Education cuts don’t heal
Remember “Education cuts don’t heal”? That was the rallying cry during the last National government. Looks like we might be needing it again […]
zzero use
budget 2009
John and Bill cost us $7 million in two months
You’ll remember that in the Budget National decided to suspend payments to the Cullen Fund, which is designed to help fund the future […]
OIA confirms: No reason to cut Cullen Fund contributions
Well, we told you so. The Nats lied for weeks that a credit rating downgrade would be imposed on us if we didn’t […]
Nats ignored Treasury’s warnings on cancelling Cullen Fund payments
In the newly released Budget papers Treasury acknowledges that cancelling the Cullen Fund contributions would only reduce debt by 5% (more than offset […]
Tax cuts, one-off payment, or something better?
Budget papers just released reveal that Treasury recommended a package of measures to reduce debt including an 8-year suspension of the Cullen fund […]
Priorities
Noticed this comment in the Dom this morning [offline] about National’s decision to slash funding for night classes in the Budget: Finance Minister […]
Crying wolf?
From The Independent: No lasting harm from airport credit downgrade. Analysts and management of Auckland International Airport are unconcerned at Standard & Poor’s […]
Future shock
Yesterday, my comrade Zetetic wrote that despite all the bad stuff in the Budget there was still a “meta-victory” for the Left because […]
Caption Competition
Quote competition
So, in the light of yesterday’s budget, I propose a quote competition. Post your favourite Nat quotes! We could start with two categories. […]
The battle and the war
It’s a bleak budget alright. No jobs package. That’s scandalous dereliction of duty. The 70,000-100,000 people who will loss their jobs this year […]
The Dishonest Budget
Thanks to a reader, here’s Phil Goff’s speech in reply to the Budget. Looks like they’ve ripped the Herald’s version, so for the […]
No great expectations, but what a bleak house
Listening to Bill English’s budget speech, I was reminded of Dickens’ description of Scrooge: “The cold within him froze his features, nipped his pointed […]
No super contributions = worse net debt
I’ve had a dig into Treasury’s numbers and worked out that they expect the Superannuation Fund will make a 13% return next year, […]
Mission accomplished
John Key famously said “we would love to see wages drop“. It sure didn’t take him long in government to see his ambition achieved. […]
Bleak and bleaker
Treasury’s main forecasts for the economy have worsened significantly since December: Nothing for jobs in the Budget. Tens of thousands more on the […]
The black budget report
This post will be updated by the Standardistas as the details of the Budget come out. If you have special knowledge of a […]
The Debt Bogey Returns
Seems this op-ed was off-message for one of our larger media outlets, we’re happy to run it: _______________________________________ Alan Blinder, Professor of Public […]
Broken promises
National have already broken lots of pre-election promises and policies. Their policy to consult on local government and Auckland has been contemptuously ignored. […]
If everything goes well..
Good politics is meeting or exceeding expectations. Good spin is setting expectations. Key and English have put a lot of effort into setting […]
English and Key uncertain of Budget’s focus
If there was ever a phrase that this Government keeps reminding me of, it’s “couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery”. Today, on […]
Budget previews: the good, the bad, and the ugly
As well as the usual pre-Budget announcements there have been a number of leaks. A quick review: Good Home insulation package: this is […]
What we need in the Budget
We need to keep paying into the Superannuation Fund. Never heard anything so dumb as the idea of stopping making payments right now. […]
Minima
One of the oldest tricks in the book for a government that’s cutting public services is to say ‘we’re not cutting, we’re spending […]
The credit rating bogeyman
It’s pretty clear how Key and English plan to spin their budget. They will use the bogeyman of a credit rating downgrade to […]
Up the Government’s sleeve
National may be talking down the budget, but there have been hints coming out of Wellington that suggest the government will announce a […]
Less firing, more hiring
The Herald reports today that TVNZ fired 90 employees following a letter from Broadcasting Minister Johnathan Coleman demanding that it raise its profitability. […]
When more is less
Colin Espiner writes: “Another thing that’s being clearly signalled is that Labour’s previous spending promises in health and education won’t be honoured in […]
Another one bites the dust
And so another of John Key’s “big ideas” is shown to have been costed by monkeys. Treasury study suggests fibre plan will fall […]
Budget 2009: Why not tax the rich?
With the Government openly preparing the public for spending cuts in the upcoming Budget, No Right Turn reminds us that there are alternatives […]
Don’t fear the reaper
The Government’s response to the recession so far has been to curl up in a ball and hope it will go away. Incredibly, […]
What plan? Government incoherent
Peeking through the OECD policy brief there were some interesting issues when looking at the short-term economic issues over the next few years. […]
NZ’s debt in perspective
Remember when John Key used to say “New Zealand has a growth problem, not a debt problem”? He doesn’t say that anymore, which […]
Mana enhancement
The Maori Party MPs always read from pre-prepared speeches in the House. Here’s one they might like to read on Budget Day: We […]
Mission-On off
If the definition of PC is doing things because they fit an ideology, not because they make sense, then it’s clear National and […]