Richard Prebble's Letter From Wellington
Tuesday, 02 April 2002
Re-regulation NZ
Yesterday, new frontal impact regulations for imported cars came into effect. Officials told Transport Minister Mark
Gosche the regulations will push up the cost of imported Japanese cars by $4000 and won't save lives. Owners of Japanese
imports, being unable to afford to upgrade, will drive their old cars for longer.
This information is in papers released under the Official Information Act. (see www.act.org.nz/imports). It's
interesting, when reading the papers, that the Minister never explains why he wants the new regulations. His son was
involved in a car crash and it's widely believed Gosche blames the vehicles for the injuries.
Officials have also told Cabinet that rules against parallel importing of products such as CDs will increase costs to
consumers. And a move to apply tough Australian food regulations to some vitamin products will mean people will need a
doctor's prescription to buy vitamins.
All these regulations have three things in common. They assist multi-national companies, which manufacture cars, CDs and
health products. They will put small NZ companies out of business - some car importers, music distributors and small
health companies. Low-income consumers - people who vote Labour - will be most affected.
Jim's Poll
Less than half the Alliance membership have voted for Jim Anderton in his recent poll. This low return was predicted by
the Letter. ACT has polled Alliance activists in some electorates and they are disillusioned.
It appears that most members of Jim's own party, New Labour, don't support him. He also has little support among
Alliance activists, who've made the party effective at grass roots level. Anderton has not held a public meeting all
year.
Under the Privacy Act, it is illegal for him to use the Alliance mailing list to recruit for a new party.
Constitutionally, the easiest action is for the Democrats to break away from the Alliance, as the Green Party did. But
Anderton has never been a Social Crediter. Hence the spin to try to re-position the Democrats as a party of small
business.
Could Anderton, as a Social Credit candidate, win Wigram? Is he really as safe as commentators believe?
Where Are the Volunteers?
At the Auckland Easter Show, it's traditional for political parties to have exhibitions. This year, the Alliance, Greens
and NZ First were absent.
It was interesting to note the lack of volunteers at both old parties' stalls. Labour's stand - with a banner saying
Labour 2000 - was unmanned for much of the time. No Labour Minister visited and few Labour MPs. Few of National's
Auckland MPs visited either - Pansy Wong from Christ-church was their stall's strongest supporter and Bill English
called in.
ACT's stall was manned every day and all nine ACT MPs attended.
It seems that active membership of political parties in NZ has collapsed. No one could run a party campaign with the few
elderly supporters at National's stand. The Labour Party organisation last election was built around school teachers.
But the government's increasingly bitter dispute with the PPTA has gutted Labour of its cadre of teachers.
While there was a well-manned stall from the Electoral Office enrolling voters - funded by taxpayers - there is no
substitute for volunteers.
Sentencing and Parole Bill
The days to watch a government are the "no media" days. The Thursday before Easter is such a day. There are no
newspapers on Good Friday, so governments tend to release unpopular measures on the Thursday.
It was Thursday that the second reading of the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill occurred. This Bill allows violent
offenders to be released after just one third of their sentence - compared with the current two-thirds - unless the
court orders a longer period (very rare) or the offender is a danger to the community (how can you tell?). ACT favours
Truth in Sentencing - where offenders serve their full court- imposed sentence. ACT is leading opposition to the Bill.
Stephen Franks' speech to Parliament last Thursday is at www.act.org.nz/parolebill.
Old Values - New Ideas
ACT leader Richard Prebble has launched the party's latest book, Old Values - New Ideas, a collection of articles by
each of ACT's nine MPs. Topics range from Ken Shirley on the Kyoto Protocol and Stephen Franks on the real meaning of
the Treaty of Waitangi, to Muriel Newman on the family and Penny Webster's solution to Auckland traffic. The MPs had to
pick their topics last year. Donna Awatere Huata, in her article on school choice, anticipated the problem of school
zoning, and Rodney Hide's paper on free trade should be required reading for the Greens.
Owen Jennings sets out a blueprint for agriculture while Gerry Eckhoff puts the case for private property as the best
means of conservation.
Richard Prebble explains why lower taxes and less compliance costs are necessary to achieve 4% growth, and how the
McLeod tax report shows we could have just two rates of income tax - 18 and 28c - at a cost of just $2b.
You can order the book at www.act.org.nz/oldvalues. The book will be launched in Auckland at Dymocks bookshop on Elliott
Street at noon on Thursday.
Income Tax Poll
What do you think of the idea of just two rates of income tax (18 and 28c)? You can enter you views in ACT's poll at
www.act.org.nz/taxsurvey.
Rothcoe the Cat
Rothcoe the cat used to live in a $525-a-week ministerial house in Austin Street with Margaret Wilson, the Minister of
Labour. The landlord decided to sell. Ms Wilson was horrified at the thought of prospective buyers looking around the
house. She instructed Ministerial Services to buy out the lease which had two years to run. It cost taxpayers $31,500.
Ms Wilson has since moved, taking with her everything except Rothcoe, whom she abandoned. Neighbours are now feeding the
stray cat.
The landlord says there's not a word of truth in the story but Rothcoe the cat says he and the taxpayer have been done.
Should we call in the Auditor-General and the SPCA?
Ends