Asset sales are fucked
Politics π³οΈ NZ Politics
- Thread starter wizard of Tauranga
- Start date
wizard of Tauranga
π
- Thread starter
- #24,762
βGreen MP Tamatha Paul is calling for social media regulation and hate speech laws to be strengthened as threats against MPs continue to rise.β
Meanwhile the same MP wants less police and is pro gangsβ¦
The cognitive dissidence of the Greens is unreal.
Meanwhile the same MP wants less police and is pro gangsβ¦
The cognitive dissidence of the Greens is unreal.
I went to an interesting talk in the weekend where the speaker mentioned how they don't engage anymore online, likening it to playing chess with a pigeon who walks all over the board, knocks over the pieces, takes a shit and says "I won".
Wiz, you are that pigeon
Got to be retarded to play chess with a bird. They don't have opposable thumbs...
miket12
ποΈ
Sorry mate, wasn't ignoring you.... yesterday was a bit frantic.
Firstly, I think changing the Cook Strait ferries. It looks a stupid idea if you base your observation purely on the cost of the boats but not when you add in the billions of more in infrastructure costs and the fact that the location for the iREX terminals has been identified as being potentially underwater within 50 year's time due to rising sea levels, I think it's good.
Secondly, the changes that the previous government wanted to make to the RMA, as someone who deals with it every day, didn't improve on the previous version.... and, in some cases, would have stopped badly needed infrastructure such as renewables. While not perfect (fast tracking shouldn't be allowed on environmentally sensitive projects), changes such as reducing those who can object to publicly notified RC applications to those actually effected and lobby groups with proper objections does make sense to me. Labour did have a fast-tracking process as part of its COVID recovery plan but the only group, I've seen that actually benefitted from it was KO for their projects.
Thirdly, following the Greens lead (except they want it reviewed every three years) and altering the tax thresholds is something I've personally wanted for years. Consider this, we're continuously being told that the threshold adjustments were "tax cuts for the rich" but a first year nurse or recently graduated police officer (two groups we all consider aren't paid enough) got the same "tax cut" as the wealthiest individuals. I also don't know of anyone so opposed to receiving the "tax cut" that they've donated that money.
Fourthly, I'm enjoying the fact that, despite being continuously told we're in a "cost of living" crisis, my mortgage isn't over 7% and inflation running as high.
Fifthly, as someone who deals with water companies, I'm pleased to see the end of Three Waters. I always think that local problems are better solved with localised solutions. It's based on Scottish Water and there it didn't deliver the promised outcomes as money is prioritized to the major cities at the expense of the smaller cities/towns. I also hated the fact that communities/councils weren't going to be compensated fully for the infrastructure but still left with the loans to repay. Transferring the costs from ratepayers to taxpayers doesn't mean we pay less.... we're just paying it to a different organization as taxpayers.
Sixthly, and like above, I like the idea of localised solutions for health/hospitals. Do think it's rubbish though, to have reduced the role of mΔori in decision making. And, although it's seen by some as privatizing the Health System, I like the idea of more operations being done using private clinics in order to reduce waiting lists... I personally don't like the idea of people suffering needlessly for a political ideology.
Seventhly, on a person level, I do like the idea that, just like my architectural practise can claim back all it's expenses including interest, I can reduce the tax bill on the rental property by claiming back interest. I do wonder, however, if there could be a way to still reduce the interest claimed (say 50%... not the 100% of the previous government) for those with multiple (such as three or more) rentals.
Eightly, and reluctantly giving credit to ACT, I like it that it's easier now to import building products using assessments from accredited and internationally recognised overseas labs instead of having to have them retested in NZ. The Acceptable Solutions details of the Building Code were most drawn up by building companies in NZ to suit their products and not by MBIE/DOH as most people believe.
Ninthly, abandoning the Lake Onslow Battery Project (LOBP).... the amount of coal used to provide additional power until construction was completed would have made as much environmental damage as running a proposed gas plant for 60 years.... by when, you'd hope that fusion reaction and super thermal would be available meaning either/or of the LOBP or gas plant would no longer be needed.
Lastly, closing the open cheque book that some departments (KO for example) in the previous government seemed to operate under.
In terms of education, I don't think their reforms have been about like enough to know whether there's been an improvement in outcomes. I'm hearing that kids are supposed to be more engaged with the cellphone ban and changes from large learning spaces but that could also just be from those favouring the changes.
Stupid things they've done.... it's a long list...
Not letting Israel/USA know that we consider their attacks on Iran as unacceptable.
Giving in too much to large corporates/interest groups/donors.
Reducing environmental protections and funding.
Attacking the Treaty (although I do think we need to have an honest, mature decision on how it's interpreted and its place in our country.... not to minimize it but to stop it being a "political football").
While austerity was needed (even GrantR recognized that when he asked Ministers of the previous government where cuts could be made) they've gone too far. Too much defense spending.
Allowing fast tracking for mining and allowing more commercial interests on conservation land
Reduction in sciences and R&D.
While we do need more roading infrastructure it needs to have more of a balance with public transport/cycleways/walkways.
Pay equity has not been handled at all well.
Allowing people to build "granny flats" without a consent and relying on self-certification by builders is an absolute joke. I'm picking in 10-15 years, these will be the next "leaky homes" building crisis.
Smokefree was abandoned far too quickly.
TBH, it seems to me to be pretty typical of a National government.... too much emphasis on the financial, not enough on the social.
Have they done enough to earn my vote? No.
Have the opposition done enough to earn my vote? No.
Would I like to see a change of government? Probably not.
TOP get my vote again.
So, there you go, a very long answer to a very short question.
EDIT.... sorry, just thought of something else positive.... standardizing (where appropriate) classrooms so more could be built.
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miket12
ποΈ
I think, provided they're outside of sensitive environmental areas, some of the high country stations currently owned by DOC could be sold off.... PROVIDED the money stayed within DOC and that they budget not reduced.
Also, KO has still got a ton of land it's never going to develop now from its open cheque book policy before COVID. That could be sold and the money used to build more social/emergency housing.
There's also land previously acquired for other projects such as education and health... sell that and use the money generated for new buildings or maintenance of the old.
Otherwise, I can't think of any others I'd like to see. Perhaps more public/private partnerships but not outright sales.
