GUEST BLOG: Ross Meurant – Past Labour Leaders words of wisdom
Taking a cynical view of the political damage to the government over the past week, I am compelled to reflect on words (which now appear to be of great wisdom) uttered by past Labour Leaders. (1)
Sir Wallace Rowling once said:
“As you find out once again in politics, don’t worry about your enemies, you can see them. It’s your friends you have to worry about. They come from behind.”
Not long after that, Mike Moore said:
“It’s in the opposite Party that members find their opponents and in their own Party they find their enemies.”
As I look upon the damage (as I perceive), of blowback on capital gains tax recommendations inflicted on the Labour Party component of the coalition government, I would say:
“With friends like Sir Michael Cullen, who needs enemies.”
For all the economic acumen which may underpin the finding of the taxation review committee, at the end of the day, politics is about being in power.
Being in oppositions is a waste of time even attending the House.
I’ve been in both camps.
If I was an ardent Labour supporter, I would say:
“Hey Mike! Why did you not introduce capital gains tax when you were finance minister?’
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Beat to the Beehive, Harlen Press 1989,p 3.
Ross Meurant:
After 21 years as a cop, Meurant resigned with the commissioned rank of inspector O/C Criminal Intelligence Section & V.I.P. Security; a nationwide profile role as a Red Squad riot group commander and an earlier reputation as a ruthless detective with a tendency to enforce the rule of police.
During 9 years as a Member of Parliament and the Executive as Under Secretary, he was accused of being an arms trader; was fired from the Executive by Jim Bolger for having a perceived conflict of interests (becoming a director of a Russian bank) and started the first political party to be registered under MMP.
After 4 years in the wilderness teaching kids to ride horse and property developing, he returned to Wellington as parliamentary adviser to Rt Hon Winston Peters where allegations of conflicted interests with roles he had with three major fishing companies and a race horse baron and later in false allegations of corruption culminating in the Scampi Enquiry.
From 2005 Ross lived abroad pursuing commercial options in Zimbabwe, the Balkans, Czech Rep, Syria, Russia, Morocco, UAE, Iran & North Korea.
Today in New Zealand he is trustee and managing director of NZ forestry and property assets owned by absentee Russians & Honorary Consul for Morocco.
Ross has a B.A. in politics; a Master’s in economics and law and COPs in law. He speaks Russian, rides horses and water-skis.
He is the author of:
Two biographies: The Red Squad Story & Beat to the Beehive.
Two novels: The Syrian Connection & Sex, Power and politics.
The issue of CGT defines where one stands on equality before the law.
Those who feel entitled to earn their money without being taxed are those blinded by greed and privilege and yet still capable of intimidation of government, or those who we call criminal.
No government that privileges some above the others deserves to be in office in a democracy. This is why it is so rare in the democratic world. It is our national shame, alongside child poverty and violence in the home.
CGT will take money from the middle class that will be frittered away by this coalition in an effort to stay in power . The poor will not see any of it and the rich will get fancy bean counters to avoid it. Small businesses will suffer unemployment will increase.
The countries existing tax take is amply if it was not wasted on unregulated free fees and Shane Jones vote buying fund
T. Sennitt -Eff Off. This makes 3. Total right wingers masturbating to the left. Get lost.
Enough already!
If the poor benighted ‘middle class’ feels so oppressed and etc – when are they going to form their next political party and try and convince the rest of us again? (Values. Green. Conservative. TOP.)
If your snark about ‘vote buying’ is indicative of the nouse held by the Oppressed Middle Class they have less chance than the ancient McGillicudy Serious party.
Unrepresented – and too idle to go political? Sure looks like it.
Jesus wept, Trevor, you really are digging a hole for yourself. You’ll excuse me if I don’t give a fucken ratsarse about the middle class having to pay tax on unearned wealth.
Pay your fucken taxes, you trougher.
The sooner a CGT is introduced the hysteria can die away and, the sooner we can get on with life.
@MJOLNIR….
The sooner a CGT is introduced the hysteria can die away and, the sooner we can get on with life.
….under a National government, and remember what life was like for the last decade…
Agreed, go away and count your pennies baby boomers. As for wheeling out Cullen, Bolger, Douglas…who’s next? You’ve had your go, it’s now time for change not political sentimentality
Steady on Jo, surely they bring essential experience, a steady hand, and strong and stable governance to take us all foward,?
We need to look back to go forward Jo, nostalgia, political or otherwise is who…what we are
It all comes down to how we understand wealth. Most comments here seem to count money as wealth rather than assets. Specially non financial assets. I think this is wrong. If the money supply was properly managed for all of society, instead of being managed by the organisations that profit from it, then the concept of a CGT would be pointless.
As it is , if you recognise that money is an arbitrary construction costing nothing to create, and being created at will by those with the privilege , it is unreasonable to be removing part of someone’s savings , as represented by investing tax paid equity because they chose to invest it in their own enterprise instead of a corporate investment company . The CGT just taxes savings . If it was possible to buy an equivalent property with the remainder it would be reasonable, but of corse it is not.
It is a sop to jealousy and will do nothing to redress the divide between the masses and the shrinking 1%. It will only further penalise and disincentiveise the small scale enterprises that provide the great majority of employment on New Zealand. Lacking the vision , the courage or the independence to take control of the money supply the government could look at the German laws on rental property which greatly strengthen the rights of the tenants , but how that would help the empty home syndrome we have here I’m not sure because it is not the landlords of property that is rented out that are causing a problem here it is the owners of housing that prefer to keep them empty to save the hassle of letting, and are in the game purely for the capital gain that are causing two serious problems. The cost of housing to first home buyers and the unavailability of rental property to anyone.
D J S