Greens snake oil solution of no help to NZ economy

Hon Steven Joyce

Minister for Economic Development

7 October 2012

Media Statement

Greens snake oil solution of no help to NZ economy

(reissuing with correct attribution)

The Greens grab-bag of theories to lower the New Zealand dollar shows exactly how little they understand the economy and growth, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says.

“New Zealand has one of the strongest economies in the OECD over the last 12 months, and yet the Greens are determined to talk us down and promote a bunch of ideas that are only in vogue in countries that have run out of options and have massive and crippling public debt,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Greens solution to supposedly encourage the private sector is to slap a capital gains tax on it. Leaving aside the fact that Australia has a Capital Gains Tax and a high dollar, it’s a strange way to seek to encourage investment and growth by offering to tax it more.

“They then want to abandon sensible monetary policy and whack up the cost of living for every New Zealander, and they want to pay for the Christchurch rebuild by printing money.

“They have truly jumped the shark. The Greens half-baked economic ideas would move one of the few solidly growing OECD economies into the basket case division – more proof that they should never be let near the Treasury benches.

“In the post GFC world New Zealand is doing better than most. Our economy is 2.6% larger than it was this time last year, and the economy has added 57,000 jobs over the last two years.

“The way to achieve faster growth and more and higher paying jobs is to first have responsible fiscal and monetary policy, and then to assist Kiwi firms to become more competitive in the area of skills, innovation, infrastructure, access to raw materials, capital and markets. Not panicky responses from politicians in desperate search for a headline.”
ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage