ACT's David Seymour - i like his style.

[davflaws]

Why haven't the credit rating agencies or market responded to such a blowout.

Because their judgment is better than David Seymour's (and Ferg's), probably because it is less tainted with ideological prejudice, or quest for narrow political advantage.

[RTM]

With a knackered back and rain I did listen to the budget and follow up speeches yesterday.

Yep…Seymour is entertaining, no doubt about it. I guess it’s easy to be so when you don’t have to actually deliver anything. Just talk.

Marama Davidson: ….Well she was plain scary and I hope puts many off voting for the Greens. Having her as a significant coalition partner with anyone is not something I would like to see. I really wish they would stick to environmental issues.

Luxon - very underwhelming.

Perhaps the best we can hope for is a coalition between Labour and National ? They are not so far apart.
Ha !

RTM

Gotta love what Symour had to say about today's budget:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political...t-for-the-rich

Robertson is "fiscally incontinent".

Some quotes:
"Incontinence is where you just have no control of things squirting out and when it comes to government spending that describes Grant Robertson unfortunately. He is fiscally incontinent."

"This is a reckless, irresponsible blowout budget with $7.5 billion worth of deficit spending next year that will put all of this government's attempts to help with the cost of living in the shade."

"Adrian Orr will have been saying things in his office at the Reserve Bank that I'm not allowed to say in this House when he realised how irresponsible Grant Robertson is with his spending."

"That is why October 14 is judgement day and October 15 is retirement day for all those Labour backbenchers."

He doesn't mince his words.

[nztx]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...ty-in-auckland

Watch live: ACT Party launches campaign, announces new policy at Sky City in Auckland

ACT Party leader David Seymour has painted his party as the one to unite the nation under equal opportunities in a speech which hit out against Wellington bureaucrats, red tape, and accused the government of accelerating the “drift towards separatism”.

Seymour announced a policy to create a new minister and Ministry of Regulation to police red tape, and create a new law which would make sure regulation is underpinned by lawmaking principles, during a rally in Auckland.

Support for the libertarian has been growing, and his party has been gaining a firmer footing as the main contender for a coalition deal with the National Party after October’s election.

Seymour foreshadowed his party could double its share of the vote in the next election during the sold-out campaign launch at the 700-seat SkyCity theatre.

The party has jumped in the polls, sitting at 12.7% in the latest political poll. It got 7.6% of the vote in the 2020 election, a significant boost from the 2017 election where it only got 0.5%.

His speech amplified his deputy leader, Brooke van Velden, and other MPs by emphasising their life outside politics, before launching into a critique of the high costs for food and fuel, crime, and co-governance - which he said was “dividing Kiwis in everyday life”.

Bet Labour's School Boy Clown Face couldn't muster the following on his own dismal efforts:

Watch as the ACT leader speaks to a sell-out crowd at Sky City in Auckland

[causecelebre]

Interesting. In days past there was a snowballs chance I would vote for ACT. I've thought myself too centrist for that. However, given the recent efforts by the incumbents and the anaemic opposition I can understand why many NZ'ers are looking for an alternative. Seymour talks a good talk, is a bit of a wit and much of what he says makes sense in principle. Of course, some of what they say doesn't but given the alternatives they may get more of the vote the closer we get to the election especially if the current govt continues with the farcical spending on things such as road signs rather than what we really want - I swear, they govern in a vacuum sometimes. Also, many Aucklanders won't forget the shafting we got during Covid

[Daytr]

Interesting. In days past there was a snowballs chance I would vote for ACT. I've thought myself too centrist for that. However, given the recent efforts by the incumbents and the anaemic opposition I can understand why many NZ'ers are looking for an alternative. Seymour talks a good talk, is a bit of a wit and much of what he says makes sense in principle. Of course, some of what they say doesn't but given the alternatives they may get more of the vote the closer we get to the election especially if the current govt continues with the farcical spending on things such as road signs rather than what we really want - I swear, they govern in a vacuum sometimes. Also, many Aucklanders won't forget the shafting we got during Covid

I could never vote for ACT, but I agree I think many are so disillusioned with the two main parties that they are looking for any party but the majors. There is a huge percentage of undecideds in the polls & I am one of them.

I would consider voting for NZF if they weren't climate change deniers.
Shane Jones seems to the only one at NZF making much noise, but perhaps Winnie is just timing his run.

Jones will have difficulty taking Northland, in fact anyone on the right will as the vote is so split, which will probably mean Prime takes the seat for doing very little. So NZF are relying on the 5% threshold but seeing they have very few candidates standing, I think they will find that tough.

In Aussie they have the Teals, or center right that believe in Climate Change & wants do something about it. Shame we don't have something similar here.

Just to add I suppose TOP was the closest to the Teals. Shame Gareth Morgan's ego got in the way of a good thing.

[Blue Skies]

Interesting. In days past there was a snowballs chance I would vote for ACT. I've thought myself too centrist for that. However, given the recent efforts by the incumbents and the anaemic opposition I can understand why many NZ'ers are looking for an alternative. Seymour talks a good talk, is a bit of a wit and much of what he says makes sense in principle. Of course, some of what they say doesn't but given the alternatives they may get more of the vote the closer we get to the election especially if the current govt continues with the farcical spending on things such as road signs rather than what we really want - I swear, they govern in a vacuum sometimes. Also, many Aucklanders won't forget the shafting we got during Covid

Just a note on the Road signs issue, which National are making a song & dance about.
Cyclone Gabrielle caused extensive damage to roads, property and even Road Signs.
Initially its only the cyclone damaged or lost Road Signs which need to be replaced, which will be in both English & Te Reo Maori.
Then gradually whenever individual road signs need replacing due to damage, loss or deterioration, they will be replaced with newer bi-lingual signs.

While plenty of money gets wasted by all governments (& councils & large organisations) its not being wasted on Road signs in the way National is trying to portray it.

On another point, its fascinating Chris Luxon even recently when speaking to Maori academics, proudly & emphatically talks about how he had introduced Te Reo Maori into Air NZ's service & operations while at AIR.
But when campaigning as National's leader, & speaking to audiences of predominately older white National voters at these recent meetings like the Birkenhead Bowling Club, you would think he was against using Te Reo or at least very unenthusiastic.
Sometimes his position on issues doesn't seem consistent & authentic.




https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-...-about-te-reo/

[Daytr]

It's not just road signs though is it.
What do you think farmers thought when "he Waka eka noa" was introduced?
Just one example of many.
Surely the main objective of a project title is to convey a meaning to the intended audience.
I am all for the elevation of te reo but not at the expense if 95% of the population not understanding what their Government is conveying.
Don't look for the health department, look for whatu ora.
Waka kotahi, one of the easier ones to understand, does also not understand its core role of developing and maintaining roads.

Co-governance imo is anti democratic. I'm all for tangata whenua having a say and influence & wrongs being addressed, however giving any ethnic group that makes up 18% of the population 50% of the decision making goes against the democratic foundation of the country I.e. one person, one vote. Imagine being another minority race, this policy will marginalize them even further.

Education & health, let's not worry about paying our teachers or nurses what they are worth. Let's not try & stop them head across the Tasman in droves, no let's target immigration as the fix as replacing nurses from Asia is a cheaper option.

I'm not suggesting National would be any better, except probably on roads as that's one thing they concentrate on, they would probably be worse for the teachers & nurses going by their track record.

When espousing these views the common lazy reactionary accusations of racism are thrown about like confetti at a wedding. It's a very unsophisticated way of shutting down debate.

Hence imo the disillusioned center vote.

[Balance]

Under-estimate David Seymour at your own peril :

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...does-that-mean

White middle class NZers will determine the outcome of this year’s election - internal polling s of Labour & National indicate that strongly. Looks like Seymour is swaying more and more of them towards ACT and it’s policies.

Very very interesting times ahead for the next 4 months.

[Daytr]

Under-estimate David Seymour at your own peril :

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...does-that-mean

White middle class NZers will determine the outcome of this year’s election - internal polling s of Labour & National indicate that strongly. Looks like Seymour is swaying more and more of them towards ACT and it’s policies.

Very very interesting times ahead for the next 4 months.

I think she used the word peril in the headline quite deliberately when referring to Seymour. I.e the country will be in peril.

[thegreatestben]

It already is so what's the harm in a different approach, if the worst thing is we remain with the status quo?