Roger Sowry MP - National Party Energy Spokesman

15 December 2004

Labour's quick fix - another tax!

"Labour's answer to every difficult situation is to impose a new tax," says National Party Energy spokesman Roger Sowry, commenting after Pete Hodgson's decision to impose a new 'oil storage tax' on Kiwi motorists.

"National warned the Energy Minister in October 2002 about a looming long-running electricity crisis given the lack of investment in new generation. Seven months later in May, Mr Hodgson was imposing a new electricity levy, or tax, on consumers.

"In August 2002, National warned the Energy Minister of a problem with crude oil storage capacity, in December 2004 he finally reacts - by imposing a new tax on petrol.

"Labour can't help itself from increasing the tax burden on New Zealanders. National will do better," says Mr Sowry.

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>>