If National wins ...

[fungus pudding]

All this dog-eat-dog argument about who did what to whom and who milked the cow and who spilled the milk is about as valuable as tits on a bull. the vast majority of voters accept what their leaders say and go on to vote as they have done and their fathers have done for the same party for generations. Sometimes the electorate becomes a bit uneasy about the incumbents and either stays home or casts a vote for some silly outfit. And the government changes for a term or two. The electorate is not uneasy about the current lot but they are uneasy about the alternatives or some of them. Forget about the mickey mouse economics - it may make you feel better about your side but the public can't understand it because we have been on the edge of ruin for decades according to which ever side is in opposition but it never happens. John Key is Mister Easy in the public eye and he will win. Still open to further wagers.

Unless the polling changes substantially before the election, and I doubt that it will, Winston First will decide the winner. Just add the numbers. If I am right that will mean National will remain in power because Winston would be unlikely to go with Labour/Greens and be 3rd on the list. Far better baubles to be extracted fronm National, not that I am suggesting Winston would be swayed by baubles.

[Harvey Specter]

Unless the polling changes substantially before the election, and I doubt that it will, Winston First will decide the winner.

That is if he gets 5% which is debatable/marginal depending on which poll you prefer. He normally does well in the lead up to an election as he visits the rest homes but he is looking tired/sick? this time round so will be interesting to see if he can do it again. Also will the other parties give him the oxygen he needs like Key did last time with the teapot tapes.

If Labour/greens are clever, they will try to keep him out of the media so that his (predominately right wing) votes are wasted.

[elZorro]

Slimwin, your area might be the exception that proves the rule. Although I hadn't thought about how they'd cover smaller class sizes.

FP, do you realise that if Labour already had an idea that Winston will line up with the left (and all his talking recently implies that he will), then National are in trouble already.

Craic, you should keep that cash ready..

[slimwin]

I doubt it EZ . The population has been growing.

[elZorro]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...rplus-in-doubt

Oh dear. Things not going plan.

Just smile and wave boys. Smile and wave. #teamkey


ElZ ... re ... At 31 May, total Crown assets were valued at $251b and liabilities were $174.3b. ...Net worth stood at $71.3b. I don't suppose you have a chart handy on that Net Worth figure over the last 15 years or so?

Hasn't National done a great job for NZ! Crown Net worth has climbed steadily to $71.3Bill. This is true, on a short timescale.

However, when Labour left office in 2008, the Crown net worth was over $100Bill, and had risen steadily all through their term.


http://www.treasury.govt.nz/governme.../jun13/011.htm

[Sgt Pepper]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...rplus-in-doubt

Oh dear. Things not going plan.


Just smile and wave boys. Smile and wave. #teamkey


ElZ ... re ... At 31 May, total Crown assets were valued at $251b and liabilities were $174.3b. ...Net worth stood at $71.3b. I don't suppose you have a chart handy on that Net Worth figure over the last 15 years or so?

Yes BELG
The economic storm clouds are indeed gathering, gst revenues down, business confidence down, House prices down, interest rates up, dairy prices decreasing, ....John Key in denial.

[slimwin]

Pre fans. You must be kidding. Hands up if you spent time in pre fans getting educated in the south island. I'd rather be the plus four in a class than freeze. What a lunatic suggestion. You really should think before you rant:-)

[slimwin]

Pre fabs. Damn smart phone. .

[craic]

Belg. do you really believe that the more posts you can cram in, the greater chance Labour will have of getting elected? And as to character assasination - who broke all the mirrors in your house?

[westerly]

Labour's plan to reduce class sizes is not going to fix better education standards period. Reducing a class size by 4 to 6 students is not going to increase the teachers ability to teach to a higher standard. Furthermore, add 2500 to 3000 teachers into the system that can't get a teaching job because of lack of experience or poor results is just going to dummify students more which is what Labour wants. Easier to control when they are adults.

There are good teaches and bad teaches, Labours plan is going to increase bad teaches and reduce quality teaching to private schools only. Further more to that, an average size school will need to increase their classrooms by about ten per school. Before you do the logistics on that, many schools are already at a capacity size (BUILDINGS). That means 260 existing students on average from a school that is at capacity will have to will have to be moved on. Explain how to go about that?

Schools like Auckland Grammar pump out our best achievers not by mistake. They have the best quality teaching staff available. John Key is right over this, quality over quantity will get the best results every time. This is a no brainer and another poorly thought out policy by Labour who is hell bent on promising everybody everything. We saw this kind of bribery from Clark too.

Usual total distortion of facts . 2000 teachers, not 3000 phased in over 4 years. Require the Teachers Council to pre screen all initial entry into teacher education programs and strengthen the requirement for all teachers to attend professional development programs to retain practising certificates.
Class sizes reduced from 29+ to 26 again over 4 years.
Paid for by cancelling Nationals IES policy.
Auckland Grammar is not your usual state secondary school and if Key did say quality over quantity he is relegating large numbers of children to a second class education.
westerly