Do and be active. Don’t just paper shuffle – is the message from New Zealand with a government’s intended budget cuts program.
A quick overview of New Zealand’s latest political wranglings reveal where the current government intends to cut spending.
Bill English, Finance Minister’s budget aims to cut public services spending. Mr English in observing his political rhetoric the last two years is always the dude saying “high quality” and “top quality.” Today though he’s done an about face and is saying the words “lower value”. Too funny. In particular, he says “lower-value activities the government is currently funding” will be cut.
Labour leader Phil Goff, leader of the opposition party said the Government was preparing the electorate for cuts. A government program (waved like a promise once) titled Working for Families would have a new criteria to be funded. It is now being limited to people on incomes less than $100,000.
“They can only make significant savings if they cut into the incomes of families where each (parent) would be on average be earning less than the average wage, currently around $50,000. That means hammering people on middle incomes with at least a couple of children to support and high mortgage or rental payments.”
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Agreeable change based in new directions New Zealand is heading or not?
Also being spooked (slightly) in this budget are these sectors Read the rest of this entry »
