Too big a change up IMO. Deputy now and she can take over 2020/2023.Extremely unlikely to happen this close to an election, but IMO Labour's chances will be far better if Ardern overthrows Little ASAP. Stronger candidate in every way.
I really don't think English sucks. He's an intelligent man with a strong focus on well-directed productive investment in New Zealand's social capital. Yes he benefitted from Cullen leaving NZ with historically low debt, but he also did a very good job of balancing the need to reign in spending whilst ensuring the Economy didn't get completely poleaxed as happened in the UK. He's also doing a pretty good job of more or less single-handedly making National acceptable to Maori NZers.The idea of Winston deciding an election disgusts me. Represents the worst of mainstream political thinking scattered amongst the older generations.
English sucks. Coasted along on Cullen's surplus and steals his credit for saving NZ from the recession. No surprises he managed to call an entire voter bloc drug addicts this week. If National could get crushed this election and all the social conservatives and incompetents were thrown out in favour of the libertarian lite brigade that would be great, not because I'm libertarian but because social conservatism sucks. Now that Key (an ATG PR politician - everything he wanted copped huge protest but he himself remained untouchable) is gone some of the muppets like Bridges, Smith, Collins and Bennett are going to have to work harder to convince the swing voters they've got something between their ears.
Adern is gun. Can't believe the likes of her and Robertson were stuck behind narcissists like Cunliffe for years.
National will probably win though. NZ feels a very centre right country atm.
That article is impressive, credit where it's due to English.I really don't think English sucks. He's an intelligent man with a strong focus on well-directed productive investment in New Zealand's social capital. Yes he benefitted from Cullen leaving NZ with historically low debt, but he also did a very good job of balancing the need to reign in spending whilst ensuring the Economy didn't get completely poleaxed as happened in the UK. He's also doing a pretty good job of more or less single-handedly making National acceptable to Maori NZers.
PM Bill English gave two speeches on Waitangi Day. Both were remarkable. Both were almost entirely ignored |
Having said that there are things I really don't like about him (his social conservatism - though he's obviously paring that back now that he's taken the leadership; and his soft climate change denialism in particular).
You can't phase it in straight away. People will have planned their whole lives around the assumption that super will be coming in at a certain point in time, it's not fair to suddenly say - nope that two years of income that you'd been banking on is gone. At least not without means testing things - which I can tell you from experience opens up an enormous can of policy worms (and I imagine a fairly large number of political worms as well). But yeah, 2040 does seem too fair off. 2030ish would seem to me a better start point - 10 years of awareness should be enough for the majority to adjust given that most people are making the majority of their income during their final working years.Well it's certainly something, but should be phased in next year, not 2040 when all the baby boomers will be well retired...
yeah obviously, I'm talking about what should've been planned for 15 years ago not now.You can't phase it in straight away. People will have planned their whole lives around the assumption that super will be coming in at a certain point in time, it's not fair to suddenly say - nope that two years of income that you'd been banking on is gone. At least not without means testing things - which I can tell you from experience opens up an enormous can of policy worms (and I imagine a fairly large number of political worms as well). But yeah, 2040 does seem too fair off. 2030ish would seem to me a better start point - 10 years of awareness should be enough for the majority to adjust given that most people are making the majority of their income during their final working years.
shut up you ungrateful entitled little **** etcYeah it's about time. Key and Clark both dodged this one because no one wants to believe we can't sustain a ridiculous number of pensions (well we can if we crush those still working which suits those nearing retirement just fine).