MORE CONTROLS – THE SOCIALIST ANSWER

After cabinet the Government will announce its plans to regulate the electricity industry by levying each generator to provide dry winter capacity. All regulation produces unintended consequences. This regulation will remove the possibility of a market solution while distorting the energy sector further. What is wrong with the energy sector is there is not enough market.

DEATH AND TAXES

The Government failed to adjust the tax brackets for inflation in the Budget. It’s nine years since the $9,500 bracket was established! Fiscal creep has increased income tax $500 million since Labour was elected. In contrast the government has decided to index the funeral benefit to the CPI. They are taxing us to death but at least they will bury us – it's not for love they do it but to prevent the stink.

TREATY EDUCATION

The Budget provided $6 million for Treaty education. The socialist engineers believe that if only we were educated about the Treaty we would see it their way. Labour’s problem is that they claim the principles of the Treaty are whatever the Waitangi Tribunal says. No $6 million campaign can alter the fact that the Treaty industry is cargo cult politics.

INSTANT DEMOCRACY

Want to let Michael Cullen know what you think about no tax relief for businesses and working New Zealanders? Your views on government spending on America’s Cup challenges, Maori TV, Treaty education, etc? Instant democracy. ACT MPs will deliver the results of an Internet petition tomorrow before the Budget is voted on. Log on now and sign the petition at http://www.act.org.nz/petition.

JUST CAN’T COPE

Helen Clark has had the worst performances in question time by any PM since Bill Rowling was unable to handle Muldoon. Each week it’s a new failure and last week was the most serious yet. The government had dropped from the Resource Management Amendment No. 2 Bill the term “ancestral landscape” when it was realised it covered any land once owned by Maori – i.e. every part of the country. [Readers will recall that The Letter pointed this out months ago.] Clark then told Paul Holmes and parliament that the select committee was to blame. Clark was forced to make a personal explanation that she as Minister of Culture had written to the Minister of Conservation requiring the term to be added to the RMA. Clark now excuses herself saying she signs hundreds of pieces of paper. Clark as Minister of Culture signs very few Ministerial legislative instructions. Clark was scathing on Jenny Shipl

ANOTHER QUESTION TIME FAILURE

Clark walked off the stage and refused to answer any more questions at the traditional Auckland Chamber of Commerce post Budget lunch. Some 500 Auckland business people paid to hear Clark’s post Budget views – a dull, uninspired speech. Then came question time. The first two questions were innocuous. Question three: “My question is in two parts. The Labour government rightfully believes that tax cuts deliver prosperity...because you have given Maori enterprises a tax cut...Why not give all New Zealand enterprises the same opportunity to prosper? Part II: Do you and the Labour government subscribe to the basic principle that all New Zealanders are equal before the law...and one class of citizenship? ” Helen Clark waffled saying that would be the ideal. The questioner said, with respect you have not answered the question. The audience agreed and began heckling. Clark replied that he s

WHO IS FUNDING LABOUR

Every year the Electoral Commission publishes political party donations. Usually the media write anti-ACT stories – this year, silence. Last election ACT donations over $10,000 totalled $88,971.24 ($50,000 anonymous.) National got $528,167.71 ($200,000 anonymous). Labour $671,719.00 ($446,681 anonymous). The Engineers’ Union gave $70,000 and received back a so-called trade union education grant of $482,000 (a real scandal). ACT is funded by many small donations. It’s Labour that’s the Party of wealthy lobbyists. See http://www.act.org.nz/money for donation details.

WHERE ARE THE GREENS?

MPs are complaining that they can no longer buy NZ-made apple juice from the lunch bar in parliament. Bellamy’s has signed a contract with a multinational soft drink company to provide only soft drinks like Coke. Not a word of protest from the useless Green Party.

DIS-UNITED?

The recent increase in the excise duty on sherry and port (to “save young people”) was a confidence motion where Labour needed the vote of the United Party. United voted one short. Rumour has it one United MP refused to vote for the measure saying it was just a tax grab.

JOBS FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS

The latest cabinet reshuffle has made the Clark Ministry the biggest in NZ’s history. Most Labour MPs now have an extra salary, car, etc. Three MPs have been named Ministers of State meaning they just get the money and no job description.

JOB VACANCY

The ACT parliamentary unit has a vacancy for a press secretary. The job involves handling press and media for ACT MPs. Media experience is an advantage but we will consider an applicant with journalism school and life experience. Ability to write well is a requirement. Apply electronically with a copy of your CV to ACT's Head of Staff at mailto:act@parliament.govt.nz. This message has been brought to you from the ACT New Zealand Parliamentary Office

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