Labour / NZ First Government

[dobby41]

The Labour party of Roger Douglas's era wouldn't mesh well with the Labour party of Robertson's era.

I'm not sure that is the case. Robertson is quite a pragmatist hence the quick and crude wage subsidy to dump money in quickly.
Fine tuning would have taken too long and snarled things up.

[dobby41]

I'm not sure that is the case. Robertson is quite a pragmatist hence the quick and crude wage subsidy to dump money in quickly.
Fine tuning would have taken too long and snarled things up.

Doesn't mean that, on-going, it can't now be tuned and targetted.

[Balance]

I'm not sure that is the case. Robertson is quite a pragmatist hence the quick and crude wage subsidy to dump money in quickly.
Fine tuning would have taken too long and snarled things up.

Agree with that and Roger Douglas should understand as he did the same with his radical moves to free up NZ (thank goodness) from the stifling regulations and rules after Labour took office in 1984.

But it is also time with the budget to be fine tuned and more targeted as you say, Dobby41.

[Zaphod]

I'm not sure that is the case. Robertson is quite a pragmatist hence the quick and crude wage subsidy to dump money in quickly.
Fine tuning would have taken too long and snarled things up.

Disagree - Labour's economic modus operandi is much different now. Roger's previous approach to the economy is at odds with Roberston's.

[Bjauck]

Roger Douglas - a politician who learned how to think. Unlike the vast majority who learn how to preach.

Didn't Douglas just about give away Telecom to the Americans? Then when Telecom was held substantially by NZ shareholders it was regulated and vilified by the government of the day.

I would be interested to know how he would pay for his plan. If fewer larger businesses are supported, presumably we would end up with kore unemployment. He doesn't support a CGT but he likes income-testing super. So presumably oldies with income would pay for his plans. But those who can arrange capital gains would be OK?

[Balance]

Didn't Douglas just about give away Telecom to the Americans? Then when Telecom was held substantially by NZ shareholders it was regulated and vilified by the government of the day.

Telecom was sold to the Fay Richwhite led Bell Atlantic/Ameritech/Tappenden consortium for a price which blew all the other bidders (including BIL & Fletcher Group) out the window.

They saw the huge potential of the mobile market at that time.

The regulations came in after Telecom squandered billions of dollars in Australia (AAPT for eg was a $3 billion disaster) and did not invest in upgrading its broadband infrastructure in NZ.

The removal & breakup of Telecom into Chorus & Spark came after Helen Clark went on a trip to Seoul . She was horrified and embarrassed that NZ was still on dial-up while South Korea was already on UFB.

[dobby41]

The removal & breakup of Telecom into Chorus & Spark came after Helen Clark went on a trip to Seoul . She was horrified and embarrassed that NZ was still on dial-up while South Korea was already on UFB.

Spark and Chorus came about purely because a LFC (Local Fibre Company) couldn't do retail. Without the split Telecom couldn't participate.

[nztx]

Bring Sir Roger back
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300...-covid19-shock
I like this line
"Douglas said it was an example of “the old maxim rendered true — there is never someone more socialist than a wealthy capitalist in a time of crisis”."

It can't be ... Labour's buddy whether they like or not

The same strategist whose ideas destroyed whole industries & buried large numbers of Employees jobs in the process..

Whether the current incompetent huddle manage to better the record achieved in the 1990's with Douglas onboard, could be interesting..

[nztx]

Could this be one of those Large Offshore Corporate Sinners which Labour was busy bashing around the block not so long ago ? -

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/121...digital-future

"Microsoft's "significant investment" shows faith in NZ's digital future"

[Balance]

It can't be ... Labour's buddy whether they like or not

The same strategist whose ideas destroyed whole industries & buried large numbers of Employees jobs in the process..

Whether the current incompetent huddle manage to better the record achieved in the 1990's with Douglas onboard, could be interesting..

Disagree with you.

But for Roger Douglas, we would still be manufacturing and assembling sub-standard and second rate & shoddy cars, TVs, clothings, furniture etc at outrageous prices, begging banks for mortgages and still using dial up internet.

And unemployment today would be 15% as the rest of the world bypasses NZ.