"Brief thoughts on [the PMs'] 'State of the Nation' [speech]: Focus on economy is good. Saying 'economic growth' a lot & renaming the Economic Development portfolio doesn't do much. [I'm] confused as to what the role of Invest NZ is compared with NZ Trade & Enterprise (NZTE)."The idea of less saying 'no' is great but it is not a policy or a roadmap."There was a whole lot of nothing in that speech. Aspiration, ideas, hopes. We need some steel spines & brass balls when it comes to the economy. Nicola & Luxon need to stand up & unapologetically declare that they are going to be brave, bold, ruthless. Spending has to come down. Growth doesn't matter if spending outstrips it."I am underwhelmed and anxious. I'm a swing voter; past two elections I've voted centre-right. That State of the Nation speech has given me anxiety. With scores of advisors, comms people, ministers etc that was what they came up with? I WANT THE GOVT TO SUCCEED!! Because I want to live in NZ."That was depressing.""Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech on the economy strikes, but misses the mark, with no announcements that will increase New Zealand’s productivity, or unshackle the private sector that drives growth."[T]he speech was more about 'feels' and repeating old announcements than concrete policy changes to improve New Zealand’s prosperity."The only exception is, bizarrely, another government agency, apparently to attract foreign investors.”“The speech represents shifting deck chairs, not the sort of economic reform the times call for.”“People don’t invest in a country because a government agency tells them to. Claims that this model is seen in Ireland or Singapore are fantasy. Investors in those countries don’t have among the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world. Today’s speech would have meant something had it tackled our tax settings or securities law which make investing here so unattractive.”“New Zealand’s lack of foreign investment isn’t because of a lack of bureaucrats. It’s because we don’t offer competitive investments. Today’s speech lacks the seriousness or urgency in ‘going for growth’.”
~ Jordan Williams
[Hat tip cartoon Dr Stephen Clarke]
UPDATE:
Eric Crampton tries for more optimism. Like Denis De Nuto, it's all about "the vibe," he reckons:
A shift in vibe has to be backed by more than speeches. The culture in our bureaus and agencies needs to change, along with the regulatory regimes. That will take real work.
But the shift in vibe is welcome. It’s time to build.
No comments:
Post a Comment