Rich80105
2020-07-13 01:08:51 UTC
** Good news on the economic front:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300054072/government-billions-in-the-red-thanks-to-coronavirus-but-accounts-show-silver-lining
National prolonged the Global Financial Crisis by taking money away
from those that spend all they earn, and gave it to those that saved
for another day - their increase in GST wasn't just a broken promise,
but badly timed. They ended up increasing debt hugely even after
selling off a lot of government assets, and only made a trivial
surplus towards the end of their 9 years.
Labour put money into the hands of those that would spend - the above
expected tax came from GST and corporate taxes.
** Difficulties for National - lying to New Zealand is not a good
look; Muller and Woodhouse appear to be avoiding the press :
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122102664/mullers-new-job-convince-the-public-nationals-not-a-moral-vacuum
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122082389/dirty-politics-can-national-stop-the-rot
And it is clear that National under-estimate the resentment in
Christchurch at the poor job they did with the Earthquake:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122103558/critics-scoff-at-todd-mullers-gerry-rebuilt-this-city-call-in-christchurch
** And speculation about the Opposition - it seems ACT is prepared to
have National as a support party . . . .
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300052315/acts-david-seymour-has-more-impressive-record-than-todd-muller
From that stuff article
"The stakes are high. It is clear Seymour has no confidence in
National. He's said publicly, "If Labour brought in full-blown
communism, the Nats would campaign on managing it better." If New
Zealand is to be diverted from its current leftist drift, the Act
Party and its determined leader will be the reason."
"Charter Schools and the End of Life Choice Bill are two tangible
achievements Seymour has clocked up in his six years as MP, whilst
also burdened with being his party's sole MP, leader, and occasional
dancing celebrity. It is a far more impressive record than Todd
Muller, who entered the house at the same election as Seymour and
whose only real achievement has been to depose the beleaguered
Bridges.
Seymour is a conviction politician with his own gravity. He wants to
move the country in a better direction and is remarkably confident in
his ability to do so. This is an audacious ambition for an MP who has
often found himself outvoted 119 to 1. Yet, reasonable men do not
change the world."
Now those comments must be taken with a bucket load of salt - Damien
Grant is hardly a dispassionate neutral journalist; he has shown that
he is a far-right extremist, but still it is an insight as to where a
lot of votes that went to National in 2017 may go this year . . .
More seriously, bad news for those with the self-conviction that some
countries will develop herd immunity:
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/12/21321653/getting-covid-19-twice-reinfection-antibody-herd-immunity
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300054072/government-billions-in-the-red-thanks-to-coronavirus-but-accounts-show-silver-lining
National prolonged the Global Financial Crisis by taking money away
from those that spend all they earn, and gave it to those that saved
for another day - their increase in GST wasn't just a broken promise,
but badly timed. They ended up increasing debt hugely even after
selling off a lot of government assets, and only made a trivial
surplus towards the end of their 9 years.
Labour put money into the hands of those that would spend - the above
expected tax came from GST and corporate taxes.
** Difficulties for National - lying to New Zealand is not a good
look; Muller and Woodhouse appear to be avoiding the press :
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122102664/mullers-new-job-convince-the-public-nationals-not-a-moral-vacuum
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122082389/dirty-politics-can-national-stop-the-rot
And it is clear that National under-estimate the resentment in
Christchurch at the poor job they did with the Earthquake:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122103558/critics-scoff-at-todd-mullers-gerry-rebuilt-this-city-call-in-christchurch
** And speculation about the Opposition - it seems ACT is prepared to
have National as a support party . . . .
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300052315/acts-david-seymour-has-more-impressive-record-than-todd-muller
From that stuff article
"The stakes are high. It is clear Seymour has no confidence in
National. He's said publicly, "If Labour brought in full-blown
communism, the Nats would campaign on managing it better." If New
Zealand is to be diverted from its current leftist drift, the Act
Party and its determined leader will be the reason."
"Charter Schools and the End of Life Choice Bill are two tangible
achievements Seymour has clocked up in his six years as MP, whilst
also burdened with being his party's sole MP, leader, and occasional
dancing celebrity. It is a far more impressive record than Todd
Muller, who entered the house at the same election as Seymour and
whose only real achievement has been to depose the beleaguered
Bridges.
Seymour is a conviction politician with his own gravity. He wants to
move the country in a better direction and is remarkably confident in
his ability to do so. This is an audacious ambition for an MP who has
often found himself outvoted 119 to 1. Yet, reasonable men do not
change the world."
Now those comments must be taken with a bucket load of salt - Damien
Grant is hardly a dispassionate neutral journalist; he has shown that
he is a far-right extremist, but still it is an insight as to where a
lot of votes that went to National in 2017 may go this year . . .
More seriously, bad news for those with the self-conviction that some
countries will develop herd immunity:
https://www.vox.com/2020/7/12/21321653/getting-covid-19-twice-reinfection-antibody-herd-immunity