On Sunday 24th March Simeon Brown told Jack Tame that we could save 15 seconds of productivity in a twenty minute drive past schools ... if we raise the speed limit next to them, and Simeon saw absolutely no downsides to that notion?
Simeon also deflected dozens of times to "there was a range of cost estimates" when on average his range was $16 Billion below the actual costs of his Transport Budget.
This blatant heavy handed spin and evasion came across very badly. It was just insulting.
The extent of this pre election wrongness by the National Party inspired one G News reader to write that the Nats had flipped out about a one billion dollar blowout over the Cook Strait Ferries while they get their Transport Policy wrong by $16 Billion?
"...people still think these clowns are the best economic managers?"
Simeon Brown also confirmed that Council Owned Organisations will not be underwritten by the Government - which means they will be downgraded by credit agencies and the cost of borrowing will be greater and the whole National Party water infrastructure scheme is very dodgy and variable across the country - and only one thing is certain...
Massive Rates Increases are coming ...thanks to National.
Chris Hipkins delivered his first speech since becoming the leader of the opposition and this resonated strongly.
The timing was right.
Chippy said that paying nurses and teachers properly was not wasteful spending, neither was supporting carers of the disabled properly. Clearly a rising tide did not float all boats, many had to bail and some sank. ( Neoliberal myths be-dunked )
While National were prioritising the economic interests of landlords, Chippy said we are more reliant on income tax in New Zealand compared with other countries we compare ourselves with.
He said all options were back on the table ( eg. Capital Gains tax etc ) and by 2026 Labour would be better prepared than any opposition in NZ History.
Audrey Young said Chippy had done a good job of this although she thought the vibe was lukewarm about his leadership.
Snarking on the right about taxes and the last six years was "rounded up" by Bryce Edwards who tried to undermine trust in Grant and Chippy without once mentioning Winston's name ( the handbrake between 2017 - 2020 ) , or going into the details of the term by term context.
Crash Coutts threw a tantrum and stomped off threatening to never return with Sail GP - which was fine by many of us.
Christopher Luxon was like we have "too much red tape, and an obstruction economy" - which translated to Luxon is in favour of Dolphin steak caused by Sail GP accidents, especially the smashing of baby dolphins, if it makes us money.
It's worth noting that Sir Russell Coutts' 2024 SailGP event in Christchurch received $2m from the government and an organisation part-funded by ratepayers. It's also worth noting he signed up to the terms of the contract he sailed in.
National tried to change the topic from their woeful tax cuts and diabolical cruelty over disabilities with a dead cat policy - the late ECE Family Boost on Monday.
Predictably National messed that up too - and the numbers were about 200 Million wrong because Willis was too lazy to consult IRD.
IRD now has to hire new staff to do 7 Million more invoices per year - just so this badly thought out policy can be forced through.
Parents have to keep all their invoices and submit them every three months - and there's no incentive for ECE Providers to let that money pass through without raising their prices.
That's pretty ugly policy making - and Luxon tried to direct questions away from these matters and get the heck out of dodge.
Craig Renney published how National's tax cuts were costed at $8.9 Billion last year but are already more like $9.4 Billion which was another $500 Million hole ( $800 Million if you add in population changes ).
Taking all the "overs and unders" into account Nicola Willis was still short by $3.8 Billion said Renney.
Wow Willis is in so much trouble.
A hate crime was committed in Gisborne by Destiny Church as they painted over a rainbow crossing and there was a clash between rival protest groups.
Many people said - stop the hate.. no more white paint of hate.
Oliver Sean Plunket apologised for his shockingly disgraceful remarks made about children with Down's Syndrome and Maui Dolphins - and there were outraged calls for the Wright family to shut this pestilent mofo down.
Chris Hipkins delivered refreshing interviews on his Wednesday morning media rounds because he answered questions directly and concisely in - stark contrast to the evasive word salads of the Prime minister.
Word salads that even the media must be sick of hearing by now.
There was a public naming and shaming of China by Luxon after attribution was made for cyber interference in August 2021 - and of course China said it was all baseless.
The United Nations called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the US abstained so Israel was more isolated and back home Erica refused to issue Visas to Gaza - while Chippy led urgent debate speeches in Parliament and Luxon fled the scene.
Jonathan Boston published an excellent article in Newsroom about why "Zombie ideas" that are proven not to work persist - while "ghost ideas" that probably will work never make it into law.
The failed ideas of neoliberalism ( trickledown, boot camps, austerity ) and those recommended by the Atlas Network here ( let the ETS do it all ) - were mentioned and the powerful interests who loomed large behind Zombie Ideas were pointed at.
Nicola Willis botched up her Budget Policy Statement badly - by failing to name a number for this year's budget allowance and this was a big fail.
Labour's Barbara Edmonds could not recall such an epic fail - being made in all her time in the public service - as she suggested the only reason - was there was no agreement in cabinet over the numbers - was because a negotiation was still underway - and she urged National just to give Winston what he wants.
Notably Winston's still waiting on $1.3 Billion in regional pork barrel bribes...imagine if they were fighting over that? Horse trading taxes and which policies get to go into the next Q2 list etc...scratching each other's eyes out, ...and playing the usual game of clowns in the media.
Worse Willis was strongly pushing out the surplus to 2028 at the expense of these unaffordable tax cuts - and this came under scathing criticism from numerous economists.
Westpac reckoned Willis will need to borrow $15 Billion to fund her tax cuts - and we'll see how she disguises that.
Craig Renney said her BPS read like eight pages of excuses and Shamubeel said it was like a pamphlet light on details and long on electioneering. Shamubeel said Willis would make the recession worse. Others piled into Willis too, but she would not listen.
More culture war provocation happened as Act stirred up hate over University designated areas. Winston said this was like the KKK and Luxon said it was discrimination and he was very disappointed.
The University of Auckland was initially tight lipped while G News pointed out section 19(2) of our Bill of Rights which proved that - Luxon was wrong and later on TVNZ One News' Simon Mercer reported the same thing - and that the Universities stood by their positions and some were even proud to do so.
Yarse !!!
The unnecessary cruel, and dire slashing of jobs continued at the Ministry of Pacific Peoples with 60% about to go - 63 jobs cut and the impacts dire ....all for those property investors and worse - cushy Nat MP contracts.
BeenA Dick Collins lifted the lid on contracts for former National MPs - like Steven Joyce, Sir Bill English, Murray McCully, Roger Sowery and - then how much they were being paid...like Joyce on $4,000 per day ...and English on $2,500 per day.
So much for getting rid of consultants. The boys were troughing it as they frolicked in money bins swallowing money like insatiable greedy vacuum cleaners on the taxpayers dime as Jordan Williams looked the other way.
K'Road was vandalised with white paint at 3.20am by three fellas and cops were making inquiries at an address in Flat Bush. Responsibility for this event was not accepted by Destiny Church so it might have been a copy cat hate crime...and everyone kept their cool, but expressed their contempt for the actions of the perpetrators.
The attempts to ignite a culture war by the haters had failed.
Shane Jones shut down the hope of a giant marine sanctuary in the Kermadecs - to make way for greedy mineral extraction of the sea floor. Jones failed to consult the iwi involved and dismissed their objections about the impacts from mining on fisheries. This was about making money, lots of it.
Winston Peters told BloomBerg he was open to the Foreign Buyers Tax if our economy would benefit - causing speculation that he might be dealing and wheeling with desperate Willis who is scrounging for revenue generating ideas - that are not "new taxes".
Was Willis prepared to argue that the Foreign Buyers tax was not a new tax because she had campaigned upon it? It's hard to know...but so far the slippery rhetoric has side stepped almost everything previously said and we've already seen policies that were not campaigned upon added after the election.
Maiki Sherman reported that there had been a leak from inside Cabinet and Luxon seemed blindsided ( delays to Maori Wards decision ) - blaming the public service wrongly - he's got a leaker - that did not take long and now it will be interesting to see what is leaked next?
I gave early notice that Vicki and I are taking a 10 day holiday between 2 April and 13 April.
I made many spelling mistakes and some got corrected...but others are still there...but overall it was an okay week but people are starting to feel under siege.
More happened, but this is just a summary.
Come in, come out of the rain.
Solidarity everyone...Happy Easter.
TGIF ...have a lovely evening.
G News - a brief review of the week
G
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