The National Govt. and the Scent of Fish


There is an almost constant odour of fish wafting around this National led government ever since it took over the reins of power in 2008. The following were especially fishy:
  • Key's promise not to raise GST and his attempts to explain why he hadn't broken his word.
  • Key knowing nothing about the purchase of the BMWs despite his test drive and the documentation that passed by his desk.
  • A claimed goal of catching up with the Australian economy while purposefully keeping wages low.
  • The rich get huge tax cuts which deprived the Government of at least $1 billion a year of revenue and increased our already growing inequities of income.
  • Bill English claiming around $40,000 for a housing allowance and claiming it was all above board (but obviously not a moral one).
  • Disestablishing the Pay and Employment equity Unit and Key's own cleaner struggles on a wage barely over the minimum.
  • Key claimed in a BBC interview that NZ is 100% pure when 80% of our lowland rivers are seriously polluted and then openly disputed the claims of environmental degradation by scientist Mike Joy. He claimed he could find a scientist who would provide a different view and hasn't yet.
  • Tolley and Key claiming that National Standards were going well when concerns were being raised at all levels of the teaching profession.
  • Claiming to have a goal of improving public education while cutting funding and the level of qualified early childhood teachers, wiping adult education, cutting funding to universities, introducing Charter Schools, cutting funding to the Ministry of education and giving private schools an extra $35 million.
  • When two beneficiaries complained about cuts in study support Paula Bennett released private information on the two women to the media. This kind of action has been copied by the POAL.
  • The virtual $45 million dollar loan to Steven Joyce's mates at Media Works, while other media companies got crumbs.
  • The Government insists on spending $12 billion on roads when economic projections are not supporting it (traffic numbers are dropping and fuel prices will continue to rise).
  • An actors' union is set up as a threat (that didn't actually exist) to the Hobbit movie to justify changes in employment and immigration law. Peter Jackson has direct contact with a minister of the crown in supporting the subterfuge and getting immediate reports on cabinet decisions.
  • The $800,000 overspend on Key's bodyguards.
  • An energy strategy that talks about green energy but focusses on fossil fuels.
  • The push to mine schedule 4 land and a rewriting of DoCs priorities so that the department gives initial approval to private business proposals of a tunnel and monorail in a World Heritage classified environment.
  • Refusing to provide any policy for National Radio's election website. Beside National's name in every policy section was the word "declined".
  • Supporting the election of an ex National MP and cabinet minister as the sole ACT MP and then including projects in the coalition deal that were their intentions all along (Charter Schools). John Banks now has a fishy smell around him too as his mayoral campaign donations are given closer scrutiny.
  • A number of dairy farms allowed to be sold to an overseas buyer and not broken into smaller units to enable local farmers to purchase them.
  • A deal done with Sky City that is in bad faith to the tendering process for a convention centre and proposed changes to the gambling laws as part of that deal.
  • Bill English states intention to veto a private members bill, that supports an extension of  parental leave, before it had even been before a select committee.
  • The removal of government housing from an area of improving land values to allow developers to profit and the original residents shifted to poorer situations.
  • Cutting over 3,000 jobs in the state service and then spending millions to contract many of the same people to do the work.
  • National's support of market forces to deliver affordable housing has failed dismally, especially in Christchurch.
  • The government claims their re-election was a mandate to sell off state assets despite most polls stating around 70% of New Zealanders are opposed. Experts claim power prices will probably rise as the companies seek good returns for investors.
  • Despite Bill English's promises of a budget surplus the government has increased debt.
Have I missed anything?

Yes I did, I forgot Nick Smith's fabricated crisis with ACC. The claim that ACC was broke was a total beat up and the resulting reduction in entitlements caused widespread suffering, especially in those over fifty. Of course the ongoing cuts and pressure on those working in ACC has also created a culture in the organisation that is cause for concern.

Comments

robertguyton said…
Yep :-)

http://robertguyton.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/marlborough-kings.html
Dave Kennedy said…
Thanks, Robert, you can't get much fishier than that.
Reggie said…
You missed his "I never knew Kim Dotcom existed" claim..
Reggie said…
You missed his "I never knew Kim Dotcom existed" claim..
Dave Kennedy said…
Thanks, Reggie, they just keep coming...

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