"Game on" says Luxon

[Lilith7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinda_Ar...st%20Youth.

But it's all political stuff. No business experience. There is no teacher like experience.

I would like to see someone at the helm that has started a business from scratch and built an empire. Don't think Luxton fits the bill ? CEO of Air NZ still someone operating in a cocoon. Still better than the PM's business experience though. And as for the minister of finance he is like a deer with no eyes and legs, running the country to ruin.

 Oh ffs! Running a business is not the same as running a bloody country! Unlike some employers these days, one of a govt's responsibilities is the welfare & well being of its people.
Political experience is not necessarily a bad thing when you're intending to be a politician.

if it was up to me, I'd require anyone intending to become a politician to spend at least 6 months working at an ordinary low pay level job so that by the time they become a dreaded politician, they at least have  a tiny bit of life experience & some clues as to  daily life for lots of people.

[Magoo]

having a successful business is not, nor should be the sole criteria for being a prime minister.
add it to raising a family paying a mortgage, rates, tuition or add the humility of having a child or someone close with severe health issues, family members with drug alcohol problems. All grounding issues that go to ones make up.

take all that and add it to a career in teaching and you might have a candidate for pm
take all that and add a successful business career and youve a great candidate for p.m.

[Lilith7]

having a successful business is not, nor should be the sole criteria for being a prime minister.
add it to raising a family paying a mortgage, rates, tuition or add the humility of having a child or someone close with severe health issues, family members with drug alcohol problems. All grounding issues that go to ones make up.

take all that and add it to a career in teaching  and you might have a candidate for pm
take all that and add a successful business career and youve a great candidate for p.m.

Well said - that'd work.

[mike]

Mmmm, or a prime minister can get someone with financial skills...

A successful company is usually measured by profit, don't you think? But that doesn't mean having great people management isn't a good thing. It's just hard to quantify that on a balance sheet.

Nah better for the captain of the ship to have the financial skills so they know their vision can be a reality.

---

I was thinking of things like waiting lists for housing, operations, acc claims etc whenever national get in Budgets get cut in the interest of 'efficiency', services reduced and people end up no longer qualifying to be on the waiting list, ACC suddenly start rejecting more claims etc... those sort of things, happens every time Nats get in... 

Yes they bring financial management to the table, arguably with better experience than labour,  but I feel like Nats are too extreme in the 'efficiency' dept to the detriment of the above...  Like I said, there needs to be a balance... king1

The tightening of the belt by National usually comes about to pay off the debt Labour has racked up.

They both bloody useless at the end of the day, and the quality of life many New Zealanders have to endure is living proof.

[Wainuiguy]

18 months to the election and the polls reverse - game on indeed. Luxon was always an unknown factor - the fact he has turned things around so fast and was only elected in 2020 shows voters now see him and National as a viable alternative to Labour. The really bad news for Labour is Luxon will get better as the campaign progresses.

[Magoo]

isnt it funny how we go through leaders until we get those we know least about
then elect him/her.

[an amniote]

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

[king1]

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

have to agree, self interest will always win out for some people...

[harm_less]

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

That sort of reasoning requires some degree of economic and mathematical understanding, which much of the population lacks.

[an amniote]

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

have to agree, self interest will always win out for some people...

Weird form of self interest IMO. I really really don't get why anyone would support policies that don't work in their favour.

[Magoo]

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

That sort of reasoning requires some degree of economic and mathematical understanding, which much of the population lacks.

we're trying ok?! sheesh

[an amniote]

This is the sort of thing that's happened over & over. National is elected to lead the govt, does what it always does, gets voted out. A few years later it's voted in again to do what it's always done... ad nauseam.

Is it because of a new, younger voter base at each election that knows no better or no different? To my knowledge they're a fraction of the electorate.

Edit: sorry, only saw the previous replies after I posted.

---

Why anyone but the already wealthy would support anyone or any party offering tax cuts and other policies favouring said wealthy truly baffles me, as does the unspoken but inevitable running down of social services as a result.

Anyone?

That sort of reasoning requires some degree of economic and mathematical understanding, which much of the population lacks.

A result of neoliberal entrenchment influencing education?

*scratches head*
*pulls hair out*

[harm_less]

This is the sort of thing that's happened over & over. National is elected to lead the govt, does what it always does, gets voted out. A few years later it's voted in again to do what it's always done... ad nauseam.

Is it because of a new, younger voter base at each election that knows no better or no different? To my knowledge they're a fraction of the electorate.

Edit: sorry, only saw the previous replies after I posted.

The younger voters are becoming increasingly aware of environmental concerns which National's 'export everything possible' strategy seems oblivious to, and the growing older voter base is becoming increasingly aware of the need for a fully functioning health system. So, what are National's selling points again?

[Magoo]

i dont think the noobs carry a lot of weight, yet.
i think its the swing vote numbers, instead of partisan voting.
not as many blindly follow a particular party with much loyalty, like we used to theyre too close
the shift between governments is not that great
it seems to be a point of political maturity when the two biggest parties are both so centrist the eventual outcome is a toss up.
it becomes cyclic, neither side wanting to stray too far from center.
we hover over the line down the middle taking deep breaths, in national, out labour, in national out labour
feels like we are out of breath, time to breath in.

[an amniote]

i dont think the noobs carry a lot of weight, yet.
i think its the swing vote numbers, instead of partisan voting.
not as many blindly follow a particular party with much loyalty, like we used to theyre too close
the shift between governments is not that great
it seems to be a point of political maturity when the two biggest parties are both so centrist the eventual outcome is a toss up.
it becomes cyclic, neither side wanting to stray too far from center.
we hover over the line down the middle taking deep breaths, in national, out labour, in national out labour
feels like we are out of breath, time to breath in.

Labour & the Greens & perhaps the Maori Party are at least a tiny bit more community-minded than National & Act who are focused on economic individualism & greed. Not to say of course that Labour hasn't encouraged greed with financial support to property investors.

The current lot exasperate me with their timidity and evasive blather but they do have a heart a little larger & a little less cold than the side has.

[Magoo]

as long as theres balance
be no fun if went spent too long knitting yoghurt with labour
or too long beating the snot out of mum and dad new zealand with the nats.

a couple of terms at a time is ok, three if youve got the legs.
we are seam bowlers, we always swing back in.

[an amniote]

we are seam bowlers, we always swing back in.

With too many bamboozled by spinners with their undercutters & flippers.

[Lilith7]

i dont think the noobs carry a lot of weight, yet.
i think its the swing vote numbers, instead of partisan voting.
not as many blindly follow a particular party with much loyalty, like we used to theyre too close
the shift between governments is not that great
it seems to be a point of political maturity when the two biggest parties are both so centrist the eventual outcome is a toss up.
it becomes cyclic, neither side wanting to stray too far from center.
we hover over the line down the middle taking deep breaths, in national, out labour, in national out labour
feels like we are out of breath, time to breath in.

Labour & the Greens & perhaps the Maori Party are at least a tiny bit more community-minded than National & Act who are focused on economic individualism & greed. Not to say of course that Labour hasn't encouraged greed with financial support to property investors.

The current lot exasperate me with their timidity and evasive blather but they do have a heart a little larger & a little less cold than the side has.

Agreed; their 'hearts are in the right place' but they do need to get off their comfortable bums & make a start on the hard work which is needed. Starting perhaps with poverty & housing.

Most people would have no problem with a fairer system which doesn't favour any group at the expense of another.