Deputy PM Winston Peters has agreed with an assessment that shows a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government's campaign promises. The finance minister is denying it.
I really wish that when commentators say that Labour "bequeathed" a large deficit to National, that they would have the honesty to say that that money was used to keep New Zealanders alive and in jobs during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. They could also mention that our trading partners fared much worse.
Not to mention the deficit as a % is much lower than most major economies if I remember right? And they didn't "bequeath" anything problematic as the economy was booming, unemployment low etc. etc. & they were fully prepared to keep funding the policies the 3-headed govt is axeing without raising taxes on working people, and indeed planned on expanding govt spending to support families, disabled (which were cut today!), Maori Health etc.
Tom Cox writes on Substack : Isn’t it amazing the way life can seem too short, and intrinsically magical, yet at the same time feel like a long, uphill road, potholed with fuckwits?
We really need that ministry of potholes, urgently.
When is someone going to mention the elephant in the room? The decline in the $$ position of this govt is due to their ineptitude at understanding the information publicly provided to all parties before the election, their inability to cost their own policies competently, the incompetence in predicting income streams they wished would materialise but were never going to, plus the fact the general population doesn't trust them, and doesn't agree with what they have done so far & promise/threaten to do in the next 2 years. The former airline CEO seems to be struggling to manage his coalition leaders, let alone the legitimate needs of Aotearoa residents who don't own 6 (7?) homes & have a govt provided house to have the family Christmas gatherings in (presumably rent free?)
I really wish that when commentators say that Labour "bequeathed" a large deficit to National, that they would have the honesty to say that that money was used to keep New Zealanders alive and in jobs during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. They could also mention that our trading partners fared much worse.
Not to mention the deficit as a % is much lower than most major economies if I remember right? And they didn't "bequeath" anything problematic as the economy was booming, unemployment low etc. etc. & they were fully prepared to keep funding the policies the 3-headed govt is axeing without raising taxes on working people, and indeed planned on expanding govt spending to support families, disabled (which were cut today!), Maori Health etc.
Yes indeed. There's often no analysis or context behind these sweeping statements, which are frequently untrue in the first place.
Tom Cox writes on Substack : Isn’t it amazing the way life can seem too short, and intrinsically magical, yet at the same time feel like a long, uphill road, potholed with fuckwits?
We really need that ministry of potholes, urgently.
When is someone going to mention the elephant in the room? The decline in the $$ position of this govt is due to their ineptitude at understanding the information publicly provided to all parties before the election, their inability to cost their own policies competently, the incompetence in predicting income streams they wished would materialise but were never going to, plus the fact the general population doesn't trust them, and doesn't agree with what they have done so far & promise/threaten to do in the next 2 years. The former airline CEO seems to be struggling to manage his coalition leaders, let alone the legitimate needs of Aotearoa residents who don't own 6 (7?) homes & have a govt provided house to have the family Christmas gatherings in (presumably rent free?)