NZ Centre for Political Research

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe the 2012 Budget is going in the right direction or the wrong direction?

*Yes, but .... not nearly fast enough to reduce government spending. The level of bureaucracy needs to be reduced drastically & red tape cut. The level of interference in citizens lives is too great & personal responsibility encouraged. It is good to see that the government has taken on -albeit hamfistedly - the "educational establishment".The manipulative power of the education unions needs to be broken for the sake of our children & future generations. Dave

*1. Better than any other direction.
2. However, just like Greece did in the year 2000 NZ is going to sell its assets for short term political gain?
3. The deficit could be as high as $16 - %18 Billion without asset sales - so what has changed?
4. No NEW ezpenditure but huge amounts of old style expenditure without addressing policy to create a return to production based recovery.
5. See "The 2012 NZ Budget: What Similarites to Greece?" Article in the FORUM Section.
Frederick

*They haven't fixed problem. That is most of the population are getting handouts from the taxpayer. One economist estimaterd that as few as 13% of taxpayers were not getting some form of taxpayer funding. how long can that last. Sam

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe the 2012 Budget is going in the right direction or the wrong direction?

*I ask "what is the govt doing that is going to benefit me?" Well, with the ever rising prices and stagnant wages being allowed to continue, we are sure on track to catch up to Australia... NOT. Until that changes I will not be happy with the course we are on. Also the ever increasing amounts of money that are being given to our darker minority is sickening. Who in their mind would put in place a method for a selected race to claim wealth from what belongs to all New Zealanders, and then also provide the funds to put it all into place. All this without mandate and behind closed doors. So we don't know what dirty dealings are going on in secret. I believe that policies and actions should be "in the interest of the country", not to promote political power and greed. Neil

*But how can this country carry on paying out those outrageous sums you quote in the Vote Treaty Negotiations? No wonder we are broke. How much longer do we have to tolerate these greedy bastards milking us hardworking Hard pressed taxpayers? As for the budget it was timid, just more trimming round the edges. Student free money, working for families and Treaty of Waitangi lies should be absolutely cut off. Vote Conservatives to see some real action, not this lot of self serving wimps who will appease anyone to get support. They have had their chance and have blown it. I am angry. Going to Oz tomorrow. Carolyn

*Not going far enough as far as outrageous claims from Maori. Peter

*Increasing the cost of cigarettes is a start but it should also have included alcohol, the great destroyer of innocent lives both on the roads and in the home. Mary

*Last one out turn the lights off. It's time to leave Aussie here we come. Steve

*Alcohol which does a lot more harm than smoking is not mentioned in the budget. The Maori Party which only got a few percent of the vote at the last election holds too much power. Truus

*Just enough so the rating agencies don't downgrade NZ again but basically the same visionless, socialistic swill we've to expect from uninspirational, courage-lacking John Key. Monica

*But by a very slow and torturous path. Interest and inflation will almost match growth, indeed if it does not exceed it, so effectively there will be no improvement. Grahame

*It is negative and a retrenching budget, without admiting to it. You will see the results with a collaspse of our economy later this year. Rawiri

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe the 2012 Budget is going in the right direction or the wrong direction?

*The right direction but far too slow. Bernie

*There are so many things that could be done. As you say reduce taxes, Give tax holidays to green field start ups. Fix the RMA. Have the green movement realise that mining and oil search are for thr benefit of 99% of New Zealanders not the 1% rat bags. John

*They stil have NOT addressed the key areas of Welfare hand outs, nor Maori gravy trains. Maurice

*…but just barely! John Key's agenda is geared for John Key, not the progress of the country. Rob

*They should resign. David

*Cut TAX to encourage growth. Jim

*Barely in the right direction. But its all just smoke and mirrors, as National is just as much a lap-dog of the globalists as is Labour. Or the Greens. Or the Maori Party. For REAL, meaningful reform, we'd need some actual leaders in the beehive who weren't career "politicians", who were capable and willing to make very hard choices, and who were able and willing to give the UN and their globalist masters the middle finger... Peter

*The govt's moving in the right direction but soooo slowly! I'm disappointed in John Keys gutless approach. Does it all come back to how many votes the party will win/lose? Sad! Ali

*One needs to stimulate spending to make growth but not one Government has seen the light, they sting the people's pockets so one has to save for the continual increases in commodities. We are paying more than our share in Fuel, electricity, Insurances, Rates,etc with NO "That's enough" from those in high places also with the continual FREE TRADE our own businesses are suffering and we are being forced to buy rubbish from Overseas that they cannot expect their own to buy.
The Super needs to go up to 67 years pronto regardless of John Keys pre election promise after all has he bothered to be trusted over many other recommendations wont even take notice of Referendums.
A P,M, that cannot be trusted yet there is no other Party as yet that has any proven record. I have lost all faith or trust in the National Party and certainly did not vote for them last time and will not again even though was always a National Voter. MARYLIN

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe the 2012 Budget is going in the right direction or the wrong direction?

*It contains no bribery and corruption to attract votes. I remember Arnold Nordmeyer's "Black Budget" in 1958. Labour should remember it too when they complain about this "steady as she goes" example. Jim

*There is more that it could have done. To start with, cutting out the treaty/foreshore bribes could have saved millions which could have gone into productive spending on health and education. In addition, if the DBP were cut off from unpartnered women having babies, much more could be saved. If these women were partnered, the partner would support the child. In essence, the DPB should only be for custodial parents who are divorced where the other partner is not contributing (enough) to support the child, and where one parent passes away. Anthony

*If Don had not got into the drug reform debate he may well have been in a position to influence what is happening although anything done now will be immediately reversed when the looney left get their next shot, one can only hope that does not happen until the money trees are fruiting again and we can afford their dreamworld ideas. John

*It's going in the right direction but far too slowly. Tony

*The Ministers of the Key Government do not have practical business experience gained by working in the industrial work place. Consequently all of those business sectors that make money by selling exports are not getting the help that would enable them to increase their profits brought back to New Zealand. Likewise the small/medium business sector who provide back-up to the larger exporters are not getting help to recruit new staff from among the large numbers of unemployed members of the public. These businesses need a budget that makes huge cuts in the Government control and paperwork so that we can all enjoy the rewards that production sold to an overseas customer makes for NZ. Ernest

*Still too soft at the expense of keeping votes and pandering to the whole Maori fiasco. We simply, just cant afford it. Roy

*Our parliament seems to be comprised of mental midgets. They have lost all reality with the low income majority. Malcolm

*The crown owns to many TV and radio stations,and should stop subsidising Maori TV and radio. Stop financing claims against the crown, Amalgamate the power supply companies, redusce the baords the same with the line companies, they are public utilities, stop penalizing and humiliating students, offer export and production incentives. Bill

*Timid steps, hesitating at what direction would, firstly, improve the chances of re-election.
When will people realise that we have hamstrung politicians with one of the most impotent electoral system on this planet.
There will be no right decisions made politically due to any Government taking dire measures to correct the economy being voted out of voted out of office.
The Trojan Horse is no longer at our gates but within the walls. Why bother about Greece when a similar fate awaits us here and now.
Abe Lincoln summed up this situation correctly when he said about "lobbyists".
"Too many piglets for the teats". Brian

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe the 2012 Budget is going in the right direction or the wrong direction?

*National have been gutless. They should have taken the hard decisions back in 2008 to cut excessive spending. If they had done that then, the country would be in far better shape. Jim

*All these protesters who are getting in the news over the harsh budget need their heads read. This budget is as soft as butter. National should harden up and get spending down to affordable levels. Michael

*I think it is a pretty fair budget - if the government does what they promise they will do. They are certainly way better than the opposition. Maureen

*Compared to the situation in other parts of the world, NZ isn't doing too badly. I do like the idea of cutting company tax to 15% - what a boost that would give the country and it doesn't even sound like it will cost too much. Peter

*The budget should have done more to cut spending but it is going in the right direction. Like Don Brash says, they need to get stuck in and make the changes needed so the country can really start to grow. Ken