John Minto

Big ups for New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd who last week led a hikoi from New Plymouth to Parihaka to help local Pakeha get a better understanding of Te Ao Maori.

Tenants of council-provided social housing face the risk of eviction after the government misled councils into putting council housing into private housing trusts believing this would give them access to the government’s IRRS (Income Related Rental Subsidy).

If Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee felt nauseous when he shook hands last week with renowned war criminal and Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon he didn’t show it.

Last weekend’s New Zealand Housing Summit was an eye-opener to the heavy, hidden cost to our children of the housing crisis for low-income families.

Socialism in New Zealand will be different to what it looks like in any other countries because each country has a different history and different realities. However the principles of socialism are common everywhere and will be reflected in the kiwi socialism for which we are striving.

With the focus on the super-rich using New Zealand as a tax haven it’s worth remembering that even without tax evasion the rules here in New Zealand are so distorted that the super-rich, like Prime Minister John Key, pay a pittance in tax while the lowest paid workers bear the heaviest tax burden.

Keeping New Zealand and New Zealanders safe is best done by the police under strong democratic oversight through parliament. We should abolish the SIS and GCSB – they contribute only to make New Zealand a target for terrorism.