Are you a taxpayer who would like to attend a free 5 day course covering topics such as an overview of tax rebates, how to calculate your tax rebates, debt issues and assistance for employees? Well go jump!

The only free course currently on offer starts tomorrow, September 11, at the Wellington People's Centre, and is for beneficiaries - an overview of entitlements, how to calculate your entitlements, debt issues and assistance for children.

Does the Benefits Rights Service really understand that the money they are so intent on securing is very often coming from other low and middle-income New Zealand families?

Given that the Domestic Purposes Benefit will apparently be a "hot topic" why doesn't the Benefit Rights Service (BRS) offer a course in forming childcare co-operatives, sharing resources, updating work skills and working from home?

The BRS co-ordinator, Tina McIvor, says it is essential that members of our community strive for the kind of society they want. And what exactly is that?

One where alleged "need" is rewarded and self-responsibility and productivity are penalised.

Behold the new age of "self-help"!

Lindsay Mitchell
Petitioner for a Parliamentary Review of the DPB
Ph/fx 04 562 7944
e-mail dandl.Mitchell@clear.net.nz

© 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>>