Spending ends

Written By: - Date published: 5:08 pm, October 19th, 2008 - 18 comments
Categories: election 2008 - Tags:

At the Labour party’s Wellington launch this afternoon Helen Clark has declared there will be no more spending promises from Labour.

This was unexpected and will mean that the focus will now be on National and whether they will follow suit.

If they decide to release more spending policy in this environment they can expect the first question everyone asks to be “at what cost?”

With only two weeks to go to polling day that’s not a question that anyone would feel comfortable answering.

18 comments on “Spending ends ”

  1. Janet 1

    National Radio (aptly named) just reported 350 party faithful attended. I know that area of Te Papa holds a lot more than that and it was packed – no spare seats, and standing room only. In her whole speech she barely mentioned the National Party, and I don’t think she mentioned John Key by name apart from a reference to it not being time for leaders with their training wheels still on. John Key’s response was that she seemed to talk a lot about him. Just a wee bit egotistical?

  2. Johnty Rhodes 2

    What is the cost of Labours pledges so far and what is the cost of the infrastructure building Cullen is talking about in the past week? Where will this money come from afetr he has spent it all?

  3. IrishBill 3

    Johnty, as I understand it the pledges so far are will be borrowed for and the infrastructure is already budgeted. That’s beside the point however, as it won’t be Labour that will be asked those questions.

  4. Robin Grieve 4

    So what ever Labour spends is ok but what everyone else spends is too much?
    You lot are really pathetic. Student allowance spending favours the rich, kiwisaver as it is favours the rich. The rich stand to do very well out of Labour but I really don’t get how you can be so arrogent to say no spending and then change your minds and promise 100’s millions more and then suddenly stop and think that all promises should now stop. Anyway National has promised nearly 4 billion less that Labour so we’re going in big debt if Labour keeps the cheque book.

  5. IrishBill 5

    Robin, I was simply pointing out the political reality of this announcement for National. I figure you have either deliberately misrepresented my argument by claiming I’ve made a moral judgment or you are too stupid to grasp what I was saying. For now I’ll assume your stupidity. Misrepresent my position again and I’ll consider it deliberate misrepresentation. And that’s the kind of thing I ban people for.

  6. Nick C 6

    “Thats beside the point however, as it wont be Labour that will be asked those questions.”

    Yeah, at least not by you guys anyway.

    As for your 180 degree turn on borrowing to fund new spending; how lame is that?! Wasnt borrowing for new expenditure “Mind bogglingly stupid because of the current financial crisis” about a month ago?

  7. Nick C 7

    “And that’s the kind of thing I ban people for.”

    Is Irish Bill actually David Cunliffe 😀 ? Next he will be declaring “Im running this show!”

  8. Felix 8

    Nick C:

    ?????????????????

  9. vidiot 9

    Is there a hidden message in the last lot of topics at the Standard ?

    Spending Ends at the Standard 2.02
    Sensible Sentencing Trust in drag ? at The Standard 2.02
    Clark’s eye on the ball at the Standard 2.02

    Spending Ends at the Drag Ball

    Where was this Ball ?
    Where were they all dressed in Drag ?
    Was Scampi served at this Ball ?
    Did you get a free Kiwi Passport if you attended that Ball ?

    And on topic, yes, it’s a bloody good thing that at least one of the parties has said no more spending, let’s just hope the others follow suit and there isn’t a major lolly scramble for the students, old folks, rich pricks, middle income NZ’rs, immigrants, baby boomers and more.

    [lprent: Tell me why don’t you suggest that to the clown or Whale. It does seem to be more in their paranoid style than yours.]

  10. NeillR 10

    as I understand it the pledges so far are will be borrowed for and the infrastructure is already budgeted
    If that’s the case then why is Labour not releasing their costings before the election?

  11. Matthew Pilott 11

    Anyway National has promised nearly 4 billion less that Labour so we’re going in big debt if Labour keeps the cheque book.

    Really? The Tory Times’ Porkometer says otherwise doesn’t it? Just quietly, Robin, making thinks up isn’t a good way to go about constructing an argument.

    The rich stand to do very well out of Labour but I really don’t get how you can be so arrogent to say no spending and then change your minds and promise 100’s millions more and then suddenly stop and think that all promises should now stop.

    The rich? Aren’t they the ones getting large tax cuts under National? Did you know that labour already has a 2+2 scheme for Kiwisaver, as a transitionary programme?

    The rest of that sentence makes no sense at all. Who said no spending, before promising lots more and now thinks everyone else should stop? Do you think bringing forward spending that is already allocated is the same as announcing new spending, somehow? If you do then I could see how you would think what you wrote makes sense.

  12. Robin Grieve 12

    An employee has to put in 4% and that is why many cannot afford to join. There is no 2+2 deal with Labour.That is why this scheme is such sweet deal for the well off and so unfair on the lower paid workers.

    Labour’s universal student allowance is going to be a huge benefit to the well off.
    Universal Super does the same. People with millions and high paid jobs get money from the taxes of people who will never be as wealthy.
    All these benefits take money from the poor and give it to the rich.
    As I said the rich do well under Labour.

    IrishBill seems verykeen to ban people. Is that a trait of all left wingers?
    ban smacking, free speech, fireworks, good showers, bright lightbulbs, fun, individual responsibility, etc etc

  13. vto 13

    irishbill, fair point about the nats being asked that sort of uncomfortable question. I suspect though that the majority of voters will see straight through the spin and do their own toting up of how much of their own money is being used to buy votes e.g. student allowances (what a terrible policy).

  14. vto 14

    robin, you are correct imo that the left most definitely has a tendency to ban and regulate and control and wag the finger and generally do many things teacherish.

  15. randal 15

    whats the matter vto. get a spanking for being a churl at school huh. did your juvenile infantile omnipotence get punctured because yourachoices were anti social and not in the best interests of scial harmony. and you are still whingeing?

  16. vto 16

    how long you able to keep this up for randal? trying to wear me down?

  17. randal 17

    nup…just filling in time. the people of new zealand deserve better than anything you or the national party has to offer.

  18. vto 18

    gurgle gurgle

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