National - FFS!

[Panda-NZ-]

Well you can't expect things to be the same as they were in 2019. If you haven't noticed there is a pandemic on.

Agriculture is disrupted everywhere except here thanks to the govts health response. so we are in fact winning, and having record export prices.

https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zea...0months%20time.

[BlackPeter]

A load of rubbish. The Government has NO plan other than locking down the country. That’s not a plan.

I would agree with this sentiment. Not sure, though whether the other side has a better plan - or do they?

So far I just see a lolly scramble with both big parties competing to make big spending promises.

I really would like to understand whether National has a better plan. Just wondering whether anybody in the know could share it with us?

[iceman]

I would agree with this sentiment. Not sure, though whether the other side has a better plan - or do they?

So far I just see a lolly scramble with both big parties competing to make big spending promises.

I really would like to understand whether National has a better plan. Just wondering whether anybody in the know could share it with us?

I do not disagree with that BP. It is relatively easy to go onto each party's website and look at their policies. National has come out with lots of policies recently, some of which I like and some of which I don't. You are absolutely right about a lolly scramble but I think that is largely driven by the headline grabbing media with little detailed reporting and a voting public that likes free money being thrown around with no thought of how to pay it back. It will be sad for many when reality hits.

[fungus pudding]

[QUOTE=tim23;844369]

Oh and your lot have Collins at Number 1!!

Collins is not in my lot. Nevertheless she is not plain stupid, as is Twyford.

[BlackPeter]

I would agree with this sentiment. Not sure, though whether the other side has a better plan - or do they?

So far I just see a lolly scramble with both big parties competing to make big spending promises.

I really would like to understand whether National has a better plan. Just wondering whether anybody in the know could share it with us?

I do not disagree with that BP. It is relatively easy to go onto each party's website and look at their policies. National has come out with lots of policies recently, some of which I like and some of which I don't. You are absolutely right about a lolly scramble but I think that is largely driven by the headline grabbing media with little detailed reporting and a voting public that likes free money being thrown around with no thought of how to pay it back. It will be sad for many when reality hits.

Just came across this (paywalled) article in the herald: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12365438

I get it. I really do. Labour is polling over 50 per cent. They're popular. And they haven't really done anything. So they're pretty much promising nothing.

National doesn't know how to counter this. Labour's approach has been popular, so National is trying to mimic them except suggest they'd be better at doing nothing.

It's just that when you're on your third leader in four months, and you lose a bunch of senior MPs, it's hard to pitch yourself as better at anything team related. Maybe they'd beat Labour at softball. I could see Judith Collins being fiercely good at wielding a bat.

There are no ideas coming from our two major parties. Someone from these two parties is going to be Prime Minister. And New Zealand should be proud that our two major parties are led by women and nobody is batting an eyelid. But we shouldn't be proud of how bereft of new initiatives we're seeing.

I think the intro to David Cormack's article (above) nicely sums the situation up. Just the Greens and ACT coming up this election with new ideas. Obviously - which of them we like might be up to the perspective of the reader ;

[artemis]

It is worth looking at National's policies through the social investment lens. That is certainly the underpinning of some policies announced so far.

The basic proposition is that data is collected and analysed to determine best bangs for the buck in the medium and especially long term. Edu and dental policies are two recent examples. In place already is the Young Parent Payment, designed to steer teen parents into a productive life for their household rather than decades on benefit.

Also their earlier proposal to remove bulk funding for schools by decile and instead use specific risk factors for schools to identify and fund individual pupils where extra support is actually needed.

This underpinning will fly right past many voters but members of this site have a much better than average ability to appreciate that targeting is better than helicopter money.

[Panda-NZ-]

It is worth looking at National's policies through the social investment lens. That is certainly the underpinning of some policies announced so far.

The basic proposition is that data is collected and analysed to determine best bangs for the buck in the medium and especially long term. Edu and dental policies are two recent examples. In place already is the Young Parent Payment, designed to steer teen parents into a productive life for their household rather than decades on benefit.

Also their earlier proposal to remove bulk funding for schools by decile and instead use specific risk factors for schools to identify and fund individual pupils where extra support is actually needed.

This underpinning will fly right past many voters but members of this site have a much better than average ability to appreciate that targeting is better than helicopter money.

Wider issues such as why national refused to improve savings levels over their nine years (taking away kiwisaver tax credits and not lifiting contributions) or invest in the super fund so we rely on foreign investment and land sales.

There is sometimes too much of a focus the expense side when both revenue and expenses should be looked at when we have a 100 year crisis. It's good to see the restoration of the training incentive allowance, a part time minimum wage role (considered to be a success under social investment) is not going to cut it to raise a family.

[artemis]

Wider issues such as why national refused to improve savings levels over their nine years (taking away kiwisaver tax credits and not lifiting contributions) or invest in the super fund so we rely on foreign investment and land sales.

There is sometimes too much of a focus the expense side when both revenue and expenses should be looked at when we have a 100 year crisis. It's good to see the restoration of the training incentive allowance, a part time minimum wage role (considered to be a success under social investment) is not going to cut it to raise a family.

IIRC the training incentive allowance was removed when student loans became available, later interest free. The reasoning was that beneficiaries could and should be on the same footing as any other student - creating a debt for sure but with the expectation a tertiary qualification would enable them to enter the job market qualified, and no repayments required until graduation and income increased.

Seems fair to me.

I knew a couple of people who used the TIA, both had college aged offspring, quite capable of working but why bother. One graduated with a bachelors and a post grad diploma. Left for overseas and is still there.

PS Perhaps you are not aware there were earthquakes and a GFC.

[Panda-NZ-]

Why not create the environment for them to stay then-- which means higher incomes and lower rents.

The earthquake was good for the economy and I'm sure there was higher debt and unemployment after the GFC like there is now.

[artemis]

Why not create the environment for them to stay then-- which means higher incomes and lower rents.

The earthquake was good for the economy and I'm sure there was higher debt and unemployment after the GFC like there is now.

One left the country for much higher income. No student loan. The other is still here in an admin job nothing to do with her creative arts degree. No student loan.