Winston Peters is proving to be the fly in Labour’s ointment yet again. Labour has until now had National – and John Key in particular – squirming over the superannuation age. It looked like Labour was leading a debate that would, inevitably, end up on their side. After all, Labour’s new and defining policy of reducing entitlements by raising the age of entitlement to the pension has been echoed by a chorus of commentators and lobbyists. And even the Greens have appeared to be onside for the reduction. But Peters is now, with some success, positioning himself in the box seat to be the defender of superannuation against attacks, and even looking to increase it – see: Peters: make super more generous. Peters says that he will not allow Labour to govern if that party will implement its big changes to National Superannuation. [Read more below]
It creates quite a problem for Labour which, in all probability, will need NZ First to govern, but clearly will not be able to deliver their increase in the age with him. As Adam Bennett points out, there is some wiggle room if Labour puts off the increase until after the next term, but such delaying tactics is exactly what Labour has been attacking John Key over – see: Pension and Peters a tricky issue.
National, while acknowledging the problems it has had with Peters, is clearly signalling they will be looking to NZ First after the next election – see Newswire’s Key not ruling out deal with NZ First. On TVNZ’s Q+A panel Matthew Hooton made the point that, with the likely reduction in the MMP party vote threshold to 4%, a National/Conservative/NZFirst coalition is a realistic proposition, particularly considering the problems Peters would have as the ‘third wheel on a Labour-Green Government’ – see the transcript of the Panel discusses Peter Neilson interview.
The complex nature of Winston Peters’ politics is examined in a good article by Anthony Hubbard which examines his underlying values: ‘Sometimes he appeals to liberal values of fairness and harm reduction. He argues for increasing the minimum wage, for instance, because it would reduce the suffering of the poor and lead to greater economic justice. But sometimes he appeals to other values. His attack on immigrants is based on nationalism and group loyalty. His attack on Maori militants and the bro-ocracy is based on some sense of racial community and solidarity, to put it politely. His critics would call it something much less respectable’ – see: Winston's one-man band.
And Peters displayed that duality almost in the same breath over the weekend. He attacked the Financial Services Council (FSC) which has been stoking the debate in the past week – see: Tithing proposed to fund pensions. The FSC has, according to Peters, a huge vested interest in ‘the start of privatisation of national superannuation….If any government listens to the council it will be the start of the end of a universal state pension scheme and the introduction of a means tested pittance’ – see: NZ Super concerns 'manufactured for the media' – Peters. Opposing greater private provision of pensions will strike a chord for many voters, particularly those with old and new scars from sharemarket collapses and finance company failures. As Matt McCarten pointed out on Q+A, discussing the FSC’s proposal for a private compulsory savings scheme: ‘Super is already compulsory. It's called taxation. That's actually what pays’.
Only a few breaths later though and Peters creates a New Zealand First ‘Perfect Storm’ by claiming that elderly immigrants are to partially to blame for the growing superannuation burden. His evidence, from ‘a very senior Chinese source’ is almost laughably mysterious and shonky but went down well with the party members and no doubt will suit other voters looking for an easy target to point the finger at – see: No tax paid, but '22,000 migrants can get Super'.
Labour will be pleased to be receiving support for retirement changes in other items today. For example, the Listener editorial urges a solution before we face the same probklems they do in Europe – see: Kicking the can down the road, Paul Thomas paints a scenario where medical science means that younger generations might live, not to 100 but 1000 years – see: Longer lives make super a serious problem, and the Herald editorial has a poke at selfish baby-boomers but suffers a logic failure by suggesting that raising the age of eligibility after most of the boomers have retired would somehow resolve the unfairness – see: Super a bill our kids can't pay.
Other important or interesting political items today include:
- Membership of the National Party has been decimated – dropping from about 250,000 in the 1960s to 28,000 in 2012. Yet National is still the biggest New Zealand political party by far. The latest figures are apparently what National’s general manager, Greg Hamilton, is telling members – as reported by Cameron Slater in his blog post, How many National Party members will still be alive in 2022?. Slater suggests that this relatively healthy figure disguises the fact that National is headed for a ‘massive membership collapse’ due to the fact that ‘that there are more members over 80 than under 30, and that the median age is somewhere close to 70’.
- The Ports of Auckland workers appear to have won their industrial battle, but it’s not yet officially confirmed – see: Cherie Howie’s 'Secret' breakthrough at port. As Matt McCarten points out, workers have therefore recently won four significant industrial victories – see: At last, some victories for the bosses' victims.
- Progress with the rebuild in Christchurch is dealt with in a number of useful items today. Two items deal with some changes of heart within government organisations – see the Press editorial, Zoning review is the right decision and Olivia Carville’s Govt to look at Chch housing problem. And two other items look at the bigger picture: David Killick argues for a master plan for Canterbury in Think bigger, clearer for Canterbury's future, and John McCrone has an in depth feature weighing up whether Gerry Brownlee is ‘ruining the Christchurch rebuild’ or producing ‘a textbook recovery… that will amaze the world’ – see: Minister intent on rebuild path.
- Tim Watkin casts doubt on the compromises Tony Ryall admits the government will make to push through their privatisation policy – see: The asset sales "trade-off" – a lose-lose.
- ACC’s hard hearted approach to its clients is examined by Danya Levy – see: ACC 'cold blooded' to victims, and Tapu Misa – see: Money blinds ACC to principles. Meanwhile Dave Armstrong looks at the background and experience of those making the important decisions – see: Is politics becoming too corporate?.
- John Armstrong thinks the Government will soon have to admit it has a serious case of ‘second term-itus’ – see: Key gets edgy as the blunder-bus rolls on, while Steve Braunias reveals the Prime Minister’s innermost thoughts after his recent OE - see: The secret diary of John Key.
- ‘White flight’ is a reality in our schools apparently. Principles are blaming the decile ratings which they say parents incorrectly interpret as indicating how well a school teaches – see: Pakeha families avoiding low decile schools, figures show. Could this actually just be class and racial prejudice in action?
- The strange loophole that allows Christian propaganda to be taught in state schools is causing divisions amongst parents reports Marika Hill, particularly as more aggressive brands find the way into the classroom – see: Religious lessons divide parents.
- The Trans Pacific Partnership can only work if the US actually sticks to what they have previously agreed to argues Matthew Hooton – see: NZ must stay staunch on TPP.
- Forest and Bird conference attendees may have been surprised to find themselves listening to an attack on the Green Party – see: Gareth Morgan takes a swipe at Green Party. Morgan was arguing that been seen as ‘lefties’ or ‘extremists’ actually makes it harder to protect the environment and that conservationists need to have the courage to ‘disown’ activist groups.
- Finally, Labour MP Clare Curran is on a mission to prove that John Key is less popular in cyberspace than is assumed. A recent NBR article about politicians on Twitter by Chris Keall showed that John Key is top of the twits on 50K. Curran has responded with a blogpost, John Key’s “ghost” followers, leading to numerous blogosphere rebuttals and disagreements, including Scott Yorke’s Oh Look, Another Post About Red Alert and Danyl Mclauchlan’s Logical disjunction watch.
Retirement and NZ First
Danya Levy (Stuff): Peters rides in on double bandwagon
Adam Bennett (Herald) Adam Bennett: Pension and Peters a tricky issue
Adam Bennett (Herald): NZ Super concerns 'manufactured for the media' – Peters
Adam Bennett (Herald): No tax paid, but '22,000 migrants can get Super'
Danya Levy (Stuff): Winston Peters attacks immigration policy
TVNZ: Peters blames older immigrants for threat to super
Anthony Hubbard (SST): Winston's one-man band
Danya Levy (Stuff): Peters rules out kingmaker role
Newswire: Key not ruling out deal with NZ First
TV3: NZ First want more members
Danya Levy (Stuff): Peters fires back at PM about pension
Danya Levy (Stuff): Key challenges Peters over pension age
Adam Bennett (Herald): Peters challenged over 'bottom line'
Adam Bennett (Herald): NZ First's bottom line for super: 65
TVNZ: Q+A: Transcript interview with Winston Peters
TVNZ: Q+A: Panel discusses Winston Peters interview
TVNZ: Q+A: Transcript of Peter Neilson interview
TVNZ: Q+A: Panel discusses Peter Neilson interview
NBR: Peters: make super more generous
Adam Bennett (Herald): Winston holds fast to 65
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): NZ First calls for flexibility on super
Herald on Sunday: Editorial - Super a bill our kids can't pay
Listener: Editorial: Kicking the can down the road
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Our Super-sized headache
Danya Levy (Stuff): Bigger chunk of KiwiSaver 'to save Super'
TVNZ: Tithing proposed to fund pensions
Brian Fallow (Herald): Super plan backs later retirement
RNZ: Flexi-Super proposal gathering support, says Dunne
Paul Thomas (Herald): Longer lives make super a serious problem
Mary Holm (Stuff): Act now to get your free money
Asset sales
Tim Watkin (Pundit): The asset sales "trade-off" - a lose-lose
TVNZ: Q+A: Transcript interview with Tony Ryall
TVNZ: Q+A: Panel discusses Tony Ryall interview
Waikato Times: Editorial - Big difference on key issues
NBR: Govt won't sell assets if it can't get a good price – Ryall
NBR: Worse polls to come for National – Key
Mike Smith (Standard): Know when to walk away
Chris Ford: Just say no to asset sales!
National and John Key
John Armstrong (Herald): Key gets edgy as the blunder-bus rolls on
Steve Braunias (Taranaki Daily News): The secret diary of . . . John Key
John Key on The Nation - full transcript
Economy
Peter Lyons (ODT): Austerity no antidote if rest of economy falls ill
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Cheer up and break free of grumpy growth
Jared Savage (Herald): Super-rich tax probes net $500m
Tony Clemson (Dom Post): New Zealand too slow on green growth
Christchurch
Olivia Carville (Stuff): Govt to look at Chch housing problem
John McCrone (Press): Minister intent on rebuild path
Press: Editorial: Zoning review is the right decision
David Killick (Press): Think bigger, clearer for Canterbury's future
ACC
Danya Levy (Stuff): ACC 'cold blooded' to victims
Tapu Misa (Herald): Money blinds ACC to principles
Rob Hosking (NBR): Don't give me culture
Dave Armstrong (Dom Post): Is politics becoming too corporate?
TPPA
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Perspectives On The TPPA
Matthew Hooton (NBR): NZ must stay staunch on TPP
Parties
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil); How many National Party members will still be alive in 2022?
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National selection FAQ, ctd
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National selection FAQ, ctd
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National selection FAQ, ctd
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National selection FAQ, ctd
TVNZ: Gareth Morgan takes a swipe at Green Party
Matt Stewart (Stuff): 'Green extreme' should be replaced, says Morgan
RNZ: Labour members support being able to vote for leader
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): The NZ Labour Party: Leader and Policy.
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Oh Look, Another Post About Red Alert
Clare Curran (Red Alert); John Key’s “ghost” followers
Clare Curran (Red Alert): John Key’s “ghost followers” Part 2
Education
RNZ: Pakeha families avoiding low decile schools, figures show
Hana Garrett-Walker (Herald): Claim of 'white flight' from low decile schools
Jane Clifton (Herald): Educating Hekia
RNZ: New Maori educational body to go further than predecessor
Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Teacher Development and Smaller Class Sizes: We Can Have Both
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): The Decile Question
Rodney Hide (Herald): Racial quotas let down med school talent pool
Charles Anderson (Stuff): Te reo leads the way
Damien Grant (Herald): Lesson delivered here at home
Marika Hill (Stuff): Religious lessons divide parents
Other
Danya Levy (Stuff): Deal on cards between Maori, Chinese Crafar farm buyers
Dom Post: Editorial: People smugglers heading this way
Rodney Hide (NBR): Modern society is not a happy, tight band of hunter gatherers
Stuff: Public input wanted on constitution
RNZ: Indonesia special forces officer's NZ training shocks rights group
Danya Levy (Stuff): TVNZ7 backers enlist Chen
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Fighting for what?
Imogen Neale (Stuff): It's time to tell the truth about your job
Matt McCarten (Herald): At last, some victories for the bosses' victims
Cherie Howie (Herald): 'Secret' breakthrough at port
ODT: Editorial - The new wizards of Oz
John Roughan (Herald): Men no substitute for a mum
Kirsty Wynn (Herald): Insurance hikes set to hit owners of old buildings
Toby Manhire (Listener): New Zealand ranked second most peaceful nation in global survey
Stuff: Today in politics: Monday, June 18
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