Wait, if a baby is produced because of the #KiwiBreed policy, does the state own it?
Making it universal would've cost an extra $10m/yr. Or they could've targeted bottom 50% and saved $90m/yr
Still. Choosing to a) have a payment threshold and b) to set that at $150k smells pretty cynical to me.
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!
So, of all the State of the Nation speeches, I think Labour did best. The “best start” to the election year, one might say.
Exactly how many backbench MPs have HOUSEHOLD income of less thatn $150k? How many families suffering? Duncan Garner has finally lost it.
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
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.
The Irony of Cunliffe's announcement today is that a baby bonus was the policy of every ones favourite Aussie Tory, John Howard.
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
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?
So Labour's abolishing the Parental Tax Credit + the $60 per week aint available during paid parental leave....
Backbench MPs qualify for the baby bonus... wow... have we struck oil?
Wake me up when the 'Taxpayer's Union' douse themselves with petrol outside Kelston Girls
So we've gotthe spend part of Cunliffes policy - what about the bit that increases taxes or borrowing. that was missed. Wonder why?
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.
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.
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".
But there's no denying that $150k is a goddamn stupid cutoff point intended only to minimise #fiscalFOMO.
I think I can foresee political debate over paying $60 a week to new parents on a combined income of under $150K #justaguess
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.
Language police: "universal for all families earning under $X" isn't.
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.
TVNZ livestream mostly showing @VernonSmall rocking side to side, but off camera, @patrickgowernz making joke about livestreamgate. Meta.
Looking forward to seeing Treasury predicting a population boom in 2016.
What detail there was, was underwhelming. What detail there wasn't (improve education! Quality public health! Better jobs! Higher wages!)...
...wasn't remotely linked to how the party plans to achieve these things (ie with what revenue, by mobilising what political capital).
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.
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
Why can't Labour pay me $60 for not contributing to overpopulation and carbon and all that.
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
TV3 livestream picks up sound of Labour urinating on Key's policy launch
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.
Good policies and good values but the speech was pretty mediocre to be honest.
If they had to change to a larger venue...and this is "larger", how fucking small was the first one?!
Predicted sewer toxic spin-line: paying the poor to have kids
"If you know what I mean" what's with that??
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
Nestle execs in deep shock as they thought Cunliffe said BreastStart.
So backbench MP's whose partners don't work are now officially welfare recipients; is that right?
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.
"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
Prompting applause is a really bad look.
Who is this Maya Ponent? She sounds horrid. #cunliffespeech
Labour's paid parental leave & free entenatal care policies good - but the Baby Bonus reeks of Rowling '75 - didn't work then
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
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
Who @nzlabour is really going for the breeders..as a mother currently working on a public holiday I like that!
Labour's new package for parents of newborns to be called BestStart, presumably because KiwiStart already taken (by KiwiSaver provider)
If elected @DavidCunliffeMP promises to impregnate every woman in New Zealand. #mytake
The fact that Cunliffe has to prompt the audiance for his zing lines isn't encouraging
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.
Cunliffe recognises wife!
A dig about SkyCity! I'm so looking forward to the rousing finale where he shoots Phil Goff out of a cannon.
"My opponent" instead of "John Key
"Unopened envelopes on kitchen tables." - similar to Obama's rhetoric in 2008.
Cunliffe comes to your house, notices the envelopes you didn't open.
Tell you what, David Cunliffe can deliver a speech: real passion, tempo changes 4 mood, engages w crowd. Beats Key's lisping robot delivery
Fair cop to the man, he can orate.
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
Later today, Lorde's acceptance speech: "I'm glad to be sharing the spotlight with David Cunliffe."
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
What I'd really like to do is pay for other people's babies.
It's a re-run of Bill Rowling's 'Baby Bonus'.
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
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?
This whole election hinges on Cunliffe's upcoming opening joke
Today is make or break for Cunliffe
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.
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
@mizjwilliams @jacindaardern This is a Labour audience. It was probably one of the woman.
Cunliffe and Lorde vying for dominance in my Twitter feed. Who's going to win?
hamish mcneilly @southernscoop
Will Cunliffe use auto tune?
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.
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
Anyone out there got a working link for live stream of Cunliffe's speech...? Labour Live site not that live yet. #politicstragic
@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
@ImperatorFish but where is the portrait?
has anyone done poos on the Labour live stream yet? @patrickgowernz?
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
I've heard a rumour Cunliffe will use this speech to break the fourth wall and hug voters directly through their live-stream #excited
