David Cunliffe's Page

I’ve seen some extraordinary manouvers in Select Committees - but few as brazen as the Government’s moves yesterday to block the proposed Banking Inquiry in the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Here’s the sequence of events, which until yesterday were under privilege and could not be told.

On 12 March the Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate, but the major banks didn’t. Governor Bollard was clearly concerned and said so. I questioned him at the time at FEC and publicly called on the major… Continue

"*A Standard and Poor" Budget

First Impressions
This Budget has all the vision of a possum caught in the headlights of the world recession

It does nothing for jobs. Nothing for growth. No constructive new ideas. No positive vision. No game plan. At best "standard". In reality "Poor"

It manages to turn the debt curve down from a peak of 42% only by rosie assumptions like:

- suspending Super Fund contributions for 10 years leaving a $30 billion hole for our kids to pay

- permanent "deferral"… Continue

Taken from The Independent Debate Thursday 21.5.2009

Part two of a two-part series

Two strategies to fix our economic woes

David Cunliffe:

New Zealand is in a new age: an age of international recession, of rising unemployment and fear. To emerge from this age will require good judgement and a clear eye on the long term.
We cannot simply wish away the implications of reduced taxes or rising debt.
We must insist on value for money from the public sector. The state must play its part in steward… Continue

Taken from The Independent Debate Thursday 14.5.2009

Part one of a two-part series

Our Economy: how did it get this bad?

David Cunliffe:

New Zealand is a fantastic country. We enjoy a quality of life in the top half dozen countries in the world. Ours is still a place where honest effort brings reward, where we can raise our families well and where the hopes of each generation can be better than their parents’.
To overcome the current challenges we need to learn the lessons of economic histor… Continue

BUDGET DAY (at 2pm)

Hi bloggers

Today is Budget Day. I will be flat tack working with Hon Phil Goff on Labour's response. It should be a Jobs Budget. It won't be.

This looks like being the budget of the Great Lie - the cancellation of the tax cuts that were the centerpiece of National's 2008 election campaign. You could even say that deception compromises National's right to govern at all.

Expect this to be a conservative budget that wastes opportunites to put jobs and people first. It will… Continue