The New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters, said today that Members of Parliament are elected to govern New Zealand – not Treasury bureaucrats.

He said that he was concerned to learn that Treasury papers had “told” the Government that it will need to rein in social spending and should begin thinking about cutting spending on health and education.

“This is not the job of Treasury. It is supposed to provide an expert forecasting and advisory service and act in an impartial manner. It should not be telling any government of any colour what to do.”

Mr Peters said that at the same time as Treasury officials “told” the Government to curb social spending, they were also advising it to pass legislation for tax cuts before the election.

“These highly paid state employees want more money for themselves and their greedy mates at the expense of hospitals and schools.

“There is no money available for tax cuts and these officials are scared that a more moderate centrist government will stop them in November.”

Mr Peters said that the Government needed to take control of Treasury and remind its officials that the elected representatives of the people make the political decisions – not the bureaucrats on the Terrace.

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>>