Carbon Tax Back On The Agenda

Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton today effectively endorsed the future shock of Government-imposed energy costs on rural New Zealand, ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff said today.

"Appearing before the Primary Production Select Committee today, Mr Sutton confirmed that the Labour Government will impose a carbon tax on all fossil fuels - despite the huge increase in fuel costs that has already hit New Zealand businesses.

"Exporters are already reeling from the extra security costs of exporting, and the costs of shipping going through the roof. Returns to exporters, because of carbon and fossil fuel taxes, will add an enormous burden to the productive sector of this country," Mr Eckhoff said.

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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>>