pn988. On the way election issues are presented to us by the mainstream media

I've been wondering how to write about the way election issues have been presented to us by the meanstream media, almost all of whom have condemned Labour's lifting of GST on fresh fruit and veges while uncritially accepted Hipkin's edict of no capital gains tax, and the National and ACT position on crime: punish the lower class brown offeenders while continuing to be soft on white-collar tax evasions.  

 But then along comes the modern-day Sir Galahad, "Werewolf" Gordon Campbell with this excellent article that gets to the roots of the issues raised (click here). 

When you've read the article ask yourself why he is the only journalist, of the dozen or so in the print media, TV and the radio, who's dealt with these issues in this way; how close —or distant—his views are to your views, and what sort of election outcome you'd expect  given this media line up. 

You could also ask what sort of democracy we really are when information and  analysis is dominated by the sort of media commentary we now have.

-- ACW    

pn962. Putting things in perspective from a month ago

Gordon Campbell wrote this a month ago before Jacinda resigned and when it looked National could form the next government.Much has changed since but the underlying economic trends noted by Campbell remain.  National would not have inherited a mess —quite the contrary.-- ACW

Inevitably, Ardern has had critics on both sides of the political divide. Her reluctance to pursue a meaningful capital gains tax or to enact a wealth tax drew criticism from the left. Much of the criticism she faced from the right was crudely related to her gender and physcial appearance, as much as policy differences.

By and large, New Zealand has weathered the global crisis caused by Covid and the Ukraine war in reasonable shape. During the early stages of the pandemic, our economy was kept afloat via wage subsidies, business subsidies and support schemes for the likes of the tourism industry. Housing construction doomed. Absurdly, business confidence now sits at its lowest level in 52 years. Go figure.

New Zealand's GDP grew by 3.7% during 2021, our levels of government debt are lower than in every other Western democracy, unempoyment is low, and last year, farmers enjoyed the best global prices in more than a decade.

Yes New Zealand's inflation rate is very high (as it is everywhere else) but here and in Australia,

this is widely expected to decline over the coming year and into 2024.

Far from inheriting a mess, the next government will be taking over at a time when the economic cycle looks to be climbing back towards recovery.

In July, Jacinda Ardern will turn 43. Most of the country will be wishing her well on her return to private life.

pn881. The Case for Removing GST on Food

 

Taxes on unhealthy food and their removal on all "good" food are common worldwide. In Australia fruit and vegetables are exempt from the 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST). 

There have been moves to reduce or remove GST on food in NZ for a number of years but nothing has eventuated so far.

pn821. Lifting the Curtain on the Riots in Honiara, Solomon Islands

Several articles have once again drawn our attention to the unrest in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara, particularly the rioting, looting and fires in Chinatown.

VUW Professor Jon Fraenkel has criticized radio/TV journalist Barbara Dreaver for her supposedly dated and limited explanation as a conflict between Honiara on the island of Guadalcanal and the nearby populous island of Malaita (see my footnote at the end), positing instead that ...

...the current conflict is mainly due to social and economic inequalities, large scale youth unemployment, and corruption exacerbated by slush funds from mainland China paid to MPs who voted for the switch in recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.

When small incremental change is not enough: Gordon Campbell on Government policies (pn657.)

 

From the NZ Listener, Nov-Dec., 2020

In urging caution about radical change, the PM talks about making the changes "stick" and taking the people with her. 

Questioning this degree of caution, Gordon Campbell** asks what more does she want with the stunning majority government now holds? 

"The voters have given Labour sweeping powers, what on earth is it proposing to do with them?

 So far, not much," he says. "Labour has been more willing to announce the radical policies it won’t pursue be pursuing – "there will be no wealth tax of any sort, no meaningful capital gains tax on Ardern’s watch than announce what major changes it does intend to make."