Originally Posted by
elZorro
I wonder who wrote that review, MVT?
It looks like someone who had swallowed all of the Crosby-Textor junk that was being pushed around from 2004 onwards. Labour nearly lost the previous election in 2005 after a major swing change occurring from the use of a lot more marketing money by the Nats, and pushing the CT messages constantly.
All through the good years, the Nats were arguing for tax cuts, on message, and then this editor/commenter thinks that the end of the world is near when Dr. Cullen starts to promise just that. Don't forget that Labour built up the tax base quite a bit, by growing the economy properly. They had a lot more good work to do, but were pushed out in 2008.
Of course, we all know what happened when National got in. Excluding the earthquakes and the GFC, National was determined to increase pressure on wages by sacking some of the crown's public sector employees, they borrowed big-time to pay for tax cuts at the top end that weren't necessary or useful to the rest of NZ, and they also assisted the housing market to boom with immigration, while pulling back on SME assistance for R&D.
Put together, this was a damaging set of policies that have ensured NZ treaded water, probably went backwards over the last 9 years. We have some new motorways and some fibre, but we are still exporting commodities. Many of our bigger manufacturers have relocated overseas, or been bought out. Many school leavers are not prepared for work, have low aspirations, and are not finding a useful role in our dull economy.
But MVT, I will completely agree with you on your first preposterous sentence, if you could just show me the budget surplus figures that you've imagined in your head. Labour grew some massive budget surpluses on their watch. How do you think they were able to pay off over $30-$40Bill of old crown debt in the nine years?