14 December 2004

Record Surplus Benefits Foreign Investors - Peters

The release today of the government’s financial statements for the past six months highlight its failings to run the economy for ordinary New Zealanders, said the Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“How can a government which is running such high surpluses fail in its most fundamental duty of providing adequate social services and a decent standard of living for many of its citizens?” asked Mr Peters.

“The Finance Minister’s own figures show that real incomes are not increasing, that there are looming disasters in our health and education systems and all the while he irresponsibly cries ‘all is well’.

“Sadly, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow, with those on fixed incomes, particularly senior citizens, being forced to eke out a meagre existence, while foreign owners and a few Kiwi fat cats continue to take all of the cream for themselves.

“This government should act immediately to raise the base rate of superannuation, the minimum wage and spend more on health, education and social services, which are slipping to third world standards.

“It is not good enough for this government to crow about its economic achievements while it turns New Zealanders into cheap labour for foreign investors and sends old people to poor houses.

“This is a country in which a TV front person gets $16,000 a week and an old person $250 a week,” said Mr Peters.

“Michael Joseph Savage will be spinning in his grave.”

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>>