By: Larry Williams | Friday, September 21, 2012 4:33 PM

The dollar has been a target of the opposition parties. Indeed, Winston Peters’ member Bill to amend the Reserve Bank Act has been stalled by the opposition so the debate rolls on.

Problem is all this talk about manipulating the dollar lower is going nowhere because:

1. The Government isn't going there

2. The Reserve Bank have more or less said that its nuts.

Here's the thing: I think the debate is reasonable to have but beyond the rhetoric from the likes of Parker and Cunliffe, they aren't actually coming up with any detail.

Norman wants to print money and Peters wants to devalue the dollar.

None of this can seriously be entertained.

The fact is NZ can't do much to influence things. Dr Bollard’s words not mine.

 

Welfare Reform

 

Another wave of welfare legislation introduced through the week and the usual wave of losers popped up to protest.

I think the majority of New Zealanders are just fine with having rules in place for beneficiaries that hold them to a level of accountability and responsibility.

It’s all fair and just.

What Kiwis don't like is 'slackers'. This will sort them out.

What the opponents want is not only a continuation of the hand out mentality but they want the benefits to increase.

The anti's don't bring any solutions to the table other than to keep the cheques rolling on in.

Well, rightly that’s about to stop, at least until the next election when Labour and the Greens can unwind them if they win.

 

Christchurch

 

More protests over the weekend planned for Christchurch. I think this one is against the school closures and mergers. The protestors claim they haven't been consulted.

It is my understanding that there was consultation. There should have been extensive consultation. But I thought that the proposals were just that; proposals, recommendations out there for consultation, before they make the final decisions.

Now sure they may all be implemented, but they may not.

The only one who has said that this was all locked in is the NZEI.

 

Other matters

 

The Government's hui on water goes on and is going nowhere. It will all end up in court. The Government needs to be decisive and invest all the resources in the Crown and take this madness off the table. You see if you don't take stuff like the wind and the sun off the table some Maori will keep insisting the own it.

The Muslim protests around the world and as close as Sydney were more about radical young thugs than about a dopey video or cartoons. I think they can kick the guts out of their own country if they like, but if they do it in democratic countries that have given them a home - they should be on the next plane back to where they came from.

The Chinese takeover of F&P has caused Labour to introduce an alarming policy. They reckon that Ministers should make this decision and not the OIO. Labour now has an 'on the hoof' policy of political interference in the takeover of companies in excess of $100m. Unbelievable…

The PM continues to defend John Banks. This makes him look silly. I think the PM knows this. You see, you can't defend what is really indefensible. He will just have to suck it up and take it on the chin and continue to look a bit foolish because the fact is he needs Banks. But this is going nowhere and the PM knows this.

 

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