Free Press

ACT’s regular bulletin

David vs Jacinda
This week David Seymour takes aim at the teacher unions’ bullying tactics, and Jacinda Ardern is a pyromaniac in a field of strawmen. The full Sunday Star Column is here. The Labour Party need to show they are capable of criticising the unions’ movement when it is out of line.

But they Can’t
Labour’s 2012 leadership changes gave the unions a 20 per cent vote on the leader. It is an effective veto. This week’s Ardern column has us wondering, when did a Labour MP last publicly criticise any union?

Relentless Negativity
David Seymour reports being swamped with positive feedback on his interview with against Lisa Owen this weekend. The Nation have not covered Partnership Schools for five years, but saw fit to run a hopeless smear by John Tamihere this week. Watch the full interviewhere. (David starts approximately 9 minutes in.)

Typical Feedback
The following was typical: “Congratulations on your interview with Lisa Owen on the Nation in not letting her negativity interrupt your responses. It was good to see a politician continue talking and not let her interrupt the answer which she doesn't want to hear.” Thank you for supporting David.

Another Interview
Seymour also appeared on Q+A with Corin Dann. He argues that we don’t need to blame foreigners for our housing market, we need to fix our own policies first. New Zealand can confront its internal challenges such as low productivity growth and dysfunctional education and housing markets, or join the Trump movement of blaming foreigners and throwing up walls.

A Challenge
Free Press is continuing its quest to identify a John Key initiative that could not have been signed off by Helen Clark’s cabinet. The first person to identify such an initiative will be given a free ACT membership. If you are frustrated that you cannot think of one you should join for only $20: www.act.org.nz/join

A Thought
As the official organ of the party of ideas, Free Press regularly receives high quality policy suggestions. A reader suggests ACT should campaign on ‘sharing the gains’ of any increase in government revenue (over and above population growth and inflation): one third tax cuts, one third debt repayment, and one third additional spending. Do you like this campaign? Tell us your thoughts.

Weak?
This is not a slash and burn proposal, but it is radical compared with how National has governed. National will go into 2017 having done nothing for taxpayers over the preceding eight years. (…except tighten depreciation rules on property, take billions in extra revenue from fiscal creep, and introduce a de facto capital gains tax called a bright line test.)

Green Times
According to her Green Party bio, Green MP Marama Davidson is ‘an online activist.’ She is now travelling to the Middle East to protest the blockade of the Gaza strip. We can only assume she has paid her own way including carbon credits, and she will be speaking out against the homophobia and misogyny in Gaza as well as the Israeli blockade.

Meanwhile Back at ACT
ACT’s internal rebuild is going well, with our new party manager Geoff Andrews getting his feet well under the desk over the past two weeks and the School of Practical Politics a major success. Epsom polling shows David Seymour’s popularity increasing even amongst Labour and Green voters. We have events planned around the country with more to come, check them out here: www.act.org.nz/events

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