Tuesday 15 September 2015

Question for Malcolm Turnbull on John Key [updated]

The eighth Australian Prime Minister in five years (and fourth Liberal leader in six) wasted no time in praising John Key in his post-coup comments:

Turnbull reserved special praise for New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key…
    “John Key has been able to achieve very significant economic reforms in New Zealand by doing just that, by taking on and explaining complex issues and then making the case for them. And I, that is certainly something that I believe we should do and Julie and I are very keen to do that again.”

So Malcolm, can you--or any of you, dear readers—explain to me and everyone else just what precisely those “very significant economic reforms in New Zealand” actually were?

Because from this side of the Tasman, I see nothing either significant or reforming.

Mind you,coming from one Labor-lite empty vessel looking at another, virtually anything could be considered “reform.”

UPDATE 1: Michael Reddell answers the question immediately: “It was a short list.  I couldn’t think of any.”

If Malcolm Turnbull is serious about economic reform –  which frankly seems unlikely –  he shouldn’t be looking across the Tasman for inspiration and example.

UPDATE 2: Eric Crampton comments:

It feels like National has convinced itself, and many of its supporters, that it has done the most it can do given the political constraints it faces: that this is the best of all possible worlds.
Perhaps that's the ambition Turnbull has as well. Lowering supporters' expectations does make the job a bit easier.

3 comments:

FreeMack said...

For that matter, name one piece of Helen Clark legislation that John Key has repealed?

tm said...

Can someone trace the power holders which pushed Don Brash out of Parliament and destroyed the Orginal Act Party. I am guessing they were jealous Wellington beuracrates

Ross said...

Don Brash pushed himself out of parliament. He is Mr Magoo with an extra chromosome.