If National wins ...

[elZorro]

I think you might be wrong there. Last time I looked Air NZ was a listed company and I am pretty sure it all is about profits. The govt are not the only shareholders....

But lest we forget our history, AirNZ was bailed out by a Labour Government with close to a billion dollars of funds to stop our national carrier going bankrupt. Within a short space of time, it was quite profitable, and was paying back that investment with dividends and taxes. The govt was the majority owner with about 75% of the shares. And then:

In November 2013 the (National) government reduced its share in Air New Zealand from 73% to 53% as part of its controversial asset sales programme. It made $365 million from this deal.

The NZ public shafted once again, by an incompetent National Party.

[Bjauck]

The economy is doing reasonably well? Try out here in the provinces, Bjauck. It might take a while to get noticed in Auckland, but she's quiet out here, my leftie friend.

I was looking at the situation overall. True, it's mixed, there are winners and losers in NZ. Sectors and areas that differ in their current performance.
Whilst I appreciate the tales of Zorro and Robin Hood, I would think I am more centrist- a floater perhaps! In the past I have voted both for the Nats and Lab. I often split my electorate and party votes. So leftie on some issues and rightie on others.

Besides, National hasn't done well at all, considering they've needed to borrow over $60,000million over the last 7.5 years, on top of the tax base and other income that would have been about $500,000million. You and I could work 'miracles' too, if we borrowed that much, for so long. It's more a matter of if they will ever stop borrowing. They're borrowing to pay the interest now. Fools.

I would not have trusted myself in negotiating the currents and whirlpools of the Global Financial Crisis and its aftermath!

We don't export much more than we import, manufacturing jobs are dropping, we have more heavily burdened infrastructure, more are unemployed, education standards are dropping, house prices through the roof in Auckland because of net immigration, and that's not a reflection on a clever govt. It's a sign of wider malaise. We're now in a poor position to get ourselves out of the next international crisis, whenever it'll occur.
Labour's policies would have been really kicking the economy along, by now. That's the real shame.

There are definite challenges ahead. I definitely think that far too much household wealth has ended up boosting land values and being invested in real estate as opposed to being invested in financial and productive assets. For the Auckland property market I think they need to introduce demand-side as well as supply side changes.

[fungus pudding]

I was looking at the situation overall. True, it's mixed, there are winners and losers in NZ. Sectors and areas that differ in their current performance.
Whilst I appreciate the tales of Zorro and Robin Hood, I would think I am more centrist- a floater perhaps! In the past I have voted both for the Nats and Lab. I often split my electorate and party votes. So leftie on some issues and rightie on others.

I would not have trusted myself in negotiating the currents and whirlpools of the Global Financial Crisis and its aftermath!

There are definite challenges ahead. I definitely think that far too much household wealth has ended up boosting land values and being invested in real estate as opposed to being invested in financial and productive assets. For the Auckland property market I think they need to introduce demand-side as well as supply side changes.

For every purchase in real estate there is a vendor who now has money to spend or reinvest.

[Bjauck]

For every purchase in real estate there is a vendor who now has money to spend or reinvest.

...and how much less does the purchaser have to invest in financial and non real estate assets? How much extra net debt inflates the value of the land that is subject to the transaction?

[elZorro]

For every purchase in real estate there is a vendor who now has money to spend or reinvest.

And what are they spending it on, FP? More real estate, term deposits, other non-productive assets. How many of them are setting up a risky business venture that employs people? Has this govt helped encourage SMEs? No, they have supported existing big business instead, and made the hoops for startup funding, higher.

[elZorro]

I was looking at the situation overall. True, it's mixed, there are winners and losers in NZ. Sectors and areas that differ in their current performance.
Whilst I appreciate the tales of Zorro and Robin Hood, I would think I am more centrist- a floater perhaps! In the past I have voted both for the Nats and Lab. I often split my electorate and party votes. So leftie on some issues and rightie on others.

I would not have trusted myself in negotiating the currents and whirlpools of the Global Financial Crisis and its aftermath!

There are definite challenges ahead. I definitely think that far too much household wealth has ended up boosting land values and being invested in real estate as opposed to being invested in financial and productive assets. For the Auckland property market I think they need to introduce demand-side as well as supply side changes.

Bjauck, appreciate all that. I think you, at least, are not going to blindly vote National, if it will not be in the Nation's best interest. Putting aside your own interests (lower tax regardless,less meddling from central govt,privatisation) in favour of policies that will lower inequality and improve productivity, grow the economy, are at the core of Labour intentions. It's a centre-left party.

[winner69]

@katieabradford: A big announcement about Labour and the Greens will be made at 3.30pm - neither party giving anything away but promising it's big

I Posted here 2.57 - surely not a marriage with James as the leader

[fungus pudding]

@katieabradford: A big announcement about Labour and the Greens will be made at 3.30pm - neither party giving anything away but promising it's big

I Posted here 2.57 - surely not a marriage with James as the leader

Nope - Little leader of Labour, Shaw and the female co-leaders of Greens. This will be fascinating.

[elZorro]

Now this is more like it Labour: they've been listening!

https://twitter.com/katieabradford/with_replies

[Bjauck]

@katieabradford: A big announcement about Labour and the Greens will be made at 3.30pm - neither party giving anything away but promising it's big

I Posted here 2.57 - surely not a marriage with James as the leader

If I had to describe the announced Lab-Green "Memorandum of Understanding", I would call it a pre-nuptial coalition. Its not a marriage coailtion or even a de-facto coailiton.