Newest MP flummoxes Deputy PM in debut

Wednesday 1 Dec 2004

Kenneth Wang - Press Releases - Economy

In Question Time this afternoon, ACT Small Business spokesman Kenneth Wang left Dr Cullen flummoxed with his supplementary question to the Finance Minister.

"Today in the House I asked Dr Cullen: `What taxes, levies or duties has he reduced and by how much has he reduced them?'

"Dr Cullen responded: `I have to say Mr Speaker that the new member has found a better question to ask than any other member has done so far in this parliament. I actually can not think of a single one that I have reduced at this point.'

"That's fine that the Minister couldn't recall any examples of any reductions under pressure today. I am happy to give him until the end of the week to come back to me," Mr Wang said later.

Mr Wang's supplementary question followed his primary question to Dr Cullen: "How many new taxes, levies or duties, or increases to taxes, levies or duties, have there been since he became Minister of Finance, and how many more are planned?"

At the conclusion of the Opposition attack and Dr Cullen's dismissive answers, ACT Leader Rodney Hide tabled a list prepared by the Parliamentary Library of the 30 changes to taxes and levies since November 1999.

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>>