National Now Officially Two-Tongued On Super - Cullen

"National's decision to appoint two spokespeople on superannuation - one for current and one for future retirees - should make all New Zealanders under 60 very nervous," Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today.

"The clear and only implication is that National plans to cut super' entitlements for those yet to retire.

"All that remains to be revealed is what form the cuts will take: an increase in the retirement age to 70, the reimposition of some form of means-testing, or a simple cut to the basic rate?

"The alternative being offered by the Labour-Alliance coalition is much fairer across generations and across income groups," Dr Cullen said.

"Only through partial prefunding can we protect the value of New Zealand Super through the cost pressures created by an ageing population without imposing an unfair tax burden on the workers of the future."

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>