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Census 2013

Libz Prepare To Incinerate Census Papers

Libertarianz Party leader Richard McGrath today urged anyone who objects to the coercive nature of the five-yearly census to destroy their papers.

"Members of my party up and down New Zealand will be burning, shredding, defacing or ignoring the documents sent out by Statistics NZ, as would be their undisputed right in a free country."

"If the Bill of Rights Act 1990 had any teeth, it would protect those who don't wish to complete their census forms from police harrassment and prosecution. Article 14 of the act states: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.' This includes the right to remain silent and to refrain from writing."

"A lot of New Zealanders are concerned about where the information in these forms will end up, and whether it is necessary to collect the information in the first place."

"And many are worried that the government is paying lip service to its role as the defender of basic individual rights such as free speech and expression. This will be a test as to whether the Bill of Rights offers real protection or is a sham."

For more information, see libertarianz.org.nz

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Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

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Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

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