Labour have not said they will pay down debt now. Quite the opposite. Everything they have come out with for this election so far involves borrowing more money.
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Labour have not said they will pay down debt now. Quite the opposite. Everything they have come out with for this election so far involves borrowing more money.
Slimwin, that might be the case in the short term. My argument is that if Labour had been in during the GFC, we'd have seen a quicker return to a budget surplus, for lots of reasons. More dividends from the electricity sector. More tax from the already well-off. More tax from increased numbers employed. Less costs on the dole queue. More true investment in NZ businesses through R&D tax credit incentives, etc.. By now the KiwiBuild housing project would have been started.
National has not given NZ businesses the direction they so sorely needed, post the GFC. Up until recently, the message was 'hunker down, wait it out'. Now it's election year, and suddenly we have a rock-star economy. I don't believe that to be the case, the overall trend figures don't support it, the market has simply bumbled along in its ad-hoc way, and the government has been largely directionless.
Are you saying if we'd had Labour in Government over the last 2 terms, electricity prices would have risen much more, like they did during Clark's 9 years, to allow the generators to pay more dividends for Labour to fund their projects ?
How else would they've received more dividends, bearing in mind that the generators were in 100% Government ownership during the GFC, which we are now out of quicker than most countries !!
iceman
Difficult to determine how history will judge the selling of assets since 1986 inclusive of the latest round. One challenge for the next National government will be how to address the expectations of its more economically purist supporters who I guess are numerous, wealthy and influential.One scenario is as follows:
One wing of the National party will be lobbying hard to bed in further changes as the expectation to be mindful of reelection in 2017 will be lower as under MMP or even first past the post 4 terms is virtually impossible, John Key will be considering exiting politics, and political ambitions within the National party to replace him will be significant . Renconciling these will be challenging to say the least
I see Cunliffe making more sh!t up - this time blaming National for not leading the Whaling court case even though it was Clark how decided not too. Luckily National decided to help out the Ozzies.
Can we believe anything that comes out of his mouth.
I've got a feeling National may be in for a fourth term or more. Labour are weak and the Greens are picking up their losses, and gaining some support which Labour may never regain. Unless something changes drastically Labour will be seen as Labour/Green and they will not be able to campaign on believable and definite policies. Coalition with a minor partner is difficult enough, but with a strong partner they have little hope of making progress. Voters will see that - they are already.
FP
I am not sure , don't forget many were writing Nationals obituary after the 2002 election with only 21% of the vote
Half heard a report on the radio saying Labour in it's last 5 years in office added @ 2.5 billion in new spending( per year?). National has addeded @ 250 mil. So who borrowed all that cash to put us in a hole? lets not left the hole left in ACC as a welcome present to the new govt from l\the last labour govt.
Labour + green = economice sabotage/suicide.
Half heard a report on the radio saying Labour in it's last 5 years in office added @ 2.5 billion in new spending( per year?). National has addeded @ 250 mil. So who borrowed all that cash to put us in a hole? Lets not forget the hole left in ACC as a welcome present to the new govt from the last labour govt.
Labour + green = economice sabotage/suicide.