POLITICAL POLL: Roy Morgan July 4 2008

Political Animal note This poll was taken before the trucking protest began this week.

Finding No. 4305 - July 04, 2008

The early July 2008 New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows National Party support at 51.5% (down 1%) clearly ahead of the Labour Party 30.5% (down 1%), if an election were held now the National Party would win.

Support for the Greens was 8% (up 1%), NZ First 4% (unchanged), Maori Party 2.5% (up 0.5%), ACT NZ 2% (unchanged) and United Future 1% (up 0.5%).

The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has fallen to a record low 88 (down 14) and the Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence Rating is also at a record low 82 (down 5.5 points).

Gary Morgan says:

“The latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows National Party support remains well ahead of Helen Clark’s Labour Government, National Party (51.5%) leading Labour (30.5%).

“New Zealanders are being squeezed by the rising prices of petrol and food. These pressures are forcing New Zealanders to cut back on spending with the Roy Morgan New Zealand Consumer Confidence Rating showing a record high number of New Zealanders (49%) saying now is a bad time to buy major household items.

“Helen Clark’s Labour Government is heading for defeat in the forthcoming election. They need to find a way to ease the pressures on New Zealanders by cutting interest rates now.”

Electors were asked: “Generally speaking, do you feel that things in New Zealand are heading in the right direction or would you say that things are seriously headed in the wrong direction?”

This latest Morgan Poll on voting intention was conducted with a New Zealand-wide cross-section of 930 electors from June 16-29, 2008.

VOTING INTENTION SUMMARY

The following table compares the latest NZ Morgan Polls on Voting Intention with the result from the September 17, 2005 General Election:

PRIMARY VOTE	Labour	National	Progressive Party	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
General Election, July 27, 2002	41.3	20.9	1.7	10.4	7	6.7	n/a	7.1	6.6
General Election, September 17, 2005	41.1	39.1	1.16	5.72	5.3	2.67	2.12	1.51	2.48
MORGAN POLL
September 20 - October 2, 2005	36.5	41.5	1	4.5	9	3	1	1.5	3
October 4-16, 2005	39	40.5	1	5	7	3.5	2	1.5	0.5
October 18-31, 2005	37.5	40	0.5	6	9	3.5	1	1	1.5
November 1-14, 2005	37.5	40	0.5	7	7	3	2	2	1
November 15-27, 2005	39	40.5	1	5.5	8.5	2	1	1.5	1
November 28 - December 9, 2005	40	40	0.5	6	7.5	2.5	1	1.5	1
January 4-12, 2006	40.5	42.5	0.5	4.5	6.5	1.5	2	0.5	1.5
January 13—23, 2006	39	40.5	0	4.5	8.5	3	1.5	1.5	1.5
January 24 - February 5, 2006	38.5	39	0.5	5.5	9.5	3	1.5	2.5	0
February 7-19, 2006	40	40	0.5	3.5	10	1.5	2.5	1.5	0.5
February 22 - March 6, 2006	43	39	0.5	4.5	7.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1
March 7-19, 2006	42.5	41	0	3.5	7.5	2	2	1	0.5
March 20 - April 2, 2006	40	43	0.5	4.5	6.5	1.5	1.5	1	1.5
April 3-16, 2006	41.5	40	1	3.5	7	2	2	2.5	0.5
April 17-30, 2006	40.5	40.5	0.5	3.5	8.5	2.5	2.5	1.5	-
May 1-14, 2006	39.5	41	0.5	5	7.5	3	1	1.5	1
May 15-28, 2006	41	44	0.5	3	6.5	1.5	1.5	1	1
May 29 — June 11, 2006	40	44.5	-	4.5	6.5	2	1	1.5	-
June 12-25, 2006	37	45	0.5	5	6.5	1.5	2	1.5	1
July 3-16, 2006	43	39	-	4.5	8	2	1	1.5	1
July 17 - 30, 2006	40	42	-	3.5	8.5	2	2	1	1
July 31 - August 13, 2006	39	41	-	3.5	9	3	2	1.5	1
August 14-27, 2006	38.5	44	0.5	4	7	1	2.5	1.5	1
August 28 - September 10, 2006	41	38	0.5	5.5	8.5	2	3	1.5	^
September 16 - October 1, 2006	36	41.5	-	7	8.5	2.5	2.5	1.5	0.5
October 2-15, 2006	40	40	^	5	8.5	1.5	1.5	2	1.5
October 16-29, 2006	38.5	41	^	3	8	3	2.5	1.5	2.5
October 30 — November 12, 2006	38.5	42.5	0.5	5	7.5	1.5	2.5	0.5	1.5
November 13 - 26, 2006	37.5	42.5	^	4.5	8	3	2	1.5	1
November 27 - December 12, 2006	37.5	44.5	0.5	4	9.5	2	1	0.5	0.5
January 3-21, 2007	41	41	0.5	4	7.5	1	2	1.5	1.5
January 23 - February 5, 2007	39.5	41.5	0.5	4	8	1.5	2	2.5	0.5
February 6-18, 2007	36	48.5	^	3	8.5	1.5	1.5	1	-
February 19 - March 4, 2007	36	45	0.5	2	8.5	1.5	3.5	2.5	0.5
March 5-18, 2007	37.5	45	^	4	7.5	1.5	3.5	1	-
March 19 - April 2, 2007	35.5	46	^	3.5	9.5	1	2.5	1	1
April 3-16, 2007	33.5	45.5	^	6	8.5	2	2	1	1.5
April 23 - May 6, 2007	36	49.5	^	4.5	6	1.5	1.5	0.5	0.5
May 7-20, 2007	32	49	0.5	4.5	7	1.5	2.5	1.5	1.5
May 21 - June 3, 2007	33.5	50.5	-	3.5	6.5	2	1.5	2	0.5
June 4-17, 2007	36	49.5	0.5	3	6.5	0.5	1.5	1.5	1
June 18 - July 1, 2007	34	48.5	1	2.5	8.5	1.5	2	1	1
July 2-15, 2007	36	47	0.5	5	6.5	1	2	1.5	0.5
July 16-29, 2007	35	49	0.5	4	6	0.5	3	0.5	1.5
July 30 - August 12, 2007	31	50.5	0.5	4	7	2	3	1.5	0.5
August 20 - September 2, 2007	34	48	0.5	2.5	9.5	0.5	3	1	1
September 3-16, 2007	35	49	^	2.5	7.5	1	3	1.5	0.5
September 17-30, 2007	33	48.5	0.5	3	9.5	1.5	2.5	1	0.5
October 1-14, 2007	39	45.5	^	3	7.5	1.5	2	0.5	1
October 15-28, 2007	40.5	45	^	3.5	6.5	1.5	1.5	1	0.5
October 29-Novmber 11, 2007	34	48	^	5.5	7.5	1	2.5	1	0.5
November 12-25, 2007	35	48	0.5	5	6.5	0.5	2.5	1.5	0.5
November 26-December 9, 2007	34.5	47.5	0.5	5	6	1.5	2	2	1
January 3-20, 2008	33.5	52	0.5	3.5	6.5	0.5	2	1	0.5
January 21-February 3, 2008	36.5	45.5	0.5	4	9	0.5	1.5	2	0.5
February 4-17, 2008	32.5	51.5	0.5	3	8	0.5	3	0.5	0.5
February 18-March 2, 2008	35	49.5	0.5	4	7	0.5	2	1	0.5
March 3-16, 2008	34	51	0.5	3	6.5	1	2	2	0.5
March 24-April 6, 2008	34.5	47	0.5	4	9	0.5	3	1.5	^
April 7 - 20, 2008	35.5	50	^	3.5	6.5	0.5	2.5	1.5	^
April 21 - May 4, 2008	35.5	49.5	^	4.5	6.5	1	2	1	^
May 5-18, 2008	35	49	^	4	7.5	0.5	2.5	1	0.5
May 19 - June 1, 2008	32	50.5	0.5	4	7	1	3	1.5	0.5
June 2 - 15, 2008	31.5	52.5	^	4	7	0.5	2	2	0.5
June 16 - 29, 2008	30.5	51.5	^	4	8	1	2.5	2	0.5

*The Maori Party was launched in July 2004; ^ Result less than 0.5%

The Morgan Poll was the most accurate in predicting the small margin between the two major parties (a Labour lead of 1.5%) for the September 2005 General Election.

New Zealand Regional Voting Intention Summary

Auckland

MORGAN POLL	Labour	National	Progressive Alliance	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

July 2006	38	44.5	0.5	5.5	6	2	1.5	1.5	0.5
August 2006	38.5	43.5	^	3	8.5	2.5	2	1.5	0.5
September 2006	41	41.5	0.5	2.5	8	2.5	1.5	1.5	1
October 2006	35	44.5	^	5	9.5	2	2	2	^
November 2006	33	47	0.5	5.5	8	1.5	2.5	1.5	0.5
December 2006	36	46	^	4	9	1.5	2	1	0.5
January 2007	38	44	0.5	3.5	7.5	1.5	2	1.5	1.5
February 2007	34.5	49.5	0.5	3.5	6.5	0.5	1	3	1
March 2007	37.5	46	^	2.5	8	1.5	2.5	1.5	0.5
April 2007	35.5	45	^	2.5	10	2	2.5	2	0.5
May 2007	35	48	^	3.5	7	2	3	0.5	1
June 2007	30.5	54.5	^	3.5	6.5	1	1	2	1
July 2007	32.5	52	^	2	5.5	2	3	2	1
August 2007	30	53	^	4.5	6.5	1.5	2.5	1	1
September 2007	32.5	54.5	^	2	6.5	^	3.5	0.5	0.5
October 2007	35.5	51	^	2.5	6.5	1	2.5	1	^
November 2007	36	50	^	5	4.5	0.5	2.5	1	0.5
December 2007	33.5	51.5	^	4	5	1	2	2.5	0.5
January 2008	34	52	^	4	7	0.5	1	1.5	^
February 2008	36	48	0.5	2.5	8	0.5	2	2	0.5
March 2008	32.5	52	0.5	3	7.5	1	1.5	1.5	0.5
April 2008	32.5	51	^	3.5	8.5	^	1.5	2.5	0.5
May 2008	33.5	51.5	^	4	6.5	1	2	1	0.5
June 2008	32	51.5	0.5	3.5	7	0.5	2.5	2	0.5

Wellington

MORGAN POLL	Labour	National	Progressive Alliance	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
July — August 2006	47.5	36	^	2.5	7.5	1.5	2	2	1
September — October 2006	50	32.5	0.5	1.5	8	2	1.5	2.5	1.5
November — December 2006	44.5	36.5	^	1.5	9	3.5	2	1.5	1.5
January — February 2007	44	38	0.5	1.5	11.5	1	2	1	0.5
March — April 2007	41.5	38.5	^	4	8.5	2	4	0.5	1
May — June 2007	36.5	43.5	^	3	10.5	2	2	1.5	1
July — August 2007	40.5	41.5	0.5	2.5	9	2	2.5	1.5	^
September — October 2007	39.5	38	1	2.5	13.5	2	2	1	0.5
November — December 2007	34	41	0.5	3	13	2	2.5	2.5	1.5
January — February 2008	39.5	42	^	3.5	10	0.5	3	1	0.5
March — April 2008	40	43.5	^	1.5	11.5	0.5	1.5	1	0.5
May — June 2008	38	44.5	^	3	9	1	1.5	2.5	0.5

Christchurch

MORGAN POLL	Labour	National	Progressive Alliance	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
July — August 2006	42	41	^	2.5	10	2	0.5	1	0.5
September — October 2006	39	40	0.5	6.5	8	1.5	0.5	2.5	1.5
November — December 2006	43.5	36.5	1	5	8.5	2.5	0.5	2	1
January — February 2007	38	40	1	3	11	2.5	1	2.5	1
March — April 2007	33.5	43.5	1	6	10	2.5	1	1.5	1
May — June 2007	38	47.5	1	2.5	6.5	1	1.5	1	1
July — August 2007	36	46	1.5	5	7	1.5	1	^	2
September — October 2007	43	42.5	0.5	1	8	1	2	1	1
November — December 2007	39	47.5	1	3.5	7	0.5	0.5	1	^
January — February 2008	29	57	1	3	8	0.5	1	0.5	^
March — April 2008	39.5	44	1	2	8.5	1	1.5	1.5	1
May — June 2008	38	49.5	^	3.5	6.5	0.5	1	0.5	0.5

Other North Island

MORGAN POLL	Labour	National	Progressive Alliance	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
July — August 2006	36.5	43.5	^	6	7	2	3	1.5	0.5
September — October 2006	34.5	42	^	8	7.5	1.5	4.5	1.5	0.5
November — December 2006	35.5	44.5	^	5	7	2.5	3.5	1	1
January — February 2007	37	45	^	5.5	6	1.5	3.5	1	0.5
March — April 2007	32	49.5	^	5	6.5	1	4	1.5	0.5
May — June 2007	33.5	51.5	^	5.5	4.5	1.5	2	1	0.5
July — August 2007	32	50	0.5	4.5	7	1	3.5	1	0.5
September — October 2007	32	49	^	4.5	8.5	1	4	0.5	0.5
November — December 2007	35.5	46.5	^	6	5.5	1	3.5	1	1
January — February 2008	32	50	0.5	4.5	7	0.5	4	0.5	1
March — April 2008	31	51.5	^	6	5.5	0.5	4	1	0.5
May — June 2008	31	51.5	^	5	6	0.5	4	1.5	0.5

Other South Island

MORGAN POLL	Labour	National	Progressive Alliance	NZ First	Green Party	United Future	Maori Party*	ACT NZ	Other
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
July — August 2006	41	40.5	^	3	11	2.5	0.5	^	1.5
September — October 2006	43.5	42	^	3.5	7	2	1	1	^
November — December 2006	40.5	42.5	1	2.5	9	3	1	^	0.5
January — February 2007	46.5	40.5	^	1.5	8.5	1.5	^	0.5	1
March — April 2007	40	44	^	3	10	1	1	0.5	0.5
May — June 2007	36	49.5	^	3	7	1	1	1.5	1
July — August 2007	38	46	1	3	7	1	1.5	0.5	2
September — October 2007	35.5	49.5	^	1.5	8.5	2	1	1.5	0.5
November — December 2007	39	44.5	^	5	9	2	^	0.5	^
January — February 2008	34.5	51	^	3.5	9	0.5	^	1	0.5
March — April 2008	40.5	49.5	^	1.5	5	1.5	1.5	^	0.5
May — June 2008	33	52	^	3.5	9.5	0.5	1	0.5	^

NEW ZEALAND: HEADING IN “RIGHT” OR “WRONG” DIRECTION?

Electors were asked: “Generally speaking, do you feel that things in New Zealand are heading in the right direction or would you say things are seriously heading in the wrong direction?”

	New Zealand Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating: Interviewing Dates
	Aug 20-Sep 2, 2007	Sep 3-16, 2007	Sep 17-30, 2007	Oct 1-14, 2007	Oct 15-28, 2007	Oct 29-Nov 11, 2007	Nov 12-25, 2007	Nov 26-Dec 9, 2007	Jan 3-20, 2008	Jan 21-Feb 3, 2008	Feb 4-17, 2008
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Right direction	51.5	54	49.5	53	50.5	43.5	47	47.5	46.5	46	47
Wrong direction	35.5	32.5	34.5	32	33	37.5	37	38	39	38.5	41
Roy Morgan GCR#	116	121.5	115	121	117.5	106	110	109.5	107.5	107.5	106
Can’t say	13	13.5	16	15	16.5	19	16	14.5	14.5	15.5	12
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

# Roy Morgan GCR = Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating (The Roy Morgan GCR is 100 plus the difference between the percentage of New Zealanders who say the country is “heading in the right direction” and the percentage who say the country is “seriously heading in the wrong direction”).

	New Zealand Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating: Interviewing Dates
	Feb 18-Mar 2, 2008	Mar 3-16, 2008	Mar 24- Apr 6, 2008	Apr 7-20, 2008	April 21-May 4, 2008	May 5-18, 2008	May 19-June 1, 2008	June 2-15, 2008	June 16-29, 2008
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Right direction	52.5	45.5	47.5	50.5	44.5	38	38	42.5	37
Wrong direction	34	37.5	37.5	34.5	40.5	44.5	44.5	40.5	49
Roy Morgan GCR#	118.5	108	110	116	104.5	93.5	93.5	102	88
Can’t say	13.5	17	15	15	15	17.5	17.5	17	14
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100

# Roy Morgan GCR = Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating (The Roy Morgan GCR is 100 plus the difference between the percentage of New Zealanders who say the country is “heading in the right direction” and the percentage who say the country is “seriously heading in the wrong direction”).

For further information:

Gary Morgan: Office +61 3 9224 5213 Mobile +61 411 129 094

Michele Levine: Office +61 3 9224 5215 Mobile +61 411 129 093

Margin of Error

The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. The following table gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. The figures are approximate and for general guidance only, and assume a simple random sample.

Sample Size	Percentage Estimate
	40%-60%	25% or 75%	10% or 90%	5% or 95%
500	±4.5	±3.9	±2.7	±1.9
1,000	±3.2	±2.7	±1.9	±1.4

Finding No. 4305 is taken from Computer Report No. 2252

The Morgan Poll is conducted by the ONLY Australian and New Zealand member of the Gallup International Association.

No other public opinion poll taken in Australia or New Zealand has this qualification.

Helen Clark Naked

Visitors to this site come from some interesting places and for various reasons.

We get individuals from various government departments checking up on themselves. Labour regularly have a read as well as various State funded lackys from the likes of Cindy Kiro's office and the mad Greens.

Googlers have been searching for stories on the truckers protest, Ian Wishart's Absolute Power Book, political polls and anti smacking topics.

The Google searches have however plumbed some disturbing depths this last week.

I have had 3 separate searches detailed as follows, "Helen Clark Naked" and they end up here on Political Animal. Now I know Ms Clark is attractive to her University lecturer husband but I question the sanity of the Googlers.

darrenrickard.blogspot.com/2008/02/helen-clarks-slipping-teflon-makeup.html
darrenrickard.blogspot.com/2008/02/helen-clarks-slipping-teflon-makeup.html
www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7HPAA&q=Helen clark naked&btnG=Search


Can one of my readers tell me if there is a supermodel out there with the same name as the New Zealand Prime Minister?

c Political Animal 2008

The backlash has begun

Today's protest by truckers, and over 5000 trucks, over the surprize increase in road user charges foisted on them is merely a symptom of a much wider malaise brought on by the nanny state Labour government.


NZ Herald Coverage

• Your photos of truckies protest
• Herald photos of the truck protest
• Wellington truck protest (nzherald.co.nz)
• Reader video of trucks in Auckland
• Christchurch truck protest (nzherald.co.nz)
• Queen St - home to cappucino commuters and logging trucks
• Clark says backdown on road user charge price rise unlikely
• Auckland Protest
  

I asked in a column last year when will Kiwis get angry, when will the backlash start? and I ruminated thus:

I'm just wondering to myself, when is there going to be a backlash? Where is the anger, the outrage, the venom, has Clark's regime breed the mongrel out of us?

I have a feeling we have seen the the answer today.

The Electoral Finance Act protests last year, which I participated in, just didn't gel with "middle New Zealand", truckers got the job done.

At the hand of a rapacious spending and wildly out of control tax system workers finally have a chance to revolt against the revolting.

Even traditional Labour voters are disillusioned. They have historically have been supporters of the "workers party" and these voters have seen Labour spending their hard earned tax dollars on things like billion dollar train sets and flashy ministerial cars while they have to cut back.

The country is in recession and headed for worse, and all Annette King can do is raise taxes for truckers , thereby making it harder for working kiwis because this affects the cost of all consumer goods.

As usual, Labour show their disdain and hatred for the working man and kick them when they are down.

The response from Ms Clark today when asked about whether she heard the convoy of 300 trucks passing the parliamentary precinct tooting their horns?

"I didn't hear it and was too busy doing more important work".

The speeding motorcade at 170km through a 50km zone to get to a rugby game a few years back elicited the same response from Ms Clark, she didn't notice, hear or see anything.

It seems, to get Ms Clark or anyone else in the Labour cabinet to take notice of what is going on around them she would have to be slapped across the face with a semi-trailer full of National Party voters, but of course it is an offence now to reprimand silly little children.

We had a big march of 40000 up Aucklands Queen St in 1981 and riots in the same street in 1984 because we had a National government that just wouldn't listen to its people and Robert Muldoon, the Prime Minister, was ousted in a landslide that same year.

New Zealand is facing similar tough times at the moment and the deafening silence from those in power doesn't bode well come election 2008, and that dear readers is good news for us all.

Related Political Animal Reading

Waiting for the backlash
Commerce Commission needs to derail KiwiRail owners

c Political Animal 2008

NZ HERALD: Truckers extend middle finger to Labour Government(UPDATED 9.11 am)

9

Three trucks block the Auckland motorway at Ellerslie. Photo / Keran McKenzie

Updated 8:24AM Friday July 04, 2008
By Mathew Dearnaley

• Mayor Banks on Auckland protest
• Govt under fire over RUC
• Photos of truckies protest

Truck blockade

• Nats attack new fuel tax law
• First-time protester gets ready to roll

Check traffic conditions in your city using live webcams.

Wellington traffic cam
Christchurch traffic cam
Auckland traffic cam

Truck drivers have started doing laps of Auckland's central city as their protest against increased road-user charges gets under way.

Blockades have been organised in 12 other cities and towns from Whangarei to Invercargill between 7am and 9.30am today.

Traffic was at peak flows about an hour earlier than normal this morning as commuters attempted to avoid gridlock.

In Auckland's CBD, truckies are driving laps from Auckland's Town hall, up Mayoral Drive, Greys Avenue, Pitt Street, Karangahape Road and back onto Queen Street.

The inside lane heading south on Queen Street has been completely blocked by parked trucks and a short while ago an ambulance with lights flashing and siren on was forced to go onto the wrong side of the road.

Protest organiser Chris Carr said: "That is our worst nightmare. We don't want to block those guys."

Organisers met with Auckland City mayor John Banks this morning and thanked him for allowing the protest to go ahead.

Mr Carr said the mayor replied: "There was nothing we could have done to stop you."

Driver Mark McFetridge said the Government should have consulted on the road user charge increase.

"I cart supermarket freight. What do you think that is going to do to your food prices," he said.

Dave Swale, from Swale Earthmovers in Helensville, said diesel prices had doubled in less than three years. "The Government is flogging us to death," he said.

Further south, a convoy of vehicles has been rolling through Penrose on Great South Road, honking their horns and three trucks have blocked the motorway at Ellerslie.

Truckies arriving in Hamilton have been met with support from locals.continued

**Political Animal supports the truckers middle finger to this government and its arrogant attitude towards the lifeblood of our economy, the transport industry, and New Zealanders support them as well.

Commerce Commission needs to derail KiwiRail owners

When your competitor sets the rules for competition you know there is something horribly askew.

With the buyback of Toll Rail, in the form of KiwiRail, the New Zealand Government, by way of legislation, can pass any sort of tax, competition law or edict, making things difficult for rail's competitors, the trucking industry.

Even before Toll Rail passed into taxpayer hands midnight Tuesday 1 July, a deal had been stitched up to allow free rentals for several years, on freight depots for the trucking division, the only profitable part of Toll's NZ freight business that the NZ government let them keep.

When that was proven too politically volatile for the public to swallow, the check book was pulled out again and NZ$18 million of taxpayer cash was added to the initial purchase price to put Toll's trucking division in a enviable position when compared to its competitors,.

Now the skewing of the fork when it comes to competition in the freight sector continued with an up to 10% increase in road user charges for diesel trucks on Tuesday July 1, the same day rail was renationalised.

So what is happening here-avoiding the obvious political point of using taxpayer money-is that money and legislation is being used by the government to not only give corporate welfare(sorry I couldn't help myself) to a private company by handing them $18 million bucks to compete against other private trucking companies, but you have the owner of an inefficient, loss making business that will never make money, trying to even the competitive playfield, for them, by penalising its competition with extra taxes!

My head is dizzy with vitriol!!

I will be indirectly hit in the pocket here because I own shares in Mainfreight[MFT] a very competitive, efficient and profitable transport player . Toll trucking have a definite competitive advantage over such companies with that $18 million of taxpayer funds in their back pockets.

Like the State run Air New Zealand[AIR] freezing out competition in the domestic airline industry, the squeeze on transport and trucking companies by the Labour government will continue as long as they remain in office, because rail just cannot compete on a even footing.

Finally, the main point of this column was to make a point to the Commerce Commission, who always check out this blog when their name is mentioned, and one of their office drones googles over a soy latte to find out who is talking about them. Such actions described above are clear violations of competition law.

Instead of salivating over hot State funded QC's appealing against the The Warehouse[WHS] case that you lost in the High Court why don't you get off your ivory soaked easy chairs and do something in the trucking business Vs KiwiRail anti competitive case.

Government's actions via their ownership of KiwiRail make their anti-competitive moves against the private transport industry a banner case.

To win this Ms Rebstock, Chairman of the CC {photo above} would be an easy case and get you the attention that you so obviously desire.

I'm waiting with baited breath for you to file your writ against KiwiRail.

Tell me when to exhale.

Related Share Investor reading

Why did you buy that Stock?[Mainfreight]
Mainfreight keeps on truckin
The history of The Warehouse takeover players indicates a long and winding road
Day of protest by truckers against tax

c Share Investor 2008

Day of Protest by Truckers against Labour's surprise tax(UPDATED)

The massive surprise price increase of road user charges on Tuesday, after the Minister of Transport Annette King promised a lead in time so transport operators could plan ahead, has backfired on the Labour Government.

Annette Kings answer to the truckers protest? She described the proposed protests as "outrageous" and the transport industry "hasn't been paying their fair share".

Good blue collar workers being called outrageous for sticking up for themselves after Anette King breaks a promise, by a Labour Government! Where will it end?

Truckers, who are the lifeblood of any economy, will be protesting in all major centres this Friday 4 July (Independence day!) Auckland action will be taken between 7.30am and 9am, with more than 1,000 trucks converging on Queen Street.

The price rise comes at a time when the economy is in recession and transport operators have been pushed to the brink by high taxes, high diesel costs and legislative red tape. The rise will also hurt kiwis, who are already struggling, because the higher user charges mean higher costs for food, gas and other consumer goods.

The kick in the guts yesterday was that the same day our Government took control of what they are calling KiwiRail, the private competition to KiwiRail, the trucking industry, was being taxed again by the owners of the rail company.

Political corruption at its highest.

The irony here, isn't lost on most intelligent individuals, when Ms Clark accused John Key, in Parliament today, of corruption over owing shares in NZ Rail back in the 1990s while Key was advising on a sale of the company through Bankers Trust. This turned out to be yet another lie by the Prime minister.

Just like the massive financial failures KiwiBank, KiwiSaver (I see a pattern forming here) and Air New Zealand, we have in KiwiRail a company that will use taxpayer funds to compete with private enterprise, while making the competition rules up themselves!!

My dear old departed Dad, who was a truckie himself, would be out in his home town of Hastings protesting this move by Annette King and the Labour Government.

This is corrupt practice, by a desperate and corrupt government with a dishonest Prime minister.

Get out there Friday in your town and tell these meddling socialists who is boss.

It ain't and never should be them.



Related Political Animal Reading

Day of Protest over EFB : Auckland Nov 17, 2007
Helen Clark & Jenette Fitzsimmons knee deep in Windflow Technology conflict of interest
Reality needs to bite
KiwiRail will cost Mainfreight

c Political Animal 2008

You can take the family out of South Auckland

Yet another slap in the face for the repeal of section 59, or the "anti smacking" law. The latest death of a 7 year old boy in Nelson, shows the failure that this law is. Deaths and beatings have actually increased, which is, with thick irony, because of the relaxation in the law.

Just like the removal of corporal punishment in schools over 20 years ago -and we have the knuckle dragging hand wringer Cindy Kiro, who was at the forefront of the removal of section 59 bleating about bullying in schools today(cant you see the connection Cindy!)- we are beginning to see that the anti smacking law will breed more violence, teachers have found that out and parents now know this to be the case and our kids will suffer badly as a result.

In the meantime more innocent good parents are being victimised by police and government bureaucrats for slapping their child on the wrist.

The family concerned in the NZ herald story below are originally from that successful social experiment in South Auckland, where welfare is king, personal responsibility is a four letter word, and dependence on the State rules.

5:00AM Thursday July 03, 2008
By Elizabeth Binning and Beck Vass

Police at the Stoke house where the 7-year-boy was found dead. Photo / Tim Cuff

Police investigating the "suspected homicide" of a 7-year-old boy have arrested a former South Auckland man and charged him with assault.

The man, believed to be the boy's stepfather, will appear in the Nelson District Court today.

Police started a homicide inquiry after being alerted to the boy's death at his Stoke home by ambulance staff about 11.40am.

It is the second suspected child abuse case this week.

A 3-year-old Avondale boy was still fighting for his life in the Starship hospital yesterday after being admitted on Monday.

Police were tight-lipped on details of the Nelson inquiry but the Herald has learned it is a suspected child bashing. Continued

Related Political Animal Reading

Police called as toddler fights for life
Sascha Cobern's letter to the Editor of the NZ Herald
Anti-smacking petition a slap in the face for out of touch Politicians
Sign the Anti Anti smacking petition
Cindy Kiro gets violent

c Political Animal 2008

NZ HERALD: Police called in as toddler fights for life

Yet another child is injured. Just as many, if not more children have been hurt or killed since the anti smacking legislation was introduced over one year ago.

This is an indictment of failure for this legislation and common sense suggested before it was passed that the bill was about restricting parents rights and increasing State influence rather than caring about our kids.

Cindy Kiro, Susie Bradford and Especially Ms Clark should hang their heads in a collectivist shame.

What they will do while our kids are being bashed like the one below though is wring their hands as they always do, and tell New Zealanders that it is "everyone's fault", not the bad parents fed by Labour's Welfare State that are responsible.

5:00AM Wednesday July 02, 2008
By Elizabeth Binning

A child abuse team was alerted after the toddler's injuries raised suspicion. Photo / Martin Sykes

An Auckland toddler is fighting for his life after being taken to hospital with serious injuries that are now being investigated by police.

It is understood the 3-year-old Avondale boy suffered the injuries while in the care of his family early this week.

The family are believed to have sought advice from relatives in Glen Innes before the boy was taken to Starship hospital on Monday afternoon.

Police were alerted to the possible case of child abuse by medical authorities at 4.30pm.

The Herald understands the boy has several injuries, including serious head injuries. continued

Related Political Animal Reading

Sascha Cobern's letter to the Editor of the NZ Herald
Anti-smacking petition a slap in the face for out of touch Politicians
Sign the Anti Anti smacking petition
Cindy Kiro gets violent

c Political Animal 2008