(no subject)

[labellementeuse]

We interrupt your regularly scheduled flist to bring you this not-actually-breaking-at-all news:

Bill English has suggested that the Nats plan to sell off public assets should they win the next election. [Thanks to maudlinrose for the news, who has a really excellent post about public assets and why she thinks selling them is dumb here.]

To really understand how dumb this is... well, you'd have to know a bit about Rogernomics and how badly New Zealanders reacted to that, and for it to be really funny you'd have to know a bit more about Led-National-To-Its-Worst-Ever-Defeat Bill "Political sense of a banana muffin" English (thx again to maudlinrose for coining a phrase). But listen, today I have had multiple conversations with Labour supporters about how awesome it is that English said that. It's brilliant! We can hopefully sit back and watch their lead collapse. *crosses fingers*

In other news, vote in your local body elections! In Christchurch I am supporting 2021 and particularly Amelia Dalley, running for Riccarton/Wigram community board. She's sincere, devoted to treaty of waitangi principles, and really dedicated to youth rights and representation. Also, in the interests of full disclosure, I live with her and consider her a close friend, but, really - as far as I'm concerned her integrity and commitment are unquestionable and I think she would work really hsrd for community board representing both youth and Maori. She's on the Young Labour national exec, the Maori Students' Association committee, the CHCH youth council and has logged about eight million volunteer hours all over the shop including working with young people.

This is my pretty new tui bird icon, BTW.

Comments

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

Oh, Bill.

As if people don't have memories!

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I know. I mean, it's only the most referred-to event in NZ internal politics ever.

[maudlinrose.livejournal.com]

:D I just CANNOT UNDERSTAND how he did not foresee that this sort of plan would be UNPOPULAR! And therefore not talk about it until after they were in power.

I'm also seriously wondering who National would potentially be in a coalition with - I mean, polls for the minor parties always drop between elections, but they pick up again once people start to really think about what they want and who's going to give it to them. But ACT kind of looks dead, and the Nat/NZ First relationship is pretty strained, so.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love your icon. Where do people get those fabulous SGA icons? I think they're brill.

That's a good point about the coalitions. I haven't really been following the polls, though, but taking a cursory look at the 3 news poll on scoop, National's at 60 and Labour's at 45 - while the Greens (8) and Maori (4) are running pretty high, and Act (2) and UF (1) are running pretty low, it kind of looks like National doesn't really need much more than ACT. If it picked up just a little (of course, I'm hoping for the reverse, but) it could be in government all by itself, by my understanding. :-///// I can't decide if the Nats solo would be better or worse than Nats/ACT, mind you.

have you heard the latest?

[maudlinrose.livejournal.com]

I can't remember where I got the icon, although I might've credited it on my icon page thingy. :| It is pretty spiffy, though. :D

I would expect National to fall a little (hopefully) once they start actually announcing policy and people seriously start to think about National In Power rather than just Not Labour In Power - we've had a leftist government for almost a decade, now, and I think a resurrection of the policies of the 80s and 90s would be less popular than National thinks. I dunno - maybe they'll pull out something shinyfantastic.

What's the latest?

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I've seen lots in the same style & think they're neato.

Well, I do agree with you, but my concern is that people are less concerned with policy sometimes than they think they are. But I hope people will start thinking more about it, yes, as they start revealing more of their policy.

Well. I just posted about it, actually. But essentially, the Nats released their health discussion doc today. What wasn't in it, but which they *did* confirm at their press conference, was that the Nats would remove the cap that prevents GPs from charging whatever they like. When asked if they thought this would cause GP prices to go up, they replied that "the market will take care of it."

Crudely, fuck the new right and their fucking market ideology.

[disturbed-kiwi.livejournal.com]

I would have been, what, five when they tried this the first time and fucked things right up and yet I still remember and scream NO WAY BILLY

What is he thinking?

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I wasn't even born and I know. I mean COME ON. Moron. :D