The Nicola Willis budget

[harm_less]

And Willis is still harping on about how bad a state Labour left our economy in. Was she away for PREFU day, or is she just so economically illiterate that she didn't comprehend the information being presented?.

As every day goes by Luxon's government looks to have no real strategy other than to cut and burn everything Labour had put in place with no clear policies other than to pilfer coffers that were destined for real social and environmental good. Arseholes!

It's because labour withheld alot of information publicly,  that's why.
Not surprised, but you seem to be.
The fiscal risks were never made public.
More info here, hard to believe anyone could defend the clowns that were blowing money left right and centre.
https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/tags/economic_update

My surprise is that Willis wasn't financially knowledgeable enough to be able to access, or comprehend, the information that was available via the RBNZ. She seems hardly capable of putting a spreadsheet together leave alone be in charge of New Zealand's financial management.

Her unwavering pursuit of tax breaks in a climate of economic disaster seems incongruous to say the least and a nonsensical if not dishonest approach for finance minister. If the books are in such bad shape then why is she still hellbent on giving (retrospective) tax cuts to landlords? If you're in the shit debt wise the last thing you should be prioritising is further depleting your coffers.

We have a lot of economic hits to expect from this government going into 2024 as they try to engineer a surplus while shovelling money out to their various election campaign benefactors. Expect to see further infrastructure projects being halted (Interisland ferries, hospital upgrades, employment support strategies, local body projects, CCD scheme), inflationary policies (rent increases, rates rises, RUC rollout over all vehicles, added bureaucracy as they implement enquiries into various project viability) and a general degrading of environmental and climate measures and the funds previously put in place for these reasons. Our international credibility will also suffer as the coalitions patchwork of political intentions are implemented and we become viewed as an environmental and primary producer basket case.