November 8th - Now you know when not to vote Labour.

[brendonjw]

bastards had to go spoil my birthday!

Mine as well

[geoffm]

One of the good things about NZ is free entry to Oz - and it is also a weakness. There are around 450,000 kiwis in Oz at present, generally the ones we want in our country as they have the drive to do better and skills and work ethic to suit.
Think of what the voting demographics would be if they were all living in NZ instead?

My prediction - it is going to be closer than the polls suggest, as Labour will sleep with anyone to stay in power and they have more options. With the Maori seats, they have a natural advantage. Add that to all those civil servants and beneficiaries who know a gravy train station when they see one...
If Helen gets in, watch the Aussie Exodus become a flood.
If the Nats get in, they won't realistically be able to do anything doue to a tanking econaomy, and a huge voting bloc who cannot be upset, and a left wing media. They don't have th eballs to do what needs to be done - decimation of the bureaucrats (in the traditional Roman fashion) and serios cost reductions and accountability.

[Winston001]

Well if anyone thinks voting for National is suddenly going to make employers generous enough to make our wages equivalent to Aussie, the're in for a rude shock if they get in. And tax cuts, dont make me laugh $10 to $16 a week if your lucky. Unfortunately theres 9 years people who have only known Labour as the Govt and have no idea how National stuffed the average worker/ pensioner when they were in. I also find it interesting that employers say wages cant go up until productivity does. Amazing how these same workers that ar'nt working hard enough here are so valued overseas.

Thanks Motig for proving the point about envy and bitterness.

Australia has a much stronger union movement than here, yet production per worker is significantly higher - which is why wages are higher. The fundamental fact is that the boss has to make a profit before he can pass any of it on. In Oz, they do.

And don't fall for the "exporting minerals" explanation. The Oz economy only relies 25% on exports, most of the production and wealth is created inside the country. NZ by comparison relies on exports to a high level.

As for Kiwis going over there, they get easily absorbed into the work force but often they are people with skills. You don't hear of cleaners streaming off to Oz for the high life. But doctors, nurses, engineers - absolutely.

[MisterD]

Don't fucking get me started on the Watermelon party - ban this, ban that, tell me how to live my life and raise my family. Fuck. the. hell. off.

Anyway, a smile is called for:

[Jerry74]

I can't see things improving at all regardless who is the govt

[Ocean1]

NZ by comparison relies on exports to a high level...

As for Kiwis going over there, they get easily absorbed into the work force but often they are people with skills. You don't hear of cleaners streaming off to Oz for the high life. But doctors, nurses, engineers - absolutely.

Yup, our largest export sector.

Revenue?

Zero.

The world's biggest Polytech, with student loans encouraging graduates to fuck off and never come back.

And they never saw it coming, ffs with all the malace in the world you couldn't have devised a more damaging policy set.

What's left? B Ark losers collecting leaves against the shrinking economy.

We're doomed I tells ya.

[Bullitt]

I'm back...did anyone miss me

My predictions are:

Labour will pull another blatant bribe aimed at students. Either a universal student allowance or writing off a significant portion of student loans. Although many people will see this for what it is there will be enough people with student loans who dont care about politics to vote for them. It'll piss off alot of people but those people had already decided not to vote for Labour anyway. Shortly after losing the election Hulun will announce shes taking up a role with the UN.

Key will continue to turn an unloseable election into a tight race due to constantly apoligising when he hasnt done anything wrong and adopting stupid labour policies. He will be next PM but only via a coalition with Act and the Maori Party.

Act will poll higher than they ever have before, easily getting 5% to become the third biggest party in parliament. This will principally be due to National adopting stupid labour policies forcing reasonable normal kiwis with no choice but to hope to Act for some sense. Theyre currently polling low but this is because all their voters will be busy working when the polls are conducted.

Maori part will be well under 5% but will get most of the maori seats and cause an overhang. A vote for MP is a wasted vote.

Winston will scrape over the 5% mark due to all the geriatrics who think hes the only honest politician and has been set up. He wont have any power and will not achieve much before deciding not to stand in the next election.

The Greens will scrape over 5% despite most of New Zealanding seeing that theyre the most damaging party and everyone would be better off if they went back to their communes. Their actions in 08 and beyond will determine whether they increase or decrease their vote substantially but this will be the last election they're close to 5%

United Future will get back in but only with one seat, as will Anderton.

Roll on the 8th of Nolabour...though Im feeling alot less confident than I was, I get the feeling alot of Kiwis are far less sensible than I once gave them credit for.

[brendonjw]

Helam clark is going on about trust, this is the same "woman" who committed forgery with the painting??? no wonder labour is so soft on crime

[RiderInBlack]

a vote for Labour is a vote for the most corrupt and self serving Government in our history.

Bull shit. Ya have forgotten The Muldoon Years. Nat will not be the answer to our problems that all ya suckers think. Yer let's go back ta keeping the "Fat Cats" happy while our Overseas Dept Raises along with the Inflation Rate. As for the environment, I'm no Greenie, but it is long past time we pull our heads out of the sand (or the Oil Barons' Arses), and started ta take looking after we have got seriously. It's a long way to the next habital planet, if we trash this one. Nat is not going ta help there. Especially if they are going to encouraging Coal Powered Electricity.
I often feel that running a country must be like raising Teenagers. Ya have ta make unpopular choices because of finances, resouces and ya have ta get on with the "Naugbours", but ya "teenagers" only see that they don't get ta do the "cool" things the "Naugbours' Kids" do. "They" don't want ta understand why you have made the hard choices and that it is in their own good in the long run.
So OK, blame "Mum" (Labour Goverment) for all ya problems and run off ta live with "Daddy" (National) for awhile cause ya stupid enough ta think "He" will treat ya better. Only to find out "Mum" was not too bad and might have know what they where doing.

[Winston001]

Bull shit. Ya have forgotten The Muldoon Years. Nat will not be the answer to our problems that all ya suckers think. Yer let's go back ta keeping the "Fat Cats" happy while our Overseas Dept Raises along with the Inflation Rate. As for the environment, I'm no Greenie, but it is long past time we pull our heads out of the sand (or the Oil Barons' Arses), and started ta take looking after we have got seriously. It's a long way to the next habital planet, if we trash this one. Nat is not going ta help there. Especially if they are going to encouraging Coal Powered Electricity.
I often feel that running a country must be like raising Teenagers. Ya have ta make unpopular choices because of finances, resouces and ya have ta get on with the "Naugbours", but ya "teenagers" only see that they don't get ta do the "cool" things the "Naugbours' Kids" do. "They" don't want ta understand why you have made the hard choices and that it is in their own good in the long run.
So OK, blame "Mum" (Labour Goverment) for all ya problems and run off ta live with "Daddy" (National) for awhile cause ya stupid enough ta think "He" will treat ya better. Only to find out "Mum" was not too bad and might have know what they where doing.

Some good stuff here. Disagree about the Muldoon bit - Muldoon tried to create Fortress New Zealand with tariff barriers against the rest of the world. There are sod all Fat Cats in NZ - that is one of our problems, no-one with enough spare wealth to have a go at new industries, to provide venture capital.

But I like the teenager analogy. The thing is I see it the other way around. Labour is protecting the teen with lots of rules and unearned free stuff, essentially protecting the teen against the cold hard world. National wants to let the teen have a go and experience the consequences of failure and success, while still providing a basic home and shelter. Tough love.

However the National version of tough love is still pretty generous and not far from Labour.

Why can't our useless bloody MPs and equally useless media start talking about national and international issues. Not only global warming but economics and social democracy. Where do we want to go? Look at Finland and Ireland as success stories and ask what we can learn.

[Swoop]

If Helen gets in, watch the Aussie Exodus become a flood.

Quite correct. There are companies already prepared to close up shop here and depart for Oz.
Far too much bullshit paperwork and taxes here.

The Greens will scrape over 5% despite most of New Zealanding seeing that theyre the most damaging party and everyone would be better off if they went back to their communes.

Unfortunately there are voters who have been brainwashed with some of their crap. Even the Coromandel residents will not vote for a green electorate MP. If people stop giving the bastards their party vote we might see less impetus for the "global taxation swindle" of carbon credits.

[MisterD]

Unfortunately there are voters who have been brainwashed with some of their crap. Even the Coromandel residents will not vote for a green electorate MP.

Unfortunately we're up against the power of the international Green brand in that respect. It's all touchy-feely emotional stuff, their "Vote for me" billboards with the kid on it etc. etc. Yeah, all well and good, but I'd like my kids to have a chance of living here and getting a job, so I'm voting for them and voting ACT.

To anyone still considering voting Labour, you do realise this means Winnie still as Foreign Minister, and Greens in the cabinet? Sue Bradford as Police Minister? Keith Locke as associate Defence? Shitting yourself yet?

[Flatcap]

Unfortunately we're up against the power of the international Green brand in that respect. It's all touchy-feely emotional stuff, their "Vote for me" billboards with the kid on it etc. etc. Yeah, all well and good, but I'd like my kids to have a chance of living here and getting a job, so I'm voting for them and voting ACT.

I didn't realise you were such a tree-hugger

[MisterD]

Check the grammar of my post for me Craig - voting for my kids by voting for ACT.

[Flatcap]

Check the grammar of my post for me Craig - voting for my kids by voting for ACT.

As Uncle Tommy always says:

"Never let the facts get in the way of a piss take"

along with:

"You aint drunk till you shit yourself"