Interesting to read Duncan Garner’s take on John Key’s answering on the wage gap between Australia and New Zealand
Yesterday’s performance in Parliament was too selective and too slippery for him to get away with. All the statistics show the gap between Australian wages and Kiwi wages is growing – but Key refused to accept it. He refused to admit it. In fact he went the other way – he said the gap is closing. It’s not, no matter which figures you focus on.
It was an interesting insight into the sensitivity of the government on this issue that Key would try to argue that black was white, when the numbers, even under his chosen construction pointed to the gap widening. It was a bit more than slippery too- it was a very deliberate attempt to mislead.
All of this began as a result of questioning on the absence of an economic plan from National to achieve their stated objective of catching up with Australia. This is a vitally important issue for the country. Concern about this is not only coming from our side of the political spectrum but also from those more closely aligned with the Nats.
Trans-Tasman, the political newsletter today devotes a significant amount of space to concern about the lack of courage in the Government’s programme noting that the obesession with a safety first approach is raising questions about the willingness to take the hard calls and saying poll driven leadership is raising questions about policy intentions.
Many months ago on this blog I described Mr Key as being ” all map and no compass”. As they say in the House, I stand by that statement.
Tick, tock, tick, tock, zzzzzzz
What is done to lift wages and earnings is more to the point. Whatever the “gap” is surely has little to do with policies that build a better NZ workplace.
The “gap” is an emotional ploy playing on fear reinforced with suggestion of being left behind. brain drain, people leaving NZ for OZ and other half truths without qualification.
No protection of our trade or employment is talked about as it that impacts on the international money we use to bolster imports and further running down of our situation.
Large profits are being made at NZ’s expense. Those profits are made upon mortgaging the country yet tax cuts are given to the profiteers while the worker is repressed and taxed more on is purchases to sustain living.
A big part of their platform in ‘08 seemed to be some quite firm rhetoric about the Aussie wage gap, it’s no wonder they are sensitive…
Thanks to Mr Carter, this story is fish and chip paper now…
“Hey look! The Emperor’s naked!”
[A big black truck pulls up and blocks the view.]
“Please move along, there’s nothing to look at.”
LOL
Key and his relationship with the NZ media is more like the Captain in Lewis Carrol’s “The Hunting of the Snark” he has a map that is a perfect and absolute blank and if he tells the crew three times it becomes a truth.
“It was an interesting insight into the sensitivity of the government on this issue that Key would try to argue that black was white,”
I wondered if it was the complacency of someone who has been able to say pretty much anything with very little holding of his feet to the fire. He seems to have thought if he said X we would simply accept it, by we I mean media
It was outright lying is what it was.
Don’t worry, after the election you’ll have 3 more years to complain
chris…thanks for reminding me afain what a nasty, small minded bunch of weasels we have supporting the most fascist dishonest government i have had the displeasure of having to live with. the worst in living memory.
Yeah complain about the mess that Labour will being cleaning up when they return to office
no, they will be the ones laughing behind their hands as they watch our poor excuse for a fourth column set about laying the blame on labour for the botchups national made.
@bbfloyd
Windows explorer is amazing, I can almost smell the bile coming from your post
I imagine bile smells better than B.S.
@Spud
Bile smells better Bachelor of Science?
Sorry I don’t get it
Nice try buddy, but I’m not spelling it out
chris…i rest my case