You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “I do not stand for John Key’s defeatist talk”.
You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “I do not stand for John Key’s defeatist talk”.
Thanks Jack, maybe you should aim higher than Mayor…
I reckon I can do more for the country by helping one city. National politics is slow and unresponsive for the most part, IMO.
Although I’m a property owner and consumer who pays GST, I broadly support the suggestions proposed by the Tax Working Group. The current settings are distortionary and work against attracting investment into the creative and technological sectors that you mentioned.
I do agree with you that Mr Key, a former financial trader, is not the right person to conceptualise and drive meaningful growth in the economy. It annoys me that it seems like there is no shortage of funding to get white elephant rugby stadiums and “party central” built in Auckland, whilst financial assistance for technology startup businesses is virtually non-existent.
Regarding Bollard’s comments however, he does have a point. You can’t compare pears with apples and I believe Key is misguided in proposing “catching up with Australia” as a populist call to action. I will publish an article next week explaining why.
Jack I really hope you get the opportunity to play a part in our city’s future. Leveraging our intellectual capital and our natural environmental attributes is the only way forward.
Paul, excellent points The Working Group’s paper does bear more reading and I admit I only glanced over a summary at the time.
I am disappointed by Mr Key. While today’s speech was not meant to be ground-breaking, I also did not expect to be disappointed. However, it means that he wishes to shift the burden of creating a technological and creative city to local government, and it is a task I am happy to take on.
Regarding Dr Bollard, he is right on a broad macroeconomic level and that is why I made one reservation about context. I didn’t watch the entire interview since I was still travelling.
Thank you for your good wishes, Paul. I look forward to your article next week, and to learning more.