Wednesday, June 23rd, 2004

Disappointment at Budget's disincentive to work

The Prime Minister effectively acknowledged in Parliament yesterday that the Budget offers a disincentive to middle income earners to work overtime and the like, and that is very disappointing, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

"The Prime Minister told Parliament yesterday that middle income earners are just as well off on money obtained through the tax system as on money earned from working," said Alasdair Thompson, EMA's chief executive.

"This unfortunate remark is not the type of signal business wants to hear as they desperately stretch to meet labour and skills shortages.

"In an answer to a question the PM said people are just as well off on money coming into their pockets through the targeted tax rates announced in the Budget as from working overtime.

"The response underscored the Budget's focus of wealth redistribution.

"The signal bodes ill for New Zealanders' ambitions for a higher standard of living since redistributing the nation's income won't build a better education system or provide more health services."

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>>