If National wins ...

[Cuzzie]

National likely to extend paid parental leave towards the figure offered by Labour. Of course in National's case, it is not an election bribe or catchup policy. They have been such good stewards of the country, that we can now afford to do it??

When National starts saying things like this, the public get out their credit cards. Cuzzie, this is going to make your balance of accounts chart look bad again .

EZ, you are correct, which ever way it goes meaning whoever gets into power, the current accounts chart will take a big hit. Lets face it both policies are Labours although National will lay claim to Sue Moroney's members bill. Only one or the other should go ahead and whoever wins will pass their bill.
What I will say is with National, clearly they can keep their balance of accounts under control and with the economy now growing at 3.5 per cent and budget surpluses returning, the accounts balance will not be a problem for National or Labour should they win, as the books are looking in good shape.
The good news just keeps rolling in and here are a few from the last couple of days:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/mone...nfidence-lifts

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-serv...onth-bd-151065

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...ms-boost-worth

We are doing alright compared to most countries right now. Last year my wife had a holiday in Europe and let me tell you they are suffering. Parts of Greece, Italy & France look third world, I think we are doing just fine here.

[fungus pudding]

At least he's putting out the message, Labour will be instructing IRD to look harder at tax evasion by multinationals and those using tax havens.

Labour voters just want people to pay their fair share for the common good, from their income. Nothing more, nothing less.

What a revelation! The IRD, along with every other tax service in the first world have been grappling with this for a long time, and they'll get there with or without assistance from Mr. Cunliffe.
Apart from that - congratulations on knowing what the five thousand odd Labour voters want. Must have taken you a while to poll them all. I could introduce you to several Labour voters who want everyone else to pay the tax, or at least receive back through baby-bonuses, working for families etc. an amount at least as much as they have paid. You must have missed them from your survey.

[Cuzzie]

It'll be a "not" ... This is just far too funny

Yep all about playing little games. I was right - not man enough.
Well then B.Ser you have center stage. Go ahead and tell us all where I was "hounded off another share forum for being an obnoxious idiot".
Play with fire and you will get burnt, but I'm thinking you will find that funny too.


You have tried to make mileage from another forum where I post that has nothing to do with your incredibly inarticulate statement.


Come on, tell us belboy. Any further delay in coming up with where, "I was hounded off another share formum for being an obnoxious idiot", will just further cement what I would think must be a growing opinion that you tell little fairy stories to entertain your own little mind.


We are all waiting to here your explanation!

[Cuzzie]

Prime Minister John Key has launched a scathing attack on Labour leader David Cunliffe's credibility, calling him "tricky" and questioning whether he's been telling the public the truth.

Speaking on TV3's Firstline this morning about Labour's $60-a-week child payment scheme, Mr Key accepted that some elements of the new policy have "merit".

But he went on to say it was unfunded and not well targeted, before accusing Mr Cunliffe of "misleading New Zealanders" over the scheme.

He said Mr Cunliffe claimed the benefit would be paid out for the first year of the baby's life, as long as you earn under $150,000.

But the money starts being paid only once paid parental leave ends.

"David Cunliffe's developing a reputation around Parliament for being very tricky," Mr Key said.

"He [Cunliffe] just needs to learn to be up front with the public so they can actually trust his word.

"I read his speeches and now after a number of examples of this, I really question whether the guy is telling me the truth ..."

Yesterday, Mr Key said the Government will "have a look" at extending paid parental leave to beyond 14 weeks as early as the middle of this year.

On Firstline this morning Mr Key denied imitating Labour's policies.

"Paid parental leave is one of those things where we've always said, under the right conditions, when we can afford it, of course there's a case to extend that a bit. At the moment we pay 14 weeks; could that go out a bit more? My view is probably yes."

Given the cost of the Christchurch earthquakes, coupled with the global financial crisis, and "racking up massive debts" to pay for existing programmes, Mr Key said there was no credible argument to increase paid parental leave before now.

He said it came down to a matter of priorities.

"You can go to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, but are you going to have as much money to spend on new cancer drugs that come? Or maybe more police officers, or maybe other support for other people?

"I think you've got to get your balance right, and in my view we will get that balance right, and the Labour Party is not."


Direct link here
Is Cunliffe a bell boy?

[fungus pudding]

A forensic accounting specialist (ex IRS) tells me that the IRDs/IRSs worldwide know exactly what to do and they're in no way "grappling" with the problem. The real problem is that the politicians of each country are playing a "race to the bottom" game with each country's politicians determined to have the big corp names in their country if they can. ... Bit like the film industry in NZ I'd guess.

Until we get unified agreement worldwide by all governments the big corps will simply play one govt off against the next.

Which is the problem they are grappling with. Well done.

[Cuzzie]

The only one waiting is you with your ever-so-fragile ego (and poor spelling).

That's fine belg, you concentrate on being the spelling police and spreading B.S stories, I'll report on how well National is doing. This just in from Moody's ....

Jan. 29 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand's economy and the government's books are on the mend after taking a hit from a protracted recession and a series of earthquakes several years ago, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The rating agency sees New Zealand's economic strength as 'high', its institutional strength as 'very high', the nation's fiscal strength as 'very high' and its susceptibility to event risk as 'low', it said in a statement. New Zealand holds an Aaa sovereign rating with Moody's, which has just completed its annual credit analysis on New Zealand, separate to a rating action.

New Zealand's accelerating economic growth and the forecast return to fiscal surplus in the 2014/15 year means government debt to gross domestic product will peak below the median for similarly rated nations and stabilise after that, Moody's said.

"New Zealand's economy and government finances are on an improving trend in the aftermath of a prolonged, albeit mild, recession and a series of earthquakes that had series effects on both," Moody's said.

The country's economic prospects for the year have been latched on to by international commentators, with HSBC dubbing it as likely to be 'the rock star economy'. Growth is expected to come from the accelerating pace of the Canterbury rebuild, Auckland house building and persistently high international dairy prices.

The nation's reliance on foreign savings and its current account deficits remain a challenge to New Zealand's creditworthiness, though Moody's noted a large portion of its international liabilities belonged to subsidiaries of Australian banks, and given the strength of the parent lenders, were unlikely to pose a significant risk.

Moody's assessed New Zealand's banking system risk as low, saying it is "one of the highest rated."

Click here for the link.

Any comments on that belg? Maybe one of your cool stories.

[Cuzzie]

EZ, here is an interesting but not surprising article on SMEs. We were discussing this not so long ago.

New Zealand small to medium-sized businesses are more bullish in their revenue expectations for the year to August than their Australian counterparts,according to a MYOB trans-Tasman report.

Around 43 per cent of the 1000 New Zealand SMEs surveyed by the business software company are expecting revenues to rise between August 2013 and the same month this year.

Some 10 per cent of New Zealand businesses surveyed by MYOB are forecasting revenue to fall over this period.

Across the ditch, a quarter of the 1000 SMEs surveyed expect revenue to improve and 22 per cent are forecasting it to be down.

A higher proportion of New Zealand operators are also more optimistic about the economy than in Australia.

Almost 30 per cent of New Zealand SMEs expects the economy to improve in the year to August, while only 23 per cent of Australian businesses surveyed had optimistic sentiments about their economy.

"Where the differences are particularly evident is in the relative performance of key sectors," said MYOB chief executive Tim Reed.

"New Zealand's construction, retail, manufacturing and rural sectors are all expecting to outperform Australia's".

"In Australia, businesses are more optimistic about growth in the year to August 2014 than they were in the previous 12 months, but the opportunities are probably at least six to 12 months behind where New Zealand sits. Although the winding down of the mining boom remains a concern, investment in construction is on the rise, and the falling Australian dollar is helping both exporters and the tourism economy," he said.

More bullish expectations this side of the Tasman followed the local SME economy outperforming the same sector in Australia in the year to August 2013, MYOB said.

This is the direct link.

All positive news from our Govt. EZ, got any good news from the opposition?

[Cuzzie]

Self imploding before our very eyes. National has good results pouring in at the same time Labour is doing the opposite.

This just in from News Talk ZB

David Cunliffe's under attack over the detail of his opening speech to parliament.
The Labour leader used his first parliamentary speech of 2014 to slam the Government and call for more value to be added to our exports.
"New Zealand's not going to get rich exporting raw logs or a freezing industry that's now getting to export whole carcasses, so somebody else can cut them up and add the value."
But Cabinet Minister Steven Joyce says Mr Cunliffe has his facts wrong.
"He says we shouldn't be exporting lamb carcasses overseas - we don't! 98% of New Zealand's lamb carcasses are processed in this country."

[Cuzzie]

Cuzzie ... if you re-read what was actually said you'll realise they are both right as they are both talking about different things. Or more correctly, its Cabinet Minister Steven Joyce who is most in the wrong as he isn't responding too what Cunliffe actually said so to say Cunliffe is wrong just make him Joyce look like a twit.

http://www.beeflambnz.com/ ... has the answers - go look.

No, 98% of New Zealand's lamb carcasses are processed in this country, that leaves a mere 2% that Joyce was truthfully about. If he was a Labour cabinet minister Joyce would of said 100% and that would be an untruth. The other 2% is not fully processed or still whole due to that customers requirements.

Cunliffe gave no figures but tried to make out no carcasses were processed. That is very misleading. Trust you to try and make 2% a 50% both at fault when Joyce is 100% correct in what he said.

[Cuzzie]

How "national is doing"? .... Really? ... Moody is reporting on the NZ economy. Suggest you read previous Moody's reports and you'll see that thy're all pretty similar are make little reference to either Labour or National. To suggest they're a report card on National performance (or lack of) is really stretching it ...

Not even a nice try - sours grapes me thinks. Turbo charged sour grapes. I love you feeling the pain belg, the better NZ does under National the more hurt you feel. That's just wrong, how about that move to Aussie for you, I'm sure they will except a winging kiwi with open arms ... not.