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It is reversing a ban on oil and gas drilling, and is proposing a “fast-track” for big projects, including mines, that bypasses environmental checks. It has cut climate programs and jobs, scrapped electric vehicle subsidies, abandoned plans for one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries and set aside a world-leading cow “burp” tax as it questions the science on methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
So noe ypu ask yourself: why?
Where is that money going?
Why are we having tax cuts of various types… only to borrow more money?
Ooo, I got quite good at this game. Let’s see…
A low GDP per capita economy, significant logistics chains and costs, low nation ownership of productive assets and banks, lack of economies of scale from infrastructure spread over a wide area with low population, surprisingly lack of accountability for project over runs…
And yes, class divide which funnels money upwards rather than reaching investment in the country.
Howd I do?
A low GDP per capita economy
Still higher than some countries who manage much more. We beat Korea, Japan, Spain, hell, we edge out France.
significant logistics chains and costs
Good thing we are getting some new Toyota Carolla Ferrys to help make those logistic chains better!
low nation ownership of productive assets and banks
The same party that is now claiming we need austerity, also sold of several of those productive assets.
lack of economies of scale from infrastructure spread over a wide area with low population
Fair. I think most of our main infra is pretty consolidated, but a large portion of our economy is based on farming, which by it’s very nature, is spread out.
surprisingly lack of accountability for project over runs…
On this we agree. I also think that cancelling good projects, simply because it’s the “other sides” project, should also have accountability.
A low GDP per capita economy
Still higher than some countries who manage much more. We beat Korea, Japan, Spain, hell, we edge out France.
My numbers are a bit outdated (pre covid), I thought NZ was around 80k, France sat closer to 1.2 million.
Interesting point - you also picked countries with significantly higher population in close proximity to major trade routes and markets.
significant logistics chains and costs
Good thing we are getting some new Toyota Carolla Ferrys to help make those logistic chains better!
Its a shame they love to drag the chain, so to speak…
low nation ownership of productive assets and banks
The same party that is now claiming we need austerity, also sold of several of those productive assets.
Oh, make no mistake im not supporting national in any of this. Just stating the issue and where the country is.
lack of economies of scale from infrastructure spread over a wide area with low population
Fair. I think most of our main infra is pretty consolidated, but a large portion of our economy is based on farming, which by it’s very nature, is spread out.
Agreed- unfortunately low value bulky goods that fetch global price means it sucks for us consumers.
surprisingly lack of accountability for project over runs…
On this we agree. I also think that cancelling good projects, simply because it’s the “other sides” project, should also have accountability.
Couldn’t agree more. 4 year election cycle, cut the crap and let’s get this country better.
Terribly, with a layer of sneering smugness to boot. The austerity justifciations are national party spin, swallowed whole. The govt is throwing billions to landlords and mega roads while cutting funding for public housing, critical infrastructure and even fucking food banks at a time of record demand for them.
They’re also dumping costs onto households by cranking up user charges and abandoning councils to pay for decades of infrastructure underinvestment.
So no, they’ve chosen to loot and plunder.
Except the austerity measures started when Labour was in. Admittedly not to that level, but they were aware of the issues that national took and run with.
Fully agree the landlord one is bullshit, but I find it interesting you don’t consider roads critical infrastructure, especially considering we are still diffused throughout the country and don’t have the density for lots of mass transit.
Finally, everything you have said is a symptom, not the underlying cause - you’ve told me Nat is cutting costs on key areas (yes), but you asked why it happened in the first place. Its the country wide symptoms I mentioned, and these can’t be fixed in 3 years no matter who is in.