Author: John Minto

I’m always in two minds about making submissions on parliamentary legislation. Is the time spent worthwhile when the government of the day won’t want to change the legislation anyway?

Privatisation of water supply – like all privatisations – would accelerate inequality in Auckland just as Labour and National’s privatisation policies of the past 35 years have done so.

This case has not so much to do with New Zealand in one sense. In reality you are facing the wealth, power and wrath of corporate America who argue they have lost unearned income through filesharing services you helped provide for internet users.

Under Winston Peters (Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Ron Mark (Minister of Defence) government policy on the Middle East has taken a great stride to the right. It was always pro-Israeli and never pro-Palestinian but Peters and Mark have taken New Zealand further to the right and closer to the US position.

The only transformation in the budget is a transformation in the meaning of transformation.