Tuesday 17 February 2009

Socialism for the rich

Gotta love this NACTional government. On the one hand, they'll 'trim' (chainsaw style) 'around' 10% off ministerial and department budgets.

(A spokesperson for Bill English denied there is a set target for reductions (2), but ACT's Heather Roy, who put the figure out there, only said the goal was "around 10 percent" (3) - join the dots here, people!)

Meanwhile, as soon as an 'iconic' company gets into trouble, John Key 's first impulse is to rally to its aid (4).

So business - BIG BUSINESS - will get help. Meanwhile the government departments - the people we charge with looking after stuff on our behave - is to be eviserated. It seems there will always be plenty of money available to bail out big business - never mind that they are menat to make their own - but that will be found by gutting the offices of state that we depend on to tend to the commonweal. Because business - as F&P, an iconic' demonstrated (5) - owe no loyalty to us.

I think it is equally clear where NACTional's loyalties lie.
1 - "Govt looks to slice 10pc from spending: ACT," unattributed NZPA atricle, reproduced on stuff.co.nz, 16th of February, 2009. (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4849631a6160.html)
2 -
ibid.
3 - ibid.
4 - "Key to look at bailout for F&P," by Tracey Watkins and Jim Kay, published in The Dominion Post, 17th of February, 2009. Reproduced on stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4849731a11.html)
5 - "Fisher & Paykel Factory Relocation to Thailand
," press release issued by Fisher & Paykel, 27th of April, 2007. Reproduced on scoop.co.nz. (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0704/S00396.htm)

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