United's tax relief for the rich is a pre-election warning

The opposition United Future Party's ideologically-driven call today for tax cuts for those that least need it is a timely warning to voters ahead of next year's election that it is a party aligned to Don Brash and Rodney Hide, says Progressive MP Matt Robson.

"United is philosophically out there with Rodney Hide but is too embarrassed to say so clearly before people actually cast their votes.

"The only time United has been represented inside of a government was in 1996 when its leader, Peter Dunne, sat around the Cabinet table of a National-led government.

"You can't help noticing that United is not calling for tax relief to encourage research and development, or tax relief to encourage other job-creating investment in New Zealand. Such a call might make economic sense.

"Instead, United just demands income tax cuts for those on the highest incomes which would deliver no useful productivity gains to New Zealand – just extra spending money for those on the highest incomes to buy more imported goods," the Progressive MP said.

"United, like New Zealand First, is a center-right party that would do a deal with National after an election if ever they get a chance.

"And United, like NZ First, hasn't got the courtesy to honestly tell electors prior to a general election whether they would prefer a Labour-led or National-led coalition government. That is because they'd choose National and Rodney Hide if they ever got the chance but know it is not in their interests to be upfront prior to voting day," Matt Robson 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>>