14 August 2002

'Do Nothing' Reshuffle Slap In Face For United

Helen Clark's new Cabinet line up confirms that this is a 'do nothing' Government, National Deputy Leader Roger Sowry said today.

"This large executive is a slap in the face for Peter Dunne who has campaigned on reducing the size of the Government executive to 18. Now he is supporting the largest and most expensive executive since the 1980s.

"The Prime Minister has enlarged the executive to balance the left and the right. What we have is a raft of custom-designed job titles so that everyone can be in the executive rather than Clark choosing the best performers.

"In this reshuffle Clark has clearly moved Marian Hobbs sideways while retaining people like Judith Tizard and Margaret Wilson who have been failures. Left with a mirage of other MPs lacking talent she's had to leave several MPs treading water in their portfolios.

"It is no wonder the Prime Minister wants more control of how the media operates because she won't want the media to get near all these junior ministers," Mr Sowry said.

Ends

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Taxing Capital Gains: Tax Working Group Delivers Final Report

Group Chair Sir Michael Cullen says our system has many strengths but there is a clear weakness caused by our inconsistent treatment of capital gains.

“New Zealanders earning just salary and wages are taxed on their full income but we have several situations where you can earn income from gains on assets and not be taxed at all.

“All members of the Group agree that more income from capital gains should be taxed from the sale of residential rental properties. The majority of us on the Group, by a margin of 8-3, support going further and broadening that approach to include all land and buildings, business assets, intangible property and shares.” More>>