Robertson titled his column, “We can be a nation of sweet moderation – but only if we keep working at it”. The Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister appropriated Bragg’s “sweet moderation” line as a justification in the face of criticisms that his government had become moderate rather than “transformational”. In contrast to radicalism, he claimed that his type of “sweet moderation” was all about “giving everyone a fair suck of the sav” – i.e. Most controversially, the $350 Cost of Living Payment (COLP) was deliberately designed so that the poorest New Zealanders wouldn’t be eligible. TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com For Treasury to be to the left of Robertson says something about his “sweet moderation”.

Source: Stuff May 25, 2022 17:45 UTC