I guess I asked for that Cuzzie, after posting a far-left comment from someone. But your post contains a lot of adjectives that I don't feel are correct.
Cunliffe, sarcastic, maybe a bit. He listens a lot more than Muldoon did. I think Helen Clark was highly intelligent and hard working, those were her main traits.
Misinforming, no that's a National trait, they're doing it all the time
Scaremongering, ditto
Greenhorns, look again at the fiscal records for both Labour/National terms.
Forget about the Internet Party, they won't get 5%. Or they shouldn't get 5% if any of the other parties have something sensible to say.
In the Waikato Times today a commentator said that Labour should have a fresher lineup. I hope the state of the nation speech is a useful one from David Cunliffe. Already he's affirmed that nil tax on the first $5000 is gone, along with the GST on veges. I agree with the second part.
Anyone who can walk to the nearest vege shop or weekend market can buy very cheap local veges and fruit already. This is because growers get a lot less for it at the commercial markets, where it is auctioned, and appearances count. Sometimes it's not worth picking for the lower returns, and that's a waste. Dropping GST on these goods would be awkward and unnecessary.
It would be good if student income below say $5000 a year had no tax, i.e. part time holiday jobs for career training, provided by businesses. It wouldn't need to be those involved in more permanent jobs. That sort of policy for those under, say, 25 years old would help redress the balance of low employment and job prospects for youths. I think IRD's advice to businesses up until April 2012 was don't worry about taxing someone who would earn less than $2340 a year in total.
http://www.ird.govt.nz/yoursituation...lstudents.html
Now it's a lot lower threshold, immediate tax by the look of it. It's onerous National party policy, that plus removing child tax credits. How is that going to help youths into their first part-time job?
More detail, proper start is April 2013, uni and tech students definitely are supposed to have PAYE deducted.
A big disincentive for small employers to take on casual holiday staff for just a few weeks. OK if you have office staff and all the overheads for that.
http://www.ird.govt.nz/payroll-emplo...l-workers.html
Student loans also became less friendly in 2013. More National policy.
http://www.studylink.govt.nz/about-s...12-detail.html
It's like the power bills. Your situation is changing. Read: bonus credits are cancelled. Repayment rates are increasing by 20%.
All this screwing down by National might yield a few million extra in the coffers. But at what price to us all, longer term?
Another quarter of the older Huntly power station will be mothballed soon. Indonesian coal imports stopped, Huntly East mine provides better deal via rejigged Solid energy Board. Maybe some moves in the right direction for once.
http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/e...use-falls.html