Orwellian doublespeak

Todd Niall at Stuff writes:

No one is asking the government to cut taxes in the face of what might be a sharp economic downturn.

That is because the government provides safety nets, unprecedented economic stimulus, and a welfare, health and support system, that will pick up extra strain.

Auckland Council similarly should not make rate rise cuts that would risk a new cycle of underinvestment in essential spending, and a failure to meet the challenge of climate change, and growth.

I’m staggered that such a normally excellent journalist would use such doublespeak and try and pretend calls for taxes not to go up is a call for a tax cut.

Taxes and rates are both compulsory government charges.

The central Government is doing the right thing by not increasing taxes in a recession as it knows it would make the recession worse, and impose extra costs on families and businesses that can’t afford it.

Why then it is acceptable for local Governments to do the opposite and increase taxes on families and businesses?

Trying to label a plea for a rate increase not to occur as a “rate rise cut” is terrible journalism, to be blunt.

If a landlord said it wanted to put your rent up 10% and they then only put it up by 5%, would media describe that as a rent rise cut? No it is merely a smaller increase.