G News – Around the Traps
1.) Massive Rates increases are coming
Bomber’s Working Group podcast had Barbara Edmonds taking it to Simon Court yesterday and Barbara pointed out that the three big things driving non tradable inflation right now – are insurance premiums, rates and rents.
Budget 24 did nothing to ease any of these factors – but what Luxon’s idiot Government did was to get rid of the Affordable Water Reforms – leaving almost all of New Zealand up a tree – saddled with huge rates increases.
In Auckland – Slytherin Brown hurried to try and do a deal to bring the rates increases down from 25% to 7% but wait – they would have only been a 3% increase if National had kept their meddling hands off things.
Plus – now Northland people are screwed cos Auckland’s deal does not extend to them – and we have heard nothing from Luxon and Willis about the rest of the country.
The rates increases will be double digits for many regions – which will then push up rents as Landlords pass on their costs and the squeezed generation rent will become impoverished even more.
Thanks centre right voters and Neoliberals – real swell.
- ) Luxon talks in vague language to farmers and Banking Inquiry
Christopher Luxon delivered a word salad speech to farmers at Fieldays in Mystery Creek where he talked about “needless and unhelpful regulations”, “a war on farmers by the previous government”, “reducing red tape that is preventing investment” and how we need to be Adult to Adult – and work together – while rediscovering our mojo and stop closing down NZ farms and pushing them overseas.
Naturally some farmers were inspired by this sort of vague BS but others saw straight through it.
Like when Luxon repeated the worn out spin “We are deeply committed to our climate goals” and “Technology will solve our emissions”.
Anyway while he was talking shite Luxon slipped in an announcement that the Finance and Expenditure Committee will write terms of reference for a Banking Competition Inquiry – with a rural focus tacked on to the end of it as a red herring.
This was about another one of those “pre-determined” results – as you recall Atlas Network NZ Initiative Chair Roger Partridge complaining about the RBNZ making banks hold too much capital and that – this somehow reduced competition between banks.
Well this Banking Inquiry is about competition – surprise, surprise, surprise – and right on schedule too. Good old Atlas Network strikes again…but yeah there’s a bit about rural banking tacked on the end as well.
- ) Potholes on the way to the Crematorium
Barbara Edmonds reckoned the Budget was cynical and the worst part was promising people facing death – some hope to get their vote and then failing to deliver on that promise in their first Budget. This disgraceful and deliberate action – crossed a line on all sides of the spectrum…and we should vote this Government out.
Barbara said – she had talked to various advocacy groups and boy were they mad about this…and she said one of the worst and compelling things she read was one cancer patient commenting that …”Oh well at least there won’t be potholes when I am on my way to the crematorium”.
4.) The tensions in the Coalition may pop if polls slide even more
Ultimately everyone knows Act and NZ First – hide the way they despise each other in a marriage of farcical convenience – but Act’s self talk and wet dream about reaching 15% in the next election will eventually face a rude shock with Winston who has spent 40 years complaining about migrants and foreign investment and keeping these things Act loves out.
Winston will come out blazing and it won’t be pretty for Act nor National.
Winston’s old stomping ground – like people on Super – only got $2.15 a week more – something like that – in the Budget. Not even enough to keep up with inflation…while the Taxpayers Union howled with rage that Willis had borrowed $17.1 Billion and issued $12 Billion – talk about borrow and spend.
Punters think some time after the first 18 months Winston is going to make a move – cos Act are not the only ones after the same culture war votes and these two parties will start to clash more and more…especially if the polls have bottomed out for them by then.
5.) Thomas leaves out the important stuff in endless waffle
Yes Thomas the Turd Polisher is polishing again – this time trying to send readers to sleep by exceeding waffle word limits for about Sir Bill’s case to get rid of Kāinga Ora. OMG it’s like getting lost in a desert and wandering for days in search of some balance or comprehension of the key issues.
Suffice to say Thomas referred to another report and small tiny issues at the margins while assiduously avoiding mentioning the asset value of all those 72,000 houses on the books – balancing up any concerns about debt and financial viability.
A true case of “puff the magic pipe” and make the whole story go away.
6.) Chippy says Simeon’s tunnel investigation absolutely absurd
Chris Hipkins called Slytherin Brown’s investigation into a Wellington long tunnel “absolutely absurd.”
“I think it’s one of those kinds of flight of fancy, that is unlikely to ever happen, I park it up there probably with the cycle bridge across the Auckland Harbour,” said Chippy McChipster.
“Frankly, you’ll spend a lot of money on investigations and consultants only to conclude that it probably wasn’t a great idea in the first place.”
Chippy said the initiative has already been looked into before however it was rejected due to being too expensive.
“Bloody Labour”, said Slytherin Brown.
G News – Around the Traps
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