Economy
National Announces Biggest Infrastructure Package in History
Wow. Three days into the job and opposition leader Judith Collins has announced the biggest infrastructure spend in history, with $31 billion to be spent on infrastructure projects over the next decade. Stuff reports: National Party leader Judith Collins has announced plans for what she calls “the biggest infrastructure package”
National’s Upper North Island Infrastructure Package
National’s transport infrastructure package is just the first part of the Delivering Infrastructure theme of its Plan to Get New Zealand Working. Today initial announcements focus on the Upper North Island with announcements planned for across the rest of the country. What projects are part of National’s Upper
The King Is Dead, Long Live the Queen
I feel very sad for Todd Muller. Clearly he was not up to the job of leader of the opposition, but clearly he is also a very decent person. Judith has been gracious and considerate in giving him a front bench position and the trade portfolio. She has also done
Collins vs Ardern in the Credibility Stakes
Reputations are made or lost in the court of public opinion, and until now Collins was at the mercy of knives wielded by the members of her own party, but this changed overnight when she was appointed leader. Collins now calls the shots and she has made her aspirations clear:
New Zealand Sounds a Warning to Australia on Power Prices
As I so often tell BFD readers, Australian politics often seem to serve as a warning to New Zealand. We had Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard; ten years down the track, you get Jacinda Ardern. Our “conservative” Coalition turns teal-blue and tears itself apart with infighting, you lot get
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Don’t you just love it when mega-rich people start demanding higher taxes? They just can’t help themselves. They have to rub everyone’s noses in the fact that they are so wealthy that they really REALLY should be taxed more because they can afford it. Ignoring the
NZ’s Aluminium and Steel to Be Produced by Coal-Fired Furnaces Half a World Away
The glibness of Ministers Woods and Robertson’s announcements following news of the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter show the pair up to be not only chinless but gutless too. The whole ‘air of inevitability’ throwaway to the destruction of the far-South economy and Meridian Energy profits belies
Greens’ Wealth Tax Would Bring “a Dose of Poverty to All”
Dr David Law nzinitiative.org.nz The Green Party’s “Poverty Action Plan” is all about tackling poverty, although the outcomes may differ from what the party expects. While it is meant to help struggling Kiwis, the plan will instead provoke emigration, disincentivise work and saving and stifle investment in
Economic Derangement Syndrome
As Michelle Boag cancelled her National Party membership, she carried out one final act of spite for the party that has feathered her nest for so long; she implicated Michael Woodhouse in the appalling saga over the leaked COVID patient information. She did not need to do this, as she
Isolation Is Insanity
Can someone recommend somewhere that would be suitable for this Government to collectively self isolate? A place far enough away where they could reflect on the stupidity of their current COVID carry on. Is there any suitable accommodation on the Auckland Islands? Perhaps not such a good idea as the
Pandemic Stocktake
Dr Muriel Newman nzcpr.com At Labour’s annual conference last weekend, COVID-19 dominated Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s speech: “Our strong health response now gives us an economic head start, the ability to move from responding to Covid-19, to recovering and rebuilding… So today my ask of
A Green Path to the Fringe
Dr Oliver Hartwich nzinitiative.org.nz The Green Party has declared its wealth tax will be a red line in any coalition negotiations. And because Labour knows this, the larger party left the door wide open. Rather than ruling out the Greens’ plans, both the Prime Minister and the Minister
Cast Not The First Stone
I have just watched TVNZ ONE News on Monday night where, among other things, they reported gleefully on the fact that a number of businesses may be up for prosecution for claiming the wage subsidy when they didn’t need it. They behave as if every business owner is a
A Plan for Poverty
David Law Research Fellow nzinitiative.org.nz The Green Party’s “Poverty Action Plan” is all about tackling poverty, although the outcomes may differ from what the party expects. While it is meant to help struggling New Zealanders, the plan will instead disincentivise work, saving, investment in education and skills,
Still Being Brought to Heel
The little woman running this country appears to be still obsessed with control. Even though there are countries that are happy to accept Kiwis with tourist dollars to spend, her advice is not to go. Stay and spend those dollars in your own backyard, she says. In one way encouraging