If National wins ...

[elZorro]

Major

The INTERNET
GPS systems
Microchips
Vaccines
Barcodes

All these essential inventions that we all benefit from, were started with Governmemt funding . Seems at variance with the assertion that "all private good" "all government bad". do you not think?

Very good point, Sgt Pepper. I've never said that Government and the SOE area is the place all innovation stems from, but there is always the potential, and Government also needs to encourage the private sector in certain directions, for the good of everybody.

Poor old Bill - as an elderly former accountant Ken Chandler from Hamilton so eloquently put it in his Letter to the Editor of the Waikato Times today:

Bill English must be dreaming if he thinks or talks of further tax cuts before the next election. He must also envy the sound financial management of the previous government.

More devastation on the way for businesses in the provinces. Commercial vehicle sales already on the way back down.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/dair...ay+4+June+2015

[craic]

We are currently experiencing a perfect example of Government innovative funding. $30,000 for a bloody door in in parliment that will seperate Labour and National offices in a corridor. We are told that the door must be kauri and must have cast brass hinges because it is a heritage building ,hence the high cost. Why not a temporary security door, built off the premised for under $2,000 that can easily be removed when the balance of power alters and there are more/less National/Labour MPs in the corridor. $30,000 would be enough to start two young families in their own home - in the provinces where most New Zealanders live.

[Daytr]

Craic, why do you think the security door needs installing in the first place?

[winner69]

We are currently experiencing a perfect example of Government innovative funding. $30,000 for a bloody door in in parliment that will seperate Labour and National offices in a corridor. We are told that the door must be kauri and must have cast brass hinges because it is a heritage building ,hence the high cost. Why not a temporary security door, built off the premised for under $2,000 that can easily be removed when the balance of power alters and there are more/less National/Labour MPs in the corridor. $30,000 would be enough to start two young families in their own home - in the provinces where most New Zealanders live.

And that's a might impressive piece of stone outside mbie hq - all $70.000 worth

I suggested they contact this guy called craic who could find. Decent piece of timber on his farm and some clever things with his chainsaw and put mbie hq label n it ....totally fit for purpose ....and he would do it for his country but would mind a couple bottles of bourbon and a crate of Tui

[Major von Tempsky]

Anyone read the media report by the failed Kiwi/British Labour MP Brian Gould?
Point 1, why didn't they get someone who won 3 British elections easily for Labour i.e. Tony Blair to do the report rather than Gould who is on the left wing of the Brit Labour Party?
Point 2 - most of Gould's comments are specious and would do nothing to win the next election for NZ Labour.
e.g. disunity was a problem. Yeah, but the NZ voters didn't vote Nat because of Labour disunity they voted Nat because of attractive Nat policies and scary left wing Labour policies and attractive Nat candidates and leadership i.e. John Key. Having more money would not have solved that problem. Anyway it's previously been pointed out that the only NZ Labour President in recent years prepared to get his hands dirty with knocking, calling. writing to get financial support has been Mike Williams. The others have been airy fairy Labour academics who have always believed somebody else does the work.
It was a nice touch, given the Peter Dunne/Andrea Vance leaks, that this Gould report was only released because someone "not in the Labour caucus" had already leaked it to the media!

[elZorro]

Anyone read the media report by the failed Kiwi/British Labour MP Brian Gould?
Point 1, why didn't they get someone who won 3 British elections easily for Labour i.e. Tony Blair to do the report rather than Gould who is on the left wing of the Brit Labour Party?
Point 2 - most of Gould's comments are specious and would do nothing to win the next election for NZ Labour.
e.g. disunity was a problem. Yeah, but the NZ voters didn't vote Nat because of Labour disunity they voted Nat because of attractive Nat policies and scary left wing Labour policies and attractive Nat candidates and leadership i.e. John Key. Having more money would not have solved that problem. Anyway it's previously been pointed out that the only NZ Labour President in recent years prepared to get his hands dirty with knocking, calling. writing to get financial support has been Mike Williams. The others have been airy fairy Labour academics who have always believed somebody else does the work.
It was a nice touch, given the Peter Dunne/Andrea Vance leaks, that this Gould report was only released because someone "not in the Labour caucus" had already leaked it to the media!

MVT, (More Vacuous Text?), I have to advise you that Bryan Gould was part of a strong review team, he was the VC of Waikato University and is therefore likely to be reasonably bright. Campaign spending does have a lot to do with the party votes results achieved by each party, and if you chose to go back over the last few election results with that in mind, I think you'd have to agree with Bryan Gould and I on that one. But I doubt you'll spend the time to do that, it would upset your incorrect point of view.

[winner69]

No EZ, I did not write this

But maybe a bit soon to use the word oblivion, maybe after the next election when the Greens get more votes.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/ne...ectid=11460446

[fungus pudding]

No EZ, I did not write this

But maybe a bit soon to use the word oblivion, maybe after the next election when the Greens get more votes.

Why would the Greens get more votes? Rustle Norman will be a hard act to follow, and until they dump the silly co-leader bit they will not improve their vote. They need one real leader. I don't think they look like a happy lot at all at present.

[elZorro]

No EZ, I did not write this

But maybe a bit soon to use the word oblivion, maybe after the next election when the Greens get more votes.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/ne...ectid=11460446

I can't figure you out, W69, are you a Green or NZF voter maybe? As long as it's not National/Act, it's fine by me.. but then since you have a top class political understanding, you'd be unlikely to vote for Key's mob.

John Armstrong was fairly positive about Labour earlier last month.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-armst...ectid=11445665

[elZorro]

Spotted this item about R&D grants today. It's yet another situation where taxpayer money has been handed over to the wrong sort of company. Yes, they might have passed the rules, but they must be stupid rules.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU150...-rd-grants.htm

"Smart" are a listed company overseas (Canadian), they had already bought out the existing owners of NextWindow for $82mill (some of whom were NZers), so presumably they don't need helping out any further. Once they had the funds, why was there not a clawback on the company expending most of those funds in NZ, and trading for at least several years later, here? They didn't pull down all the funds thankfully, they could have taken another few million from NZ taxpayers.

Just think how many SMEs could have done good initial work with even $100,000 each? About 40 NZ firms, instead of one Canadian listed firm that was soon to see their new acquisition go belly-up.