Jorde @JordanMcCluskey
Wait, if a baby is produced because of the #KiwiBreed policy, does the state own it?
Keith Ng @keith_ng
Making it universal would've cost an extra $10m/yr. Or they could've targeted bottom 50% and saved $90m/yr
Keith Ng @keith_ng
Still. Choosing to a) have a payment threshold and b) to set that at $150k smells pretty cynical to me.
Steve @jamsteeve
Ok so far: Nats: teach the kids Labour: raise the kids Greens: watch the kids Mana: feed the kids Conservatives: beat the kids Act: profit!
Reed Fleming @reedfleming
So, of all the State of the Nation speeches, I think Labour did best. The “best start” to the election year, one might say.
Lamia @LI_politico
Exactly how many backbench MPs have HOUSEHOLD income of less thatn $150k? How many families suffering? Duncan Garner has finally lost it.
Lew @LewSOS
Don't worry guys, MPs won't qualify for the Best Start bonus. By the time it comes in their incomes will have been boosted way beyond $150k
Rachel Stewart @RFStew
Reckon if subsidies need to be paid maybe Govt. should pay people for NOT breeding. You know, for the planet an' all. It's not that radical.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
The policy isn't an incentive to have more kids - and what an odious way to talk about kids - it's an incentive for voters to turn out.
Jorde @JordanMcCluskey
The Irony of Cunliffe's announcement today is that a baby bonus was the policy of every ones favourite Aussie Tory, John Howard.
Henry Cooke @henrycooke
it costs around $14,000 a year to raise a child, ($270 a week), so no, I don't think people will be breeding for the cash #stateofthenation
Jesse James @JJ_NZ89
You're an intelligent person. Stop and think for a second. Would someone really have a kid just for $60 a week? Is no one having kids now?
Lloyd Burr @LloydBurr
So Labour's abolishing the Parental Tax Credit + the $60 per week aint available during paid parental leave....
Duncan Garner @Garner_Live
Backbench MPs qualify for the baby bonus... wow... have we struck oil?
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
Wake me up when the 'Taxpayer's Union' douse themselves with petrol outside Kelston Girls
Dave @caffeine_addict
So we've gotthe spend part of Cunliffes policy - what about the bit that increases taxes or borrowing. that was missed. Wonder why?
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
Wondering if the cost of administering $150K threshold will be more than ~$9 million it would save...
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Though as far as populist policy goes, I think DC just shat all over JK. Watch the commentators decry the welfarism of one but not the other
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Transfer payments, transfer payments and more transfer payments. I think I once said DC was a break from Clark. How fucking wrong was I.
> Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
I agree with the objective, but is that the best that can be done to achieve it? I really, really doubt it.
David Farrar @dpfdpf
Isn't it great that so many lawyers will now be able to afford to have a child as they struggle on $145,000 a year.
BK Drinkwater @BKDrinkwater
Heterosexual couples to be disproportionately advantaged by policy proposed today. #whatafuckingsurprise
Katie Bradford @katieabradford
And the reaction to Cunliffe's speech coming in thick and fast. Greens say "yay", @TaxpayersUnion say "nay".
Lew @LewSOS
But there's no denying that $150k is a goddamn stupid cutoff point intended only to minimise #fiscalFOMO.
Felix Marwick @felixmarwick
I think I can foresee political debate over paying $60 a week to new parents on a combined income of under $150K #justaguess
David Farrar @dpfdpf
So this policy will pay $60 a week to any Labour MP (except Ldrs, Whips) who has a baby. That's really targeting to those most in need.
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
Language police: "universal for all families earning under $X" isn't.
Lew @LewSOS
The best bit of election year will be all the people who are really smug about not having kids being outraged at how hard they've got it.
Toby Manhire @toby_etc
TVNZ livestream mostly showing @VernonSmall rocking side to side, but off camera, @patrickgowernz making joke about livestreamgate. Meta.
Reed Fleming @reedfleming
Looking forward to seeing Treasury predicting a population boom in 2016.
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
What detail there was, was underwhelming. What detail there wasn't (improve education! Quality public health! Better jobs! Higher wages!)...
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
...wasn't remotely linked to how the party plans to achieve these things (ie with what revenue, by mobilising what political capital).
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
And by the way, if you surprised at how quickly David Cunliffe became David Shearer, you really don't understand politics.
Joshua Hitchcock @jcphitchcock
Telling the g/f no babies until 2016 now.
Felix Marwick @felixmarwick
Labour's costs for its new policies - $2.54 billion over 6 years. $147 million in the first year rising to $528 million in year 4
Cate Owen @CateOwen
Why can't Labour pay me $60 for not contributing to overpopulation and carbon and all that.
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
TV3 livestream picks up sound of Labour urinating on Key's policy launch
Dave Armstrong @malosilimanow
Can't work because beneficiary couple next door having noisy sex since hearing about Cunliffe's baby bonus #welfaremyth
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
TV3 livestream picks up sound of Labour urinating on Key's policy launch
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
So, that's it for Cunliffe. Woeful timing for the speech if he was going to under-promise and over-waffle both Key and Turei.
Jack McDonald @tautokai
Good policies and good values but the speech was pretty mediocre to be honest.
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
If they had to change to a larger venue...and this is "larger", how fucking small was the first one?!
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
Predicted sewer toxic spin-line: paying the poor to have kids
Jack McDonald @tautokai
"If you know what I mean" what's with that??
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
Oh, good, he wants to increase the 20 hours a week free ECE that made education for under 3s super-expensive to 25 hours.
> Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
@gtiso Looking at the costs, he could easily make it 30, or even 40
Dave Armstrong @malosilima
Nestle execs in deep shock as they thought Cunliffe said BreastStart.
Keeping Stock @Inventory2
So backbench MP's whose partners don't work are now officially welfare recipients; is that right?
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
No information on targeting of payments to parents of 2 and 3 year olds
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Not-quite-universal child payment gets huge roar of approval. Stamping feet, cheering, hootin-and-hollerin. #labstateofthenation
Rāwinia Thompson @rawiniathompson
Surprised the Best Start policy wasn't called KiwiStart.
Andrew Chen @bobsalive
"What an audience, you haven't even heard what's in it yet" except everyone who has a smartphone who already saw the press release. #nzpol
Jack McDonald @tautokai
Prompting applause is a really bad look.
Toby Manhire @toby_etc
Who is this Maya Ponent? She sounds horrid. #cunliffespeech
Peter Dunne @PeterDunneMP
Labour's paid parental leave & free entenatal care policies good - but the Baby Bonus reeks of Rowling '75 - didn't work then
Deon Swiggs™ @Swiggs
The ladder of opportunity #Labour2014 - i like that
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
According to twitter, @DavidCunliffeMP's "my opponent" riff is either genius or lame-ass. I'll let you guess at the affiliations #leduh
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
Sensing that Cunliffe is losing the sensible, centrist NBR-Fran O'Sullivan-DPF vote here
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Capital gains tax gets the biggest cheer so far. #labstateofthenation
Kim Grade @KimChisnall
Who @nzlabour is really going for the breeders..as a mother currently working on a public holiday I like that!
Toby Manhire @toby_etc
Labour's new package for parents of newborns to be called BestStart, presumably because KiwiStart already taken (by KiwiSaver provider)
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
If elected @DavidCunliffeMP promises to impregnate every woman in New Zealand. #mytake
Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz
The fact that Cunliffe has to prompt the audiance for his zing lines isn't encouraging
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
Wonders "what has happened to our country"? This is clearly not the David Cunliffe who was a minister of the crown. Someone buy him a book.
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
Cunliffe recognises wife!
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
A dig about SkyCity! I'm so looking forward to the rousing finale where he shoots Phil Goff out of a cannon.
Lew @LewSOS
"My opponent" instead of "John Key
Jack McDonald @tautokai
"Unopened envelopes on kitchen tables." - similar to Obama's rhetoric in 2008.
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
Cunliffe comes to your house, notices the envelopes you didn't open.
Clint Smith @ClintVSmith
Tell you what, David Cunliffe can deliver a speech: real passion, tempo changes 4 mood, engages w crowd. Beats Key's lisping robot delivery
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
Fair cop to the man, he can orate.
James Meager @JamesMeager
First round goes to @ONENewsNZ live stream over @3Politics. Both audio and video are superior, well done, you get my viewing today.
RadioLIVE Newsroom @LIVENewsDesk
By 2018, Labour's new 'Best Start' policies would cost more than half a billion dollars
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
Later today, Lorde's acceptance speech: "I'm glad to be sharing the spotlight with David Cunliffe."
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
Cunliffe continues the lefty tradition of telling us we're all losers.
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Labour policy on not-quite-universal child payment good - but predict lots of sniping at how high the threshold is #labstateofthenation
Kerry Thomas @Kerry_Thomas
What I'd really like to do is pay for other people's babies.
Rob Hosking @robhosking
It's a re-run of Bill Rowling's 'Baby Bonus'.
rebeccawright @rebeccawright
Battle of the babies. Labour will extend Paid parental leave to 26 weeks. Pay young families $60pw for baby's first year & increase free ECE
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
Cunliffe says hallo in several languages, but not in Italian. I hate him now.
RadioLIVE Newsroom @LIVENewsDesk
Labour's $60/week policy will continue until the child is 3 for low and middle income families.
RadioLIVE Newsroom @LIVENewsDesk
Labour's weekly $60 newborn payment will cost $230m in its first full year. Will be rolled out on April 2016, if elected.
Katie Bradford @katieabradford
Predictions on @DavidCunliffeMP making a Lorde-related joke early in speech?
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
This whole election hinges on Cunliffe's upcoming opening joke
Jordan Williams @JordNZ
Today is make or break for Cunliffe
Giovanni Tiso @gtiso
If you lined up all the people who have been introduced as "the next prime minister/president of" and never became it, you would reach Mars.
Tova O'Brien @TovaOBrien
David Cunliffe really taking his time getting to the stage. Clearly likes the sound of standing ovations
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
And @DavidCunliffeMP walks in to Nesian Mystik. Standing ovation. Except for @citizenbomber and Chris Trotter. lol.
Katie Bradford @katieabradford
Is this a sign that @jacindaardern will stand in the new Kelston electorate? Opening act for David Cunliffe in Kelston.
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
So @jacindaardern takes the stage. someone wolf whistles. STAY CLASSY. #labstateofthenation
> Rob Hosking @robhosking
@mizjwilliams @jacindaardern This is a Labour audience. It was probably one of the woman.
Rebecca Thomson @rj_thomson
Cunliffe and Lorde vying for dominance in my Twitter feed. Who's going to win?
hamish mcneilly @southernscoop
Will Cunliffe use auto tune?
The Ruminator @RuminatorNZ
Does anyone have any insider knowledge as to what @DavidCunliffeMP will be wearing today? #REDcarpettweets
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
Me and @FrancesCook wondering where Bomber is sitting in the audience. Frances: "he'll be on the far left". LOL
> Imperator Fish @ImperatorFish
@mizjwilliams @FrancesCook he's sitting on the far right next to that class traitor Chris Trotter. Hoping they don't see me.
Laura McQuillan @mcquillanatorz
But who needs Cunliffe when you have a child dancing onstage in a wig with a Red Cross flag. This is not going well...
Katie Bradford @katieabradford
Is this kid on stage at Cunliffe's speech supposed to be there? He is loving it.
Julian Robins @JulianRobins
Initial thoughts on Cunliffe speech... Looking for new punctuality policy. #waitingwaitingwaiting
Imperator Fish @ImperatorFish
David Cunliffe is 5 minutes late. That's it! I'm voting NZ First
Jessica Williams @mizjwilliams
one guy's just walked in with a "vote collins" hoodie. presuming it's not @JudithCollinsMP that he means. #labstateofnation
Patrick Leyland @ProgressReport
Cunliffe about to start free-styling
Julian Robins @JulianRobins
Anyone out there got a working link for live stream of Cunliffe's speech...? Labour Live site not that live yet. #politicstragic
> Reed Fleming @reedfleming
@JulianRobins Yup, but it comes with a warning: Gower might piss live on camera. http://www.3news.co.nz/Livestream-State-of-the-Nation-speech/tabid/1568/articleID/329448/Default.aspx …
Patrick Leyland @ProgressReport
Word is that if @CitizenBomber tweets favorably enough about @DavidCunliffeMP's speech he'll get a new iPad.
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Hall just opened for Cunliffe address to the nation pic.twitter.com/1ab25PrVGj
> Reed Fleming @reedfleming14m
@CitizenBomber Are you charging an appearance fee?
Imperator Fish @ImperatorFish
Awaiting the arrival of David Cunliffe. Plenty of friends here, and even a few class traitors. pic.twitter.com/cRc3AI9fzo
> Toby Manhire @toby_etc19m
@ImperatorFish but where is the portrait?
James Macbeth Dann @edmuzik
has anyone done poos on the Labour live stream yet? @patrickgowernz?
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
Also, I assume Cunliffe's team all currently on their feet screaming at each other over whether to add Lorde lyrics into his speech or not
Danyl Mclauchlan @danylmc
I've heard a rumour Cunliffe will use this speech to break the fourth wall and hug voters directly through their live-stream #excited
