Adams: Bogus solution when Govt is the problem

The Government's new book and website telling small business how to cut through red tape is a classic case of creating the problem and selling the solution, United Future's commerce spokesman Paul Adams said today.

"This is tantamount to concocting a virus, releasing it, then trying to sell the antidote to those who fall ill," Mr Adams said.

"Here we have the telegenic Small Business Minister John Tamihere launching the book and the website, but one has to ask if it didn't occur to him that he wouldn't have to launch anything if the Government didn't impose these costs in the first place.

"Perhaps he should just hand every small business in the country a pair of scissors to cut through the never-ending stream of red tape.

"Small business owners and managers are already complaining of the amount of time they have to take off building their profits to attend to new compliance regulations. And now the Government wants them to take more time out to read and absorb this no doubt riveting tome.

"Let's have fewer gimmicks and more common sense cutting of bureaucracy please Mr Tamihere."

© 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>>