Comments on: Nats all in a tizzy

By: richard_p_auckland

richard_p_auckland — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:42:42 +0000

Is “wet” currently:
- Favouring an excessive deficit so as to cause an interest rate rise, boost unemployment and hence bring down wages.
- Pretending to favour an excessive deficit to win an election, then failing to cut taxes due to a “black hole” conveniently found in the previous governments finances.
- Favouring a tight fiscal policy. (This was traditionally “dry” but might be now “wet”).

By: petermck

petermck — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:13:06 +0000

As said earlier - a non-event - the real issue (and it’s gets that crap off the news) is the corruption shown by the labour party in their election spending - $400,000 more than they were allowed to, 17% over budget.. Labour and any party that supports them now has no mandate and no credibility. Oh I hope this has legs to carry on - I can hardly wait until next week - as Labour try and shut this down.

This goes to prove their arrogance, disregard for the law, corruption. They have no excuse. I would expect the greens to Join National in slamming this dishonest labour party.

By: Craig Ranapia

Craig Ranapia — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:46:56 +0000

Jerry:

Really? I wish the left-spinmeisters would make up their mind (note use of the singular). Is John Key the illegitimate child of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman or so unsound it’s a miracle he hasn’t yet been sacrificed to Moloch before a cacus meeting?

By: icehawk

icehawk — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 20:28:57 +0000

Jerry,

Not sure about Keys welfare policy. He’s an ex-currency dealer who’s stayed very focussed on his financial portfolio, so I’ve found it hard to tell what he really thinks about anything else. If he’s made comments on welfare I’d be interested to know abuot them.

Though I do remember Keys wrap-up summary of National’s policy in the party-financial-spokesperson debate on National Radio - loosely paraphrased it was “We’re not the Greens, ooh, they’re scary”. Which really did seem to be most of National’s finance policy last election - cut taxes and demonize the Greens.

On the deficit he’s oddly wet. But the devil lies in the details, and on details like the Reserve Bank’s attempts to bring the NZ Bank’s IT depts back into NZ he’s said nothing. Nor is it clear whether, for example, Keys supports or opposes Bollards desire to give the Reserve Bank more options to deal with currency changes.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 01:14:35 +0000

I think there’s more to it. Key and Brash are the hard right of the National Party in terms of economic policy and welfare policy (not so much in terms of other social policy eg prositution). They want to restart the new right revolution of the 80s and 90s. Most of the potential replacements to those two are likely to be better.

By: petermck

petermck — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:14:49 +0000

this story is such a beat up - somewhat to be expected because of the lack of real news and because the socialists love the diversion from the real issues - ie the faltering economy - go and get a life.

Please advise when keith Locke is to be appointed Co-leader of the greens - oh please make this happen - it would make my day.

the other point here is that at least National have very good and competant people available when such a day comes - unlike the Labour party - who have they got - so thin on the ground there.

By: frogmaster

frogmaster — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 11:07:14 +0000

link fixed, thanks exquire

By: Craig Ranapia

Craig Ranapia — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 10:15:54 +0000

Ah, Frog, I was really hoping you’d leave the Labour Party and the ‘have you stopped beating your wife yet?’ wing of the Press Gallery to make fools of themselves.

BTW, how is the whole appointment of a co-leader and the campaign review going? I’ve heard not all is well…

By: Exquire

Exquire — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 09:03:40 +0000

(Link broken…)

By: phil u.

phil u. — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 08:43:01 +0000

brash will be ok for a while for a variety of reasons…

perhaps the strongest of which is that the nats need a body to nurse the party through the upcoming internicine warfare between their left and right wings…

‘cos the nats are a broad church..from the wild-eyed fanatic actites on the right to the old school nats…those of rob’s mob that didn’t leave and go to their new natural home..new zealand first…..(let’s call them nats with a social concience..shall we…y’know..those ones that don’t necessarily think widows and orphans should be driven into the gutter…and don’t necessarily want to strip-mine every national park…)

the right has been in supremacy for some time now….and the moderates reckon it’s time they had another go..(and they have strong arguments..the party has to move back to the centre to tear the crown from clark…)

once that internicine warfare thingy gets sorted…it’ll be a different story…’cos whoever is victorious…will be wanting dons’ job…then it’ll be ‘goodnight nurse…’

and anyway…brownlee will be the first to be rolled…

(he’ll be dons’ canary in the mine..tee-hee..)

phil(whoar.co.nz)

btw..haven’t the nats been busy…?..sorting out those things that cobbled them last time out..?

namely ..relationship with the maori party back on course..

and hey..word up greens..!…

all national will have to offer is to revisit in some way the foreshore and seabed legislation..and they will be halfway to a coalition deal with the maori party..eh..?

and then today….the nuke issue has been put to bed for the forseeable future..

certainties come..and certainties go..eh..?

ya gotta roll with the times..eh..?..’cos they’s a changing…..