Goff caught by his own rhetoric

The TV polls have shown around 60% are against National’s plans to sell part-stakes in some SOEs.

Frankly I thought that was a pretty giood result for a policy which for the last 12 years has been ruled off limits as it is meant to be lethal political poison. The more important indicator was that National’s vote remained high.

Yesterday the polls also showed 60% against Labour’s policy of a tax cut for every NZer by making the 1st $5,000 tax free. Now tax cuts are normally very popular, so it says something about how badly you stuffed up (no way to pay for it) by getting 60% of NZers against having a tax cut.

And Goff’s response to the 60% opposition? He said that those 60% were not knowledgeable about their plan. This 24 hours after he yelled:

Labour says it’s not surprised by the result.

“It shows Kiwis are two-to-one against John Key’s programme,” says party leader Phil Goff.

“Kiwis know that this is bad for them as taxpayers and it’s good for foreign investors. They don’t want it.”

So 60% against a National policy is because Kiwis know it is bad for them, but 60% against a Labour policy is because they are not “knowledgeable”.

Labour’s tax cut for everyone policy was meant to be their big circuit breaker. Instead it has fizzled.