What lies around the corner?

Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, January 22nd, 2009 - 9 comments
Categories: bill english, economy, roger douglas - Tags:

Under the full warmth of the summer sun those clouds that keep gathering on the horizon seem to have  been quickly dismissed by many, with the hope that the new National-led government will sort it out. What are the signs of action so far? Not a lot of concrete ideas are to be found (as suggested here) but we gain some useful insight in an item from Fran O-Sullivan, who “telegraphs” the current thinking of Bill English:

The PM – who has a clear tendency to chew the fat with confidantes and throw ideas about with those he sparks off – may add to the pressure on his Finance Minister’s plate as the latter tries to protect the tax base and stave off a potential credit ratings downgrade. English laughs: “He’s always got 10 ideas – that’s the trouble with him. Getting on those bloody planes he comes back with 10 different things. I just say we’ll look at that. The occasional one you just say that’s not going to work.

I’m not getting a great sense of a plan ready to swing into action here. We already know English sees himself as  being the one who “grinds away on policy you [Key] float from cloud to cloud”.  It would appear English has been tasked with operationalising the “answers” so that Mr Key can then promote them. But perhaps he should look here for some assistance -remember this comment?

Roger Douglas: “There’s absolutely no way I’m going to sit around and do nothing – I’m going to do heaps. I will do a monthly project, I’ll look at the big issues and I’ll be outspoken – what else would you expect?”

Sir Roger said National “needs some backbone – and that’s what I’m going to do”.

Any bets for when we see some of these ideas come to fruition. Budget 2009 perhaps…

9 comments on “What lies around the corner? ”

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  1. Pascal's bookie 1
    22 January 2009 at 4:48 pm

    Related:

    Any updates on what that money ACT is being given for ‘research’ is all about? Have they been given it yet? Where’s it coming from? Taxpayers? Why the hell is that?

  2. Janet 2
    22 January 2009 at 5:04 pm

    The latest Listener has commentary from Richard Prebble which indicates Roger Douglas is using all the available resources of the parliamentary library getting them to work on his various research projects, and expects to be a key player in this government.

  3. northpaw 3
    22 January 2009 at 5:05 pm

    PB, and Dancer..

    Would depend would it not on the emphasis to the question.. viz lies or the as yet unknown..

    One out of the hat came in today from a guy called Giannini who was responding to credit crisis expertise’s (Prof. Willem Buiter) recent blog in the FT in which the prof made a case for nationalizing the banks.. gimme a click for what he said..

  4. Whero 4
    22 January 2009 at 5:40 pm

    Sir Roger said National “needs some backbone – and that’s what I’m going to do’

    He’s certainly put some bone up the back of New Zealand before. And what a fucking cheek; spouting endless user-pays, trickle-down tripe, private sector primacy and now he’s sucking up taxpayer funded research facilities to try and speed up the transfer of wealth to the rich.

    I suspect its all part of the hidden agenda: get Douglas to stir it all up and English can say: “look, look – see what the really nasty right wing wants to do, but, over here, look at this, we’re going to create labouring jobs on roading projects in the boondocks, keep Kiwis working for foreign-owned banks – and its only going to cost $10 billion which we’re going to get back, with interest, through tolls”. The Goober’s policy vacuum and fiddling around provides Douglas with just the opportunity to set some bush fires.

    In the meantime, the Goober’s gotta fly off to the Pacific Islands for a conference, unlike the primary health care workers who can’t even have a conference, let alone fly first class.

    These next three years will be dire.

  5. Pascal's bookie 5
    22 January 2009 at 5:43 pm

    northpaw, nice. Strange things are afoot at the FT. This column writer makes a bold suggestion to conclude with

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a35c925c-e65f-11dd-8e4f-0000779fd2ac.html

    normally I’d be opposed to such, but I’ve become aware over these last years of certain arguments with regard to eggs re omelets, and certain types of people only understanding one thing, which forces our hand as it were…

  6. Monty 6
    22 January 2009 at 6:00 pm

    I just prey the Nats do Listen to Roger. He saved the country once after years of socialism brought the country to their kness. Hopefully he will do the same again.

    I know that is the nightmare for the left – but that is what NZ needs right now.

    [lprent: was the ‘prey’ deliberate? I agree that de Nats would be prey if they are daft enough to listen to roger….]

  7. Robinsod 7
    22 January 2009 at 6:08 pm

    Monty – you’re a retard. Fuck off.

  8. Whero 8
    22 January 2009 at 6:24 pm

    Some egg said:

    ” . . . I just prey the Nats do Listen to Roger . . .”

    Is that a typo or a Freudian slip?

  9. Lew 9
    22 January 2009 at 9:20 pm

    Interesting question of political strategy.

    There are many in National’s support base who would dearly love to see a return to spare the Rod-gernomics – but it would very likely mean the Key government would be a one-termer since nobody (not even Roger) believes that the supposed benefits of his ideology would come to fruition within such a short timeframe as an electoral period. Cruel-to-be-kind, no-pain-no-gain, darkest-before-the-dawn policy programmes don’t work that way.

    People who genuinely believe in the power of Rogernomics, however, will argue that this is a fair tradeoff – because, if last time is anything to go by, an incoming government would be reluctant (or unable) to repeal or reverse any of the measures.

    L