Although David Parker resigning from Revenue had a touch of the tantrum about it, it had also an element of principle as well.
If you believe in something substantive like wealth tax, and the rug is pulled out from under you, you can do one of two things. One, be like Grant Robertson, ex express disappointment but say you are a team player, grit your teeth, and carry on.
Or two, do a David Parker and walk.
Arguing disappointment over something that didn't happen is easier than what Grant Robertson may now have to do. That is sell you on the idea that GST coming off fruit and veggies is a good idea, when we all know he doesn't believe that.
You literally can't be on record time and time again dismissing an idea, for what ironically are perfectly sensible reasons, and then as Finance Minister pretend that everything you said doesn't matter.
He is in, as David Parker would say, an untenable position.
That's before you get to the naked and blatant pork barrelling of the idea. Two and half months out from the vote we get a move so desperate, it'll be a miracle if Chris Hipkins can announce it with a straight face and without blushing.
There is also the fact that the idea has leaked, ending yet another shocking week for them, given the other leak from caucus and the Kiri Allan debacle which still isn't resolved to anyone's satisfaction. Especially given the story of the details of the night continue to haunt them afresh seemingly every day.
Undermining their "there is nothing to see here" reaction is the fact National rumbled them on the wealth tax as well. There were denials all over town until that fateful announcement from Lithuania.
So, we can assume, it is a policy, it is set to be announced, and they have once again been busted.
It also gives weight to the argument that it's been teased and teased but not actually been revealed, why? We now know, it's the drama behind the scenes on it. There will be plenty of acrimony, anger, and carnage.
As to the idea itself, give me a break. How do you know you are saving GST? What's a lettuce cost? 99 cents? $1.99? $2.99? $5 .99? $7.99? Is it the transport, the rain that's making it cost more? It's so variable you will never know.
The insult for Labour is the wealthy get the most benefit, explain that away.
And is it just tomatoes? Or is tomato sauce included? Is it just potatoes? Or do potato chips count?
Just fresh? What about frozen? Deep fried? Reconstituted? Imported? Just local?
They are insulting our intelligence.
Grant Robertson is better than this, that's why he needs to get the hell out.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
You literally can't be on record time and time again dismissing an idea, for what ironically are perfectly sensible reasons, and then as Finance Minister pretend that everything you said doesn't matter.
He is in, as David Parker would say, an untenable position.
That's before you get to the naked and blatant pork barrelling of the idea. Two and half months out from the vote we get a move so desperate, it'll be a miracle if Chris Hipkins can announce it with a straight face and without blushing.
There is also the fact that the idea has leaked, ending yet another shocking week for them, given the other leak from caucus and the Kiri Allan debacle which still isn't resolved to anyone's satisfaction. Especially given the story of the details of the night continue to haunt them afresh seemingly every day.
Undermining their "there is nothing to see here" reaction is the fact National rumbled them on the wealth tax as well. There were denials all over town until that fateful announcement from Lithuania.
So, we can assume, it is a policy, it is set to be announced, and they have once again been busted.
It also gives weight to the argument that it's been teased and teased but not actually been revealed, why? We now know, it's the drama behind the scenes on it. There will be plenty of acrimony, anger, and carnage.
As to the idea itself, give me a break. How do you know you are saving GST? What's a lettuce cost? 99 cents? $1.99? $2.99? $5 .99? $7.99? Is it the transport, the rain that's making it cost more? It's so variable you will never know.
The insult for Labour is the wealthy get the most benefit, explain that away.
And is it just tomatoes? Or is tomato sauce included? Is it just potatoes? Or do potato chips count?
Just fresh? What about frozen? Deep fried? Reconstituted? Imported? Just local?
They are insulting our intelligence.
Grant Robertson is better than this, that's why he needs to get the hell out.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
I actually prefer Grant's reaction. He disagrees, but supports the decision.
David has thrown his toys out of the cot, but carefully. He keeps his ministerial position and the large salary that comes with it. A man of principle would resign all ministerial positions and state he will leave the Labour party at the election. In the private sector, anyone that behaved like David would be clearing his desk that afternoon.
So does he smell blood in the water and is just cynically positioning himself for a shot at the top?
David Parker PRINCIPLED and Grant Robinson BETTER THAN THIS ?
YEAH RIGHT.
Surely if Robertson resigned, Hipkins could not carry on. Losing your number two just shy of an election, after the recent catastrophic Cabinet carnage, would make his position untenable. Hopefully they'd dump him and choose Mahuta or Jackson as the leader. That really would be certain death for Labour.
Anyway, compared to Robbo's disgraceful and wasteful spending of billions of dollars during and after Covid, the GST announcement pales in comparison. One of the worst Finance Ministers ever.
Funny, I just read Hooton advising that Hipkins should have called a snap election in April.
That same comment was made on this website many months ago as it was obvious that Labour support was always going to decline.
The Labour tacticians really are not that smart. You can’t win when peddling backwards.
No shaming these folk.
Its all about power as simple as that.
Can someone tell me why cutting GST on fruit and vegetables is more efficient than just moving the tax thresholds? Typical Labour - lets set up a new Ministry of GST Management just to implement the changes. Pig-ignorant boofheads!!
And now Chris Trotter's idea of a grand coalition of all the Left parties + National to:
.resolve the problem of a hung parliament
.divert attention from He Puapua/ co-governance
. retain power.
MMP has much to answer for and should be changed. We are governeed by the un-elected and unqualified.
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