Gravy, Anyone?

Thursday 25 Mar 2004

Dr Muriel Newman Press Releases - Social Welfare

Recent revelations about the Government's highly questionable spending through the Community Employment Group's Social Entrepreneur Fund are simply a snapshot of Labour's blasé attitude toward taxpayers' money, ACT New Zealand Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

"In my Column today, `All Aboard The Government Gravy Train', I have outlined a number of questionable initiatives which were funded through these grants," Dr Newman said.

"And it is not just frivolous spending on hip-hop research, or gay and lesbian sports - it seems that Labour is now in the habit of funding tertiary study for select students.

"I am also looking into whether some of these grants have been awarded to political friends of the Labour Party. If it is true that more than $50,000 in taxpayers' money was awarded to the Government's political cronies and mates, then it is clear: Labour is nothing more than a gravy train government that looks after its own," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

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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>>