Dunne & the Budget’s family assistance moves

United Future leader Peter Dunne is applauding the dramatically increased assistance in the Budget for New Zealand’s working families, but remains concerned by the means through which the assistance is delivered.

“There is no question that families with combined incomes of between $15,000 - $80,000 need significant help to raise their children and meet the everyday costs of living,” he said.

“United Future has been saying from day one that families are the cornerstone of our communities and our whole society. Any assistance that strengthens them is to be welcomed.

“I am also very glad to see that the Government recognises there must be a gap between working families and those on a welfare benefit, otherwise where’s the incentive to get back into the workforce?

“But I remain troubled by the process: why on earth do we continue with the complicated process of taxing New Zealand families, filtering the money through an extensive bureaucracy and then handing it back in a complex process of family allowances, child allowances and the like?

“Why not simply change the tax rates so that working people are taxed less, keep more of their own money and make their own decisions about how they spend their own money?” he asked.

“As the party that has consistently supported the New Zealand family, United Future will be supporting any necessary legislative changes that flow from this Budget,” said Mr Dunne.

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>>