Vernon Small on Key’s fiscal Tardis

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, May 19th, 2016 - 21 comments
Categories: budget 2016, economy, john key, spin - Tags: , , ,

Oh how I wish I had penned this line! Vernon Small writes:

Key is concocting big tax cuts, lower debt and more spending in his fiscal Tardis

Boy, these new banknotes are really something aren’t they?

Only this week Prime Minister John Key managed to spend one, save it and outline a plan to give it back to taxpayers all at the same time.

Perfect – give that man a jelly baby!

But back to this week’s back flip-cum-mobius-strip on tax and the Budget. The start was tranquil enough, though slightly surprising. Finance Minister Bill English announced … Tax cuts, though not technically “off the table”, were on the back burner and no specific provision had been made for them.
…
Key stepped into his fiscal Tardis and taraah! National might still announce a tax cut next year – or campaign on one – for 2018 that would be not $1.5b but $3b.

Key’s view was there were only really three options for National. 1) Cut taxes, 2) promise to cut taxes or 3) promise not to cut taxes. For the National Party the third choice was philosophically poison.

Fair enough on the political level, but to quote John Key from the 2008 election campaign, “show me the money”. …

I’m going to disagree on that last line though. It’s only “fair enough on the political level” if you accept that politics is a game of lies. It shouldn’t be. This kind of fiscal nonsense should be political death, and its up to the media to make it so. Here, if it helps, just imagine it was Labour spouting this inconsistent nonsense. Go!

21 comments on “Vernon Small on Key’s fiscal Tardis ”

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  1. dukeofurl 1
    19 May 2016 at 10:46 am

    With Key as the new Dr BooHoo, with the nonsense he says in public here, cant imagine what he says behind closed doors when talking to international leaders.

    • grumpystilskin 1.1
      19 May 2016 at 10:53 am

      Thats easy, look at his track record. It appears Mr Key will say whatever you want to hear then deny all knowledge when confronted with the realities of said broken promises. Not a good look (or maybe it is?) for someone who considers himself a leader and whose next step is the international stage.

    • TC 1.2
      19 May 2016 at 12:18 pm

      Dont think the IDU release meeting minutes

      • seeker 1.2.1
        19 May 2016 at 2:20 pm

        I bet the IDU couldn’t believe their luck being able to get such a stellar snakeoil salesman as key to chair them.

        http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/john-key-chairs-international-democratic-union-2014112207#axzz493xTH9wg

        Here is a theme song showing the gruesome characteristics and m.o. that key has for this ‘prestigious’ position:

        • Ffloyd 1.2.1.1
          19 May 2016 at 6:21 pm

          Where did you find this video? Would like to share on my FB.

          • seeker 1.2.1.1.1
            19 May 2016 at 8:01 pm

            Ffloyd@6.21pm
            Fiirst saw it on stuff I think when they were reporting on ‘planet key’ song being cleared for use.
            Now I can just enter ‘I don’t recall john key’ on youtube and up it comes.
            Am looking forward to the day when I can say ‘ I don’t recall john key as he’s gone and I don’t choose to’

            • Ffloyd 1.2.1.1.1.1
              19 May 2016 at 8:19 pm

              Seeker. Thanks for that. Will try and share. Sometimes I find that it won’t share for some reason. Agree, would be nice if he was a long distant unpleasant memory. “John Key, John Key, now who was he again?

              • seeker …
                19 May 2016 at 9:09 pm

                “Now who was he again? ” I just cannot recall Floyd.
                Oh the joy of being able to give that reply to that question, as he is so far in the past, and with any luck and good leadership we will have made good headway in repairing the damage he and his clonies have wrought on New Zealand.
                Good luck with the clip sharing…… it is a good one.

        • Mosa 1.2.1.2
          20 May 2016 at 5:34 pm

          Brilliant video.
          Would be great if it could go mainstream -unedited!

  2. Enough is Enough 2
    19 May 2016 at 11:18 am

    Roy Morgan out tomorrow and I am predicting the Nats will have dropped below 40%.

    The electorate wants more public spending. We do not want tax cuts. And I think tomorrow’s poll will make that very clear.

    This nod and wink to his rich supporters is going to be the straw that broke the rich prick’s back. His support will erode with all this talk of tax cuts

    • dukeofurl 2.1
      19 May 2016 at 12:23 pm

      It seems clear that labour and greens have steeped up their media profile to that which only used to be done in the election year.
      Policies and scandals used to be saved for election campaign , not anymore.
      Its no longer enough just to put and a PR that opposed something and call for an enquirey. They need a micro story every day. And bigger campaigns will run with micro stories over weeks.
      This is far better way to show Key out of touch, when it comes to housing and homeless, than trying to chase him up the rat hole of tax evaders and foreign trusts.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1
        19 May 2016 at 3:07 pm

        Policies and scandals used to be saved for election campaign , not anymore.

        Campaigning is pretty much permanent now. It’s why the last government moved the campaign time to the 1st of January of election year and why National then changed it back.

        • dukeofurl 2.1.1.1
          19 May 2016 at 3:15 pm

          What on earth are talking about: last government moved campaign time to 1st January… national changed it back?

          • Enough is Enough 2.1.1.1.1
            19 May 2016 at 4:04 pm

            Parties are restricted by how much they can spend during an election campaign.

            The restricted period is three months before the election.

            Labour extended that period from 1 January in election year until the election day

            National reversed that to the three month period.

    • Peter 2.2
      19 May 2016 at 5:24 pm

      Key’s rating will only drop significantly when people believe there is a better alternative. His PR machine has been very successful in creating the illusion that there is no viable alternative.

    • Mosa 2.3
      20 May 2016 at 5:39 pm

      No they will go up!
      The polls are fixed and biased in favour of the National party.
      Labour will be down placing Little under pressure and how they aren’t preforming.
      Just another diversion away from Keys failures.

  3. linda 3
    19 May 2016 at 12:31 pm

    Key would have to turn on the printing press it come to that”as the nz economy is economy built on ever increasing debt

  4. seeker 4
    19 May 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Wasn’t ‘show me the money’ the 2011 election campaign?

  5. Johan 5
    19 May 2016 at 3:48 pm

    If you can see John Key’s lips moving then you know he is lying!

  6. Nic the NZer 6
    19 May 2016 at 6:38 pm

    Well done Vernon in identifying that the govt of NZ spends at will! Message to Anthony Robins its not lies. If the National govt passes a tax cut and a spending increase at once it will simply happen. Faf all international money lenders can do to prevent it (thank goodness the country is not beholden to them). Thats how it works in a country which floats its currency and issues its own currency. The only restriction on spending is ‘political will’ and or the amount of inflation resulting (which in NZ is unacceptably low at present).

    Long past time Labour learned this and explained it to constituants which obviously frees up additional funds for them to spend.