In the days preceding the budget, media talked up a tight, bland, holding steady budget.
Now, the media talk down a tight, bland, holding steady budget.
In the days preceding the budget, opposition parties talked up a zero plan zero hope budget.
Now, the opposition talk down a zero plan zero hope budget.
Well, what did you expect?
We pretty much got what we expected. Sure, there are a few minor surprises, but there’s not much to write home about. But the media have to write and talk, that’s their job, so they have to make something of it.
I found the budget very entertaining – no, Bill English isn’t entertaining! – but the coverage was funny. Full of predictable careful spending, and full of predictable coverage.
Events like the budget show some competitiveness – media personalities competeing for the descriptive phrase that sticks. “Paper boy budget” seems to be the leading contender, but that is the media hooked on Labour’s line and stinker.
Overall media haven’t got anything big to talk about that’s in the budget, so they talk instead about the big things that should have been in ther budget, or so they say. If dramatic big things were in the budget then they would have dramatic big things to talk about.
Then they wouldn’t have had to resort to piddly issues like paper boys.
This is what the editorial teams have said.
- NZ Herald: Editorial: Budget offers little joy for near future
- Dominion: Editorial: The Paperboy Budget a waste
- The other’s haven’t bothered or haven’t got around to it yet.
And other media comment:
- Dominion: Bill’s bigoted Budget of low expectations
- Dominion: Is there a Budget bright side?
- NZ Herald: Is this really a ‘sensible’ budget from the Govt?
- The Press: Budget 2012: Hardly a crackdown on the rich
- Stuff: Has Santa left the best surprise or two?
- Stuff: English’s Nickel and dime Budget
- ODT: It’s a money-go-round
- Timaru Herald: ‘Steady as she goes’
Seemsa to be a fair bit of austerity in the comments departments. If all that gloom gets you down don’t go to the princes of pessimism at The Standard:
But they’ve been saying much the same all week.
The only ones trying to gloom more are the Labour team. David Shearer seems to be trying to encourage everyone to leave for Australia. Or does he think only National voters leave the country? You noticed the same promotion at The Standard? That’s just “Eddie”, he’s the Labour team anyway.
Waiting for David Farrar’s budget appraisal at Kiwiblog, so far just a bland 2012 Budget highlights – ah, that’s right, it’s a bland budget.
A budget that restrains itself from overspending too much is a bugger, isn’t it. Nothing exciting to write about.
