Doesn't Labour have any money left?

This week I recieved Labour's Election Pledge Card. The Card has the Parliamentary Crest, so has been delivered courtesey of the taxpayer. It also follows up on "Trevor's Tribune", "Labour Matters", a magnet and a pen - all with the Parliamentary crest - I have recieved in the past three months.

Parties can use the resources provided in Parliament to communicate their views on issues before Parliament with the electorate. I'm completely okay with that. But to campaign for votes is a completely different matter.

Over the past six years I have given time, money, sweat, blood and tears to right-wing political parties. Labour just dips into the Government coffers (that I helped to provide) to campaign for votes.

The only thing I can think why they would do this is if their donors have deserted them. So if they won't support Labour, then why should voters?

Labor Joins Tax Push

Unfortunately, it's the Australian Labor Party. Sounds like they would support National's targeted assistance and tax cut policy, though.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Labor's finance spokesman, Lindsay Tanner, said the Opposition did not "have a problem with the idea of cutting the top marginal tax rate provided the overall balance is fair".

"A Labor government did it and we can do it again, but it is not the only issue or the most important issue. We need broad fundamental reform of the tax system."

He said "the days of Labor as a high-taxing party are over. The politics of envy are over".

Looks like we know why 630 kiwis a week go to Aussie permanently if even the ALP wants to reduce taxes.

Total OSH Madness

Last night I went to a ball at the Wellington Town Hall. Once the Jazz Band finished out came about 20 staff to remove the one foot high stage they were playing on.

They placed barriers around the stage, including along the front of the main stage. Then, only after there was no way any one could have gotten within a metre of the stage they used the hydraulic system to lower the stage to the floor level. The barriers are then all removed.

All this to lower it about one foot, when even someone standing on the stage would have been in no danger at all. Oh well, I guess they may have thought someone from the Department of Labour was present.

On Hold until after the Election

Just a quick list of the unpopular policies of Labour that are 'on-hold' or - presumably until immediately after the election. The convential political wisdom is that you do somethign unpopular when you are still popular. That way it will be forgotten quickly.

Land Access laws

Labour Candidate Brendan Burns has said the access debate was a balancing of farmers’ rights and public access rights “and to pretend this issue can be solved simply by asking permission is a nonsense”.

Well Brendan, if I like the garden behind your house can I picnic in it? Actually, I might just do that without permission - cause that

Network Reviews - (aka School Closures)

Trevor Mallard put a two year morotoriam on School Closures in 2004. The morotoriam runs out in 4 months. Then Mallard will be closing hundreds of schools next year in the hope that the electorate will have forgotten by 2008.

Review of Race Based Funding

Labour Te Tai Tonga MP said at a Petone Candidates meeting that Trevor Mallard had completed the report into Race Based funding and it was with the Maori Caucus for review. Then last Saturday Parekura Horomia said on Eye to Eye with Willie Jackson, "Race Based funding will continue."

You can guaruntee that the reason the report has not been released is that it recommends Race Based funding.

Abandonment of the Single Welfare Benefit Proposal

A proposal that was announced as a reaction to Orewa II, then nothing further has been said since. Expect it to be quietly killed off after the election.

Petrol Tax Increases

To fund the ambitious road building project a further tax will no doubt be needed. The previous 20 cent increases in the past 6 years will be insufficient to fund the programme we will be told.

Increased Carbon Charges

When NZ had a $2 Billion surplus as the result of the Kyoto Protocol, we were going to get modest increases in petrol and power prices to cover our commitments. Now that has recently reversed to a deficit, expect major increases in petrol and power.

Sacking of George Hawkins

Don't expect to see George Hawkins back at the cabinet table. But to publicly say so now would inflame the factionalisation of Labours Caucus.

Don Brash - Early Adopter of Feminism

Left-wing commentators and Labour MPs had a great time quoting passages from Don Brash's biography about corned beef and vacuumed garages. Now it's time for a little revenge - here is a quote from Graham Perrin, who worked under Don Brash at Broadbank in the 1970s and 1980s about a woman who worked for Brash. It illustrates how there was no 'glass ceiling' with Don.

Don had hired an American, Linda Poor, now the head of a large company in Australia, who had been doing a great job. But he thought he had lost her one day when she'd been offered a job at a rival bank. They arranged a function for her to go and meet people at this other bank, but she came back and said to Don, 'I've turned it down.' Don said, 'Why?' She said she had turned up at the function and the MD had brought his wife along to talk to her, 'so she wouldn't feel out of it.' She concluded that if that reflected their attitude to women, she would hot-foot it back to Broadbank. Linda seemed genuinely surprised the others weren't the same as Don. He was naturally even-handed. Another time he was asked if he employed any Maori. He said no. Then people pointed out that in fact he did - he simply hadn't noticed they were Maori. He just employed good people, regardless of who they were.

Free Money from Labour - Yeah Right

New Zealand's best looking blogger points out Labour's deposit assistance scheme is not as generous as it first appears. (and how Labour want you to think it appears.) See here.

UPDATE: Chaucey's done some more work on this - see here.

UPDATE II: If you read this NZ Herald article you get all fluffy nice things about Labour's policy to help first home buyers. The summary of policy by party at the end is very different from the reality.

Leaders Debates - Why I don't watch them.

Does anyone remember the US Presidential Debates last year? The format was that each candidate (Bush and Kerry) were given an opening statement each, then a chance to talk about the opponents policy and record and chances to respond.

Each was given an equal time to talk and each could respond to the others statements throughout the debate. When the other candidate was talking they returned to their seats and made notes - all very civilised. Even the audience participation was limited to applause after each person finished speaking.

In contrast with NZ, the leaders shout at each other, the audience bays for blood and the whole thing ends up as a spectacle - maybe it's good for ratings but it turns off Joe Public from Politics.

So TV1 and TV3, can you change the format of these debates! Please!

Float Simon's Boat

Float Simon's Boat Here.

My Friend Simon has a scheme to buy a boat - all he wants is for you to save up your 5c pieces and then deposit them into his bank account (you can get the details on his website.)

Seeing as he has promised me a ride on the maiden voyage there will be a permanent link to his website on the right menu bar.

Tax Cut Tables

After seeing the table on Frog Blog, I thought a more balanced table was needed. The Frog Blog table was for a family with four kids so showed that family income had to be over $75,000 for National's tax and family support to be more generous than Labour.

Here is a table showing the cutovers for other families, such as the more typical 1, 2 and 3 child families.



I will add the disclaimer that I did this on National's Tax Cut Calculator and that errors may exist. To check out if your familiy would be better off under National and Labour I suggest you visit the site yourself - www.taxcut.org.nz

You're better off with ... National

www.taxcuts.co.nz

And the best view on Labour - from www.stuff.co.nz

9 out of 10 Reasons to not Vote Labour

During tonight's opening broadcast Labour gave during 10 reasons to vote for them. I didn't write them down so can't remember them all but 9 of them were:

1. Interest Free Student Loans
A subsidy for all the graduate Lawyers, Doctors and Accountants? Don't these guys earn enough that they shouldn't get even more subsidisy from people who earn less.

2. Lots more Hip, Knee and Joint operations and Cataract Operations.
What about heart, lung, ear nose and throat, kidney, liver operations? You die in middle age so your grannie gets to kick rugby balls again!

3. 250 more Community Police.
Notice how it's a pledge to increase Community Police, not total Police. So Labour could be promising to pull 250 frontline police using spin to cover it up. Dial 111 and Scream Louder!

4. No troops to Iraq and no change to the Nuclear Free policy.
Only Navy Ships to the Persian Gulf and no American ship visits to NZ. Visits from Nuclear Powers India, China and France to continue as they have all visited in the past 6 years without a problem.

5. 5000 more apprentices
So far there are 7761 people in the Modern Apprentice scheme, which is about 1500 more new apprentices per year since the scheme was introduced. So over the next 3 years Labour are promising an additional 1500 per year.

6. Increase Rates Rebates
Only available if you didn't save for your retirement. So Labour is rewarding you if you don't save for your retirement.

7. Assistance in buying a first home.
A $10,000 grant per person sounds great - This follows the theory that if you take it off them in taxes and give it back and they're grateful for it.

8. Treaty Claims to be Lodged by 2008 and Settled by 2020.
I'll be 48 then. I'm 33 now. That's a long time for the Maori Caucus or the Greens to threaten to pull down the Government unless the policy is dropped.

9. Working for Families increases.
Social Welfare is now available to those earning up to $135,000. (I checked using Labours Calculator.)

NB: They're in the order I remembered them, not the order they were presented.

Cut out the middleman and get more?

At work today the discussion centred on the new Working for Families package. Everybody thought it was funny when I suggested that the people in the office with kids should just help themselves to the contents of the wallets of the people who didn't - but that's they did appreciate that was what was happening!

Personally, the thing I resent the most about yesterday's annoucement is that I will be subsidising people who earn much more than I do - since when did the choice to have four kids (when you earn $100k+) become so irresponsible that you need income support?

Wrong Incentives

So Labour are:

a: bribing middle NZ, or
b:providing valuable income support (all depending on your point of view)

to win the election.

Buit what about the rest of us? New Zealanders without families are tired of seeing their wallets sucked dry and feeling the income squeeze as prices rise faster than wages. It's this undercurrent that drives the demand for tax cuts.

The message I'm getting from Labour is if you haven't got a family then go to Australia - we don't want you here. And then who will pay for the Cullen family tax rebates?

National's TV Ads kick off tonight

Looks like National's new 'Taxathon' TV ads are going to be as iconic as Rob Muldoon's Dancing Cossacks ads from 1975 - that's before they're even screened! I am left wondering if South Park fan David Farrer had any influence?

I can't wait to see the ads tonight - no doubt the Left will attack them as too low brow, but the message will get through.

UPDATE: Ads can be downloaded or viewed here

Daft Welfare Code for Cats

Until today I never knew it existed - but there is a Welfare Code for Cats. As a responsible cat owner, I read the code tonight.

While it is mostly common sense, it is a load of drivel. The idea that some bureaucrat in Wellington can tell me how I have to take care of my cats is, frankly, offensive.

I look forward to the day when a government agency releases the draft code of how to spend taxpayers money responsibly. Crap like this would then have to go.

David Russell Lange

Much is made of Lange's wit - he had connected with the public so well that they felt they could give some back:

While speaking at a Labour Fundraising celebrity debate in Porirua, David lange wanted to dispel the notion that Labour were a bunch of killjoys.

"Who here, over 50, does not have a satisfying sex-life", asked David Lange.

One solitary had was raised.

"What is your name, madam?" ask Lange.

"Sister Anne."

Normal Service has Resumed

For some reason my posts didn't appear on the site earlier this week. I have corrected the problem and the posts are there.

In an unrelated matter, Chaucey and I have a new PC that has taken most of the day to get working. We now can connect to the net after spending most of the day trying to resolve the problem - which turned out to be noise on the cable from the PC to the jack point.

The best thing about the new PC is the flat panel monitor - very cool!

Yawn!

So the Leaders Deabte was on last night on TV3. It has no effect on the outcome of the election, only the reporting of the campaign does (some of which includes the televised debates).

Proof of this is in United Future's sucess in 2002. More people voted for United Future than watched the televised 'worm' debate on TV1. It was the reporting afterwards that Peter Dunne had 'won' the debate that launched his sucess.

Political Junkies like me would have watched (except I had a Cancer Socirty charity fundraiser on) but very few people who haven't made up their mind did.

This campaign kicks off for real when Don Brash announces National's Tax Cuts - we'll know who is going to win a week after that.

I like it

Damn! Just when I thought Labour were concentrating on all the wrong things they come out with this little beauty: 250 more Community Police. I quite a fan of Community Police that get to know who's who in the community. It makes dealing with crime easier.

For instance, a Petrol Station in Nelson incorrectly wrote my Car Registration when someone fled without paying the community constable came round and was almost embarassed to ask me if I had been there at the time.

Some months later, my car was broken into (yes, the same car) and the constable knew who had done it - there were two groups of teenagers breaking into cars and it couldn't be one group as they had been arrested earlier in the night.

So full marks to Labour for this policy - maybe National should steal it after they get into power next month.

The Moral High Ground

Now let me start by saying I have a lot of time for Jordan Carter - he is a smart, enthusiastic and talented member of the Labour team. But we don't agree on many things and I really do disagree with his view on his blog today.

It's a theme that I've noticed coming more to the fore from Labour - it almost (but not quite) pushes the idea that the 'Liberal Left' have become the guardians of New Zealand society. Anybody who disagrees with the Liberal Left worldview is immediately labelled as 'racist', 'big business', 'xenophobic' or something similar.

For instance, left candidates at public meetings is to attack the "Iwi / Kiwi" billboard as racist. This shows an intellectual dishonesty by the candidates as the message is that National want the beaches (and all other public places) to have the same access regardless of the race of the user.

The billboard plays to the unease of ordinary Kiwis that Maori have been given too much priviledge by the Government. Mainstream New Zealand view the Treaty as a document that promised fair treatment for Maori and they view the breaches of this promise by the Crown as requiring compensation. In their view, Treaty Settlements are fine.

What Kiwis can't understand is why Maori are given legislative rights over and above ordinary New Zealanders. In some cases these rights have been abused, as we all recall with the Taniwha that held up the building of an expressway in Northern Waikato. But ultimately the idea that some groups of society should have better legal rights than others is seen as Un-Kiwi.

Don Brash tapped this unease very well last year by verballising this concern. In return he was labelled a 'stirrer', 'divisive' and 'racist'. Then the TV One poll was published with National on 55%.

So for a Labour activist to claim the moral high ground is a bit rich. Not that I say that National (or anyone else) has any claim to it either.

City Safari

As Chaucey noted yesterday, we were off on the Orienteering Hutt Valley's City Safari Competition today.

We came 5th overall in the 3hr section, and were 2nd in the Mixed Couple category. Not bad at all.

My only aim was to beat Paul Bruce and Brett Efford of the Green Party team - we did so, by more than doubling their score. For a party that advocate using public transport they didn't have a good strategy - they just caught the first bus that came by and then jumped off at the next waypoint closest to the bus route.

Chaucey and I had a strategy of planning which buses to catch but we ended up being flexible and changed plans to maximise points, which worked out best.

We had a good day but I'm off to the spa to rest my weary legs.

UPDATE - The Official Results have been published at www.citysafari.org.nz and we came fourth overall and First Mixed Couple. Wahoo!

Key points about the Student Loan Scheme

Last night John Key gave a presentation to National Party members in Eastbourne. He made the following points about Labour's Student Loans:

1. It does not reduce the amount of the payment required.
2. It is an incentive to borrow as much as possible.
3. The difference for the average student is only 2 years of payments.
4. 95% of students will gain 5% of the benefit, 5% will gain 95% of the benefits. The 5% will generally be Doctors or Dentists who earn salaries of $75,000 plus as new graduates.

He also said that the tax cuts will be a better deal for students overall than the interest free loans. We'll have to wait and see!

I will comment that he left me with the impression that he'd be lousy as a History Lecturer, but a brilliant Minister of Finance. We can only live in hope.

Link on the right

I have added a link to the Elections.org.nz voter enrolment website in the sidebar. If you want to check your details are correct click on it and complete the information required and it will advise what you need to do to be enrolled.

If you enrol before August 17th you will be able to cast an ordinary vote on polling day. If you enrol afterwards, you will have to cast a special vote - which takes ages to complete.

When Labour lose this election

When Labour lose the election they will go on an extended period of navel gazing, as all parties do. Labour will think it lost over student loans, or tax, or health, or over some other issue.

I think it is because it has forgotten the people who put it into power - New Zealand's middle class.

Consider this quote from today's Martin Van Beynen's Dominion Post 'Kingswood Tour' from a Pacific Island woman from Otara:

'Nurse Taele Moana is just about to hop into the car with husband Faaauro. Born in Samoa but in New Zealand for 20 years, she explains they are National voters.

"We both work. We are not beneficiaries. We have a mortgage. We vote National."'