Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: A thing that rarely ends well

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  • Tom Semmens,

    I don't think Key is particularly "loathed" by the left. Brash was loathed, because it was recognised he was a conviction politician, a dangerously narrow neo-liberal technocrat and he was completely out of touch with the realities of a modern, inclusive, multi-cultural democracy. Key IMHO is largely seen as a stuffed shirt, a right wing David Lange without the warmth or humour in the job primarily not to lose the next election. No one actually knows what he stands for, except to cover the cracks between the old guard Auckland hard-right MP's and Bill English's country Tories. If National does win this election and it turns out he is a sith lord of the hard right then the National government will be destroyed in 2011. You cannot lie your way to power. If it turns out he stands for nothing, then he'll suffer Lange's fate - chewed up and spat out as the factions fight it out for the soul of the party.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    <em>Richard Worth is the Consul for Monaco, to New Zealand (and he used to be Consul for Colombia).</em>

    Which was the more glamorous?

    That would depend on whether you're in the hashish or the coke camp, right? Errr, not to put across blatant stereotypes that I know are not accurate and do not describe either country very favourably or anything...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    Not Consul for Morrocco, Joanna.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    Can we make RB Auckland's Honorary Consul to Wellington?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Just how much trade do we have with Monaco (other than swapping postage stamps)?

    On a completely different topic, has anyone else tried to respond to the MCH Consultation Paper on the Broadcasting and New Digital Media: Future of Content Regulation (Jan 2008)? It has been a nightmare for me, as the response process is so computer unfriendly (or is it just Macs?). I hope I have just wasted 3 hours of my time on their questions as my responses disappear when I try and print off the document.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    I would make RB Honorary Consul to the World! (but it does remind of the embarrassing moment when I once mis-introduced the Hon Steve Maharey to a conference of teachers as 'The Honorary Steve Maharey'!)

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Geez! I really must remind myself to preview before I post--of course, I mean ' hope I haven't wasted'!!

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    You increase productivity by increasing the percentage in the workforce (which Labour has done significantly, not by reducing wages, but while they've increased), and through technology and investment.

    Completely agree, and this topic was the first that really took the wind out of John Key's sails for me - at the National conference last year he builds up the (absolutely correct) statement that NZers income and living standards are constrained because of our low productivity and National's grand plan to fix this is........ "personal tax cuts". =|

    It's seemingly based on the entirely theoretical basis that people suddenly are more productive (work harder? smarter?) if their overall tax rate moves from 31% to 29%. I don't know ANYONE that will do the same job harder or smarter based on that. Alternatively, you could say that waged employees will be incentivised to do more hours because more of the money paid is "theirs". Yet the whole point is that we need to work smarter, not harder - and that comes about through investment in infrastructure, incentives for R&D, and low business tax rates (people should be encouraged to keep money in the business, not take it out at lower personal tax rates).

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    Not Consul for Morrocco, Joanna.

    Ummm errr umm it's not that I can't read, just I was of course referring to the dark seedy underbelly of Monaco. Why do you think Grace Kelly drove off that cliff, after all?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    I don't hate John Key. But I do despair at the media's treatment of him. I have had interviews for dead-end part-time jobs that were more searching than anything our "next Prime Minister" has had to undergo.

    Today in Parliament, John Key called for a Nanny State. For more government interference. For dictatorial Helen Clark to do the very things she's accused of.

    He didn't put it like that, of course, And I doubt that any reporters or (God help us) "commentators" will do so either. But in fact, he used Question Time to ask the Prime Minister why a man had been let out on bail, and wanted to know what she was going to do about the police and judiciary who let this happen. (Nothing, was her answer, as it should be).

    He'll get his headline. The medals and the reward are a story, and he's smart enough to ride it. A soundbite on TV is all he needs.

    I'd like to think the media were smart enough to see through the stunt, the irony, the nonsense - and to point it out. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    Oh come off it Tom, you don't think Key is loathed by the left. Why would Cullen call him a rich prick and a class traitor, why would the Standard and I/S, KBB etc dedicate so much space to commenting on his every word and action and so little on the positives coming out of the left? Be real please.

    Simon g

    have you never heard Paul Holmes or Brent Edawards interview Helen Clark? It goes both ways

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Alternatively, you could say that waged employees will be incentivised to do more hours because more of the money paid is "theirs".

    I've never bought this argument. No matter what tax rate you are on, if you do more hours, you get more money, which is yours. Most people actually seem to be incentivized to longer hours by not having enough money, in my experience, and tax cuts will do the opposite. Tax cuts may be the right answer, but to a different question.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    No matter what tax rate you are on, if you do more hours, you get more money, which is yours

    Precisely - yet it is continuously held up as the "personal tax cuts inspire greater productivity" argument. Yet finding ONE person that actually think it makes a difference personally is impossible - sure, it holds theoretically at the "80% tax vs 10% tax" level but at the 32% - 28% level I really doubt it has any impact.

    It would have to involve this discussion: "Sorry boss, not going to do those extra hours/take that better job because I only get $6,800 a year of that $10,000 increase. If it was $7,200 a year then sure, let's talk. But for now I'll stay where I am"

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • AndrewD,

    So I'm late..whatever

    I was amazed at TVNZ's hysteria over Glenn last night on the telly. I was dumbfounded they didn't mention it's an honourary position. This morning at water coolers all the talk was "jobs for boys" and there was surprise when the cooler people discovered to be an "honourary" position.

    But most of all I couldn't believe Guyon was hyping a footnote into a lead. And that's worrying.

    This election is going to be won by how people "feel". They may "feel" it's time for a change. Or they may "feel" Key can't be trusted. So when Guyon and Duncan come on air every night and tell people how they should "feel" or who "won" the day then the political process is being dominated by 2 guys with no mandate.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 54 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    Gareth

    Working for Families has had that effect though.

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

  • stephen walker,

    greater productivity of labour involves producing more in the SAME amount of time

    or

    producing the same in LESS time.

    have i missed something? and yes, more cpaex will likely increase labour productivity.

    surely mr key is just advocating for a greater share of GDP for business owners at the expense of people working for those businesses.

    wage rises don't cause cpi inflation. increases in prices of goods and services do.

    btw, visiting nz and seeing all these restaurants charing 10-15% extra on holidays was a real hoot. when i was on the "award wage" 20 years ago, we got double-time on sundays, but the restaurants charged the same prices no matter what day it was. must have repealed one of the laws of thermodynamics, eh?

    nagano • Since Nov 2006 • 646 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Oh come off it Tom, you don't think Key is loathed by the left. Why would Cullen call him a rich prick and a class traitor, why would the Standard and I/S, KBB etc dedicate so much space to commenting on his every word and action and so little on the positives coming out of the left? Be real please.

    The Standard and KBB are very toned-down equivalents of Whaleoil et al. As Philip Matthews noted, Cameron Slater has 177 pictures of Helen Clark in a gallery on his site, a number of which he has taken the trouble to digitally alter, in some cases quite offensively. Now that's obsession.

    And he's hardly the only one. The vile language used against Clark in the wingnutosphere defies belief. There is no equivalent at all on the other side. Be real yerself.

    I actually get the feeling that at least since his compromise of the Bradford bill, the wingnuts are quite ambivalent about Key. If he does win this year, i think a lot of those people are going to fall out of love with National very quickly, because they are permanently angry.

    The other observation would be that Key has traded a lot on his working-class roots. He didn't spend his whole childhood in a state house, and I went to the same school he did. It's a middle-class area in northwest Christchurch, not a ghetto.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    This morning at water coolers all the talk was "jobs for boys" and there was surprise when the cooler people discovered to be an "honourary" position.

    That wasn't made clear at all. It would've spoiled the story.

    Or they may "feel" Key can't be trusted. So when Guyon and Duncan come on air every night and tell people how they should "feel" or who "won" the day then the political process is being dominated by 2 guys with no mandate.

    That was the problem with the superfluous adjectives. They added no facts, but gave a clear emotional steer. Sadly, this happens a hell of a lot on TV news.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    George Daroch said:

    And yes, Australia has the highest manufacturing wages in the world. And well funded universities. There's a reason people migrate there.

    George may well be right on this however Australian competitiveness in manufacturing is not so good if measured in by exports/terms of trade. Australian employment in manufacturing has been trending down for years. There's been a bit of a recovery recently but it's not predicted to hold - the AiGroup do an annual forecast, the most recent of which predicted a pretty modest future.

    I'm a migrant to Australia, and though I'll not purport to speak for anyone else, I think its an over simplification to suggest wages alone are what attracts people.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    Russell

    Do not take my comment as an endorsement of those sites. I meant to add that the vilification of HC is similarly out of touch. I suspect many of those people have probably never met or heard her or Key directly, which is interesting in its own right about how we can demonise those we don;t really know.

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Gareth

    Working for Families has had that effect though.

    Partly, but that is because it is about the threshold where you doing no work to receive a benefit vs working for money and losing that benefit.

    Effectively it becomes a significant amplifier (do I go from doing "no" work and getting $100/day to working eight hours with the attendant family-raising difficulties and earn $125 a day).

    It is a good example of how it works at extremes, but:
    1. I still don't think it applies at the levels in overall tax differences that get mooted, and
    2. Even if it did, all studies have held that our productivity issue is not about more hours out of the workforce but about greater capital investment so that those hours are spent on more valuable tasks.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    "...Gareth

    Working for Families has had that effect though..."


    This is the great right wing fraud, the foundation of sand that the nonsense economics of the neo-liberal right are built on. You know what WFF has actually done? It hasn't put economically virtuous, upwardly mobile perfectly rational people into a welfare trap. Whats its done is it has allowed heaps of low to middle income working New Zealanders to start a family.

    Most people don't want to be CEO. They want job security, enough money to get married and to have some kids in a house they will eventually own - and to squirrel away a bit for a rainy day/reward for their labours.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    Tom

    I know off employees who have foregone promotions because the wage increase is outweighed by the loss of WFF benefit. That is not good for anyone.

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    I'll second that. Just been head-hunted for Australia, turned it down....

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    81st

    Can I ask why. I'm going through the same thing so interested in perspectives.

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

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