86 Comments
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Excuse my lack of articulate language but it seems like Luxon is either unable to comprehend pretty simple data (stupid) or he is just plain lying?

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Luxon I have decided is a very inept politician. If John Key was rolling out this policy he would have realised the way to win over the public is to pass on rent reductions on his own property portfolio. A small financial loss but a big PR gain. Luxon seems to be 'rather' greedy & unwilling to make those sort of personal sacrifices as shown by taking up the Tesla subsidy, accomodation subsidy and now this. No wonder his personal polling is tanking.

And so sad to hear the likes of the Cawthorn institute is having to lay off staff due to cost savings while Whakapapa gets $10 mil when climate change is going to wipe it out in the very near future I despair on what this governments priorities are.

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

So in summary, once again, lies. Two more to add to the list. Either that or someone knows better than the researchers! Would an OAI request pinpoint who is providing him the advice he is relying on, seeing as its not the research that the rest of us have access to?

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

I hope this can get 100 likes as it's a wonderful deep dive! Thank you Bernard. Luxon does indeed seem very entitled (love the recent Sharon Murdoch cartoon about that) and thinks that repeating the same lines over and over will eventually make people believe him.

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

This info needs to be out there!

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Please open up to public just to put the evidence out there about the ‘trickle down ‘ falsehood.

Expand full comment

I also would love to know if Christopher Luxon will be cutting the rent for his tenants, or is it his inborn and absolute right to charge what he thinks he can get away with.

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

The defence of the policy is not aligned with observed reality, but does the PM believe it or does it primarily serve as a set of “alternative facts” to support an alternative, friendlier narrative to justify the policy?

I have an uneasy sense that this is not mere a bad-faith policy argument but one of those imperious speech acts intended to establish a new discursive reality, untethered to inconvenient facts and figures.

Expand full comment

So, who is going to call out Luxon and his puppeteers? Where is the opposition from the Opposition? This is going to be a very long 3 years. Thank goodness it's not four!!

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Thank you for your analysis Bernard. The striking resemblance of the coalition claim to the trickle down theory, another erroneous assumption destined to exacerbate the rich/poor divide, was the initial prime factor in my doubting it. Just hoping the Labour caucus gets some dedicated talent involved and becomes a real opposition party, and makes your currently vital role here as such a watchdog redundant. There is a vacuum of decency, rational policy making etc to be filled right now.

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Bloody facts getting in the way of a great story. Damn it!

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

If that is the opinion of Treasury where did the rental tax deductability policy come from?

Expand full comment

why the oposition is not using your work/mails/podcast to drill the goverment against the wall with questions is beyond me! (Btw... when was the last time we had a general stike in NZ? may be that time is coming again...)

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

Please open up to public

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

And the way ‘supply’ is managed. But first define ‘the system’?

Expand full comment
Mar 13Liked by Bernard Hickey

If the PM has “received advice” on this matter, how easy it to see this advice?

Expand full comment