My Right

"I have heard the consistent call in my electorate – from Tirau to Tawa - to oppose the Bill and put forward their views to my colleagues. I have advised the Prime Minister, as directed by my constituency, of the clear opposition to the Bill from the people of Te Tai Hauauru.

I believe that in putting forward this view, I have done nothing wrong. However I do accept the doctrine of collective Cabinet responsibility.

The caucus has today given me and Nanaia Mahuta leave not to support the legislation. I appreciate the respect the Prime Minister has shown us, and the sincere efforts she and senior Ministers have made to accommodate the diverse opinions within the caucus."

A spokesman for Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia said his minister, who walked out of an all day caucus at Premiere House earlier today, is not expected to make any further comment on her position in the Labour Party today.

The Prime Minister is presently holding a press conference concerning Ms Turia.

"“In his customary incoherent manner, Mr Peter has responded with a tirade of abuse, calling me a lapdog and making obscure remarks about worms and dogs,"” said Mr Dunne.

"“In the interests of conducting the politics of fact and not abuse, let me remind the country that during Mr Peters'’ disastrous rule as Treasurer and deputy Prime Minister, he

* had to sack one of his own party's ministers for refusing to follow the rules

* led an unprecedented walkout from a Cabinet meeting

* was himself sacked by his own party'’s Maori MP'’s because they had no faith in his leadership

* and spent millions of dollars of taxpayer money on a referendum on superannuation which turned into a referendum on his own performance. The final vote– 93% v 7% - was a resounding defeat for Mr Peters and his policies.

Mr Peters has also developed a reputation for getting involved in late-night brawls in Courtenay Place scarcely the mark of a man who claims he wishes to do nothing but good for the people of New Zealand.

Not only had the National Union of Public Employees raised its concerns with Ms Dyson, it had received a response from the minister. He said Miss Clark had promised to set new standards of openness, transparency and honesty but standards had never been so low.

She was also indirectly criticised three years ago when chief Employment Court judge Tom Goddard rejected her evidence of a meeting at which Social Services Minister Steve Maharey swore and criticised the way former Work and Income boss Christine Rankin dressed.

Justice Goddard said he preferred the evidence of Ms Rankin's witness. "There is definitely a pattern where, at the very least, you can say Ms Dyson is economical with the truth," Mr Carter said yesterday.

"We've taken a clear stance. We see it (the Government's plans) as straight theft and confiscation and we'll defend our lands as we see fit."

Monday's events had been amicable, he said. He contacted the exercise's organiser, Second Lieutenant Nick Hodge, who said he understood the group's concerns and would move the exercise to another location.

Group spokeswoman Jo McVeagh said students from environment groups all over New Zealand made the three-hour trek into the valley on Sunday to join the occupation.

"Our week-long occupation sends a clear message to business leaders and politicians that, as New Zealander's, we will not allow our natural heritage to be ruined to satisfy the business sector's greed."

"The OBERAC for the seven months ended 29 February 2004 is actually $740 million above forecast, so the plain and substantial fact is that the Government could adjust the income brackets for inflation, boost family incomes by $620 million, and still find itself about $120 million ahead of forecast."

Mr Copeland calculates that the CPI adjustment would result in a tax cut of $1.65 per week for those earning below $43,300, $14.52 per week for those earning below $68,400 and $23.23 per week for those earning over $68,400.

"What is actually unusual is that Helen Clark thinks she has any mandate at all to be putting together, by secret backdoor negotiations, legislation affecting the total coastline of the country. While it is in no way Helen Clark's fault, the fact remains the electorate has not been able to give clear instruction to the politicians. Helen Clark, Winston Peters, Peter Dunne and now the Greens, need to remember that parliament is called the House of Representatives. None of these politicians have any electoral mandate for the secret deals they are negotiating.

"It is obvious the government doesn't have a majority and it should seek a fresh mandate from the electorate."

National is committed to reducing personal income tax rates, and committed to a flattening of the tax structure. The current high rates at relatively low levels of income are a nonsense and must be reduced. Talented Kiwis will not put up with mediocre aspirations, and are not indifferent to the levels of taxation they face. They want to live in a dynamic market economy, not one strangled by an interfering government.
(later) Reducing tax rates over time does not require a government to slash spending,– what is required is that the growth rate of government spending is kept a little below the growth rate of the economy. That requires discipline.

National will provide that discipline, and deliver a sustained reduction of tax rates over the longer term, as an essential part of a strategy to boost the incomes of all New Zealanders, and make New Zealand a place where we, our children and grandchildren, will choose to live and work.

National MP Nick Smith said the Nielsen Media Research survey was carried out for the first seven days of the Maori Television which started broadcasting last month.

It "found not one person, zero, was found to be watching any of the Maori Television Service programmes," Dr Smith told Parliament.

Answering on behalf of Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen said he was surprised by the survey.

"That's surprising since I've met a number of people I know who have been watching Maori Television programmes. Of course other people may have been watching the nightly news to see how the member's getting on with his legal problems."

National Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says he has not been put off opening an art exhibition by Maori activist Tame Iti which has been billed as "Meet the Prick".

Iti, a Tuhoe artist, said the billing was not necessarily referring to Mr Brownlee.

"When I'm talking about 'the prick'. . .it's really about the system, the Crown, who is the system," he told National Radio.

'BEAT-UP'

Mr Sutton later said the report was "an enormous beat-up by Prof Kelsey", and a political rather than academic work.

"There is absolutely no merit in the story whatsoever," he said.

"New Zealand does not go around bullying Pacific Island countries, quite on the contrary we concentrate our overseas development assistance in the Pacific, and we try to help them.

"They have no show in the world of having a modern standard of living if they don't trade."

Prof Kelsey cost the Government a fortune in Official Information Act "fishing expeditions", Mr Sutton said.

"To me she is a complete waste of time.

"She has gone off around the Pacific looking up her old mates. . . anti-globalisation campaigners who always take the view that trade is bad, and that developing countries should be allowed to lead their simply blissful village lives without considering what that means in the way of poverty and ill health, and has come home with a nice glow thinking everyone in the Pacific agrees with her."

"Her career is to be radical and controversial, so that gets the students queuing up to prove how they reject the values of their parents, by signing up to her courses in large numbers."