The Taxpayers’ Union is
welcoming the Prime Minister’s u-turn on Solid Energy,
after he indicated at today's Post-Cabinet briefing that it
was up to the banks as to whether the company went into
liquidation. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director,
Jordan Williams, says:
“As recently as six months ago, John Key was
entertaining the idea of even more taxpayer money being
given to Solid Energy. Taxpayers will be relieved to learn
that the Government has hardened its resolve and is leaving
the company to decide its own fate.”
“In Budget
2012/13 taxpayers stumped up $195 million to support this
flailing venture. It is a small consolation that the Prime
Minister has ruled out further
subsidies.”
“Irrespective of whether a company is
owned by the government, privately or as a mixed ownership
enterprise, taxpayers should not be footing the bill for
enterprises that can no longer support themselves.”
If you're using Scoop for work, your organisation needs to pay a small license fee with Scoop Pro. We think that's fair, because your organisation is benefiting from using our news resources. In return, we'll also give your team access to pro news tools and keep Scoop free for personal use, because public access to news is important!
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn. Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik... More
Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More
Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More
Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More
Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More