robson-on-politics Tues 09 Aug 2005

robson-on-politics, a newsletter from Matt Robson MP
Deputy Leader of the Progressive Party
www.progressiveparty.org.nz

Submissions on Alcohol Harm Bill close Friday

Progressive's Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill proposes to raise the alcohol purchasing age to 20, strengthen provisions relating to the supply of liquor to minors, and provide a restriction on TV broadcast liquor advertising before 10pm. The liquor barons are angry! Viewers of TV3 will get to hear the views of Mr Brash and Mr Hide - two guys that are out of kilter with the public on this vital social issue in the so-called "Leaders' Debate" on Thursday.

But TV3 has decided to become an active political player in our democracy by banning Jim Anderton and Peter Dunne from the debate. It is vital that we don't allow North American-owned media companies to define the terms of social debate in New Zealand.

It is absolutely crucial, therefore, that you get your submissions in to the select committee by closing date, this coming Friday. Forward 20 copies of your democratic submission to the Law and Order Select Committee, Parliament, Wellington.
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=136

Progressive List

Progressive's fifty-strong list offers experience, diversity and credibility in Election 2005. In coming editions I'm going to have something to say about our great candidates because they are an exceptional group of New Zealanders that I am so proud to be associated with. The Progressive Left Party has delivered more of its policies than any other Third Party. http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2018 http://www.progressive.org.nz/list

Malone recognition took longer than Kiwibank

Winning recognition for NZ patriot, Col. Malone, was an even harder job than winning the struggle to establish a New Zealand-owned nation-wide bank. The unveiling of a plaque in Malone's honour yesterday represented the culmination of 16 years of tenacious, determined advocacy by Jim Anderton who has been on this case since the day we all resigned from Labour in 1989 over the polices of the last Labour government in New Zealand history, including the policy of selling of our banking system including Post Office Savings Bank.
http://www.progressiveparty.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2013

Housing our people

Progressive housing spokesperson, Grant Gillon, is touring Auckland outlining our party's policy to do much more to help low income families get over the deposit gap hurdle which is locking them out of ever owning their own home.

The scandal of housing for low income families is also, Progressives think, an item worthy of news coverage by the North American-controlled TV channel that says it'll be having the "best election coverage" but proposes to ban the United Future and Progressive parties who have played an actually indispensable role in Parliament since August 2002 (Labour, Progressive and United, between us, have 61 seats, a bare majority)
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2016

ACT pinning hopes on TV3's bias

The ACT newsletter yesterday accurately stated that TV3s debate on Thursday night is absolutely crucial for Third Parties and the election outcome. "He who is not there is lost... One leader out of every debate has emerged the winner. We think it could be Rodney that drives the worm up," ACT’s The Letter said.

There is no question that TV3's interference in our democracy will bolster ACT's fortunes among centre-right voters who won't get the chance to hear the much more moderate centre-right leader alternative, Peter Dunne.

A friendly reporter, by the way, has just brought to my attention the fact that TVNZ's poll on Sunday, like the NZ Herald Digipoll of a week earlier, rated Jim Anderton as the fourth most preferred PM (fourth most popular party leader). The reporter also says Jim Anderton and Peter Dunne consistently rate above the leaders that TV3 has invited to their exclusive show on Thursday.

Apparently they have very good fortune-tellers at CanWest which permits TV3 to know things that the public don't in terms of the election outcome this year.

ENDS