Armstrong on cars and prices
John Armstrong reviews a week with bad images on the news for Labour:
It was not the smartest piece of public relations for Labour’s Cabinet ministers to be caught on camera extracting themselves from their sleek and swanky new BMWs when New Zealand families feel forced to ration how much cheese their children eat.
However, it probably did not occur to most ministers what sort of impression they were giving as they rolled up en masse to Premier House on Tuesday morning – at least not until they saw the media pack.
It is an old cliche that Cabinet ministers long in the saddle get too accustomed to the soft leather seats of their chauffeur-driven limousines – and Tuesday night’s television coverage of Labour’s special caucus meeting predictably used the taxpayer-provided BMWs as a visual metaphor for a Government out of touch.
The Government was foolish to allow new cars to be introduced in an election year. It is a classic example of third termitis.
Ministers talked of how Labour had lifted real household incomes, while stressing increased global commodity prices are beneficial to the New Zealand economy.
That was cold comfort to households where budgets are stretched by the combination of rising consumer prices and higher mortgage interest rates.
Neither development is Labour’s fault. But Labour knows it will get the blame. If people think they are suffering a decline in their standard of living, it spells electoral death for the incumbent.
As Gordon Brown is discovering.
John Key had long predicted the weakening economy and the spiralling cost of living would be the major election issue.
When he suggested Labour focus on the economy rather than attacking him, Labour scathingly advised him to get out of the kitchen if he could not handle the heat.
By continuing to hoe into National’s leader, Labour looked like it did not care that household budgets were being drained.
Diddums!
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 am
and this is why I rarely see any weight in what Mr. Armstrong has to say:
“…Neither development is Labour’s fault. But Labour knows it will get the blame. If people think they are suffering a decline in their standard of living, it spells electoral death for the incumbent.
Politics does not get any more basic. But Labour failed to see the wave was starting to crest.”
So it’s not Labour’s fault, but it’s Labour’s incompetence? Did he even consider the logic of his own opinion? Did he proof the piece? Is he a journalist?
Most of the time his opinion is similar to the mentally of a prisoner, who after years of being tortured by his jailer, cannot bring himself to testify against them because they’ve formed some kind of dysfunctional relationship.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Reminds me of the last page of Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, where the miserable, starving animals creep up to the window of the house where the party is in progress and they find it hard to tell the difference between the pigs and the humans………
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 am
I must say that I’m enjoying the sight of the Labour filth being exposed as the hypocrites they are.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Hi DPF.
I read on stuff:
“Internal Affairs spokesman Allen Whaley insisted the tender process and contract was confidential. Asked what made this different from other government contracts where costs are reported, he said there were many other examples where prices were not disclosed and “the department is not budging”
Does anyone know if this is in fact legal (for the government to refuse to disclose how much taxpayer money is being spent on this fleet) and do we in fact have any legal recourse?
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
phobius: OIA I would have thought.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Me too, but they seem to be arguing commercial sensitivity
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Desperate stuff from Armstrong. I always wondered how cheerleaders got on when their teamwas getting flogged. Armstrong answers the question!
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/05/cheerleading-for-loser.html
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Judith Tizard IMO dropped a clanger by saying that Japan has been getting away with exporting its ‘crap’ used cars to NZ for years. Even if they no longer meet contemporary Japenese emission standrds, these cars have actually lowered emissions and improved road safety in NZ by enabling Kiwis on low incomes to retire even older ‘bombs’.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
That’s why I call him John Hamstrung – he is a gifted individula who is hamstrung by his blind-spot when it comes to Labour’s culpability. This from last week:
“The [Labour] party’s frustration is that this has happened after a sustained period when the Labour-led minority Government had been functioning more effectively than it has for quite some time, give or take the odd distraction.”
‘odd distraction’; ??!!? I mean what f**n planet is he on?
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Lee – he’s on Planet Labour – where things are not always as they seem to the average geezer like you or I!!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Phobius at 12.14, There are two aspects of your question.
1. The fleet costs should be public and this comes through the annual reporting process.
2. The unit price paid within a tender for items (BMW) can be consciously protected by the RF? and award process.
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Yep that was bloody dumb of the Labour ministers.
I am looking forward to the next lot of Nat ministers putting
those cars into storage and using electric scooters.
Or, will they be the same ?
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
grumpyoldhori, differant pitbull terrier,same tail, new dog on the back seat
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I thought it was pretty dumb as well and I have traditionally been a Labour voter! I am for the first time starting to think that I will be voting for someone else this year. The Labour led govt seems to have lost any sense of how the avge household is struggling. Up until a year ago, I would have said my family was just getting to the comfortable stage, but what a difference 12 months can make – I would have to say that we are struggling more so than we have ever before and that’s on 2 incomes higher than the average wage. Admittedly we have 3 children, but we don’t qualify for any state assistance (and nor should we) and sometimes we have to go without additional luxuries and we are so semi-vege that we eat less and less meat each week. We know it is just a phase but hollow promises from the Govt are not all that reassuring. I think Cullen will be the first Finance Minister for quite some time not to have overseen a tax cut. I am sure he will announce one in May, but I’m also sure that by the time 1 April 09 comes around he will no longer be the Minister of Finace and it will be Bill’s tax cuts instead. Bring on the election! Here endeth the moan.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Should have stuck with the Aussie V8′s , much more to the liking of us down to earth Kiwis. Everyone knows that BMW’s are designed so that mortgaged up the jacksee elderly hairdressers can “pull” that cute bartender at SPQR.
Seriously, I’m sure the 730′s are a much better long term proposition than the crusty old LTD’s with their 1950′s technology but in this country of socialist wealth-haters it’s a bit of a PR SNAFU in election year. Bizarre the decision came under the watch of the arch enemy of the “rich prick” MC.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Drdr you must be on a pretty good wage. Working for families is available for most families earning up to $100k. If you earn over this then with the greatest of respect you ought to be able to cope.
As for the other comments I am somewhat perplexed. There is very obviously this visceral hatred of the left and of Labour. What is the reason for this? Are there too many women in control? Can some of you not handle the thought that men may not be in control any more?
As for governance the worst PM New Zealand has ever had was Rob Muldoon. He stuffed things up really badly and Helen is the first PM who has actually been able to heal the wounds that Muldoon caused. The 4th labour government failed because they chose the wrong methods to repair Muldoon’s damage. Bolger Shipley and Richardson failed because they thought the “tough” solutions would succeed and be acceptable.
Helen understands this. Do not underestimate her. As soon as the New Zealand public realise that Key is an emperor with no clothes Helen will be returned.
Sorry to spoil your illusions …
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
wow mickey, you really are in for a tumble aren’t you?
May 4th, 2008 at 7:07 am
mickeysavage ,you have forgotten about the thousands of married couples,whose kids have left home, we get no bribes from liarbour, to keep them in power ,in fact we are screwed to death with taxes and charges, and everything else caused by, the (RICH NASTY PRICK,mc) and his bunch of merlot, drinking BMW 7 series, provided slimmey leeches, the liarbour party i wonder what mickey savage would think of this group of very strange people with a lot of strange sexual preferences ,the present liarbour party , totally out of touch with the people ,he would shake his head.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:55 am
mickey,
Sorry mate, but you are completely wrong as the record numbers of kiwi’s leaving each week are testament to, what is it now, 100 a day and one in ten families planning to leave at the end of the year?
I agree with you that Muldoon was a shocker, but Clark is very similar. She is power mad, dictatorial and completely blind to the massive damage her stupid policies are causing. While the economy is crumbling she’s focusing on banning pineapple lumps and tuck shops.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:16 am
In contrast to Armstrong, Bill Ralston gives the government another kicking this morning!
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/05/while-ralston-attacks-again.html
May 4th, 2008 at 8:36 am
“What is the reason for this? Are there too many women in control? Can some of you not handle the thought that men may not be in control any more?”
Er, Jenny Shipley & Ruth Richardson?
What those not-of-the-left cannot handle is the thought of the slide down all the world’s league tables (except perhaps for crime) under this crowd. The sheer economic illiteracy at the mo is rather sad, after the gains made, through hard decisions and hard work, by previous Labour and National governments.
I am constantly amused that Liarbore supporters can disown Lange and Douglas, but that the left will not allow National to disown and lose the baggage that is Muldoon.
May 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Labour have made a plethora of bad decisions. Recent examples include buying back the rails at the eleventh hour of their third term – if it really was a good idea why did they take so long? Or Labour’s decision to block the sale of the airport.
But, buying BMW ministerial cars isn’t one of them.
In terms of engineering, prestige, functionality, & environmentally the 7-series ticks all the right boxes.
Plus, it won’t be long till the Judith Tizards of this world are out on their ears & the cars will have more worthy occupants.