Copeland queries Cullen’s mindset

United Future’s revenue spokesman Gordon Copeland is disturbed at the mindset being displayed by Revenue Minister Michael Cullen’s in his recent remarks on tax.

“Dr Cullen is quoted in the papers as saying that he has never ruled out any changes to tax, but has simply suggested that there are other ways that the government is going to be spending money,” said Mr Copeland.

“I note that the emphasis in such comments are always on spending money, rather than on reducing tax.

“Government only has money to spend which it has first collected from the people by way of tax.

“Dr Cullen should remember that were he to cut taxes, and it is certainly the time to do that, he will be collecting less, not spending more.”

© 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>>