Blogging on liberty, capitalism, reason, international affairs and foreign policy, from a distinctly libertarian and objectivist perspective
28 May 2008
Addressing the Police
Don't forget the Maori Party is a Marxist Party
Not too sick to bully
Advice on travel to Istanbul
23 May 2008
Bank Holiday weekend
Don't spend all weekend partying away your imminent tax cuts on ... a kebab, a pint and, oh yeah that's about it isn't it?
Tories await victory
Crewe is solid working class Labour territory, being a famous railway junction with major railway workshops. Nantwich is solid Tory, but the seat has never been anything but Labour since it was created, and its previous inculcations have been Labour since 1945.
Labour is about to get punished. This fairly solid Labour working class seat is going to go Tory. The BBC is already reporting 2 hours before the results come in that Labour is quietly conceding. Labour's campaign has been shocking though. Dunwoody's daughter is the Labour candidate and the Labour campaign claimed the Tory candidate is a top hat wearing toff with a large landholding with horses who doesn't even live there. Well he doesn't, he lives 30 miles away, but the landholding he is accused of owning is next door to his home, and he is no toff. However the Labour candidate has an entry in Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, and lives 130 miles away.
It's going to hurt Gordon Brown assuming Labour loses. The next likely by-election should be Henley, assuming Boris Johnson resigns given his new job! However Henley should be a pushover for the Tories. Quite simply Labour looks as tired in the UK as it is in NZ, but then it's awfully hard to please people when house prices are going down in most places, fuel and food prices are going up, unemployment is creeping up and the government finds money to nationalise a failing bank. Old Labour voters are fed up (and are too stupid to not know that more government doesn't work), New Labour voters have been seduced by the new vapid Tories, and that's it. Gordon Brown may face a leadership challenge after tonight.
One welfare recipient wanted more
The one woman quoted was once President of something called the Combined Beneficiaries Union. You might wonder why people who don't sustain themselves financially, who don't have to concern themselves with employment conditions, would need to belong to a Union - well, it is a leftwing lobby group. A bit like the infamously named Unemployed Workers' Union, an organisation that I thought as a child was contradictory. No one is a worker if they are not doing work (and let's avoid the stupid Marxist concept that anyone who isn't some blue collar employee ISN'T a worker). They exist to essentially lobby the state to make other people pay them more money, as crude and self interested as that.
However, wait there's more. The Combined Beneficiaries Union isn't privately funded - YOU pay for it. According to a Parliamentary Question from National MP Judith Collins, this "union" is 40% funded compulsorily by you. About $60,000 a year. Enough for someone's salary.
So you are forced to pay for an organisation lobbying to force you to pay its members more.
But wait, there's more. The woman interviewed was involved in a scandal regarding the firing of someone allegedly making expense claims for personal items. The story is here. To be fair the woman concerned, Helen Capel sounds like she has been treated badly.
However, that is by the by. The bottom line is that beneficiaries have been given nothing - you see they always vote Labour, but that means they don't need to be given anything by Labour. Of course those who care could always take their tax cut and any more, and give it to beneficiaries they know, or can find. However that would involve really giving a damn, and far too many talk about caring about the poor, but wouldn't go near actually helping them directly.
22 May 2008
So what should National do?
So after accusing the Nats of wanting to borrow to pay for tax cuts, that’s what Dr Cullen is doing. Going into deficit to give modest tax cuts that STILL mean more tax is collected per person in real terms than was the case than when Labour was elected.
You see, if Dr Cullen had merely spent more to compensate for inflation since he held the Treasury reins, he would have increased spending by only 24.7% according to the Reserve Bank’s own inflation calculator. Now I know it’s a Labour government, you could say, well maybe he could have increased it by double that. No, government spending has increased by four times the amount necessary to make up for inflation since 1999.
Now what should National do? That’s what everyone is wondering. After all will it borrow more than Labour to give back more. Will it cut spending?
I don’t expect much from National, and it typically ensures that I have overestimated that. However , here’s an idea. Let’s say that National had remained in power in 1999. It is a fair assumption that National would have continued pretty much with the policies it had then. If we are to believe the Nats about efficiency in the public sector, then there is little need to grow spending beyond inflation is there? Yes population grows, but spending shouldn’t need to grow beyond that either.
Population growth since 1999 has been 6%, and with the inflationary factor of 25% on top of that, that means in order to maintain a steady state of spending, with no efficiency gains, government spending since 1999 should only have increased nominally by 33.2%. It has increased by 69%.
So National, if it was honestly maintaining the status quo of its policies, should be cutting spending back to where it would have been had it stayed in power.
National’s last full year in power saw total Crown expenses of $33.939 billion. It is now forecast for 2008 to be $57.364 billion. Had spending kept pace with only population and inflation, it should be $45.2 billion. National should be announcing spending cuts of around $12 billion.
What does that mean in tax cuts? Well using the Treasury handy calculations which are admittedly inexact as they don’t take into account the dynamic effect of lower rates generating increasing amount of revenue, this is what you could do:
Implement Dr Cullen’s new thresholds in full immediately ($80k for 39%, $42.5k for 33%, $20k for 21% and the new base rate of 12.5%). That’s $2 billion back in people’s pockets straight away, but that’s hardly enough.
Cut GST to 10%, providing modest relief on fuel and food prices to everyone. Another $1.7 billion
Abolish the 39% envy income tax rate introduced by Labour and cut the 33% rate to 25% along with company tax. A whopping $4.2 billion back to individuals and businesses.
Drop the 21% rate altogether down to the new lower 12.5% rate. Another $3.3 billion.
All up a tax cut of just short of $12 billion. You’d have company tax below
That’s just if National had been prudent and spent no greater than inflation and population growth since 1999.
So do you think National will get that? Or is it addicted to pork as well? Was the government underspending in 1999 so much, or would you rather it spend like it was then and give you back the surplus? Are you getting value for money that means you'd rather pay the tax you spend now, rather than 12.5% on the first $42,500 and 25% on every dollar above (and a little less on goods and services)? Oh and don't mention roads, I haven't even touched fuel tax.
Cullen really is still taxing you more
So after accusing the Nats of wanting to borrow to pay for tax cuts, that’s what Dr Cullen is doing. Going into deficit to give modest tax cuts that STILL mean more tax is collected per person in real terms than was the case than when Labour was elected.
So why? What's the pork? Well the long list is in Dr Cullen's speech here, but here's quite a bit of it:
# Middle class welfare hiked up in the form of Working for Families (looking at National pointing at it to find something to get rid of in exchange for tax cuts). Recycling tax money so thousands of families are grateful they get “given something” from the state that was taken from many of them in the first place. Truly vile stuff.
s’ unions support the Labour party and are hard working people who work equally as brilliantly and nobody knows what a bad teacher is like).
supporting statism . You be the judge as to whether a wide range of views on the budget and the role of the state get broadcast on it.
Winston vote elderly by giving them free off-peak public transport use.
Why voting for Libertarianz can make a difference
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So National will be looking to coalesce with who? Like Labour it will prefer to go to the centre, like NZ First, United Future and, dare I say it, the Maori Party. That's what you face, none of that will scare the electorate at all.
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ACT is proposing 20 changes in policy that are frankly no more radical than the sort of policies that were around in the late 80s, early 90s, IF that. A tax free threshold almost double that of NZ First, dropping the top tax rate (was National policy in 2000). Education vouchers was National policy in 1987 and more market oriented health care from 1990 to 1993 (but got seriously curtailed by lack of courage). ACC competition in 1999. Labour market freedom was 1991. Privatisation was policy from 1987 to 1999. The ONLY Act policy that is a shift beyond that is to shift social welfare to an insurance based model.
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So what happens if ACT gets a sizeable vote, and National needs ACT to stay in power. Well ACT's policies get compromised. You get a smaller tax cut, you probably don't get education vouchers (but get bulk funding), you get ACC competition, but not insurance based welfare. You get RMA reform, but nothing too serious. In other words, you get what is already not that ambitious being less ambitious. Now if ACT pushed the 20 policies I suggested a few days ago instead, then you might get the compromise looking like ACT's CURRENT 20.
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Ah, some may say a more moderate position gives ACT more room to say its policies are reasonable. Well shifting the goalposts to the left means the destination point remains closer to the left too. Rather unambitious for a party putting up the man who pioneered privatisation, proposed flat tax and shifting the entire social sector to insurance based models.
So how about Libertarianz? Ah your first point is "it's a wasted vote". Well let's just see how important your vote is. Don't forget, for all the hype your head is being counted along with a lot of others - it is a tiny influence, National isn't winning a seat just because of you, neither is anyone. What it SHOULD be is an extension of what you want. If you worry about what other people vote then you're making the influence of others important on your own decision.
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Then you might say "well the policies are lunatic or too extreme". That's your judgment, but let's assume you want a lot less government and want some serious tax cuts and reform. Who is more likely to send the signal that there should be? The party calling for abolition of GST, the first $50,000 tax free and a flat tax, or the one calling for $10,000 tax free and getting rid of the 39% rate. The party wanting an end to state welfare, health and education or the one wanting to reform it with insurance or vouchers? The one wanting to cut it to core functions of law and order and defence, or the one wanting to cut it to - the level of Australia?
Imagine if there were 6 MPs who always voted no to more government spending on non-core activities and no to higher taxes and no to more regulation of people's day to day lives. Would you rather them or some National MPs? Even if Libertarianz fail to get 5%, imagine if 2% of the vote was for freedom. Other parties would start wondering why they didn't get the 2-3 seats those votes would entitle them too. ACT would certainly be more bold, and the next election more would notice they could vote for freedom too.
Look at the Greens. They influence government and policy considerably, with a core 5% of the vote on the hard left, and they certainly wield influence beyond that number. Shouldn't they be countered by a party of principle on freedom? ACT has had a chance to show it could be as radical as its founder once was, and as radical as it was in 1994. It doesn't seem to want to do that, although if the polls continue to show little change, it may change tactics closer to the election.
So voting for Libertarianz can make a difference, it wouldn't mean Libertarianz would be in government, and it might not mean it is in Parliament, but it does mean you've voted for individual sovereignty over your life, body and property, and for the state to exist to protect not to initiate force. So many people believe that, many vote for second best, and many more vote for third (?) best.
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As the election campaign rolls on, we will see how all the parties perform and for now, I wont be making a final judgment, as much can happen. It is time to be bold politically and stand up for beliefs and philosophies, not pander to fears and prejudices. Your vote is a very small influence, so it should be one that says what you believe in - and that should be more than simply "I want rid of Helen Clark".
Sky defends itself against state broadcaster's whining
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"a TVNZ submission to the Culture and Heritage Ministry calling for Telecom-like reforms to be imposed on pay-TV was "so incredibly filled with misrepresentation" that Sky intended to file a cross-submission to "jog their memory"."
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He claimed that forcing it out of the market for sports programming saying:
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"All the major sporting codes would go bankrupt if the Government prevented Sky from buying exclusive rights to sporting events"
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Probably not all going bankrupt, but they would lose more players to overseas teams and codes because they would lose a lot of money, then you'd wonder why people might want to watch. You see after all, pay TV is a way for people to see games they may otherwise visit if they lived near the venue (or may prefer to sit in their own homes than go out to a match).
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And to TVNZ's claim of being outbid by a broadcaster that people choose to pay for:
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"Sky had been outbid by TVNZ for television series made by Warner Bros and Disney and had dropped out of the bidding for those made by 20th Century Fox. "We haven't won anything, we keep getting outbid, and then they are complaining they are paying too much for it - I don't know what to do."
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Well indeed. He also points out that TVNZ opposed Sky buying Prime TV because it wanted Prime, a free to air competitor, to fall over. TVNZ naturally will never fall over because it is government owned.
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One of those entities that have enjoyed suckling off the state tit, the Screen Production and Development Association is also concerned about Sky. No doubt because Sky doesn't think it is worthwhile to pay for the overpriced programming that it produces, even though it benefits from state subsidies. That association has long lobbied for the government to force broadcasters to screen local content and lobbied for taxpayers to pay for more programmes they may not wish to watch.
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I'm sure it isn't looking forward to the Labour party led gravytrain becoming a bit less generous under the Labour-lite party. (though to be honest, who knows what National policy is?).
The thing is you don't have to pay for Sky TV, you are forced to pay for some programming on TVNZ and you are the taxpayers underwriting the risk of the business (and its devaluation under Labour in recent years).
Now you're going to subsidise coastal shipping
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It's not much money, $10 million a year over the next three years. Why?
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Coastal shipping has not been subsidised in New Zealand since the 1980s, when the fourth Labour government cut the subsidies to the Stewart Island ferry service (which was operated by the Ministry of Transport) and the Chatham Islands shipping service. Funnily enough both islands still have services of course. Before that the Kirk Labour government propped up the Wellington-Lyttelton overnight ferry run by the then Union Steamship Company with the ferry Rangatira. The subsidies ended by the Muldoon government because of poor patronage and because competing rail and air services were profitable.
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So what's changed? Well for starters, NZ First's Peter Brown is a shipping fanatic, he thinks it is the answer to many of the nation's transport problems. Harry Duynhoven is into it as well. So personal political missions sound like a good reason to make a decision don't they? So hey, why not prop it up. The goal is to double the amount of freight going by coastal shipping, which is because it is more fuel efficient, but here's the rub.
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You see other than the ferries, coastal shipping is about moving containers and trucks. It competes with rail because rail doesn't feed those ships, trucks do. So the government buys one mode on the pretence of the environment and fuel efficiency, while subsidising another on the same basis, but it also insists on running the roads on a non-commercial basis.
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The irony is if the amount of freight on coastal shipping doubles it could be largely at the expense of rail. You can barely wonder at the brilliance of paying over the odds for a business that you then undermine by subsidising its major competitors. Can transport policy get more stupid?
21 May 2008
UK debates abortion and fertility.
UK grants Iranian gay teen asylum
Just say no
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In other words a mega council to extend itself into social policy.
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Care for a 100% rate hike anyone? As a start?
Lunatic left rabidly against private roads
Simple way to cut spending
Green party voodoo economics
Shallow academic gets pay cut
The ex.monopoly moaning about the competition
Libertarianz announce mammoth tax cut
20 May 2008
New blog rankings
A different 20 point pledge card
1. Government waste. Cut all government spending to the lowest of the OECD: These means cutting local government as well as national government, and being bold about waste. A smaller government than New Zealand's competitors is more ambitious than matching Australia, which is bloated by mineral wealth.
2. Cut and flatten tax rates: OK, time to repeat the already announced policies of having the first $10,000 tax free, abolishing the 39% top tax rate AND abolish the 33% tax rate. Drop company tax to 19.5%. That means flat tax at 19.5% for all.
3. Limit local government to core activities: Abolish power of general competence and cap rates, permanently (no inflation indexation). Councils would need to find new ways to raise funds (no new tax powers), and cut spending. Councils would be prohibited from entering into new activities, from subsidising businesses and the arts.
4. Reform the public service: I don't care about limiting Parliament or Cabinet, but let's require all departmental CEOs to give a report within one month of office explaining what would happen if the department was abolished. All must give two options. Those that aren't convincing would be abolished. CEO's of Ministry of Womens' Affairs, Youth Affairs, Families Commission and numerous others would be better resigning and using the time to find a real job.
5. Red tape: Require remaining government departments to report on options to eliminate costs to business, and rely upon contract, tort and private property rights instead of licensing and regulation.
6. Reform the Resource Management Act: Amend the RMA, to make private property rights pre-eminent, and make its primary purpose the extension of private property rights onto rivers, foreshore, seabed, airspace, sight lines, air quality and the like. In other words, create private property rights to enable owners to do as they wish with their OWN environment. Of course it wouldn't look much like the RMA any more.
7. Create a competitive market in education: Yes to education vouchers, extend it to university, but they should only cover half the cost of tuition. Abolish state involvement in early childhood education. Give schools full autonomy on pay and curriculum, make each school into an independent corporate entity.
8. Same in healthcare: Offer insurance model in exchange for tax cut, payment of premiums. Public can opt out of state healthcare and switch insurance providers, or can choose state healthcare which receives budget based on hypothecated tax revenue from those paying for it. Make all government healthcare facilities into businesses again.
9. Reintroduce competition to accident compensation: Competition for employer, motor vehicle and personal accounts. Compulsory cover with review to consider merits of returning right to sue for personal injury by accident.
10. Welfare: Support ACT's announced policy of shifting welfare to unemployment, sickness and invalid insurance, extend to DPB and transfer Kiwisaver to individuals to ultimately replace national superannuation.
11. Immigration: Open door with the following limits. No right to claim welfare or social assistance of any kind. No admission for those convicted of crimes that have NZ equivalents. Must have financial means (or sponsorship) for at least 3 months and airfare to return.
12. Labour reform: Shift employment law to contract law, abolish minimum wage.
13. Privatisation: Sell and give away shares for all SOEs, give away shares in hospitals, schools to the public.
14. Infrastructure: Abolish electricity and telecommunications commissioners. Return Telecom's property rights in its infrastructure, and abolish laws requiring cellphone operators to resell competitors' services. Convert Transit NZ into an SOE and privatise Auckland Harbour Bridge and its approaches, allow road users to contract directly for road use and opt out of fuel tax. Require local authorities to transfer roads into SOE equivalents. Privatisation of water/sewage.
15. Cut the remaining tariffs on imports: Perfect.
16. Free up more land for housing: Abolish urban growth limits, privatise state housing by offering Thatcher style "buy your state house" scheme, use RMA reform to reintroduce private property rights.
17. Strengthen law and order policies: Yes private prisons and get the private sector to do Police work that ISN'T about arrest (e.g. assistance, traffic control) and speed up the courts. However, introduce "points" scheme for crimes. If a criminal gets 100 points, it is permanent detention. Good behaviour inside allows for a 10% discount on sentence and points. Full review of all criminal laws to eliminate victimless crime, legalise medical use of cannabis and review laws on drugs consistent with changes to health and ACC policy (to ensure individuals are accountable for their actions).
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18. Climate change: Declare climate change policy to be abolition of subsidies for activities likely to be contributing to climate change (in fact all activities), and reducing taxes on low emission activities (and all activities). Abolishing transport subsidies and price controls on energy will help too. Quite simply, taking pro-freedom steps that are consistent with trying to reduce the theoretical impact of climate change, but nothing else.
19. Strengthen our constitutional framework: Yes to a Taxpayers' Bill of Rights, but also abolish the Maori seats, include private property rights and right to control one's body in the Bill of Rights, and eliminate references to the Treaty of Waitangi in all legislation.
20. Appoint mentors to families at risk: All very well and good, but to help this along, abolish additional welfare for children born to families or individuals already in welfare. Also deny convicted serious violent or sexual criminals the right to custody or cohabitate with anyone under 16, or the right to welfare. The stick as well as the carrot.
So there you go, it felt rather unambitious not scrapping the RMA, not introducing a libertarian constitution, not fully privatising schools and hospitals or the roads, or legalising drugs, but well this isn't for Libertarianz, it's for ACT. What do you think?
An idea for Dr Cullen
The dangers of collective thinking
Dr Cullen thinks it's inflationary if you spend your money but not him
Advance auction of stolen goods
19 May 2008
Using Koran as target practice
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1. It's a book, those who get upset about it happily ban and burn books themselves.
2. Notwithstanding that, it was not a clever thing to do in a predominantly Muslim country.
3. However, it's telling how upset so many Muslims get about this, but don't get agitated about honour killings, rape victims being executed, sentencing teenagers to death for having consensual sex, or death for adultery. Yes, the priorities of far too many Muslims are - book first, lives second (sorry I mean female lives third).
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Oh and if anyone wonders how i'd feel if a copy of The Fountainhead was used as target practice? Well if it was by a US soldier, I'd say he was an idiot, but it's his right to free speech. If it was the Bible I wouldn't care less, but I suspect many in the US would be calling for his head.
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You see as much as I know how it isn't clever to deliberately insult others for the hell of it, it is more important to realise that nobody has a right to not be offended. I find all the points I listed in "3" above to be infinitely more important than any single book - I'd like to hear from Muslims who agree.
Scoring ACT's 20 point plan
"Who would you trust to manage New Zealand's $175 billion economy in a crisis?
Michael Cullen - who's squandered the best global conditions of a generation to make us poorer than Greece?
Bill English - who did nothing much the last time he was Minister of Finance, and is proudly promising to do nothing much again?
Or Sir Roger Douglas - the Finance Minister who transformed New Zealand from the East Germany of the South Pacific into one of the freest and most respected economies in the world?"
So what are these 20 points? Are they substantial, or are they waffle and would they make a positive difference? Here's my verdict one by one (this will take some time). I'm judging ACT on clarity of policy and contribution to economic or personal liberty. To make it slightly more interesting I'm giving up to 5 points for being bold:
1. Government waste. Cut state spending to Australian levels: I presume this means as a proportion of GDP, but isn't entirely clear. This is clearly positive, modestly ambitious, but only worthy of 2 points, after all Australia is far from free from government waste.
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2. Cut and flatten tax rates: Well yes, but what does this mean? This could be anything from getting rid of the 39% top tax rate to promoting a single flat tax rate. Last election ACT promoted a two tier rate of income tax, in 1999 and 1996 it advocated flat taxes. Make your mind up. Lack of clarity shows lack of commitment to what this means. National may cut tax rates and you flattening is a point further, so only 2 points here. If ACT comes out with a single low income tax rate then it would deserve 4 points.
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3. Limit local government to core activities: Again, lack of clarity. What does this mean? Does it include owning water, rubbish collection services and running roads? Does it include subsidised housing? In principle, it is good, but again lacking clarity means what am I to judge? I'm giving ACT 1 point for this, it could be 3 if it was specific to what are often referred to as "public goods".
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4. Reform the public service: This is described as cutting Parliament to 100 (fine but symbolic really), close departments "we don't need" (like?) and limit Cabinet to 12 members (again symbolic). The first and last proposals do little, and closing departments without naming them is rather odd. I'll give ACT 2 points for this if only because it has promise, but little more.
5. Red tape: Back into the vagueness brigade. Saying things like "Get rid of all nutty regulations" without one example is fuel to fire Labour. The Regulatory Responsibility Bill would be a small step forward, but there already are Regulatory Impact Statements prepared, albeit often ignored and with poor analysis. Only 1 point with this, as it sounds like little more than rhetoric.
6. Reform the Resource Management Act: Again nothing in terms of substance. If I'm optimistic it might mean including private property rights, but Rodney says nothing else useful about it. I'll give him 1 point for reform, but it's woefully inadequate to not say more. He gets four if he RMA makes private property rights paramount (three if dominant).
7. Create a competitive market in education: At last something more substantial, education vouchers. Now this would make a positive difference. The need to tackle education is critical, and this will break the centralised bureaucracy and the unions, I'm giving it 3 points for being a worthwhile step forward.
8. Same in healthcare: Well I'm not sure ACT means health vouchers or being able to buy health insurance with a tax rebate, for that it loses a point for being unclear. However, having competitive delivery and choice in healthcare would be be worthy. 2 points for that assuming it does really mean choice.
9. We'd reintroduce competition to accident compensation: This isn't that vague, although remember competition was only for employer accounts, not motor vehicle cover or personal cover. If it is just employer accounts then it is only 1 point, the Nats are already going to do that. Add motor vehicle and it gets another, and personal accounts adds another two. So more clarity needed there.
10. Welfare. We'd create competitive markets for sickness, invalid and unemployment insurance: Now this appears bold. Presumably this insurance would be compulsory (which knocks a point off), and doesn't mention the DPB (which is rather critical too). However, having people buy insurance rather than pay taxes for welfare is a bold step forward indeed. ACT gets 4 points for this, as it has the potential to be a quantum leap forward in how the public treats welfare and insuring against misfortune, I'll assume not mentioning the DPB is an oversight, as not including that would knock a point off, because it is too important to ignore.
11. Immigration: Uh oh vagueness returns with talk of "welcoming more high quality migrants". There is literally nothing to hang an opinion on here, so I give it 1 point to be kind assuming something positive might be done.
12. Labour reform: Rodney says this means "Allow freedom of contract to make it easier to trial new workers and replace poor performers". Nothing to argue with there, assuming this is further than the former Employment Contract Act then it deserves 4 points.
13. Privatisation: Rodney says "Sell state businesses where private firms can serve customers better". Now limiting it to businesses (not hospitals, schools and roads) easily knocks a couple of points off, but also limiting it to selling AND the condition that "private firms can serve customers better" seems a little odd. It gets 2 points for being less bold than it should be, and because the next policy wouldn't be necessary if it was more bold.
14. Infrastructure: Rodney says "We need to build better networks, like roads, water and electricity", well you could sell electricity and water with little effort, and roads with a bit more. He then says "replace user charges with tolls that reward off-peak use". This means roads of course. Electricity and water can do this easily, now. Roads you could allow this by following the commercialisation/privatisation model you talked about before. It gets 1 point for noting the economic point, but no more for failing to note how this best can be done.
15. Cut the remaining tariffs on imports: Excellent, clear policy, cut appears to mean abolish. 5 points for this, all of New Zealand being a free trade zone is clearly bold.
16. Free up more land for housing: I'd like to know what this means. It could mean getting rid of urban growth limits, it could mean the government selling land. It could mean changing property rights. I don't know, how can I give it a single point, unless it is a combination of all of the above, and four points if private property rights were paramount (I can hope).
17. Strengthen law and order policies: A perennial favourite. This time it means private prisons (a point for that), private sector helping the Police (a point there too, as long as civil liberties are respected), then speed up the courts (Night Court time apparently) and zero tolerance of minor offences all seem rather positive. Of course no talk of reviewing victimless crimes or the war on drugs. I'll give ACT 2 points for this because although it is positive, the truth is it isn't that particularly bold. A bit more commitment to zero tolerance might squeeze a third point out of this policy.
18. Climate change: Now this is very unclear. It appears ACT supports a carbon tax by Rodney saying "A low carbon tax would be a lot more affordable than carbon trading". Then he talks about the US, Australia and British Columbia doing this better, though they all have different policies. There is definitely a minus three from this one. This policy wont add anything positive to the status quo.
19. Strengthen our constitutional framework: This means a Taxpayers' Bill of Rights (a point of that), return to the Privy Council (maybe a point for that at best), and a referendum on MMP (no points for that Rodney, it's neutral). Nothing on private property rights, nothing on getting rid of the Maori seats, nothing about treating the Treaty of Waitangi as historically important but no more. 1 point for the Taxpayers' Bill of Rights. I wont double count the Regulatory Responsibility Bill.
20. Appoint mentors to families at risk: Hmmm one point for this. How about denying convicted criminals welfare? How about withdrawing custody from those convicted of violent or sexual offences? How about dealing to the DPB?
OK, so what does ACT get. It could get 100 for being radically bold and innovative towards pushing freedom and personal responsibility. If it gets 50 I'll say it will have taken the chance to be a major difference from National and staked a claim for reform ala the 80s, early 90s. So now I'll count. 33 points at worst, and if the vagueness I identified came out as positive as is likely it would be 47. Of course to get 47 would mean advocating a single low flat tax, reforming the RMA meaning private property rights were paramount and local government reform made a serious difference.
So I give ACT a D, but showing promise. If it dumps talking about a carbon tax as being positive, advocates flat tax, advocates private property rights, spells out what local government should do explicitly and is bolder on privatisation (such as giving away shares and going beyond the SOEs) it could get a pass. Its brightest points appear to be on welfare and trade, shifting welfare to an insurance model and abolishing tariffs are two rather bold innovative steps. I hope the vagueness is clarified, and a bit more boldness can be squeezed out.
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Of course the Nats should hold their heads in shame. Five of these policies were once Nat policies, now they are not.
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On the other side, Libertarianz have nothing to be concerned about. There is plenty of room for practicable pro freedom policies on all of these areas, and I'll be blogging on what these could be tomorrow. Frankly if it was 1987 or 1991, I'd expect almost all of the ACT policies to be mainstream with either Labour or National - oh how times have changed.
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UPDATE: Lindsay Mitchell describes it as "what real commitment looks like", even though it doesn't explicitly even mention the DPB, which is a passion of hers (and rightfully so).
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Clint Heine provides a handy link to the pledge card (PDF) and is enthusiastic as well saying "The pledgecard is a briliant piece of work, and something EVERYBODY of any political persuasion should look at and debate. I personally think this IS the agenda the right in NZ should be following and I challenge National/United and any other centre right party to come up with anything that will be as successful as this is." Yes , centre right is the term. I could see most of this being National policy on a good day, but I can do better, and it isn't even going as far as Libertarianz.
Time to purge Immigration service
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Clearly the Pacific Division has been dominated by a nepotistic culture that sounds remarkably like the kind of public service culture all too apparent in Pacific Island nations where "who you know" is terribly important. 19 cases of theft, bribery and fraud over three years. It has clearly operated like a third world bureaucracy.
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For once I agree with Idiot Savant "Led by a self-serving fraud, agreeing to lie in unison to prevent proper public oversight, and now taking bribes and kickbacks for favours. And they want even more power to abuse? Screw that - they can't possibly be trusted. The whole department needs a full, independent review to cut out the rot - and once that is done, it needs to be watched like a hawk to make sure it never reappears."
Of course it could help if a qualified open door policy was allowed on immigration, which means allowing anyone in on condition that they are not eligible for taxpayer funded education, housing, healthcare and welfare, not convicted of a criminal (violent, property, fraud) offence, not linked to a terrorist group and have the means to look after themselves for three months (and the means to leave). That would mean confronting the xenophobia of both NZ First and the Maori Party, and the socialist beliefs of those who support the welfare state, but it would help avoid bribes to be allowed in, and only let in those who wont be a claim on the state, or risk committing crimes against the rest of us.