The reality is we’re pretty relaxed about fixing Christchurch

For so many of the people in this still-broken city, they feel that this is a journey which they have been left to walk alone. Too often they find themselves fighting against the state, rather than working with them. One gets the impression that for all the visits and photo ops, Key just doesn’t get the situation down here.

Economic recovery despite the Nats

Pundits looking to talk up the economy are hopeful that things will improve in 2011.  National have done more harm than good, but there some encouraging signs too, arising from external factors such as high food prices, and returns on old investments such as NZ Super.  The NZ economy will eventually recover.  Not because of the Nats, but in spite of them.

Savings based recovery nonsense

Bill English is always busy trying to put lipstick on the pig of our moribund economy.  His latest attempt is to argue that we are experiencing a “savings based recovery”.  There’s no such thing.  He’s just making excuses for the fact that people have no money to spend, or are desperately trying to pay down debt in these uncertain times.  Enough with the lipstick.  Enough with the empty promises of jam tomorrow — National are never going to deliver.