Quote competition
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1:15 pm, May 29th, 2009 - 19 comments
Categories: budget 2009, spin, tax -
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So, in the light of yesterday’s budget, I propose a quote competition. Post your favourite Nat quotes! We could start with two categories. First, foolish tax cut promises. Here’s some starters:
Key, quoted here: “Under National, personal tax cuts are a priority. New Zealanders will be able to believe in our tax cuts, they will be able to trust our tax cuts”
English, quoted here:. “National has structured its credible economic package to take account of the changing international climate. Our tax cut programme will not require any additional borrowing.”
“National will not be going back on any of those promises, as we fully costed and funded them.“
The second category is inspired by my favourite post election comment, this outstanding example of bare faced gall!
Key, quoted here: “And they’re [Labour are] scaremongering, that’s the worst kind of opposition.”
Why not help National out here with some examples of their own outrageous pre-election scare mongering…
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Rodney Times, 11 Feb 2003
New Zealand should support its allies first and the United Nations second, says National MP John Key. “Any relationship with the United States or Britain has to take precedence over the United Nations.” He would be prepared to commit any support requested by the United States for a war against Iraq, including SAS and combat troops. “New Zealand should be prepared to fight for the values it believes in.”
“That baby would be lovely with a little Chianti and fava beans.”
John Key as quoted at The Standard.
At the very least, National can blame the markedly worse economic environment and at least retain some credibility.
Labour’s flip flop on the EFA fails on any similar test.
Or to compare apples with apples, Labour is in the great position of being able to criticise National for flip flops without having to make similar tough decisions. It’s admittedly conjecture, but I wonder how set in stone Labour’s own tax cuts were?
Fair comment Daveski, although I believe Michael Cullen would not have lost any sleep over cancelling tax cuts. And I agree with that.
In fact, I don’t believe the April tax cuts this year would have gone ahead if Michael Cullen was still Minister of Finance.
Yep agree with you too. I suspect flip flops in the current economic environment will be tolerated by the wider electorate which was the point I was trying to make.
Probably because under Labour’s tax policy there WERE no tax cuts due this April? They moved them forwards to last October.
John Key on Waatea this morning ” I would have attended the hikoi but I had to attend a cabinet meeting instead”
Pretty sure he was not saying that last Monday morning.
Actually he dismissed them completely and made them out to be a few dissidants that woudl not effect the outcome.
Would be nice to see them backpedal on this.
One more bullet in the chamber.
I was in queen street when it was on and it was just awesome. Witnessing democracy in action. A shame it was not more often. 🙂
I thought GF was joking!
He would have gone if he could? And do what exactly? I mean, apart from being a target for bricks and bottles what on earth would he have achieved by attending?
Honestly, I thought I couldn’t be any more embarrassed by our PM but somehow he manages to stoop to new lows time and time again.
It is surely not that they (Nact) canned the taxcuts. It is that they were so definite about them being rock solid even though the clear warnings were there before the election! Someone in Nact is pretty clever at strategy! They knew then, but planned the risk of upsetting the public against the excuse of economic downturn! They won that round!
Nats win, the country as a whole loses. Good grief.
Only a minority follow politics closely and analyse the merits of a broken promise.
To the wider public, it’s just “Typical bloody politicians”. And that’s very negative for National because Key’s big selling point is that he isn’t just another lying pollie. He’s a breath of fresh air, he’s the man with integrity, he’s … oops, just another pollie.
Remember “No ifs, no buts, no maybes”? The experts said Bolger had no choice. But the public didn’t.
“We would love to see wages drop”
“NZ has a growth problem, not a debt problem.”
Prime Minister John Key has a new nickname for Mr Goff – “whack it on the bill Phil’ – and for Labour, “the credit card Opposition’.
“Whack it on the bill Phil would have seen us run up a quarter of a trillion of dollars of debt by 2023.’ Nice one Phil
I’m personally still stuck on the beauty of “we believe in the power of tax cuts”.
Sorry John, running the country ain’t Yu-Gi-Oh.
How about ” National believes in democracy, transparency and consultation.”
Where is that when it comes to trampling on rate payers in Auckland or driving a road through Mt Albert?
“JOHN KEY did that …. JOHN KEY did this…. JOHN KEY… made this decision”
-The average member of national
No specific quote, but the great John Key Evasion Tactic: “Look, what I can tell you is …”