Opinion: A brighter future? Apparently not

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 5:18p.m.

Has John Key met expectations or has he failed?

Opinion by Political Editor Duncan Garner

The Prime Minister promised a brighter future - a bold but largely meaningless slogan.

John Key also promised better schools, a better education system, a better economy, more jobs, better jobs and a streamlined more efficient public service.

So has he got there? What do the voters think, a year into his second-term?

The latest 3 News Reid Research poll asked respondents what they thought of the National Government’s performance in delivering on promises of:

Building a brighter future for Kiwis
Helping full employment
Providing the best school system
Ensuring our Govt Departments are run well

On only one of its promises does the Government pass the test. On three, it fails.

Here are the results:

	Govt hasn't delivered	Govt has delivered
Brighter future	49 percent	46 percent
Full Employment	57 percent	36 percent
Education/Schools	58 percent	33 percent
Govt Departments	42 percent	49 percent

So, not overwhelming results for Key.

He may argue, given the recession he encountered on taking office, it is close on the ‘brighter future’ question - and it is. But it's hardly something to sing from the rooftops over.

These results clearly show Key's Government has failed to sell its schools policy. Hekia Parata's approach has been poor and the unions are calling for a return to Anne Tolley. Did you think you'd ever hear that?

On the jobs front, too many have been lost over the last four years for Key to get a pass mark on the full employment question.

And while the Government squeaks by on the ‘Govt Departments’ question - the poll was taken before the WINZ privacy debacle, which would surely change the outcome now.

So what do you think: Has Key met expectations? Has he failed? Do these results surprise you?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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26/11/2012 1:28:35 p.m.

Alison wrote:

Sometimes politicians forget they are serving the people who elected them. They forget the 'people aspect' in the equation. This aspect blurs amongst all the figures and for an accountant like Key, figures may be more important than people and their lives. Key has endeavoured to bring the National Debt down but I believe has used the wrong mechanisms to do this, thus creating more hardship for those who were already suffering. He is still talking about cutting more social welfare. Cutting endless Govt jobs, and creating an environment which increases unemployment, does not necessarily release extra funding to pay the national debt, because costs arise elsewhere (social welfare benefits, criminal justice area and loss of taxable incomes), triggering migration to greener work pastures. The large number of Govt employees laid off has flowed over into other sectors -now a low paid office job receives 200-300 applicants per job advertised. People with degrees are doing basic healthcare work and the lucky ones with no mortgages can exit overseas. People power curbed wrong changes re schools and education. A country's future wealth is the education of its young people at that time. It is demeaning to advocate untrained teachers for so called atlernative type schools. I felt it was a payback measure by Parata at losing the battle with the schools earlier. How would they like untrained doctors operating on our babies, untrained dentists to be let loose on our kids? Key is just trying to find the spare capital for the National Debt in the wrong areas. Where are his wise advisors? But then he thinks like a wealthy businessman with no concept of people who do not live in his world. A leader must be up with the play in all sectors of community living and make decisions accordingly. The cost of living, especially food has risen enormously, even migrants coming to NZ can't believe how expensive life is here. However there are other historical factors in the mix too -in the early days money institutions threw credit to everyone, without checking to see their viability to pay it back -Now over nearly $2 billion is owed by Pacific Islanders alone, in NZ. We need to go back to the old ways -if you don't have the $$ you don't have the product until you do. Our overly consumer society has educated young NZers to have it all now -a gimme now generation. The fall of many finance companies did little to alleviate the suffering of geniune NZers who did have a saving plan, but lost all their savings anyway. A retirement advisor stated that 50% of retirees depend solely on the pension, which is not enough to live on -especially to pay health bills, which increse with aging. Young NZers will not be able to save for their retirement with rising unemployment, low wages, looking after their elderly, and to maintain their mortgages. Increasing many won't ever afford homes of their own but be subject to market rents. Key needs to come back and focus on PEOPLE, the people he serves and improving standards of living.

18/11/2012 5:50:15 p.m.

donna wrote:

foe key and the 1%ters the bludgers whom live of your tax dollers because you kiwis pay up the tax they dont pay oh and your still lending money to pay for their tax cuts plus the intrest you gotta be crazy kiwis .the diffrence is the elite rich call it their entitlement when it comes to you they call it bludging . its time this nonsence stopped call an election your so confidant national are so far ahead in the polls lets have an election today.

16/11/2012 10:45:34 a.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Wow Mike, in your wonderland everything is great and if only the unhappy people would be quiet we could carry on as things are presently. The only reason the dollar is high is that its one of the rare currencies that speculators can make money on, like the Aussie dollar. The scare tactics of rampant inflation got disproved in the US in the last 4 years with a cash injection, lower interest rates and a focus on domestic jobs. If you're really trying to say things are getting better for kiwis since this admin came in, they are some 'rose tinted' shadze you're wearing guy. The masses don't get brassed off unless they're being ripped off Mike.... plain and simple. Kiwis want to work not get laid off. Ask the Hillside rail workers who they believe??? Again....wow!

16/11/2012 7:07:48 a.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Not much chance of a brighter future when you're trying to sell off your own power companies. Turning the nations assets into a 'garage sale'. Refusing to step in and get our cripplingly overvalued dollar down to where it should be. No wonder we can't export much? Surprise, surprise...rising unemployment! Standing by when 'hundreds' (maybe thousands) of the country's teachers haven't been paid and can look forward to being as hungry as some of their lunch-less students. Nah not a very bright future to look forward to huh? One question....how is the Prime Minister and his govt handling these issues? Not to put too fine a point on it..... abysmally. Until then its more of the same grey forecast. Best you get down to the local store for some torch batteries. The only light at the end of this tunnel is the fact, one day these plonkers will be voted out of the Beehive. Then we might see the future brighten up a bit. Here's hoping.... just a footnote,... Whats more scarce than a teachers pay packet?...The Minister of Education to sort it all out......hmmmm

7/11/2012 10:05:32 p.m.

angela wrote:

I am of the opinion that Key wants to ruin NZ. POVERTY has bloomed and people have fled in the 10's of thousands. drive through NZ and you will see the country dieing with the dairy industry the only thing keeping NZ afloat. Key is watching the country die and passes bills that cost money not make money. the guy is in partnership with joyce in making their mates rich while the rest of NZ are getting poorer by the day, seeing people sleeping rough and kids going without breakfast is nationals legacy.

5/11/2012 7:46:15 p.m.

pat wrote:

Same slogan as Romney 'brighter future'
Funny that, Key and Romney off the same
song sheet.

5/11/2012 3:46:22 p.m.

Mike wrote:

There is a world recession on.

Lets look at some positives.

Where was the NZ min wage when Labour took office in 1999? Where was it when they left 9 year later in 2008? Our min wage was around 35th in the world (of 197 countries) in 2008 when National took office. By 2011 it had risen to 9th, and with the US/EU printing money we have risen to around 5th. Thats closing the gap to anyone but the blind.

How are our exports?

Labour export growth in boom years 2000-2005 - 5% which didn't keep up with inflation. Nationals export growth 2008-2011 was 11% in 3 recession years. Our export growth this last quarter - 5.1%.

While the left moans, working NZ has worked hard and made a difference internationally, which has pushed our dollar up. For all the talk, out currency still lower than our trading partners. Take the US/EU/UK/Aus/Japan currencies and not even one of them is as weak as the NZ$, and China tend to use US$ not their own in trade.

Where NZ doing well, we have some of the best productivity in the world, so even with a stronger dollar our exports are safe and growing. Where we are having job losses, we tend to have some of the worst productivity in the world, and we need to raise our productivity levels if we are to compete internationally.

Labour has its own idea to make NZ low productivity more competetive - print money, lower the dollar, run high inflation, and reduce our current $13.50 min wage to around $10 buying power. This is the opposite of better for workers that Labour claims, and they fail to explain how lowering wages will make workers better off.

3/11/2012 4:08:18 p.m.

Valleyman wrote:

you all misheard john key when he said he would create 170000 jobs he really meant to say he would drive 170000 out of the country to jobs in oz

3/11/2012 8:12:53 a.m.

failure.. wrote:

We are expecting the New Labour Government to lead the people of this country to safety where National Government John Key failed in every eachway possible and we cannot accept anymore failures from these morons but give them the freedom to scat and leave us in peace to deal with our new Labour Government. So Piss off Key the brain fade, go on scat off you fool.

1/11/2012 12:55:49 p.m.

Brenda wrote:

I don't have a specific party I vote for, at the time I go by which of the two main parties plans for NZ seem better. Was I wrong this time. This government has proved that "you can't trust a politician" They have changed big time to being extremely arrogant, my way or no way, having very bad memories and there always seems a secret agenda which means they have lost all trust. The only time you see John Key is for publicity. He has been very quiet of late, especially about Christchurch Schools, whats happening on the West Coast and the Christchurch EQC/Insurance fiasco. It seems if its too hard he ignores it. On the other hand the only party that does seem to give a damn is the Greens (that is an option I have never thought of before)