If National wins ...

[Bjauck]

...
Sure - we always like to moan, but if National / ACT / United / Maori party really achieved this enviable positIon (compared to other countries) by doing nothing, than maybe this was the best thing the government could have done. Why change something which is not broken? Not sure, though why you call this "populist"?

I did not say I was not going to vote for National (It remains my most likely party)...but I do think however that some of its policies, including its approach to housing, are "populist" (simple solution, which won't work, to a complex problem).

However if one thinks there is not a particular problem in a policy area then I guess any attempts at a solution will seem unnecessary.

[BlackPeter]

There's probably a statute of limitations on this, Metiria is fairly safe.

And you really wrote that? EZ, are you a hypocrite or are you a hypocrite? Just remembering how bad benefit fraud sounded when you were insinuating that Paula Bennett could have committed it (remember - at this stage just an anonymous smear propagated by some Lefties). But of course, if one of your mates admits benefit fraud, than this is absolutely o.k., and there is certainly a statute of limitations.

Not sure, EZ, whether you ever had a lot of credibility, but consider it gone by now ...

[fungus pudding]

There's probably a statute of limitations on this, Metiria is fairly safe.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-...its-single-mum

She didn't use multiple frauds to help pay off a house or anything, she was doing a law degree.

Of course. Silly me. I forgot that it's okay to fraudulently obtain govt. funds for a law degree, but not for your mortgage.

[Baa_Baa]

I've found the problem eZ. You're getting Paula Bennett mixed up with the Greens deputy leader, Maturia Turei. She was obviously aware of your confusion, so admitted to benefit fraud at their annual meeting today. That should be enough for Mr. Plod to polish up the handcuffs.
No doubt you'll be ready, willing and able to accuse her of all those other things, e.g. prostitution, drunkenness, and pot smoking as well.

You forgot to mention child abuse, which was amongst the accusations.

[fungus pudding]

You forgot to mention child abuse, which was amongst the accusations.

I did forget child abuse. Sorry. No doubt though that eZ, a very fair man, will include it in his list of accusations against the Kermit lady.

[elZorro]

Of course. Silly me. I forgot that it's okay to fraudulently obtain govt. funds for a law degree, but not for your mortgage.

Of course neither scenario is good, but in one case Metiria freely admitted her previous wrongdoing and the press happily wrote it up. Paula Bennett has gotten off scott-free because she didn't admit anything, and instead she has tried really hard to suppress it. Maybe the Greens are just clearing the decks so nothing can hurt them down the track. There are also degrees of fraud - possibly multiple cases in the case of PB and probably bigger amounts involved. She could be innocent of all accusations - fine. Why not sue Ashley and take him to court then?

[fungus pudding]

Of course neither scenario is good, but in one case Metiria freely admitted her previous wrongdoing and the press happily wrote it up. Paula Bennett has gotten off scott-free because she didn't admit anything, and instead she has tried really hard to suppress it. Maybe the Greens are just clearing the decks so nothing can hurt them down the track. There are also degrees of fraud - possibly multiple cases in the case of PB and probably bigger amounts involved. She could be innocent of all accusations - fine. Why not sue Ashley and take him to court then?

Of course she could, and is entitled to be considered innocent unless proven guilty. It is your continued insinuation of guilt that will get you into trouble.

[westerly]

However - if I compare the modern New Zealand with most other countries, than I must say that our current government did a pretty good job. As a country we have some of the lowest public debts, we have one of the best (and still affordable) health systems in the world (even if there is always something to improve), we have a reasonable education system, we have one of the lowest levels of corruption of all countries in the world, we have a very low rate of unemployment, we have a good legal system (again, despite much room for improvement), and our social system is (if we compare cost and benefits) actually quite good as well in comparison. You find us probably in all of these disciplines somewhere in the top 10 countries in the world.

Sure - we always like to moan, but if National / ACT / United / Maori party really achieved this enviable positIon (compared to other countries) by doing nothing, than maybe this was the best thing the government could have done. Why change something which is not broken? Not sure, though why you call this "populist"?

NZ doesn,t make the top 10

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...-a7654701.html

A few surprises in that list

westerly

[elZorro]

National don't want to see the juvenile Todd Barclay back in Wellington, to face a horde of reporters. They don't even want him bailed up in Queenstown. There's an easy way out of this - Todd can disappear, and they can blame it on the press.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...n-in-southland

National's proposed Predator Free NZ by 2050? I heard this interview on Radio NZ last week. It'll need a lot more than $28mill - that's just a joke - and it's not really possible on larger forest-covered land masses anyway.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/pr...a-rallying-cry

[BlackPeter]

National's proposed Predator Free NZ by 2050? I heard this interview on Radio NZ last week. It'll need a lot more than $28mill - that's just a joke - and it's not really possible on larger forest-covered land masses anyway.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/pr...a-rallying-cry

EZ, you are poorly informed. While I am not privy to Nationals plans - there are a number of technologies which could easily resolve the predator problem within less than 30 years and at quite modest cost. Have a look at this wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneti...odified_insect and do some research before calling the government's plans a joke.