Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by mvdtnz 376 days ago
> It's not. The current NZ government is working through the "Starve the Beast" strategy; intentionally underfunding ministries and services so they can be punished or sold off later for "underperforming".

In case HN readers see this and take it too seriously, this is a left wing conspiracy theory. The government is making cutbacks because the previous government spent money like it was going out of style and put our country in a very precarious position.
1 comments
rstuart4133 376 days ago
> the previous government spent money like it was going out of style and put our country in a very precarious position.

The NZ external debt has been about about the same rate for a decade [0]. External debt has increased at about 2% per year, and the rate has been consistent under both the right and the left.

It's weird - the right consistently pushes "we are better economic managers than the left". There is stuff all evidence for either side being better managers. When the right pushes up debt, it seems to be by giving away tax breaks, usually to the rich. When the left pushes up debt seems to be by spending more, usually on the poor.

[0] https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/external-debt#:~:te... Settings: 10Y, Chg%.

link
mvdtnz 376 days ago
It's not the outright debt it's the acceleration in spending. It was completely unsustainable. We are borrowing in order to fund our day to day activities, which is definitionally precarious.

According to your posting history you don't even live in New Zealand. I doubt you have the first clue what is going on here.

https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/05/08/willis-caught-between-the-...

link
rstuart4133 376 days ago
You live across the ditch to me.

If the article is correct there is nothing special about what happened in NZ. It says the "sea of red ink" was driven by COVID spending. The same thing happened happened everywhere, regardless of which side was in power. Those NZ COVID spending measures almost certainly were legislated to expire in a few years, just like everywhere else. But yes, it left NZ with increased government debt, again just like everywhere else.

You Kiwi's aren't as special as it seems you think you are. That was my point really - fiscal responsibility is always a right wing talking point. And completely true to form, the current right wing NZ government delivered tax cuts in their last budget. They say it was funded by the sort of spending reductions we are discussing here. I see those tax cuts benefited the poor rather than the rich. Colour me impressed.

link