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Monday, November 30, 2009

Sir Don Brash

If I were running odds I'd put Brash's chances of getting a knighthood by the end of next year as maybe as strong as $1.15. For services to the national party. They won't implement even a fraction of his tinder dry Tory wish list, but as an exercise to move the policy thinking in a rightwards direction it will warm the hearts of the top couple of percentage of income earners that constitute the primary concern of the Nats. But it's reception has been chilly at best.

The recommendation to have no capital gains tax - while hugely advantageous to the wealthy - is out of step with everything Bill English has been hinting at. It's "interesting" - but it's not exciting and it's not worthwhile, or - as implied in the heading - it's not practical either.

So Dr Brash has recommended some impractical things that are electoral suicide - that is what the National leadership have told us thus far.

The report has been a cosy jobs-for-the-boys retirement sinecure for an ex-Reserve Bank Governor who would have been scribbling away at it - trying to be relevant - regardless. So why not pay him a no doubt extravagant fee for having someone type up the notes of his economic wet dreams? That's privilege. Did he have to competitively tender for that report contract? Of course not - he's their mate. That's how it works. Did David Caygill and the others on this taskforce get appointed on merit? — or because they are mates of the Tories and will produce the requisite right wing recommendations? That's a culture of entitlement right there. And it culminates in a knighthood.
2025 taskforce. It's mission is premised on the notion that most people in this country will leave for Australia to make more money. It's just another outlet for the NZ inferiority complex. This is not to say that regaining our position income-wise relative to Australia in 1974 would be a negative aspiration, but appointing Brash and his acolytes (Caygill's congratulatory and encouraging emails to Brash were exposed in the 'Hollow Men') to undertake the work is going to warp and taint the taskforce's output as ideological and pre-determined.

14 Comments:

At 30/11/09 4:50 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"It's mission is premised on the notion that most people in this country will leave for Australia to make more money."

I certainly am after graduation. What's the point in struggling to make a living when a 3rd of your income is sucked away to subsidise parasitic public servants and dole bludgers.

 
At 30/11/09 6:29 pm, Blogger Tim Selwyn said...

.. and go to Australia and have maybe just under a third of your income sucked away to subsidise parasitic public servants and dole bludgers. ?

 
At 30/11/09 7:49 pm, Anonymous SHG said...

Yeah, but the two thirds you have left over is still larger than your whole salary had you stayed in NZ.

 
At 30/11/09 8:52 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's something a little more fundamental at work here. Brash et all STRUGLING for the idea of pay parity with Australia. Why Australia? Why not Samoa, or the U.S., or Britain, or China, or Japan?? IF Brash (and Key) and all those other "citizens" so put out by out worldly position in a pecking order strive to equal - then why the fuck do they not just up stakes and fuck off to the lands they feel such an affnity with?
Maybe it the Fay Ritchwhite syndrome - those egg rolls I've just been reminded of because of a certain Rcket launch. I mistakenly thought we were well rid of the Blue Jacket/Grey Slacks Faye...not JUST because he seems to "own" an Island where rocket central finds comvenience, but more because of the name and what I understood to be a comformity to the definition of treason - that is bringing the weflare (economic or otherise) of the state into jeopardy. The Faye and the Ritchwite always seemed to fit the definition. But as usual they cadge a ride of the good efforts of others (like the space cadets). We used to call them consultants and probably still do.
But to all those feeling inadequate about a relative position in the world order and ranking of wealth - for fucks sake, if you're so disatisfied ten put your money and debt where your moouths are and fuck off to whereever it is that tickles your fancy - because if money alone is what drives you you don't stand a chance in NZ (and thank God that remains so). Id you want that to change, then you'd better be prepared for all that goes with it.
Let's hope we can lose a Faye and Ritchwite, a Douglas and even a Goff and Key or two. There are others that appreciate Aotearoa for what it is - albeit with a haze of politicians and extremes fro either ends of the politicl specrum (left right AND up and down) doing their very best to fuck it up for the rest of us.
Please please also, lets hope Paula fucking Bennet fro the extreme West has aspirations for parity esewhere too - And please Paula - do so before your greed, victimhood, weight and flatulence allow boarding of aircraft.

 
At 30/11/09 9:12 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

And why is it (as an aside) that my NZ friends having lied in Australia for the past 20 years and upwards, are all now looking for a return (even with a relative lower salary/wage).
Please Mr Key, Mr Douglas and Mr Joe Citizen - feel free to fuck off at any time is that's where you find all the elements contributing to your happiness. But I fear Roj's happiness will only happen when he becomes some 'identity' shuffling up and down Wall Street muttering "flat tax, flat tax" or some other well rehearsed line (maybe deregulation, deregulation! OR "Thre is No Alternative, There is No Alternative).
Perhaps rather than Ruth advising the South Americans, she'd be better t establish a wealthy retreat and retirement home for the neo-liberal bewldered. Dame Edna could throw a brown eye or two for your ultimate in amusement.

Does anyone else find it strange how all those stalwarts that used to spount "sef-regulation", free-market, free-market (not that there ever was), are the very same now calling for respinsibile regulation.
How fucking short our collective memories seem to be. Don Brash - how does that egg continue to have any credibility?
Oh well, ya get what ya vote and pay for!

 
At 30/11/09 11:34 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Then of course there's the easy option - do we not have, as of right, the option to become a state of Australia if we so choose?
What is it exactly Brash and his ilk are on about with "parity" with Australia?
IF Kiwis want to equal Australia in pay rates, then just suck the sausage, elect to become a state, and suffer all that goes with it!
I'll move to the Cook Islands and leave you all to it.
By the way - apologies for my inability to type, and for a keyboard with intermittent key function (before some clever Dick starts to moan) - so shoot me!
But really - why this fucking hangup about supposedly being "behind" Australia?. We aren't, nor will we ever be! We're just paid a little less.

Y'all go strive to be the next Australian Idol - I'm sure when you do, you'll all be very happy (NOT)

 
At 1/12/09 12:24 am, Blogger Tim Selwyn said...

SHG. Yes. Better career prospects and earning potential based on the larger population too. NZ cannot recreate those conditions just as we cannot recreate the mineral abundance of the Australian continent.

 
At 1/12/09 7:49 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you want to leave SHG, fine.
Just leave a cheque for your entire tertiary education, the full amount, not the subsidised amount.

Only fair if you are going to fill Australia's tax coffers on the back of NZ taxpayers.

 
At 1/12/09 8:31 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

NZ cannot recreate those conditions just as we cannot recreate the mineral abundance of the Australian continent.

We don't need to create it: we have mineral abundance, we are just don't tap into it like Australia does.

This is good or bad depending on your views about the environment.

 
At 1/12/09 1:44 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Only fair if you are going to fill Australia's tax coffers on the back of NZ taxpayers."

What's fairness got to do with anything. Its a lesson learned from politicians and rich Iwi take what you can and fuck everybody else.

 
At 1/12/09 1:54 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe it the Fay Ritchwhite syndrome J.T SAID HE'D TURN IN HIS GRAVE TO THINK FAY OWNS HIS ANCESTORS ISLAND MATAORA.KEEP TURNIN BRO...

 
At 1/12/09 5:58 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What's fairness got to do with anything. Its a lesson learned from politicians and rich Iwi take what you can and fuck everybody else.

So your sense of morals/values go out the window because someone else is lacking in them?
Btw; you learn from your parents, not rich iwi and politicians, child.
Unless your name is Slater.

 
At 1/12/09 8:07 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"So your sense of morals/values go out the window because someone else is lacking in them?"

Morality is a social construct dipshit. 40 years ago homosexuality was immoral. Should we go back to the good old days?

 
At 2/12/09 3:11 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Morality is a social construct dipshit.

So are laws, child.
Whats your point?

40 years ago homosexuality was immoral.

No.
30 years ago homosexuality was illegal.
Whether it was immoral or not was how an individual felt on the matter.

Should we go back to the good old days?

Who said we should?
If you want to act as others due, go for it, the rest of us however have developed a sense of values/morals that have advanced past the "but he did it too" childish mentality.

 

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