A little bit here a little bit there

[mynameis]

Why I am bothering with this I will never know, but...



My question regarding selective quoting was about your second post I replied to, not the original one. Not that I think I was selectively quoting in the first case, but it is obvious I cannot be in the second case.



But they do have to do their job - and economic performance is a key part of that job. Besides, the Nats have set this up as their own mission - the Brash taskforce and all that - so it is quite reasonable to hold them to account for failing to deliver on their own goals, rather than giving them an open free pass because you voted for them and don't want to feel like an idiot for doing so.

I don't think we can easily catch up with Australia now - too little real economy left after the last lot of free-market "reforms" and privatisations - and that the whole "catch Aussie by 2025" narrative is just a smokescreen for the Nats to pull through a bunch of further changes that will benefit them and their mates, but further ruin the country. I note with some dismay that people like you soak this crap up like it was gospel from on high. My initial questions to you were intended to provoke your thinking in the direction of possibly considering that you're being sold a crock of shit, but it's clear this is a lost cause, and I'll leave you to your misguided bliss.



True, you very neatly didn't take a stand on the issue, despite that being the essence of what I was asking you. But you did say:
"the gap has always been there" - as others have pointed out, not true.
"I think even John Key stated that the gap will remain there." - a reasonable reading of this is you think we can never catch Australia in economic performance terms. The gap has always been there and even JK thinks it will remain. Perhaps if you disagreed with this you might have said "JK think it will stay but I disagree..."

Given you were using this as a core plank of your defence of increasing GST and lowering taxes for the rich, I'm afraid your argument, such as it was, loses some vigour.

Incidentally, I think the tax issue is one NZ is heading in completely the wrong direction on. As the boomers start to retire and demand more services we should be raising taxes for a while until that cohort passes through the system. Possibly (and very carefully and selectively) lowering services too, once again for a while. At the same time, of course, we should be preparing to be a whole lot poorer as the world starts being forced down a path of reduced ready energy availability, but that's another whole different issue.



Intelligence, not education. Indeed I am not an educated, well paid right winger. I am university educated, have at times been very well paid - currently I'm adequately paid, and depending on contract work volume as the market picks up, that might change back to well paid - but I am by no means a right winger. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt - but then I grew up.

Why I am bothering with this I will never know, but...

The only thing you've got right. You need to get out of that dark cardboard box and get real.

But they do have to do their job - and economic performance is a key part of that job. Besides, the Nats have set this up as their own mission - the Brash taskforce and all that - so it is quite reasonable to hold them to account for failing to deliver on their own goals, rather than giving them an open free pass because you voted for them and don't want to feel like an idiot for doing so.

I think it's people like you who should feel like complete dicks for allowing to make a mess of NZ with 9 years of lazy Labour who have encouraged a generation of bum to breed on free money and know nothing about personal responsibility.

If you know about NZ politics and history you'll realise most governments do fail to deliver some things that they promise to deliver on.

I don't think we can easily catch up with Australia now - too little real economy left after the last lot of free-market "reforms" and privatisations - and that the whole "catch Aussie by 2025" narrative is just a smokescreen for the Nats to pull through a bunch of further changes that will benefit them and their mates, but further ruin the country. I note with some dismay that people like you soak this crap up like it was gospel from on high. My initial questions to you were intended to provoke your thinking in the direction of possibly considering that you're being sold a crock of shit, but it's clear this is a lost cause, and I'll leave you to your misguided bliss.

Here we go again, you really don't know what you're talking about. First you say "people like you soak this crap up like it was gospel from on high" then you say "True, you very neatly didn't take a stand on the issue"

You're starting to sound more like a fool, make up your mind which one is it?????

And No I didn't vote them in because Nats said they will close the gap between us and Auzzie, I would have rather packed and moved to Auz like a lot of my family and friends have.

Incidentally, I think the tax issue is one NZ is heading in completely the wrong direction on. As the boomers start to retire and demand more services we should be raising taxes for a while until that cohort passes through the system. Possibly (and very carefully and selectively) lowering services too, once again for a while. At the same time, of course, we should be preparing to be a whole lot poorer as the world starts being forced down a path of reduced ready energy availability, but that's another whole different issue.

Raise taxes further? What are you talking about? What did the thieving Labour government for 9 years do with all that high tax money? Take the country further into deficit.

Do you actually know what the government is doing about energy for the next 5 years?

[Coldrider]

Was the pollies promise to close the gap or increase the gap with Aussie by 2025?

Ah well with all the hot air in the last 12 months the gap has increased.
Average inflation adjusted wage in NZ up 2.86%, Aust 3.6% from a higher wage.

[Oscar]

Was the pollies promise to close the gap or increase the gap with Aussie by 2025?

Ah well with all the hot air in the last 12 months the gap has increased.
Average inflation adjusted wage in NZ up 2.86%, Aust 3.6% from a higher wage.

I'd be interested to see a cost of living comparison.

[Coldrider]

I'd be interested to see a cost of living comparison.

I am sure you could research one yourself for your own standard of living if you are really interested.

[Oscar]

I am sure you could research one yourself for your own standard of living if you are really interested.

Yeah, I was kinda thinking out loud.
I spend a bit of time in Aussie, and I really like the place, but I'm not sure I could live there.
There is something big and brash about not only the place, but the people, too.

[Coldrider]

Yeah, I was kinda thinking out loud.
I spend a bit of time in Aussie, and I really like the place, but I'm not sure I could live there.
There is something big and brash about not only the place, but the people, too.

I know what you mean, now if I was 20 again I'd be off. When money isn't a problem, NZ is like no other.

[Boob Johnson]

Not only is it an incentive to save and move the nation towards being more aware of saving up and not living on credit.

It also helps retain our highly skilled, highly educated people in the country which we need if we are to bridge the gap between us and other countries like Auzzie.

^^ exactly. So it means we can save more or buy more of what pleases you on top of all the other positive spin offs, so whats the problem? Why do low income earners expect to save HUGE amounts of tax when they don't pay HUGE amounts of tax? Or is this just a general moan about being poor?

Not sure what the gripe is when a tax cut will cover the upping of GST? Other than people like to gripe at the gubbermint before there is even a gripe!