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

Coroner celebrates alcohol harm reduction bill

Kaipara coroner and drug abuse counsellor Bob Baanders summarised his response to my Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction Bill in one word when contacted by the Northern Advocate: "Hallelujah," he said. In Napier and Hastings this morning I am finding that people here, like the people everywhere around the country, overwhelmingly support my bill to tackle the harm caused by alcohol. They are disappointed and hurt that local electorate MPs Russell Fairbrother and Rick Barker won't even support my bill to select committee. All information about my bills is at:
http://www.progressiveparty.org.nz/drinking-age

The New Zealand Last Party

The United Nations, the World Court and the ILO are just a few of the meeting places where sovereign nations work together on common challenges on the basis of agreed moral standards and international conventions. The alternative to international co-operation is endless conflict and war. In recent weeks, we've seen a concerted campaign by NZ First (NZ Last!) targeting individual refugees amongst us. NZ Last's campaign is grossly unfair on the new Kiwis and also an attack on one of the critical parts of the international framework for peace and order - the UN High Commission for Refugees and its resettlement work. http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

Bye-bye WTO, hello Mickey Mouse Coalition

WTO director-general Panitchpakdi is warning the richest nations that the Doha Development trade round is in danger of collapse over their failure to be fair to the poor on agriculture and other matters. That has potentially dire consequences for global development and peace. The barriers that the richest nations put up actually shut out the efficient, mainly agricultural produce, of poorer nations.

Those barriers are literally impoverishing millions across the Third World. Rich governments spend NZ$140 billion a year on tariffs, quotas and subsidies. Those tariffs, quotas and subsidies are barriers that rob millions of the opportunity to fairly trade their way out of poverty - just as Europe, America and East Asia once traded their own way out of poverty. How a former NZ Ambassador to the WTO could give up this serious work, in order to get a shot at being inside a potential Mickey Mouse NZ First-United-National coalition government is truly mind-boggling. http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news05_e/dg_oecd_4may05_e.htm

www.20years.co.nz Promotes Alcohol Debate

The New Zealand Drug Foundation today launched a website to promote the return of the drinking age to 20 years. www.20years.co.nz contains concise, easy-to-read information about the debate on whether the minimum age to purchase alcohol should be 18 or 20 years of age. The key feature of the website is the roll call of MPs' voting intentions for my bill which seeks a return of the alcohol purchase age to 20 and controls over alcohol advertising. The site also features research and other resources relating to the drinking age and alcohol advertising. The site is: http://www.20years.co.nz

Don Brash's National Debt Party

National, United Future Outdoor and ACT all freely admit they want to increase significantly central government borrowings in order to deliver debt-financed tax cuts for all voters and, in National's case, "before Christmas." They are reverting to the debt-financed, fantasy-world promises last seen in the '70s. This is anti-New Zealand. The true cost of their Credit Card promises would be higher mortgage rates, followed by higher student fees, higher primary health costs, higher unemployment and lower living standards for most New Zealanders.

It is absolutely incredible that, when every demographer and economist in the country is forecasting that the profile of our population is set to dramatically age from 2010 onwards, the anti-development Right Wing parties have nothing to offer but bribes for today's voters to be paid for by all New Zealanders into the future.
http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1809

Party pills to be regulated

That's Progressive Jim's Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, which among other things regulates party pills, is closer to being law.. I was asked to comment on an incomprehensible statement on the Bill issued by a United MP which served to (a) indicate a failure to read Standing Orders by United and (b) highlight that United and the Greens will never work together in government. http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1815

ENDS

© Scoop Media