Media Statement
For immediate release

Wednesday 11 February 2004

United Future delighted by family assistance package

Under questioning from United Future’s revenue spokesperson Gordon Copeland, Finance Minister Michael Cullen today revealed that the family assistance package, which will be a centrepiece of this year’s Budget, will total around $1 billion per annum once it is fully implemented.

Dr Cullen also confirmed that the qualifying criteria for assistance will take into account the number of dependent children in the family.

Mr Copeland said “Frankly, I am delighted at the size of this package since previous indications from the Minister were that it might be at around only the $500 million level.

“United Future would want to go even further with income splitting for tax purposes for couples raising children.

“ However it must be admitted, and I think celebrated, that this new $1 billion package has the potential to transform the lives of many New Zealand families and raise living standards especially for the 24% of our children who are present living close to or below the poverty line,” he said.

Ends

© 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>>