Ok so after 9 years what have they done?

[Hitcher]

There is no such thing as "free". The issue is who pays for all of this stuff, and the answer to that is that taxpayers are being excessively gouged so that these wonderful things can happen. It would be all good if New Zealand was a dynamic and thriving first world nation, rather than a remote series of islands hovering close to the banana republic tipping point.

[Flatcap]

There a few. Not all straight forward and some controversial. But the jury is still out if it was good or not?

Good if you are on a benefit, bad if you actually pay tax

[Swoop]

Raped the RNZAF
Banned smacking
Got students even more in debt by canceling interest so they borrow more
Less folk on dole-but really they've migrated to sickness benefit
Rooted the economy
Rooted the parole system
Bled ordinary tax payers dry
Committed fraud (signed painting)
Ruined careers (speeding motorcade)
Devalued the police (emphasis on traffic while letting P establish itself)
Buddied up with China (bye bye NZ industry)

Man I can't wait to see the back of them

Might as well close the thread, surely they can't have stuffed up more than that

Do not forget the tax on dogs... Oops! "Keeping people safe by micro-chipping all dogs to stop them biting people". (That one has worked, there are no more vicious dog attacks anywhere). Why can I now smell Tui beer?
Legalisation of prostitution. Knocking shops are now in your neighbourhood.
Lowering the drinking age.
Taxing fortified wines to stop the alcopop binge drinking problem.
The "gagging the opposition parties Bill", sorry... electoral finance act.
I'm sure there are few more...

[merv]

Go the trains!

Labour has been very pro-rail and I like that in a government .

[Conquiztador]

Good if you are on a benefit, bad if you actually pay tax

Yep, you can take the individual look here. But there is a bigger picture. And no, I am not sure that all the current govmnt has done is OK. I did not vote for them. Things could always be better. But worse too. The NZ taxrate is actually not bad when compared to some of the European countries of similar size. The ones over 50% are Sweden, Slovenia, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Their GST (or VAT) tax are around 20% with Sweden at top with 25%.

And the reality is that apart from places like Dubai and Monaco that does not need tax money to do stuff, all other countries do. Today we are also more civilised (???) and care about our population who can not cater for them selves. We are proud of that nobody has to die as a result of no housing, healtcare or food. Sadly this is not the case in many of todays countries.

Do you realise, that if you have a few coins in a jar or in your pocket, you are actually one of the top 5% financially in the world... But we always want more. One TV is not enough. And we really need that 42inch plasmascreen. And we should not have to be without a roast every w/e. It is our right!!

[FJRider]

Now that's just not true! I've asked everyone and not one of them voted Labour at the last election ... not one I say.

SOMEBODY must have

[scumdog]

Lowering the drinking age.
I'm sure there are few more...

Just that one act put them on the dungheap as far as I'm concerned.

[oldrider]

Go the trains!

Labour has been very pro-rail and I like that in a government .

Usually enjoy your posts merv but this one.......!!!!

NZGR/Toll or the parts the government bought back:

Too narrow, too old, too run down and too inefficient, it's just a lemon, if it was a bike, would "you" have bought it?

I come from a railway family, it's in my blood but this one is an under performing liability, just an expensive toy train set. Bad move! (IMHO) John.

[98tls]

Usually enjoy your posts merv but this one.......!!!!

NZGR/Toll or the parts the government bought back:

Too narrow, too old, too run down and too inefficient, it's just a lemon, if it was a bike, would "you" have bought it?

I come from a railway family, it's in my blood but this one is an under performing liability, just an expensive toy train set. Bad move! (IMHO) John.

Was hoping you would show up John,do you think that the recent surge in gas prices will make it more viable?

[The Pastor]

dont forget civil unions.

[mashman]

Usually enjoy your posts merv but this one.......!!!!

NZGR/Toll or the parts the government bought back:

Too narrow, too old, too run down and too inefficient, it's just a lemon, if it was a bike, would "you" have bought it?

I come from a railway family, it's in my blood but this one is an under performing liability, just an expensive toy train set. Bad move! (IMHO) John.

Absolutely... I still can't understand why they bought it back, it's a revenue loser... The only reason i can think of is that it'll cost whoever gets into power nest so much money to run they'll have nothing left and people will vote Labour back in next time... but that's just a thought.

One thing I wish Nz would capitalise on is the local pride... Why we haven't all flocked to support Kiwibank yet i don't know. We bank with too many foreign banks and the money we make earns interest in other countries... Perhaps Kiwifarm, Kiwifuel etc... would be the way forwards... We produce locally, tax locally and watch profit end up elsewhere and then wonder why we can't sustain ourselves???

[mashman]

Was hoping you would show up John,do you think that the recent surge in gas prices will make it more viable?

for the single person perhaps depending on where you live. If I took myself into the city it would cost me 12 bucks a day on the train, 60 a week. I can ride a litre spots bike into the city, door to door for 40 bucks. If i want to take my wife and kids into the city same journey for a weekit'll cost me about 50 bucks in fuel. If i take the wife and 3 kids into the city it's 36 bucks a day or 180 bucks a week.

So not, it's not even close to being viable for families

[98tls]

for the single person perhaps depending on where you live. If I took myself into the city it would cost me 12 bucks a day on the train, 60 a week. I can ride a litre spots bike into the city, door to door for 40 bucks. If i want to take my wife and kids into the city same journey for a weekit'll cost me about 50 bucks in fuel. If i take the wife and 3 kids into the city it's 36 bucks a day or 180 bucks a week.

So not, it's not even close to being viable for families

Was thinking more along the lines of freight as in rail v trucks.Point taken though.

[geoffm]

Yep, you can take the individual look here. But there is a bigger picture. And no, I am not sure that all the current govmnt has done is OK. I did not vote for them. Things could always be better. But worse too. The NZ taxrate is actually not bad when compared to some of the European countries of similar size. The ones over 50% are Sweden, Slovenia, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Their GST (or VAT) tax are around 20% with Sweden at top with 25%.

!

A few things - the effective tax rate in NZ is over 50% - income tax is only a small part of the picture. Don't forget company tax (paid for by consumers) excise duty, GST, rates, ACC, etc. It comes over 50% for many people. Further more, due to the low wage rates in NZ, the half that is left buys F -all.
The so called tax cut - if it arrives (the last one didn't) doesn't even make up for 9 years of inflation, and won't even pay for the extra GST take on fuel due to rising prices. Rob Muldoon loved fiscal drag, and Cullen is the master now.
I didn't vote for Labour, but I also don't believe the Nats will be any better. There is a large voting bloc that relies on the taxpayer for a living. The beneficiaries and Dole-for-families recipients are an obvious example, but there are also a huge number of public servants, whose numbers need to be thinned in the traditional Roman style. Neither party can afford to take away the income of these parasites.
Around 10-ish years ago, it was reported that 40% of the Wellington workforce worked for the government. It didn't state how many of the remainder relied on the government contracts for their income, and hence were employed by the government in all but name. With the rise in numbers in the civil service (around 20-25% IIRC) I would not be surprise if the % of the Wellington workforce relying on Helen (and voting accordingly) was over 50%. There is a shortage of office sapce in Wellington, largely due to Helen's overpriced dole scheme.

[FJRider]

dont forget civil unions.

Civil unions...made by Goverment......made to last ????.....