Posts Tagged ‘Budget’

Thank you Metiria.

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, April 25th, 2018 - 94 comments

Some movement on social security (a thing we all deserve)

Fabian seminar tonight: What would a people’s Budget look like?

Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, June 14th, 2017 - 5 comments

Something to check out if you are in Auckland tonight, the CTU’s Bill Rosenberg discusses the budget. He will “examine the Government’s priorities and look at what needs to be done”.

Silencing scientists integral to National’s anti-science DNA

Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, May 11th, 2016 - 40 comments

“It’s gone too far. The spin and message control has got stronger. They are less willing to put scientists out there to talk to the public because of the inability to control the message” – Shaun Hendy.

Key’s surplus excuses

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, April 14th, 2015 - 69 comments

Apparently this budget surplus that the Nats have been going on about for the last 6 years is an “artificial” target that is “like trying to land a 747 on a pin head”.

NRT: The biggest failed state on the planet

Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, October 2nd, 2013 - 22 comments

As I write this, the US Congress is in the final minutes of running out the clock before shutting down the federal government. From midnight, budgetary authority will expire, and the government will not be able to spend any money. Except, of course, on waging war – no matter what happens, the US War On Us will continue regardless.

Time for Nats to front up over lost dividends

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, November 5th, 2011 - 69 comments

Labour’s fiscal strategy takes National’s projections and adds or subtracts money for its policies. The clever thing is they alter the Nats’ projections to remove all the dividend revenue from assets they want to sell. How much is taken off National doesn’t affect if Labour gets back to surplus in 2014 – but it makes National’s projections more accurate. The Nats are complaining.

British austerity budget

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, June 24th, 2010 - 28 comments

The first budget from the new Tory-LibDem government is a shocker, with massive austerity cuts and a rise in VAT to 20%. This is the bill for the £850 billion bail out of big banks coming home to roost.

Bleak and bleaker

Written By: - Date published: 3:47 pm, May 28th, 2009 - 12 comments

Treasury’s main forecasts for the economy have worsened significantly since December: Nothing for jobs in the Budget. Tens of thousands more on the dole. We need better than this. – Marty G

The black budget report

Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, May 28th, 2009 - 48 comments

This post will be updated by the Standardistas as the details of the Budget come out. If you have special knowledge of a field and spot something that we (and the mainstream media) are likely to miss, drop us a line at thestandardnz@gmail.com and we’ll put it up. — [2:17] Contributions to the Superannuation Fund […]

What we need in the Budget

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, May 27th, 2009 - 81 comments

We need to keep paying into the Superannuation Fund. Never heard anything so dumb as the idea of stopping making payments right now. Invest now and make a tidy sum to pay for super in the future. If we don’t we’ll have to put up taxes in the future or cut super. I’m looking forward […]

Even Granny’s patience can wear thin

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, May 26th, 2008 - 42 comments

With a loving smack that would have brought a smile to Bob McCoskrie’s face, the Herald‘s editorial today rebukes John Key in the strongest terms it can. Now that the Budget is behind us, the National Party has less excuse for indecision on most of the important economic issues facing the country at the coming […]

“As slippery as a snake in wet grass”

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, May 23rd, 2008 - 61 comments

John Campbell interviews John Key on the budget, refusing to let him get away with merely repeating his focus-grouped lines. At about the 3 minute mark Campbell challenges Key’s evasiveness directly: “I think you are as slippery as a snake in wet grass”. It’s not just the media that are starting to get frustrated with […]

Commentators on the Budget

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, May 22nd, 2008 - 36 comments

From John Armstrong in The Herald: Is it enough? Michael Cullen has given it his best shot. He has been about as generous as he could be. He and his Labour colleagues will not die wondering what might have been had the Finance minister’s tax cuts been bolder. He could not have been bolder without […]

Cullen rules out tax-free bracket, GST cut

Written By: - Date published: 11:24 am, May 8th, 2008 - 20 comments

It’s disappointing that Michael Cullen has ruled out both a tax-free bracket and a GST cut in his tax cut package to be announced at the Budget (not least of all because it means he clearly isn’t taking policy advice from The Standard). His reasoning is odd on both points. The tax-free bracket is rejected […]