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Nov. 4th, 2008 10:03 amOh my god, y'all, if ONE MORE PERSON I know says that they care more about the US election than the NZ election*, I will FLIP OUT. I understand the perspective that feels that the centrist parties are much of a muchness but COME ON, guys, this IS going to affect us. I am TERRIFIED that we are going to become so complacent and so-so about this that we're just not going to vote. NOT COOL. WAKE UP.
- National wants to gut kiwisaver by half. That means the money you've been saving to buy a house won't be there. Oh, they also want to make it that employers can take into account Kiwisaver contributions when choosing pay rates - so they'll pay you less than your co-workers to avoid having to make a contribution.
- In National's previous tax cut plan (I'm not familiar with how they altered it post-economic disaster) 1% of the total money allocated to tax relief went to 50% of tax payers - the poor end, by the way. Labour had 11% - still not good enough, but that's a real difference.
- National's policies - hell, National's fucking Cabinet - haven't changed since the 90s, when they privatised health care, slashed benefits, cut funding to education. Lockwood Smith introduced means-testing for student allowances in that time, and (indirectly) raised university fees.
- John Key last night in a debate capitalised on the fucking Herceptin thing, claiming he'd fund treatment for breast cancer. HEY, ladies and feminists - he's hijacking our movement and using it as an excuse to compromise the neutrality of Pharmac. Because what we really, really want is politicians without a shred of medical training deciding what drugs should get funded! NOT.
- Oh, and hey, don't forget National will be in coalition with ACT - third on their party list being Roger Douglas. Wasn't the 80s Labour government SO much fun under Roger? Oh yeah! Oh, wait... between the 80s Labour government, and the 90s National government, child poverty tripled, health inequities increased dramatically, etc, etc... and this is basically THE SAME National government.
DON'T give them a second chance and DON'T believe that things won't change. THEY WILL. And, yes, whether Obama or McCain are in the White House will affect us too, hell yes, but this election we're picking the people who are going to help us deal with *whoever* is in the White House. And I don't want it to be a fucking merchant banker, tyvm.
*I mean Kiwis, and I'll even extend that to Kiwis living in New Zealand, obviously.
- National wants to gut kiwisaver by half. That means the money you've been saving to buy a house won't be there. Oh, they also want to make it that employers can take into account Kiwisaver contributions when choosing pay rates - so they'll pay you less than your co-workers to avoid having to make a contribution.
- In National's previous tax cut plan (I'm not familiar with how they altered it post-economic disaster) 1% of the total money allocated to tax relief went to 50% of tax payers - the poor end, by the way. Labour had 11% - still not good enough, but that's a real difference.
- National's policies - hell, National's fucking Cabinet - haven't changed since the 90s, when they privatised health care, slashed benefits, cut funding to education. Lockwood Smith introduced means-testing for student allowances in that time, and (indirectly) raised university fees.
- John Key last night in a debate capitalised on the fucking Herceptin thing, claiming he'd fund treatment for breast cancer. HEY, ladies and feminists - he's hijacking our movement and using it as an excuse to compromise the neutrality of Pharmac. Because what we really, really want is politicians without a shred of medical training deciding what drugs should get funded! NOT.
- Oh, and hey, don't forget National will be in coalition with ACT - third on their party list being Roger Douglas. Wasn't the 80s Labour government SO much fun under Roger? Oh yeah! Oh, wait... between the 80s Labour government, and the 90s National government, child poverty tripled, health inequities increased dramatically, etc, etc... and this is basically THE SAME National government.
DON'T give them a second chance and DON'T believe that things won't change. THEY WILL. And, yes, whether Obama or McCain are in the White House will affect us too, hell yes, but this election we're picking the people who are going to help us deal with *whoever* is in the White House. And I don't want it to be a fucking merchant banker, tyvm.
*I mean Kiwis, and I'll even extend that to Kiwis living in New Zealand, obviously.
