robson-on-politics 4 June

robson-on-politics, a weekly newsletter from Matt Robson MP Deputy Leader of the Progressive Party www.progressive.org.nz

Progressive: positive about people and jobs

Fri 4 June

Strong hiring intentions are an anti-poverty tonic

On Tuesday, we got the results of recruitment firm Hudson's latest survey of employers about their hiring intentions. The exceptionally strong findings - a net 42% of employers will be hiring more staff before Xmas - lend support to the view that the lowest unemployment rate in a generation is set to continue. That is the best news possible in the campaign against poverty and social injustice that any of us could dare hope for. There is no better tonic against poverty and inequality than the availability of secure jobs and the offer of steady, adequate incomes. See: http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=954 and teh full report: http://www.hudsonresourcing.co.nz/documents/nz_july_december_2004_expectat ions.pdf

Progressive wants to invest more in education

If we as Progressive had it our way alone, we would move to lower student fees as a long-term investment in our future and the first step towards our goal of free education. The surplus would be lower and Progressive supports that to invest more in education. See full statement on getting big parties to come round: http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=963

Opposition should uphold rule of law

It is about time the leader of the conservative opposition parties, Don Brash, showed some spine. Tony Ryall on Tuesday issued an equivocal statement about speed cameras. He demonstrated that National isn't in the least bit serious about confronting the horror of the road toll. Numbers of speed camera tickets haven't gone up but the road toll has dropped by a third since the Easter start of "anywhere anytime" speed cameras. But Mr Ryall used four irresponsible words: 'Confidence in police drops.' Don Brash disassociate the National Party from Mr Ryall's views. There are some issues that even the grubbiest of political parties shouldn't play games with. This is one. http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=958

Sometimes its important to be humble

It would be best if politicians tried to be a little humble instead of attacking everyone but themselves for deficiencies in the law. Politicians from a number of parties are criticising judges for being 'active,' whatever that means. But all judges are doing, quite properly, is interpreting statute law or explaining common law. If some among us are unhappy at individual judges' interpretations of any particular law then all that really means is that clearly the law wasn't very well written. http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=959

Radio 531PI Sunday 12 - 1 is The Robson Hour. This week Matt talks with High Commissioner Hima Takelesi about rebuilding Niue and Ronnie Stewart-Ward about practical implementation of restorative justice. 531 on the AM band.

Selecting 20 priority Progressive 2005 candidates

Jim Anderton was last Saturday selected to carry the Progressive banner in Wigram in the general election. The Progressive National Executive has decided that our 20 priority candidates will be selected in the next four weeks. They also decided at the March meeting on a three-month campaign to raise $100,000. That campaign is on track to be achieved on target, on time. Wigram selection meeting vision address: http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=950

Hide can't win because others would jump to Nats

ACT is the party that entered the first MMP Parliament in 1996 and spent the following years in Opposition issuing unbalanced press statements with no influence. ACT will be thrown out in 2005 without ever having actually influenced or implemented one single policy it stands for. I did say I hoped (a little unkindly) Mr Hide would be the new leader. But this week Sir Roger Douglas killed my hopes. I guess he figured a Hide-led ACT would lose the little business funding it still has because Mr Hide has the uncanny ability to make potential overseas investors very sick. I guess Hon. Douglas realised a Hide victory means up to three other current ACT caucus members would seek to move onto the National Party list next year.

Some good news on Doha development round

While it may seem dull, important news that Dr Brash had a little good news from his Washington meeting with the U.S. Trade Representative. The Bush Administration is a little more upbeat about the chances of a successful Doha Development Round than it was last year. We need to pull down the unfair trade barriers that effectively lock-out the goods and services of agricultural and developing nations reaching the consumers of the richer markets. This week, the U.N. reported that over 30 nations face food emergencies. We need to invest in the human and capital infrastructure of the developing world (so-called foreign aid.) And also at the same time we must also open our markets to the goods and services they are competitive at (fair trade) to defeat poverty. The UN report: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10912&Cr=food&Cr1=shortage

More on this week's news at www.progressive.org.nz
> including boosting state housing and the NZ internet.

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>>