John Key has been unable to turn our economy around

[avgas]

Houses do not go into liquidation.

Yeah Nah.

Seen plenty recently of this when the debt out-ways the asset......then bank steps in because you missed a payment and blammo all your invested cash is worth nothing.

So while the house does not liquidate - until its paid for, all your cash that your paying to the banks can liquidate pretty damn quick.

[MikeL]

Some years ago my wife received a modest inheritance (half of her mother's estate), most of which she invested with Hanover. When the first of the investment collapses occurred, even though most people were insisting that Hanover was safe, I nagged her until she took the money out and put it into the bank. This was 3 weeks before Hanover collapsed.

And now nobody will ever persuade me to invest in anything less secure than bricks and mortar, however much you argue that it is unproductive or unhelpful to the nation's economy. Enlightened self-interest drives my financial decisions, a principle which the rich and powerful consistently apply in their own private affairs but try to persuade the rest of us to look beyond.

[shrub]

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn..._ahead-048.mp3

He came across as lacking in any ideas, disconnected with public opinion and even a little weak. Given it was one of his first major interviews in election year and followed his state of the nation speech, he didn't so much as come out of the blocks running as stand up, look around and wander off in the general direction of the finish line.

I had a coffee with the CEO of a firm of management consultants I contract to this morning, and she commented that she feels he has kind of lost interest in being PM. His statement that if he lost an election he'd quit politics may have been honest, but in the middle of a first term I would have expected him to say "I can't seem myself not being PM for a while, but eventually I will retire, but it will be in many years and as PM". It suggests he genuinely anticipates losing either this election or the next election.

I wonder if he hasn't realised that being PM isn't all that much fun, and because he doesn't need to and is not a career politician has got sick of it and wants to play another game.

[aprilia_RS250]

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn..._ahead-048.mp3

He came across as lacking in any ideas, disconnected with public opinion and even a little weak.

I still rather have Key lead the country than anyone in the beehive. To be honest sounds like being PM is easier than being an FX dealer in 80s.

http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/clos...-john-key-1987

[shrub]

I still rather have Key lead the country than anyone in the beehive. To be honest sounds like being PM is easier than being an FX dealer in 80s.

http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/clos...-john-key-1987

Why? What characteristics has he shown in his term that qualify him as a good PM?

[yachtie10]

Why? What characteristics has he shown in his term that qualify him as a good PM?

while he is far from perfect, I dont remember any better ones in the past 20 years
certainly dont see anyone better in any of the current lot IMHO.

[shrub]

while he is far from perfect, I dont remember any better ones in the past 20 years
certainly dont see anyone better in any of the current lot IMHO.

Hmmm.. in the last 2 years (if we discount Mike Moore and Palmer who were only in for a few months) we've only had Bolger, Shipley and Clark. Shipley I didn't like, but both Bolger and Clark outperformed Key as PM in every way.

So what do you like about him? His smile? His money? His wife?

[mashman]

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn..._ahead-048.mp3

"What can you achieve in opposition and the answer is, because i've been there for a long time, very little.". Does that mean opposition parties aren't needed then, because by his own admission, they do very little? other than try to make it past the judges that is:



that and he never answers the question on wether the GST raise v Tax cut was neutral... wonder why?

[shrub]

"What can you achieve in opposition and the answer is, because i've been there for a long time, very little.". Does that mean opposition parties aren't needed then, because by his own admission, they do very little? other than try to make it past the judges that is:



that and he never answers the question on wether the GST raise v Tax cut was neutral... wonder why?

Funny, I always saw a strong opposition as being a vital part of a successful parliament. Maybe he was recognising that he doesn't have any ideas, so can't contribute anything.

[Brian d marge]

listen to that interview with Key, couple of points

I mean as a polly he did well, but

Electricity

Health

Water

Education

Housing

ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS in today's society.

If you sell half of the company the investor WILL WANT A RETURN, that return will either come from the the money the government takes OR THE PRICE will go up

its not Rocket science

to Quantify this a little better. Yes they are just selling coal and a few other bits and pieces but ( snip )
A ''think piece'' prepared at the end of last year says partial sales of power companies Meridian, Mighty River Power and Genesis and state-owned coal miner Solid Energy could see ''possible cornerstone stakes by energy multinationals'' within ten years. ( EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN OTHER COUNTRIES)

and The price WILL go up

To restate what I said Health , electricity , water , Education etc ARE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS ( RIGHTS )

That is what I pay taxes for , NOTHING ELSE NOTHING LESS

You can argue till the cows come home about whose fault it is

it doesnt matter ( BTW Lairboor are keeping quiet , which get the alarm bells ringing maybe they have been "advised " to sell , as in we have NO choice !)

Stephen

I told you this would happen ,,,but ooohhh no ya didnt listen ,,,, now look what's happened !

ps sorry for the capitals .... but how strongly can one make it stand out ....

[mashman]

Funny, I always saw a strong opposition as being a vital part of a successful parliament. Maybe he was recognising that he doesn't have any ideas, so can't contribute anything.

I grew up for years thinking the opposition kept the govt straight (oh how very very VERY naive ), but it does make you wonder. They've only had 9 years to think about it and come up with a decent idea or two... but I guess they realise that you only have to make the PM look more "attractive" than the last one to win the vote so there's no need to do any real work when sell sell sell is the only idea for moving NZ forwards

[yachtie10]

Hmmm.. in the last 2 years (if we discount Mike Moore and Palmer who were only in for a few months) we've only had Bolger, Shipley and Clark. Shipley I didn't like, but both Bolger and Clark outperformed Key as PM in every way.

So what do you like about him? His smile? His money? His wife?

never said i liked him
but if you want to compare to clark then I would take him anyday
How someone who has been a student or a politicain her whole life, has had no kids could be a great PM, not in my opinion. didnt think much of bolger either.

I think my point is it easy to point out faults but i dont hink we have had a great PM in my adult life

[shrub]

never said i liked him
but if you want to compare to clark then I would take him anyday
How someone who has been a student or a politicain her whole life, has had no kids could be a great PM, not in my opinion. didnt think much of bolger either.

I think my point is it easy to point out faults but i dont hink we have had a great PM in my adult life

OK, so because Clark was highly educated (had a lot of knowledge) and had spent her life life working as a politician, working her way up from being a junior backbencher she wasn't as good a politician as Key, who has been in politics 8 years and started with a senior position? Would you rather your bike was worked on by someone who had only been around bikes for a few years and was trained as an accountant than an A grade motorcycle mechanic with 20 years experience?

And how the hell does whether she had children or not influence her ability to run the country? I have kids but a friend of mine doesn't, does that mean I am going to be better at her job than she is? Or does the fact that she has a dog and I don't make up for that?

Come on mate, apart from having kids, what makes Key a better PM?

[shrub]

I grew up for years thinking the opposition kept the govt straight (oh how very very VERY naive ), but it does make you wonder. They've only had 9 years to think about it and come up with a decent idea or two... but I guess they realise that you only have to make the PM look more "attractive" than the last one to win the vote so there's no need to do any real work when sell sell sell is the only idea for moving NZ forwards

They came up with the super city - what more do you want?

[Winston001]

... so there's no need to do any real work when sell sell sell is the only idea for moving NZ forwards

Even communist economies recognise this, so "sell sell sell" is universal.

You sell your labour for payment. No payment, you go work somewhere else. That's if you want to eat.

Other people make boats, cheese, software, whatever they can - and sell it.

How else do you pay your bills? How else can you buy all the stuff you cannot make? Medicine, computers, motorcycles et al.

Thus it is for democratic governments. They have to find an income to provide the services demanded by voters. Taxation is the main source but it not inelastic. Raise it too high and people evade tax or leave the country.

Selling assets is another option provided those assets are not core to governing or sovereignty.