In Europe the discovery of nearly 29% of drug tainted horse meat in a frozen 100% beef burger revealed that much of the European processed meat supply was riddled with the stuff. While action is being taken to stop the scam taken by exploitative vendors, the victims of this fraud -the public- having been taken in, for how long no-one seems to know, are turning away in disbelief from the claims of 100% beef .

I hope the New Zealand public have not been taken in by the “new solutions” claimed by the Labour leader David Shearer at the Wainuiomata Rugby Club on 27 January. An analysis of his speech shows that it is a beef burger of a policy. Of course the regiment of one liners David Shearer flung around was reminiscent of street stall traders trying to flog shonky goods. Feel good promises piled on top of each other obstructed the view of the obvious faults which would negate any positive proposals apparently promised.

David Shearer rightly claims that “the Global Financial Crisis has exposed the frailties of the old economic wisdom” He later goes on to say “we will not accept the status quo”. However not only does the Labour Party and its leader ignore the exposure of the “frailties of the old economic wisdom”, but in their promises they confirm that they will accept the old economic so-called wisdom - and accept the status quo.

Just to make sure the Labour Party will continue to receive donations from the financial engineers and foreign owned banks, he claims that six in every ten New Zealanders support [Labour’s ] idea to make Kiwisaver universal. Of course, every opinion poll survey can be slanted to provide the answer sought. The kiwisaver scheme is a big scam -it’s a Ponzi scheme -it’s a Madoff plan. The stock market casino has to have fresh inflows of money to maintain its financial value. An extra $52 billion could be injected into the New Zealand stock market by 2066 if 80 per cent of workers were in KiwiSaver and the contribution rate raised to a combined 10 per cent, according to the chief executive, a former Labour government minister, of a financial services lobby group.

In any case all the money saved over several years is reduced in quantity because of the deduction of management fees and transaction costs . Profits can only accrue if there is more money consistently flowing in than being taken out. If something adverse occurs to this trend, then the market collapses and its farewell retirement income. So it is vital for there to be an assured source of money -thus compulsory kiwisaver fits the bill, and pleases Labour's financial backers..

David Shearer’s statement that two thirds support Labour’s gradually raising the retirement age because this would save universal superannuation for future generations may be a true statement, but all that shows is how enslaved to the present financial system people’s expectations are. This policy negates the statement that Labour will not accept the status quo. They will.

There are several other instances in the address that confirms that Labour is a party of the status quo. The reality is that unless there is a programme of monetary reform undertaken, including New Zealanders owning their own money supply to be used for their benefit, all that David Shearer and his New Solutions proposals can be seen to be are as little more than pious platitudes.

New Solutions may be on the label, but the content is as tainted as the dodgy burgers.

- contributed by Michael Clatford, political commentator

Published: March 2013