Transtasman Political Letter – 24 May Digest

May 24 2007

Helen Clark reckons it was a “defining” Budget, perhaps the biggest since her Govt came to office...
But opponents, both on the left and right, don’t think it’s so great...
And employers may be tearing their hair out over KiwiSaver in the next few weeks...
Govt thinks it’s sewn up Auckland, delivering rapid rail...
Dairy industry may rescue the NZ economy...
And will coal become king on the West Coast again?

Clark Rates It As Labour’s ‘Defining” Budget

The Clark Govt has nailed its colours to KiwiSaver’s mast. Helen Clark says it is about Labour setting a visionary path for the future.

Contrast In Major Party Philosophies Sharpens

The KiwiSaver project sharpens the contrast in the philosophies Labour and National will take into the election.

Labour Examines Strategies For Electoral Survival

John Key’s virtuoso performance in the House on the Budget debate wowed his backbenchers (and even such left-wing commentators as Chris Trotter), and left some glum faces among his opponents.

Key Points In Treasury Forecasts

Treasury is forecasting corporate tax revenue will decline by 1.5% to June 2008, despite forecast profit growth of 4.7%.
CAPITAL TALK

Rodney Hide likes his new Winston joke so much he shared it with Parliament during the budget debate.

Play Of The Week: The Wheels Are Spinning, But Where’s It Going?

There’re a lot of things driving the moral panic over boy racers and the like and quite a bit of it has very little to do with the scale of the problem.

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