Libertarianz today questioned ACT's tax policy, wondering why government spending should not be slashed significantly and therefore taxation reduced even further. "The policy is a step in the right direction", said Libertarianz Finance spokesman Julian Darby today, "but they could have - and should have - taken a much bolder step".

ACT claims that a reduction in the tax rate from 33 to 20 cents in the dollar can be achieved without any cuts in government spending, will create 80,000 new jobs, and will see unprofitable businesses become profitable. "Why then," wonders Darby, "do they not follow their logic through and advocate the slashing of government spending, significant tax reductions, and the creation of even more real jobs."

"There are plenty of government departments just waiting to be abolished," suggests Darby helpfully, "including the Race Relations Office, the Human Rights Commission, and the Ministries of Woman's Affairs and the Environment."

"Their abolition would certainly produce a lot of new unemployables," concedes Darby, "but this would be more than balanced by the surge in employment opportunities for the genuinely productive."

"So the question is - why so timid?"

ENDS

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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>>