Labour is copping the blame for the country’s debt:
Almost half of those in the survey saw it as effectively ”a plague on both their houses”, with 44 per cent blaming a combination of the Clark and Key governments.
But among those who singled out one or the other, 33 per cent saw Labour as being more at fault, while only 18 per cent blamed National more.
Debt has increased under National but among the reasons for that are expensive policies enacted by Labour and factors outside any government’s control:
The National-led Government has pointed to a number of main drivers of the soaring debt:
Costly programmes put in place by Labour, including KiwiSaver, Working for Families and interest free student loans All were endorsed by National, though it has taken the pruning shears to them, especially KiwiSaver.
– The global financial crisis in 2008-09 and the slowing of the New Zealand economy.
– The Canterbury earthquakes, which has cost the Government more than $9b..
The road back to surplus is a bit rocky but it is the right one to follow.
Had we continued on the path Labour wanted to lead us had they won the 2008 election we might well be little if any better off than the likes of Spain and Greece.
As it is, the government is determined to lead by example and is doing all it can to reduce costs without slashing services.
Some would argue it hasn’t gone far enough, but if it goes too far, too fast it will outpace public tolerance.
Homepaddock 
Cut the bloated public service salaries, not the jobs.
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This quote from Australia.. The key is the second sentence.. if public service pay is too high the most intelligent descend into drones…instead of using those skills and training in productive areas.
“The ballooning (climate) bureaucracy is not only a growing direct cost to taxpayers. It retards the Australian labour market too, sucking the intelligent and educated into roles that add zero or negative value to society. Most public servants would be far better deployed in jobs that provide goods and services people want to buy. This cost is difficult to calculate but it is massive because the public sector has grown so large.”
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Almost half of those in the survey saw it as effectively ”a plague on both their houses”,
Means that a substantial number see the horrible truth – that Nation and Labour are both parties made up of visionless mediocrities.
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Andrei – you’re right that almost half had a plague on both houses response.
But can you really blame the government for the GFC and Christchurch earthquake and would National have won in 2008 had it not swallowed Labour’s dead rats?
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They’ve had three years Ele – the excuse that it was their predecessors fault lasts about six months.
But of course National has just continued the path that Labour has followed.
What is important to me is that my kids have a future where they can raise their own kids in peace and prosperity.
They are not going to find it here.
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Andrei’s correct. Blaming Labour is lame, lame, lame.
Won’t stop Key and English though. Bill will be on fire with indignation as he hides the truth of his scabby budget.
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