New Zealand First Leader, Rt. Hon Winston Peters, is today expressing concern that the Inland Revenue Department has decided to close its sole West-Coast customer service branch in Greymouth, and is advising ‘customers’ to drive to Blenheim instead.

“This is unacceptable from the IRD, which promised only yesterday to start taking customer services seriously. It seems that tax officials are already laughing at the FEC Inquiry into their powers and are continuing to snub their noses at taxpayers.

“This also makes a mockery of the National Party’s promises of concern for West Coast people. The Coast has already been abandoned by Labour, and it is now obvious that New Zealand First is the only party that cares about this unique part of the country.

“ I am today contacting the Minister responsible and the Commissioner of Inland Revenue demanding to know why people in Hokitika, for example, are being advised to drive three hours to Blenheim to discuss their taxes,” concluded Mr Peters

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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>>