4 March, 2004

Brash bribe kills super security

The Green Party is calling on National leader Don Brash to tell the truth about the impact of his proposed tax cuts on every New Zealander under the age of 50.

"First, Dr Brash raised the spectre of people having to work longer before they're eligible for superannuation," Green Co-leader Rod Donald said today. "Then he claimed he would change nothing if he became prime minister.

"He needs to tell the truth. His promise to cut taxes for companies and high earners will make lifting the age of entitlement for superannuation inevitable.

"The fact is that every New Zealander under the age of 50 would have to pay the price for his attempt to bribe the corporate sector into backing National at the next election.

"Dr Brash claims he's calling for honesty in the way in which political parties deal with the superannuation issue. In that case, I challenge him to renounce his party's commitment to Part 1 of the New Zealand Superannuation Act.

"National has signed up, under Schedule 4 of the Act, to the guarantee that 'Every person is entitled to receive New Zealand superannuation who attains the age of 65 years.'

"New Zealanders under the age of 50 need to know now whether they will have a secure retirement income when they reach 65 if National ever becomes the government.

"Unlike National, the Green Party believes that current superannuation entitlements are sustainable. Along with National and Labour, we have committed to Part 1 of the Superannuation Act but we disagree with the government that the Cullen super fund is the best way to give kiwis the certainty and security they deserve in their retirement.

"Instead of National's tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy or Labour's sharemarket gamble, the Greens want government surpluses to be invested in making our economy sustainable and ensuring that our young people are well-educated, healthy and productive citizens."

Details of the Green alternative to the Cullen super fund can be found at: http://greens.co.nz/searchdocs/speech5408.html

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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>>