Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Forget the forecasts - free up the restrictions

One: Unemployment could rise to 18 per cent, house prices could halve, and the viability of the banks could be "called into question" if the coronavirus prompted a further period of economic lockdowns, the Reserve Bank has warned.

Two: Unemployment is likely to peak at only 8.1 per cent and not until March 2022, according to a relatively upbeat forecast by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

The first is more than double the second. I'm in the middle. But apart from Treasury trying to guess the size of the expenditure it's pretty futile. Trying to make people feel 'upbeat' isn't going to save their job.

We need action and activity immediately.

The Prime Minister is now clearly the one with the foot on the brake. ACT and Winston First are both calling for a move to level one. National appears neutral. Useless as usual.

3 comments:

pdm said...

I don't think you are going to see much action from the Prime Minister - she likes being in control far too much.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Her control freakery is freaking me out.
I was giving her the benefit of the doubt and calling a Messiah Complex.
But its starting to look distinctly more Machiavellin.

oneblokesview said...

The problem KIndy Cindy has is of her own making.
Ie ramp up outrageous fear amongst the population so she can appear as saviour.

She will loose bucketfulls of support if/when(and it will happen) there is a surge in cases after she goes to Level 1.

The sheeple have been pre programmed to be scared.....It will not be easy for her to undo that with rational thinking. The leadership have no plan. This is obvious as all they can do is say. Lets wait and see, while we fiddle around and see how things are going.

Leadership???? NOT!!!!

As the Chief medical guy in Sweden said weeks ago.
The lockdown is the easy part.
Coming out of a lockdown will be incredibly hard.