Budget 2010 Daily News Alert - Tues, May 18, 2010

IN THIS EDITION: Press Conf. Audio On Leaky Homes and Kiwirail - Extensive Discussion Of Tax (incl. Gordon Campbell) - And A Quartet From Businesswire

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Businesswire - NZ investors' love affair with property fades
May 18 (BusinessWire) - New Zealand investor confidence in rental property has cooled in the past three months, and the popularity of other investment classes is gaining momentum, according to the latest ASB Investor Confidence Report.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00527.htm

Businesswire - NZ investors' love affair with property fades
May 18 (BusinessWire) - New Zealand investor confidence in rental property has cooled in the past three months, and the popularity of other investment classes is gaining momentum, according to the latest ASB Investor Confidence Report.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00527.htm

Businesswire - Govt comes to the party 25% for leaky homes
New Zealand to spend $1B over five years to meet 25% of leaky home repair bill
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00498.htm

Businesswire - Top tax rate cut to help halt brain drain: Key
tax rate cut essential to halting brain drain: Key May 17 (BusinessWire) - Cuts to the top rate of personal income tax will be part of a deliberate effort to encourage high-earning, skilled New Zealanders to stay in the country, Prime Minister John ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00497.htm

TAX

Gordon Campbell - Gordon Campbell: shifting rationales for tax cuts
When asked by Scoop at yesterday's post-Cabinet press conference to name a couple of countries where tax cuts had resulted in economic growth, Prime Minister John Key cited the United States.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00142.htm

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - The poor, women, Maori, Pacific workers core too
The Prime Minister's comments that workers should not be concerned when his second budget this week disproportionately favours the most wealthy in society because these people are "core and critical" to our economy is disrespectful and wrong, said ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00160.htm

Green Party - John Key defends inequality
John Key's patronising comment that Kiwis shouldn't be jealous if the rich get big tax cuts in Thursday's Budget show his Government's real attitude towards inequality, the Green Party said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00242.htm

Green Party - Government ignores systemic tax crime
John Key's Government is ignoring systemic income tax evasion choosing to reward tax avoidance rather than enforce tax law, the Green Party said today.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00241.htm

Institute of Chartered Accountants - GST rise overdue
Expected Budget hikes to GST alongside reduced personal tax rates will make the tax system fairer, says New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) Tax Director Craig Macalister.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00177.htm

Institute of Chartered Accountants - Tax Budget of the decade
This week¹s Budget announcement is a unique opportunity to set the stage for economic growth, says NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) Tax Director Craig Macalister.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00547.htm

Institute of Chartered Accountants - Back to the future Budget
Ring-fencing rental property losses has been tried before, and was easy to circumvent, says New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) Tax Director Craig Macalister.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00175.htm

New Zealand Alliance Party - National look after their cronies with tax boost
The Alliance says that National's proposed tax changes will take money out of the pockets of low to middle income New Zealanders in order to give people like John Key a handout of hundreds of dollars a week in tax cuts.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00172.htm

Alliance Party and Socialist Worker - GST on food should go, says campaign
Organisers of a petition to parliament to have GST removed from food say increasing GST to 15% will be bad for most New Zealanders.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00159.htm


LEAKY HOMES

Rory MacKinnon - PM’s Presser – Leaky Home Loan Scheme
Victims of leaky homes will get help with the cost of repairs under a new government loan scheme announced today – but homeowners will still pay half.
MORE >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00139.htm

New Zealand Government - Government announces leaky homes package
The Government has today announced its financial assistance package to help people get their leaky homes fixed faster.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00239.htm

r2.co.nz - R2.co.nz Video PM's Presser 17/5/10 - Leaky Homes
Video from Monday's Post-Cabinet Press Conference with PM John Key.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00141.htm

NZ Bankers' Association - Leaky Home Financial Assistance Package
The New Zealand Bankers' Association retail bank members - ANZ, ASB, BNZ, HSBC, Kiwibank, National Bank, Rabobank, TSB and Westpac - commend the Government on their approach announced today to the weather tightness issues that many New Zealanders ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00493.htm

Mayor John Banks - Banks Welcomes Relief for Homeowners
Auckland Mayor John Banks has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister that the Government has agreed to a solution aimed at fixing the nation's leaky home problem.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1005/S00152.htm

North Shore City Council - Leaky Homes 'rescue package' a giant step
Leaky Homes 'rescue package' a giant step in the right direction, but must be fair on super city ratepayers, says North Shore Mayor
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1005/S00151.htm

KIWIRAIL

Rory MacKinnon - Scoop Audio - Pre-Budget Announcement on KiwiRail
The Government has announced a $250m investment in the nation's rail infrastructure, saying it will increase the country's productivity and economic growth. Prime Minister John Key, Transport Minister Steven Joyce and KiwiRail CEO Jim Quinn discussed their ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1005/S00144.htm

New Zealand Government - Government investment for rail turnaround
The Government's commitment to invest $250 million to support the KiwiRail Turnaround Plan will help increase New Zealand's economic productivity and put us on the path to faster growth, Transport Minister Steven Joyce says
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00243.htm

NZ Council for Infrastructure Development - $250m Lifeline for KiwiRail Provides Options
"The Government's 'in principle' agreement to invest $750m in the KiwiRail turnaround plan provides the company the opportunity to prove it's long term value as a key component of New Zealand's logistics network", says Stephen Selwood, Chief Executive ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00173.htm

Rail And Maritime Transport Union - Much needed rail investment encouraging
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) is encouraged by the funding boost to the country's rail network, and is welcoming an apparent commitment to retaining it in public hands.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00171.htm

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - Rail investment welcome but more needed
The CTU has welcomed the announcement today of ongoing investment in rail. It is however only a fraction of what is needed.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00538.htm

… MORE

Federated Farmers - Emissions trading - world famous in New Zealand
Its ironic Federated Farmers has had more media coverage in Australia on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme than back across the Tasman. Here, you have a media that has shown a detachment and a willingness to revisit past positions; in New Zealand ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00536.htm

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - Budget must try harder on high youth unemployment
The youth union movement Stand Up has today released its report card on the Government's record on tackling youth unemployment.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00169.htm

Mercer - NZ wages finally impacted by global credit crisis
The recession has finally affected New Zealand pay packets, with salary growth slowing to 2.5 per cent over the past 12 months, according to a Mercer remuneration survey.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00530.htm

ASB Bank - Investor confidence dips as markets stabilise
Investor confidence has simmered down from record high levels reached earlier this year, according to the latest ASB Investor Confidence Report.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1005/S00529.htm

UNICEF - Budget should help lift children out of poverty
Whatever else the Budget holds for New Zealanders, it must do something to reduce New Zealand's shocking level of child poverty.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00163.htm

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions - The poor, women, Maori, Pacific workers core too
The Prime Minister's comments that workers should not be concerned when his second budget this week disproportionately favours the most wealthy in society because these people are "core and critical" to our economy is disrespectful and wrong, said ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00160.htm

Every Child Counts - Greens 'Mind the Gap' package good for children
"Every Child Counts* has welcomed the policy package 'Mind the Gap' released by the Greens today because it places children at the centre and prioritises the most vulnerable children - those in poverty," said Deborah Morris-Travers, Every ...
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1005/S00238.htm

New Zealand Nurses Organisation - Budget must support health says nurses union
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) warns that unless the Government increases health spending in the 2010 Budget by at least $600 million, New Zealanders can expect wide ranging cuts to health services.
MORE >> http://scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1005/S00081.htm

ENDS

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