a 3% margin.

    c) Reinstate Regional Economic Development (as per Jim Anderton). And make sure that the bureaucrats don’t sink it this time.

    d) Reverse the changes to the Local Government Act – put Economic Development and Cultural/Social back into the mix – and forget amalgamations.

    e) Ditch the TPPA so NZ-owned firms have a future and we can retain our sovereignty.

    f) Reverse the Asset Sales program and make electricity supply a utility rather than a fictitious “market”.

    All the above is unlikely of course – banksters are not creators of economies – they are usually leeches on an economy. And for the last few decades business schools and economists seem to have have slavishly followed Friedman, like unthinking silo-dwelling lemmings.

  13. Peter 13
    26 March 2013 at 9:52 pm

    “And it’s hard to believe that Key really cares.”

    He never has cared, but has done an outstanding job convincing people that he does care. A brilliant politician, the best we have ever seen!

    • Murray Olsen 13.1
      26 March 2013 at 11:05 pm

      If we define politician as confidence trickster, I have to agree. Sadly, that seems to be what people settle for these days.

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