Labour’s heartland bus trip
This week’s three-day caucus road trip in the lower North Island was a great way for Labour to get out and about in provincial New Zealand and meet with people in their communities.
We stopped at Wanganui, New Plymouth, Levin, Hawera, Stratford, Waitara and Eltham, visiting more than 30 schools, businesses, farms, local government organisations and community service providers.
We held community forums in Wanganui and New Plymouth. Both venues were packed with locals and there were lively discussions.
Nine months into a National-led government some definite themes are beginning to emerge in our communities.
People are telling us they are unhappy with government inaction on jobs and that cuts in the Budget to longstanding community services including adult education and night schools are extremely worrying.
Labour will continue to get out among our communities to listen and learn.
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Kiwis deserve to know why the SAS is going back to Afghanistan
The Government has given no reason for this week’s decision to send the SAS back to Afghanistan, other than the US has asked for it.
Previous decisions by Labour to send the SAS to Afghanistan were made in the aftermath of 9/11, when very few people doubted that this was something which needed to be done to ensure global security.
But by 2005 the situation there had changed from a conflict focussed on removing an international terrorist group, Al Qaeda, to a civil war between the Afghan Government and local Taliban forces. Based on information we had as government, Labour made the decision not to renew the deployment.
We concentrated New Zealand’s efforts instead on the work of the Defence Force’s Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan Province where New Zealand is making a real difference for the better. The PRT won praise from the UN and others as a model for Afghanistan. It was effective and won strong support from the local people.
You can read more here.
There is a real risk that New Zealand forces engaging in conflict will result in the inadvertent loss of civilian lives, alienating local people, whereas the PRT has proven effective in winning the hearts and minds of Afghan people.
Is GST going up?
Is the Government softening Kiwis up for a rise in GST?
First we had Professor Norman Gemmell, the Treasury representative on the tax reform working group, pushing for a rise in GST to 15 per cent so that income taxes could be reduced.
Then we had Finance Minister Bill English refusing to rule out a GST increase at the National Party conference, but claiming he'd need some persuading before doing it.
Now this week he has noted that the official advice is "pretty straightforward … If you want to stop people spending more, put GST up".
He briefly touched on the impact that would have on low income earners – and he’s dead right about that. Increasing numbers of people are struggling to put food on the table and yet Bill English is ratcheting up the prospect of Kiwis having to pay more for basic goods and services.
National needs to come clean: Are people at the top going to get tax cuts while the less well off are left to pick up the tab?
Failure of leadership on climate change
The Government's climate change announcement this week makes a mockery of its claims to be aspirational for New Zealand.
The Government’s position is inadequate and unsustainable.
- Its target is not sufficient to roll back the increasing environmental and economic damage caused by climate change.
- It will not reach the standards likely to be set by any agreement in Copenhagen for developed countries.
- It will put at risk New Zealand’s trade and tourism by undermining our branding that we are “100% Pure”. Particularly in Europe this will risk the imposition of border taxes and commercial boycotts against our products.
- It will put the financial burden of meeting Kyoto obligations on the taxpayer, not the polluter, and will reduce incentives for changed behaviour.
The Government is intent on creating fear among the public by using misleading figures for the costs individual Kiwis would be expected to pay, to justify its inadequate greenhouse gas pollution reduction targets.
Nick Smith claims the targets would cost individuals $30 a week by 2020. But independent analysis suggests the cost would be about $2.80 a week.
Once again, it's smoke and mirrors stuff. We should aspire to better.
Final word
MPs and former MPs’ expenses have been under debate in the last couple of weeks. Of course MPs have to have the resources to do their jobs, and most certainly on our side, they work conscientiously and do long hours.
However at a time of recession when many people are struggling to make ends meet it is really important for MPs to use resources with restraint. New and transparent disclosure laws will help ensure this is the case.
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