𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕥, ℕℤ 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜.

𝕊𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕤: ℕℤ 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ‘𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕜’ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕞

W

hen you buy a car, there is a legitimate window in which you can blame the previous owner.

Bald tyres, no oil, dents? You have about a year in which you pin the responsibility on the owner’s past. People tend to lose sympathy when you’ve deliberately crashed the car yourself and are standing on the side of the road screaming thats its the previous owners fault

Welcome to Aotearoa as we leave 2024

On almost every indicator, things are heading in the wrong direction. Unemployment is rising and is forecast to rise further. The rate would be higher if it weren't for the fact kiwis are heading overseas in record levels-133,000 people migrated away from Aotearoa in the year to September, thats one person leaving every 4 minutes and 22 seconds.

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Tamariki poverty is rising and the response of the government is to change the targets. The government is comfortable with nearly 17.000 more children being in material poverty. These are our Tamariki who report living in cold, damp housing and suffering as a consequence.

What I'd just say to you is, I'm not behind the wheel. It's a limo.#LyinLuxon #WorstPMEver pic.twitter.com/k7Ibh8tiza

— Christopher Luxon NatGPT (@rugbyintel) December 14, 2024

The plan to make that better is to rduce insulation standards in new homes. Not that there and many of them anymore with 11,141 fewer people working in construction and residential building work falling 16% in just one year.

PM Luxon has already admitted he could never get us 'Back on track'. file: 𝕵𝖔𝖍𝖓𝖓𝖞 ᴴᴰ

If this was some necessary plan to return Aotearoa to economic growth, then this is failing. GDP fell when last measured, when around the rest of the world economic growth is restarting.

The Reserve Bank forecasts growth ro be anaemic at best over the next year.

Business investment won't reach the levels found in 2023 until 2026. IN real terms, wages are forecast to be no better off by the time of the next election than they are right now.

If this is a necessay plan to return the government books to balance, then this is failing as well.

The government is already $800 million more in the red than they planned to be this time in the year. Debt is higher -  and thats not being driven by investment. It might be forgivable if we were buying new ferries, rebuilding Dunedin hospital or building new state houses - but all of these have been severely downsized or cancelled.

It might be okay if we were investing in new science, rather than losing 350 jobs in the public sector science sector.

The only response this government can deliver is to crow about interest rates falling - a decision they have absolutely no control over

As a reminder, we cut interest rates when the economy isn't doing too well, its often not a reason to celebrate. Inflation is down for some, as it is around the developed world.

Rents continue to rise despite an estimated $3 billion in landlord tax bribes. Insurance is up more than 20% a year. Rates are rising nearly 10% a year because of the botched water reforms of this government.

Merry Christmas. Some ministers deserve only coal in their stockings this year.

But many of them would probably like that along with oil, gas, and fast-tracked permits to strip-mine the seabed and the last bits of pristine Aotearoa.

It wont feel much like Christmas is town like Tokoroa, threatened by the closure of the local mill with the loss of 260 jobs. Nor the Smithfield meat works (600 jobs) not Winston pulp Ruapehu (230 jobs). What makes it more galling is that there is a $1 billion 'Regional Growth fund' that remains unspent to help.

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It's like Ruth Richardson is in office again. As we gather around barbecues this summer we should remember that, last time we played this game, everything being done by this government is a choice.

It's a choice to cut $2 billion from the health service next year - which is what Te Whatu Ora is being asked to do.

It's a choice to cut the minimum wage in real terms and make work more insecure for thousands of young people.

It's a choice to cut taxes for landlords and then make an estimated $750.000 in tax free income like the Prime Minister. Its a choice to give tobacco companies a tax cut, at the lives of thousands of people every year.

There is hope, the Hikoi against the zombie Treaty Principles Bill showed Aotearoa at its very best - untied, strong, showing solidarity with one another. In Dunedin 35,000 people protested against the hospital scaling back decision.

People are seeing this government for what it is, just look at the last raft of polls.

For a government that promised to get us back 'On track' we are remarkably far from where the majority want us to be.

It is responsible for the choices that got us here, and it should own up to the consequences of these decisions.

It's time for a driver who knows what they are doing.

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