Polity: News from National Comms!

Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, June 13th, 2014 - 40 comments
Categories: election 2014, housing, national, national/act government, parliamentary spending, privatisation, same old national - Tags: , , , , , ,

Rob Salmond at Polity on what has landed in his mail box paid for by your GST and also close to the wrong side the permissible limits of Parliamentary Services funds. Or perhaps this is something for “NZ Taxpayers Union” to moan about wasting taxpayers money with. They won’t of course because they seem to be good little front organisation for Act and Jordan Williams appears to have about as much independence as their beloved slaves.

I received a copy of “Capital News: Information from National’s Wellington MPs” in my mailbox today. There are some tragicomic gems in here:

Figures show that after Auckland and Canterbury, the largest increase in regional GDP last year was in Wellington. And after Auckland, Wellington makes the second-highest contribution to national GDP.

Translation: “Wellington” is the second largest statistical unit for calculating regional GDP, but it did not grow as fast as Canterbury, which is marginally smaller. Um, good job National?!

National has worked hard to ensure Kiwi families have access to warmer, healthier, and low cost homes. We’re focused on increasing land supply, reducing delays and costs of resource and building consenting, ensuring the timely provision of infrastructure, improving productivity in the construction sector, and bringing down building material costs.

Translation: The number of measurable improvements we have achieved is exactly none.

… That’s why we’re investing a record $2.9 billion through Housing New Zealand (HNZ) to add extra bedrooms to 3,000 houses.

No wonder this is a record investment – it comes to $966,667 per bedroom!

Second, just as informative is what is not here. The 250 word section on “educational success” does not mention national standards once. And not only is asset sales – National’s biggest workstream since 2011 – entirely missing, instead we have a bold claim that National has added $16 billion in state assets. Good luck with that one.

National’s polling must be showing it is hugely vulnerable on the only major thing it actually did this term.

Third, this propaganda is paid for with taxpayer funds, but National is sailing very close to the wind with Parliament’s rules for what it can and cannot say. The rules ban anything that “seeks or discourages support for the casting of a party vote for a particular political party or political parties” [10.1(ii)]. So play judge on this:

In the coming election, we’ll be seeking a mandate to extend the recovery, for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

I’m interested to hear, via comments or email, of others getting this stuff. Know thy self, know thy enemy.

40 comments on “Polity: News from National Comms! ”

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  1. Belladonna 1
    13 June 2014 at 3:16 pm

    I received a letter today also – mine was from John Key. It stated “we are committed to keeping the age of NZ Superannuation at 65, unlike some other political parties”. Silly move Labour, what were you thinking.
    The letter also says how they have invested an extra $110 million for more hip, knee and other elective operations, how they are providing 4 weeks extra paid parental leave and are extending it to more people. More police on the frontline, blah, blah, blah.
    Surely they haven’t sent a letter to every voter in the country.

    • Anne 1.1
      13 June 2014 at 3:45 pm

      “we are committed to keeping the age of NZ Superannuation at 65, unlike some other political parties.

      Six months ago, plenty of us predicted an onslaught by National over Labour’s Super. policy starting three months out from the election. And the closer we get the more frequent and strident it will become. In fact Key’s very last words before he has to shut up (the evening before?) will be “They’re going to diddle you out of your Super. That’s what Labour is going to do..”

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.1
        13 June 2014 at 3:51 pm

        Yep.

        I spoke up at Conference 2013 against it, and wrote a piece on The Standard before Conference slamming the move.

        Seems like caucus thinks it knows better.

        I reckon like you that Labour is going to run straight into the John Key “not on my watch” buzzsaw during the TV debates.

        My estimate – if Labour stick with this ridiculous policy it will cost it 2% of the vote, as well as depressing turn out for the entire Left.

        • poem 1.1.1.1
          13 June 2014 at 4:38 pm

          A 2 year increase over a 20 year period surely is not that big of an ask. And there are exceptions. If a previous national government had not of taken an axe to Labour’s superannuation policy, this 2 year increase wouldn’t be on the cards. Its inevitable that the retirement age is going to increase and at least with labour’s 20 year time frame, it gives plenty of time for adjustment.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1
            13 June 2014 at 7:27 pm

            Its inevitable that the retirement age is going to increase

            No it’s not. In fact, increasing productivity should probably be bringing the retirement age down.

            • poem 1.1.1.1.1.1
              13 June 2014 at 10:24 pm

              Lol so what you are saying is that the retirement age will be reduced due to high unemployment !!

        • Sacha 1.1.1.2
          13 June 2014 at 5:32 pm

          Whoever is handling Labour’s strategy seems to believe that being ‘principled’ will arouse the public to an orgy of voting delight. Clearly need to get out more.

          • poem 1.1.1.2.1
            13 June 2014 at 5:40 pm

            So you think Labour should just do a john key and lie through their teeth? would have thought New zealand was sick and tired of the corruption, the lies and the deceit we have gotten in the last 6 years under national. Integrity and honesty would be a welcome and much needed change.

            • Sacha 1.1.1.2.1.1
              13 June 2014 at 6:59 pm

              I guess we’ll see in September, sadly.

            • Anne 1.1.1.2.1.2
              13 June 2014 at 7:15 pm

              …would have thought New zealand was sick and tired of the corruption, the lies and the deceit we have gotten in the last 6 years under national. Integrity and honesty would be a welcome and much needed change.

              You’d think so wouldn’t you but they haven’t. They don’t follow politics like we do. They don’t know what’s going on and most care less. All they see is John Key who talks like them and who smiles a lot and when he tells them Labour is going to take away their right to a superannuation they believe him. The MSM do their bit by ensuring his political opponents don’t get to tell the other side of the story. And that ain’t going to change.

              Of course Labour is right. We can’t afford NOT to do something otherwise an intolerable burden is placed on the shoulders of our children and grand-children. But when you have an immoral government and a dumbed-down public then you have to approach the problem with shrewdness and care. There are always avenues through which a government can achieve their aim without scaring the horses.

              • Sacha …
                13 June 2014 at 7:25 pm

                “you have to approach the problem with shrewdness and care. There are always avenues through which a government can achieve their aim without scaring the horses.”

                and the incumbents are proof of that. Labour however seem to be stuck in some mythical 18th century morality where losing repeatedly on behalf of people who depend on you is better than winning and changing things.

                Bask in your moral purity, chaps. The poor will festoon you with flowers of gratitude for your sacrifice.

                • Anne …
                  13 June 2014 at 7:28 pm

                  +1 Sacha

                  • Anne …
                    13 June 2014 at 7:49 pm

                    I received a letter from John Key today. After ensuring me the government’s books will be back in surplus next year which will mean more jobs, wages will grow faster than inflation, and the burden of government debt will be reduced for the next generation blah blah (I paraphrase) he leads with the following:

                    We are committed to keeping the age of Superannuation at 65, unlike some other political parties. We are also committed to keeping the married rate of NZ Superannuation at or above 66% of the after-tax wage. Super is affordable and the cost is built into all the Government’s projections. Since 2008, all rates have risen by 28%, compared to inflation of 14%. For a married couple, that means an extra $249 a fortnight.

                    What more needs to be said.

                    • poem …
                      13 June 2014 at 10:52 pm

                      Ahh promises promises that double standards john key likes to make, but always breaks. It sure reads like the usual national party electioneering bullshit doesn’t it.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 June 2014 at 11:10 pm

                      Key will keep the retirement age at 65, and he’ll crucify Labour over it during every TV debate, and rightly so.

                      On this policy, Labour are far to the right of National, and on a par with ACT, who approve of Labour’s move.

                • poem …
                  13 June 2014 at 10:43 pm

                  Its not a matter of taking a moral high ground, its just being practical. Anne was right when she said

                  “The MSM do their bit by ensuring his political opponents don’t get to tell the other side of the story”

                  and its up to labour during the campaign to get their side across. I seriously doubt that its going to be such a “vote loser” for labour like you think it will be and there are, after all, many other issues to consider, and that could very easily, cost national the election.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2.1.3
              13 June 2014 at 7:34 pm

              There’s integrity and honesty and then there’s catering to the rich which is what Labour seem to be doing with their policy of raising the retirement age.

              • poem …
                13 June 2014 at 10:46 pm

                How do work that one out?

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  13 June 2014 at 10:50 pm

                  The only reason to raise the retirement age is to keep taxes low. As there’s no space to raise taxes on the poor due to NZs low wages that means that they’d have to raise them on the rich.

                  • poem …
                    13 June 2014 at 11:00 pm

                    Youre contradicting yourself. Wouldn’t that mean that its keeping the taxes low for EVERYONE. And what’s wrong with the rich paying their share of tax? its certainly a plan of the next labour government to ensure that they do.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 June 2014 at 11:06 pm

                      Labour should raise an extra $500M of taxes p.a. from corporations and the top 5%,, print another $500M p.a., and invest it in order to keep the retirement age at 65.

                      And, there aren’t the jobs out there in the first place for Labour to keep on adding more workers for more years to an already excess labour pool.

                      Anyhows, I believe that raising the retirement age to 67 is the half way step to Labour, or someone else, raising it all the way to 70 years old, like they are doing in the UK.

                      What do these MPs care about raising the retirement age anyway. Most of them have Parliamentary retirement plans and KiwiSaver plans worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They can raise the retirement age for the rest of us and they won’t care.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      13 June 2014 at 11:46 pm

                      Wouldn’t that mean that its keeping the taxes low for EVERYONE.

                      No, it wouldn’t. A tax bracket set at 80% on $250k doesn’t affect those with less income than that.

                      And what’s wrong with the rich paying their share of tax?

                      Nothing. It would, in fact, be rather nice if they did. Unfortunately, they don’t.

                      its certainly a plan of the next labour government to ensure that they do.

                      I haven’t heard of them planning to re-write the entire tax laws or putting in place enough people to enforce them.

      • Lanthanide 1.1.2
        13 June 2014 at 6:17 pm

        There are actually some voters, like me, who will vote in favour of the age going up.

  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    13 June 2014 at 3:24 pm

    No wonder this is a record investment – it comes to $966,667 per bedroom!

    About $930,000 per bedroom will be going to National’s backers. I suppose that they need to get a return on their investment in National.

    So play judge on this:

    In the coming election, we’ll be seeking a mandate to extend the recovery, for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

    I’d say that that is breaking the rules as it is encouraging people to vote for National.

    • Sacha 2.1
      13 June 2014 at 7:30 pm

      I do not see how saying you’re ‘seeking a mandate’ is ‘encouraging’ a vote.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1
        13 June 2014 at 7:37 pm

        Three words, no, the entire sentence – yes.

        • Sacha 2.1.1.1
          13 June 2014 at 10:38 pm

          Needs to be more active than that to be ‘encouraging’.

          • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1.1.1
            13 June 2014 at 10:52 pm

            IMO, It’s active enough.

          • Puddleglum 2.1.1.1.2
            13 June 2014 at 11:23 pm

            So the only words that amount to ‘encouraging’ are to the effect of ‘Vote for me”?

            That’s an extraordinarily simplistic – and literalistic – understanding of how we ‘encourage’ each other towards all sorts of behaviours.

            Is this the level of wisdom our law aspires to?

            Thank God I’m not a lawyer – I couldn’t bear the rank stupidity of such literalism.

            I prefer to try to understand the real foundations of what people do.

  3. Frankie and Benjy Mouse 3
    13 June 2014 at 3:34 pm

    I had a laugh at the picture top right. Clearly the iconic shot of Wellington with the cable car….
    oops how dare the cable car be red, must leave it out as this “information” must all be blue.
    But at least the photo of Mr Key shows him talking to someone with a red tie.

  4. alwyn 4
    13 June 2014 at 6:05 pm

    If that is the best that National can do, and I also received a copy, I don’t like their chances in the election.
    The ones I got from the Labour and Green parties recently were much better. The were thicker, had many more photos and were printed on better quality paper.
    Incidentally all three had that little coat of arms in the bottom corner. Surely all of them are not digging into the taxpayer’s pockets?

  5. irascible 5
    14 June 2014 at 9:38 am

    Apparently, In late May many National Party MPs were busy getting their staff to prepare materials for 6-12 page “newspaper” style newsletters to laud their efforts in their electorates ready to be printed and distributed at taxpayers expense just before the 20th June cut off point.
    Given that its true then expect to see one in your letterbox pretty soon.

  6. Philj 6
    15 June 2014 at 5:38 pm

    xox
    I don’t think we’ll get one in Ohariu! Who is the National candidate? Peter who…..?