A lot of New Zealanders must have given their support to the National Party, John Key and Bill English at the last election because of their perceived abilities with handling financial issues but now it has become obvious that the belief in those politicians was misplaced. Key and English have not lived up to expectations. They've failed to apply their much lauded skills with growing our pile of money and in fact have 'managed' us into a flat-line, not what New Zealanders wanted and certainly not what they expected. If there was to be any measure of success that Key was expected to meet, it was one involving the blossoming of the country's finances. We've all been bitterly disappointed by their performance. It's usual these days to cite the earthquake as the reason for the hopeless performance but the great hope with Key and National was that they'd make the economy hum, no matter what. Well, they've failed to do the simplest of the things expected of them, in fact, they've done worse than even cynical Left-wingers might have expected and it's not funny. Ordinary New Zealanders are not saying, 'oh well, John'll step it up soon, he's just been playing the markets in an extra-clever way that's beyond the understanding of us ordinary folk', they know he's not coping, that English has failed to manage us through difficult times, that they've succumbed to the pressures and failed to 'grow the pie' or 'make the step change'. The suggestion that we will 'catch up with Australia' has long since been consigned to the bin of history and won't be mentioned by Key or English again, ever, so far short of that target have they fallen.
It's all a huge disappointment to all New Zealanders and very, very revealing of the quality of the two National money men.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
34 comments:
We sure are in difficult times.
But one thing is certain, if Mr Cullen was still in charge "difficult" would become 'utterly hopeless'
The sad thing about the last election is that there was no choice but National,
Labour had long rotted from their roots and were hell bent on taking us down in a screaming heap of ideologically driven horse shit.
Shunda - surely your claim that things would be 'utterly hopeless' under Cullen is just speculation and nothing more. As for your other comments - you clearly believe them but they do sound like nothing more than heated opinion.
Certainly I'm no Labour supporter but the situation we find ourselves in now has to be sheeted to Key and English - they've had 3 years! We aren't going to say they haven't had enough opportunity to show their skills at managing the countries finances are we?
I can't see that they're an improvement on Labour at all.
Come on Robert, you know as well as I do what is really going on here, and it is beyond the control of John Key and anyone else.
You know exactly why we are in the position we are in.
I think a better approach would be to exploit the current situation to highlight far more important issues of sustainability.
There are things in motion that can not be stopped, we have consumed ourselves into a very difficult position.
I don't accept for a moment that 'external forces' are to blame for New Zealaand's financial woes - Key and English banked on their abilities with money, promised to step it up and compared themselves favourably with the previous Government but haven't come up with the goods. We find ourselves rock-bottom, down there with Spain and Greece, a couple of PIGs - Key and English have made a hash of it and are now relying on denial and obfuscation to avoid taking responsibility for their lousy management.
Perhaps though Shunda, you could point out some actions Key/English have done that show how capably they have managed our combined monies.
Any discussion on the economy absolutely has to look at the global situation, we are extremely vulnerable to global economic problems.
With recent events here and overseas the situation for NZ is looking very dire indeed.
It is all about how to "crash" the economy now, much like a skilled driver can crash safer than a drunk at the wheel.
Labour were just a pack of drunk drivers, partying all the way, pisssing away an unprecedented opportunity to better prepare the nation for what we are now facing.
They blew it.
Interesting that some political parties are trying to solve the financial problems the Cant.earthquake has caused with a temporary levy...but they don't say how long temporary is though.
They also say that it is a small levy, but if it is small that would mean that it would be affordable for everybody and not just the "rich pricks" who earm over $48,000.-
Doesn't everybody benefit from a quick recovery?
This fantastic dreamed up idea will bring in a gob smacking 230 million per year in his most conservative form, wonder what kind of different that kind of money makes towards a quick recovery... do the maths, with a bill of 10 billion this "temporary" levy has to stay for the next 40 years and in its most daring form for at least 10 years...
Robert, big statements need backing up with hard evidence that any one else from any other party would have made any better go of this utterly hopeless financial position that we face, the reality in NZ is that we are great at growing food and fibre and this will lead us out of the ever decreasing spiral, as long as this is managed sustainably we can only be positive about our future.
Shunda - again, your 'Labour sucks' thread is unsubstantiated rant - nothing wrong with that, if that's the level of comment you want to maintain but there's no substance to your claims - at least you're not providing any.
The Glovbal Situation surely is impacting on every country but ours ought to be doing well despite it, according to the spin employed by National prior to the last election - Key's the wonder boy financial wizz, remember? Our great white hope, sharp as a tack when it comes to financial matters. No, he isn't. He's not been able to do even slightly well under these circumstances. He's planning to sell our energy assets for goodness sakes! That's the thinking of a financial illiterate! Has he developed any successful schemes to lift our financial situation in the 3 years he's had total control over? Nope. If you can describe some, again Shunda, I urge you to present your argument.
Key's not a 'skilled driver' Shunda, though if you can show examples of his ability, please do. If the car is crashing, it's the driver who is responsible. That's what a PM contracts to do, take responsibility. You are apologising for Key - God knows why. Let his record speak for itself. We are teetering on financial disaster here - another recession? Might as well assume that Key=recession. English too.
Tell me why it isn't so Shunda (and leave off the anti-Labour rant - that's old hat.)
Dutchie - the levy has received a lot of cross-party, cross-commenter support. Key dismisses it out of hand because it highlights the foolishness of his tax-cuts-for-the-rich swindle from earlier on and he's never going to admit that was a crock.
As for the proposed cuts, transparent Right-wing ideology writ large and perfectly hidden behind 'the earthquake, the earthquake!'.
This is not good for New Zealand. Good for wealthy New Zealanders, but not good for New Zealand.
Nicko - the 'utterly hopeless financial situation' can be negotiated with greater fairness that this National government is 'managing'. Their actions are not in our best interests. The galling thing is, they were elected on the overt and covert assurance that they could not only handle the situation, but that they would be masters of it. They haven't and clearly, they are not!
I agree with your closing words.
Is it time to become the next state of Australia?
Key would love us to be and we'll have to fight hard to resist the move.
We have enormous reknewable resource here on our own islands - we should look to those that are, store and protect those that aren't and develop an 'industry' that brings us the things we need, no more, no less.
That's wood, not coal. Geothermal, not nuclear.
...to be continued i te apopo.
The wild fruits are still falling, the supermarket skips are still full of tons of edible food, every second human in NZ can still prioritize cigarettes, alcohol and petrol as their three most important purchases, and we can still spend hours upon hours rambling about things that don't actually matter on the internet. We cannot begin to claim to know difficult times!
I just spent 20 mins writing a response and the bloody thing was binned on posting!
Bloody google!!
In summary I said:
Labour sucks (again)
The current govt is the fault of the left sucking.
If the left can't regroup under such circumstances they really suck, really really suck.
Their level of suckness is due to a stubborn refusal to learn the lesson.
Now National is starting to suck.
This whole situation really sucks.
End.
What level economics have you studied Robert? Why do you think a group of people can just come into a situation and make it hummm?
Shunda - that's clarified the whole complex economic situation for me once and for all.
Labour dun it.
End of story.
Bill.
There would be very few blogs in existence if every blogger was required to be and expert in every field he or she commented on. Despite not having a 'Professor of Economics' badge pinned to my chest, I can see as clearly as anyone else, that the situation in New Zealand is not good - we are 'hovering around the zero', stagnant, not growing - owing and yet our present leader had us believe that he was expert at clever money management and creation. Great suit, plenty in his personal bank account, some of that will rub off on us, despite the difficult times, so many New Zealanders thought.
Not any more.
He's a huge disappointment in the very sphere we felt so strongly he'd excel but he's gone phutttt!.
Borrow, borrow, borrow. Raise GST (good grief, Key raised GST within 3 years of gaining power! This is from a man and a government that endlessly repeated the tax cut mantra - the raised a tax and we barely blinked!
Keys 'jobs summit' was a washout or have you some information that I missed? Is there some small pocket of New Zealand somewhere where business is booming as a result of the job summit? Cycle lane? Forgive me for scoffing. Key is supposed to be good at innovation, bright ideas, moving forward, making money. He's a dud. He's come up with nothing of note. His only focus is cut, cut, cut and cut from the people who aint doing so well already. Dutchie grizzles about a levy for the earthquake victims - he needn't worry Key won't do that, that would be picking from the crust, it would look bad. Better to dig out the guts of the loaf from a hole in the back and everyone will think your bread is still sound.
If you can see a way that Key and English have done well in what are difficult times, please tell me. I've asked everyone who's commented here but one have responded because there is nothing to point at. Key's running the place into the ground and now wants to prune out the poor and the weak.
Thats a step-change for ya! Kick those tyres Mr Key (you've no idea how arrogant that image makes you look - no one with any expertise, kicks the tyres - that's for pretenders).
Nick - there's truth in that, but if the dumpsters are over-subscribed there'll be trouble. Hope you're preserving those wild fruits - winter's on its way and they won't hang on the trees for long.
I don't believe you Robert.
I don't for a second think you believe that modern economic thought is the way to forward a sustainable future.
You know as well as I do that the systems of ever increasing resource exploitation are counter productive to a stable sustainable future.
We are bearing the consequences for our rampant greed and the erosion of community.
Both parties are as bad as each other, actually Labour is possibly worse because they have run roughshod over core principals of the Labour movement.
I won't argue with that Shunda - got some suggestions for the way forward? I'd like to hear them.
The 'Farmers' Market' model?
My point (though it's obvious by now) is that I hold no confidence in Key/English to do anything worthwhile in this sphere - perhaps you could send your suggestions straight through to them - goodness knows they need help!
Even better, vote them out, clear the way for some people who do know what they're doing!
I am pleased to say that the National government met my expectations perfectly.
I'm delighted for you Shane and wonder, how great were your expectations?
Out of interest, have you a person in mind, who might lead the particular charge you desire?
Clearly not Key nor Goff.
Ah I didn't mean that comment to attack your blogging! Meant the other 99.9 repeater % of the internet the west clicks through so addictively.
It takes energy to do work. Peak oil therefore means peak economic activity. There is nothing any one, magical "politician" or not, can do about that, bar efficiencies. Key only knows growth, can only manage growth. Ineffective strategies, expired skill set.
Saw that retrospectively Nick - how easily that misinterpreting thing happens.
Yes, you are right.
Efficiencies have to be our best bet then, given the stranglehold the 'growthers' have at the moment (while we wait for the 'new think' to bubble up from the depths).
I do not believe that any government has a role to play in economic development, other that to get out of the way.
When are you dummies gunna learn ?
Take a walk down the road - look at all the fat chicks pushing prams - all on the DPB pulling more $$ than a working man...the social crap introduced by labour has stuffed the nation...then look at the medical "management" wheeling laptops and iphones...with the coalface nurses grinding their guts out...Helen Clark took the prime ministers office staff form about 5 to over 100.....the list goes on
There's a list?
Can I have a copy Pete?
Pretty sure the 'prime minister's office staff' numbers have really exploded under Key - can you comment on that Pete?
Invest in jobs, building rail parts in Dunedin, windmill parts in chch, and so on. We need a strong local economy that gives employment, affordable food and energy etc and reduces emissions and makes our regions more resilient.
I want to see rail jobs and green manufacturing... we need a stronger local economy, and to invest in long term assets. How many jobs would a cook straight tidal energy project create? Why don't we become world leading in some things, rather than selling logs to Japan, coal to China and fast food to our kids.
Look forward to hearing more from others about how New Zealand can create more jobs and clean up its rivers and so on at the same time. Green jobs for 2011! It is time NZ had a vision and a plan.
I look forward to hearing what others want for our nation.
Anonymous - you're asking us to think more deeply than just 'what stuff can we sell'?
Hmmm.. that'll take a sea-change while there's a market for our logs and there's coal in the ground, begging (apparently) to be dug up and shipped out.
I remember Rod Oram encouraging Southlanders to do as you suggest - develop clever products rather than rely on hocking off raw materials - he said 'lactopharmaecutials' - medicines from milk. Hasn't been taken up at all, nor anything like it, though there aere Shadbolt's pigs...
Anonymous said: "I look forward to hearing what others want for our nation."
With all your fantastic green plans, first and foremost I like to hear from you how you think to achieve these plans.
And do this please in a way RG does it, although I'm not always agree with him, far from it, but I have to give the guy credtis for the fact that he more than often has done his research before he blows the green trumpet.
(if you believe this research is an other question ;-))
Green trumpet!
That's a great image Dutchie - I'll tuck that away for the right time.
Anonymous, you aske what we want for this country and I think that we all, no matter which side on the political spectrum we are on, want the same....but Harold Lasswell's words sprung to mind: Politics is who gets what, when, and how.
Post a Comment