Prime Minister John Key’s message to National’s Mainland conference contained policy to take the country forward without leaving people behind.
He covered some of the Budget highlights including the commitment to the rebuild of Christchurch and getting government finances in order because:
I am simply not prepared to leave our children and grandchildren with a ticking time-bomb of debt. So this Budget does the hard yards of getting our books in order.
Other highlights included policies to increase jobs and wages and reduce interest rates:
A family with a mortgage now pays a floating interest rate around five percentage points lower than they did in Labour’s last year in office.
For a family with a $200,000 mortgage, for example, that means $200 a week more in their pocket.
That makes a huge difference to such a family, and it makes home ownership affordable for many more New Zealanders.
Interest rates matter for everyday Kiwis and that’s why this Government is focused on keeping them lower than Labour.
And unlike Labour, this Government won’t be raising taxes and it won’t be imposing a new capital gains tax.
We are proud that as a result of our tax reforms last year, three-quarters of income earners now have a top tax rate of 17.5 per cent or less.
That says to New Zealanders that if they want to get ahead, if they want to do better for themselves and their family, and if they work hard and save hard, then this Government will support them.
We want you to keep more of what you earn. We want you to have choice. Labour doesn’t like choice; they don’t like people to spend their own money, they like to leave them with pocket money.
Well, pocket money ends in my household when one is about 16. So I’m proud to lead a Government that ensures people can make their own money and their own choices.
Fourth, this Budget invests in public services and infrastructure for our future.
It clearly demonstrates National’s priorities, $1.4 billion more for education, $1.7 billion more for health and more money to improve law and order in our communities.
And unashamedly we’ve done some trimming. Less money for bureaucracy, less money for backroom administration, less money for Wellington waste.
It continues our investment in the building blocks of future growth, including an injection of hundreds of millions of dollars into an ultra-fast broadband network, so Kiwis can make the most of future technology. That’s on top of our ongoing investment in New Zealand’s growth arteries – our highways and public transport networks.
Finally, it’s a Budget that ensures the Working for Families, KiwiSaver, and Interest Free Student Loan schemes will continue to deliver for the thousands of people that rely on them.
We’ve listened to New Zealanders who say they want these schemes to last in good weather and bad and we’ve made the changes to ensure they can.
The contrast with Labour leader Phil Goff’s message to his party’s conference could hardly have been greater: higher taxes and job losses.
Just a few days ago Goff was grandstanding about the price of lamb at the supermarket and now he’s planning to force farmers into the ETS by taxing livestock which will push prices up further. None of our competitors are imposing this cost on farmers for good reason - science has yet to come up with effective ways to reduce animal emissions. This is not a tax to change behaviour but simply to punish.
At No Minister Adolf joins the dots between last week’s ill-founded rant about dairy farmers’ taxes and this policy and The Veteran acknowledges they’re consistent in dumping on the productive sector.
This is classic divide and rule politics but it won’t just hit farmers, it will lead to job losses and higher prices for food.
Increasing the minimum wage is just as stupid and those who will be hurt the most by it are those who already find it hardest to get work.
What a contrast – Labour is preaching envy and division while National is practising aspiration, encouragement and unity.
Labour will drag people down, National is helping people up.
Labour pains, National delivers.
Ele I was disturbed to read of the seeming veil of secrecy placed over the Mainland conference in Christchurch.
Dene McKenzie in the ODT talked about delegates being told not to talk about matters that went on during closed sessions.
I understand some things must be kept quiet but the reporting by a usually sympathetic Dene McKenzie did raise concerns.
After renewing my National Party sub this year,for the 40th time, I expect to hear about the important matters that National expects to face.
Is this the image we want to find in the party. Its a bit reminiscent of the arrogant National Party of past administrations.
Ele we need a explanation- we don’t want a two level party- the inners and outers
Neil – first I don’t think Dean would appreciate being called sympathetic, and he isn’t. He’s a professional who writes about the good and bad of all parties and politicians.
Second – it was a cock-up not a conspiracy. I knew nothing about it until Dean talked to me and I’m doing all I can to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Closed sessions have their place – it is often better for members because MPs talk more freely – but the media needs to be told well in advance which sessions they can and can’t report.
Not all members can attend every party meeting but that’s still a far better way to get information than through the media.
I have consistently held the view that animal emissions today compared to historical emissions from the enormous herds of grazing animals of say 5 centuries ago are in a word, infinitesimal differences.
The burning of vast quantities of fossil fuels will have small localised effects on CO2 atmospheric levels but little impact on global figures when compared to the emissions of volcanoes. Those who see the levels as a threat to our survival, why do you not attack the major emitters eg China, India, russia, Eastern Europe, Brazil and the United States.
ETS levies are nothing more than “new” taxes and Mr Goff’s latest economic attack on primary producers as unfair simply confirms this.
Taking upwards of one billion dollars from rural producers to be recycled and redistributed, minus the cost of collection and distribution costs, in the urban consumption sector will just cause another rural recession that will cast our economic recovery into the abyss.
27 years around the Parliament and this idiot will still attempt to commit economic sabotage on this scale to regain his perks of Government.
Sadly there are enough economic illiterates to give this some momentum with the connivance of the simpletons in the MSM.
What of psycho milt’s suggestion then, in terms of if the ETS is bad for farmers, then surely its bad for the rest of the economy?
The problem is that welfare states are bankrupt and need to find other indirect taxes to supplement their tax and spend ways. Therein lies the brokenness of the system. Correct the root cause and then the broken solutions don’t need to be found. Where are the solutions to to do away with a need for more taxation?
In response Ele, my comment “sympathetic” never intended to label him party preferred. He is a level headed straight down the line journalist with strong roots in Otago/Southland.Unlike some journos that interview their typewriters.
National has worked shrewd strategy. Have a look at the Tracy Watkins article in “Stuff” today. Labor’s new policies are like two week old cold mutton, especially their divisive R&D programmes.
Anyone check the date at the top of the speech?
http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/53606/opinion-national-election-document-has-long-term-plan-sustainable-5-growth-says-nzers-
a joke, surely?