Strong Economy - Have The Government Taken Advantage Of It?

[Winston001]

We've had at least 5 years of very strong growth in NZ. I'm no economist but I'd guess that the early 1950s wool boom is a reasonable comparison.

In times of prosperity wise people strengthen their security. Pay off debt, replace the car, house, furniture, and squirrel savings away for the rainy day. That rainy day is a certainty at some point in the future.

Any prudent government does the same. Repays debt, builds new schools, hospitals, harbours, bridges, motorways, broadband fibre.......so that infrastructure is renewed for the future.

Maybe Labour have done this over the past 9 years - honestly, I don't know. It looks as though all the extra tax revenue has gone to social objectives such as Working For Families etc. Is this an unfair perception?

[MisterD]

They've certainly taken advantage to get themselves re-elected a couple of times.

[98tls]

We've had at least 5 years of very strong growth in NZ. I'm no economist but I'd guess that the early 1950s wool boom is a reasonable comparison.

In times of prosperity wise people strengthen their security. Pay off debt, replace the car, house, furniture, and squirrel savings away for the rainy day. That rainy day is a certainty at some point in the future.

Any prudent government does the same. Repays debt, builds new schools, hospitals, harbours, bridges, motorways, broadband fibre.......so that infrastructure is renewed for the future.

Maybe Labour have done this over the past 9 years - honestly, I don't know. It looks as though all the extra tax revenue has gone to social objectives such as Working For Families etc. Is this an unfair perception?

No idea but on the working for families thing i wonder how much its cost businesses with people having time off because there getting the hand out from the government to raise there kids,seen it many times at the place i work,guy runs out of sick days but has a day off anyway as it doesnt hurt so much.Have long tried to look at it with an open mind but still cant grasp how subsidising children has/will do this country any good.

[Coldrider]

I am not sure that employees generally have had the fruits of the economy trickle down to them, it takes an increase in productivity to do that.
And any excessives they may have indulged in are probably on interest free.

[Swoop]

Most certainly they have taken advantage of a strong economy.
Without that, there would be insufficient funds for all of the new public servants.

We can not have too many public servants, can we?

[TimeOut]

Have long tried to look at it with an open mind but still cant grasp how subsidising children has/will do this country any good.

If they have to subsidise children why can't they cap it at say two children, if you want more than two you pay not the rest of us

[steved]

No idea but on the working for families thing i wonder how much its cost businesses with people having time off because there getting the hand out from the government to raise there kids,seen it many times at the place i work,guy runs out of sick days but has a day off anyway as it doesnt hurt so much.Have long tried to look at it with an open mind but still cant grasp how subsidising children has/will do this country any good.

I don't agree with child support for anyone. Why should child-less people subsidise people with children. Having children is a choice, not a right.

[Coldrider]

I don't agree with child support for anyone. Why should child-less people subsidise people with children. Having children is a choice, not a right.

Redistribution of wealth, one way of accepting low income wages as the norm, hiding the fact that as a country we have not put up.