Is it getting better?
Or do you feel the same?
Will it make it easier on you now?
You got someone to blame
Songwriters: Paul David Hewson / Adam Clayton / Larry Mullen / Dave Evans
It's polling day from TVNZ. We don’t get many polls these days. Of course, they don’t mean a lot compared to election day, but they provide insight into the electorate's mood based on recent events—something a bit more scientific than the views of those delivering the news.
This morning, Maiki Sherman announced on Breakfast that today marks one year since the election in which Kiwis voted for change.
Well, they certainly got change. Although I don’t recall the political advertising before the vote saying the change would be laying off public servants, damaging social services, and all the other delights we’ve discovered subsequent to their election.
Breakfast had a wee glimpse before the poll proper, indicating the nation's mood...
Considering that, as Maiki said, New Zealanders voted for change, it’s hardly a ringing endorsement that only three out of ten Kiwis feel better off a year later.
Even then, I’m sure some of those saying the country was in better shape were not necessarily finding it any easier. Perhaps some were reluctant to say they got it wrong when they voted. I suspect fewer than 30% of Kiwis genuinely feel they’ve gotten ahead in the last year.
The new government has made a lot of noise about cleaning up after the last one. But even those who believe their claims about the now opposition will, at some point, expect them to stop pointing fingers and actually take responsibility. Admit they are now in charge and accountable, and this is on them.
Aside from anything else, the claims that the last government spent too much money are pretty hollow if you then turn around and give away billions in tax cuts. Which is it? Are we broke or doing okay? If it’s the former, then why the hell did we blow billions on tax cuts?
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We have a government that has spent more than the last lot, is increasing our debt, is steering our public services into a ditch, and then says Labour did it. People aren’t idiots… not forever. Fool me once and all that.
At some point, they will say enough. That all the claims of necessary cuts and bloated public services sound pretty hollow juxtaposed against those tax cuts.
The freeze on health spending and the cuts across other services will leave us with huge problems down the line, as programmes intended to address things at the top of the cliff are replaced by an ambulance at the bottom. Needless to say, they aren’t funding the ambulances either. So you might have to wait at the bottom for some time, in more ways than one.
Luxon said there were green shoots, which is their go-to phrase to imagine things are better. He said the last government put the country into a ditch. Cool story, bro. How many more years are you going to spin that one?
Chippy said that the country had gone backwards over the last year under the “Coalition of Chaos”. He said unemployment was up, health services were further into crisis, there were worsening race relations, and “New Zealanders aren’t getting what they voted for”.
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