robson-on-politics April 19 2005

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

Tuesday 19 April

Budget 2005 - enhancing our productive capacity

The roll-out continues of the Labour-Progressive government's Budget 2005 initiatives. Jim Anderton will this week outline two initiatives to further promote the development of our creative industries.

In the past three weeks, Jim has announced multi million dollar forestry sector initiatives.

Progressive promotes these policies because they are about getting us up the value-chain so we can become a richer economy able to afford the sort of First World social policies to which New Zealanders aspire.

Check http://www.progressive.org.nz/budget2005 where our Budget initiatives will be posted as they are announced.
That’s
Forestry initiative:
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1679

Progressive promotes strong, safe communities

The Progressive Party also advocates within the coalition government for practical policies and programmes that advance our commitment to promoting strong, safer communities.

Ahead of Budget Day on May 19, we'll be releasing new funding for programmes that build on Progressive's Budget 2004 and Budget 2003 initiatives to reduce the demand for drugs, to promote individuals' and families' well-being, including early intervention for children.

All the information on our continuing commitment on fighting drugs is at www.progressive.org.nz/anti-drugs
That’s http;//www.progressive.org.nz/anti-drugs
Building on our 2004 anti-drug initiatives:
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=930
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=929
and on our 2003 initiatives . . .
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=171
http:// www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=174

Investing in businesses, jobs

The share market had its worst day in almost two years yesterday largely in reaction to a feared economic slowdown in the United States. The reason Progressive is so strongly committed to upgrading the productive capacity of our economy is to diminish our vulnerability to offshore market swings and roundabouts. We want to further weaken the link between our economic and social fortune, and global commodity market cycles.

In this year's election, the Progressive Party is campaigning to bring our corporate tax rate into line with Australia's, because we want to further enhance New Zealand as a base to do business and create jobs. Sweden did this with the EU, and have been able to boost employment and Swedish people’s social security.
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=104

Further reasons to offer graduate debt relief

University study in New Zealand is among the most expensive in the world, according to a North American-based research institute, the Educational Policy Institute. In this year's election, Progressive is campaigning on a policy proposing that for each year a graduate works in New Zealand after graduation, the government should meet the graduate’s student loan payments for that year.

We want your Party Vote so that our policy on graduate debt relief will be promoted by us as a priority in post-election policy negotiations with Labour. We want to have the same level of success that we had with Four Weeks Annual Leave, regional and industry development, and Kiwibank. All those have become coalition government policy over the past five years.
http://www.progressiveparty.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1334

ACT stung into action by robson-on-politics

I gently pointed out on Thursday that ACT was not complying with the obligations of being an incorporated society, and was within days of being struck off the register. It's obvious they were stung into action. Within 36 hours they had notified the Registrar of a change of address and on Monday filed outstanding reports for the years since 2001/02. And ACT president Catherine Judd’s email didn’t have a single word of thanks for my help.

Good books help make a civil society

In 1780, John Adams outlined how American culture might evolve. "I must study politics and war that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." His children's studies might permit his grandchildren the right to study painting, poetry, music.

Adams' prophesy foretold much of the richness of America in the 19th and 20th centuries, but a strange thing has happened. There has been a decline in average reading standards that is hurting businesses. The decline of reading is also taking its toll in the civic sphere and participation in the democratic process. There is a lesson there for us - Treasury last December reported that there are 535,000 functionally illiterate New Zealand adults.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/04/10/why_literature_matters?mode=PF> http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/04/10/why_literature_matters?mode=PF

Find more real Parliamentary news stories are at http://www.progressive.org.nz

ENDS

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