Budget

anyone keen to discuss anything BUT fucking TV?

insert number here

Arts funding cut to zero. Who needs fucking arts.

It seems that the majority of kiwis are happy to go along with "austerity-lite" because its so middle ground

stop it

...well go on then....discuss.

Does that mean Wellington is paying for it's own Museums now?

Is this thread about cheap TV options?

freeview isn't free

*shakes fist*

Wanted:
International Asian companies to buy our country.
Great deal - you give us your money, we will take it and run, you can have a country.

No buy now, but only one dollar reserve.

*offfortea*

"Tax moves in today's Budget to crack down on the wealthy who rent out their holiday homes and yachts for part of the year will make the tax system fairer, according to Finance Minister Bill English.

The extra revenue will help to reduce the deficit over the next three years and get the Government's books back to a small surplus within three years in the Budget's main scenario forecasts."

Are you fucken serious? This move is a) hard to enfore/police and b) wil make stuff all difference .... make the tax system fairer? You can't be serious

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10808048

Dear Smiling Leader, 2 days ago, question time: “Under a National Govt, exports are rising”

Today: Exports down 17%

Edit: that is down on a monthly basis, but still, it illustrates how Dear Leader likes to just say things.

Seems like a great budget for people with limited money who need medication, people wanting to return to study and childeren at school

Yeah-fucken-right

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1205/S00394/green-party-research-shows-national-backing-the-rich.htm

jeeze it must be fucking cool to be rich right now

#classwar

Im rich!


















With culture...................I watch the GC!

Although Occupy Auckland may not have united New Zealand with it's cause, it's really time for us to all stand up together and revolt against this.

I downloaded an official budget 2012 iPhone app last night. From 2 (now) it gives a detailed report and breakdown. Will read it later today or tomorrow...

*point being that there is an app so you can read it at your leisure without going through some dopey news source or looking for the correct link online.

Blinglish is literally the best.

"Mr Speaker I move that the appropriations blah blah be read for the second time"
"I think the Minister will find he needs to read it for the first time first"

Umm the time to stand up and revolt was the last election..

Unfortunately people are stupid..

People dont have time to revolt, they are too busy watching the GC.

its never to late for the public to stand up and make our public servants do our bidding

elections aren't a time of revolt... they are a time of meekly settling for the mediocre choices on offer

And go shopping ... and wonder if Sally Ridge and her daughter are going to make a reality show ... and think abou SBW being a terrible boxer ... and Dotcoms donation to Banks .... scandalous!

OK



Wait what? You don't think a politician accepting what amounts to a bribe then concealing it is an important issue? What the fuck?

In some good budget bnews, the Auckland Council budget got through despite the bets efforts of Citizens and Ratepayers to bury it and keep Auckland in the 1950s. Provided Smiling John and Hoggish Gerry don't pass a law prohibiting rail or making Auckland illegal, we should get our rail loop now.

no movies in parks though... which I assume means music in parks too

fuck some train that'll never get built in my lifetime (not serious)

Nah, I think it really is important, but I think it also distracts from other issues which are argubly more important like the sale of state assets

given Banks importance to the govt to push through the sale of state assets legislation.... its pretty fucking important

oh and corruption is a MAJOR issue when we discuss those whom make decisions that effect us all

but yeah, storm in tea cup stuff really

Pic from my office of student protest over budget... student protests aren't what they used to be it seems:

oh wow, didn't realise shitty phone pic would be so big...

what did they used to be?

Bigger, for one...

massive once

uni has become a production line not a place to ask questions other than how to build a better brand

We used to storm WINZ offices demanding Rankinstein's head, then the cops would show up and we'd do idiotic things to get arrested. Then we'd call our parents to bail us out.

The guy down the bottom of the pic is going the wrong way.

only protests I remember of merit in my day were anti rugger tours to or with South Africa... never felt more frightened in my life, people grabbed by pro tour types and beaten on the street whilst the police smiled on... this was in the tron so it was pretty much a normal friday night

Science funding has done alright in this budget, which is something NZ governments have been pretty shitty at really...

student protests used to be huge in my day... still thats a while ago. lol

re topic
pretty boring as far as I can see... changing loopholes on baches is so trivial.
I guess the kiwisaver changes are ok
Fund managers will, from next April, be required to report performance, fees and costs, liabilities and liquidity, along with any conflicts of interest, in an approved, standardised form.

I protested about the mining shortages on Bespin once.

No one cared.

I had a Dylan/Cohen type folk song and all.

thought you'd like that gummi

its a dull and duller budget, loads of tinkering and no substance that will do anything to address the very real challenges we face as a nation

a brighter future this is not... and only further serves the notion that there is no hope for the vast majority of us in the near future

a glimmer of hope is so sorely needed for kiwis - even national don't seem to believe their bluster anymore

in short the deck chairs have been re-arranged, again

Yup, lots of tinkering around the edge that might look good on paper but achieves pretty minor savings.

You know what my favourite part is? The bit where they decided to tax children for their paper runs. That's just fucking awesome, and I have no doubt it's going to almost singlehandedly return the government books to surplus. Nine long years Labour had to catch these greasy little tax-dodgers, and they did NOTHING.

Really says it all doesn't it.

That's it in a nutshell and all National are capable of they are so far out of touch with reality its fukcing amazing

All this pain so the government can make a measly $200m surplus in two years. I'd rather they borrow that $200m and invested it in programes etc that will actually kickstart innovation in this country. But nah, that'd require foresight. Sigh.

I'm trying to start Budgeting, really need to start saving.

*sigh* protestors have "taken" my building and making a bit of a ruckus... almost no chance of me doing any work so fucking off now...

pic of occupation from twitter:

thing is if they did nothing we'd most likely get to that surplus anyways... and its not the bee all and end all for the country

in another 16 years at this rate we'll be back at the point National started at in 2008 (insert labours fault, the GFC, and eathquake excuses here)

more roads, less people who can afford to drive

thank god for the greens right now, at least they're fighting back

this threads fucking budget as bro.

yeh even as a financey person i agree with this...
its all forecasts - and we know that virtually nobody can forecast what the weather is going to be tomorrow yet alone the economy in a few years.

if you can actually forecast reliably you get rich and become a philanthropist.

heh this thread is clearly gummi showing off the view from his office ..

What happened with the budget.. more hey the poor don't need that ... oh and the dirty smokers getting hit hard..

You jelly? :>

Nice website for visualising the Budget. (Includes Government income, expenditure).

With all that is made over the Unemployment Benefit... you would think it might cost a little bit more than $199.90 per person, per year (down 0.8% from last budget. Cost includes the Emergency Benefit).

And yes, obviously there is all manner of infrastructure needed to provide benefits (offices, personnel, hardware, software, power etc.), these costs however come under other parts of Government expenditure and are utilised to provide other welfare services as well.

Sigh... more of the same... rob the younger generation to fund the baby boomers.

Australia announces tax-free threshold of 18000
National Announces kids are no longer able to get a $240 rebate on their part time earnings.

Seriously what the fuck ?

its not even the babyboomers, its purely to find the wealthy - to cover the huge shortfall thanks to the neutral tax cuts enacted by this govt

sorry son youse gots to help them poor rich people.. now go deliver those papers

Since the link broke:
http://wheresmytaxes.co.nz/

What's really worth pointing out to people is how not only the dole but also the DPB (hell put them together) are DWARFED by the cost of Super:


And that's only going to get worse and worse and worse.

In fact, add up ALL the other items shown in that screenshot, and it's STILL less than the cost of super.

as a smoker I'm proud to do more than my fair share in getting us back to surplus and dying young

you're all welcome

White triangle in centre of big pic is a placard, not a backwards play button to a secret video link.

long but great read
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2012/05/25/gordon-campbell-on-the-budgets-spreadsheet-victories/

The day the music died:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/budget-2012/6987657/Budget-brings-national-disaster-for-schools

I want to take my girl and get the fuck out of this godforsaken country.