HANG ON A MINUTE.....

Thank goodness someone has his feet firmly on the ground before we're all taken off on yet another flight of fancy.

Seems Dr Brash is touting his idea to cut government spending to what it was four years ago.  Could it be that the free-market revolution continues to be the panacea of all our economic woes?  Or maybe there's just a whiff of Roger Douglas here
Anyway, here's the upshot...............

It says anyone earning more than $14,000 a year would pay less tax and that would lead to  "a surge of enterprise, excitement about the future, and stronger economic growth".

But, to pay for the tax cuts and to stimulate the economy, Brash's report proposes cutting government spending to 2005 levels of 29 percent of GDP, within three years.

That would see some $9 billion cut from core government operating spending. Proposals for achieving this include:

* "Ambitious"  welfare reform including cutting beneficiary numbers, raising age of super eligibility, fewer universal subsidies

* Scrapping Kiwisaver subsidies and axing the Cullen super fund and using the cash to repay debt

* End cheap doctors' visits and scrap prescription subsidies for middle class

* Cut funding for early childhood education

* Scrap interest-free student loans

* Abolish youth minimum wage and cut adult minimum wage

Hmm........?  This just came to mind.............................

RING A RING O'ROSES

a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down

"Now, be sure that you're all in step..................."