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Government confesses to $115 million stake in Sky City |
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Written by Sue Bradford
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Thursday, 24 May 2007 |
 The Green Party has condemned both Dr Michael Cullen’s admission in the House today that the Government currently has $115 million invested in Sky City Entertainment Group, and his refusal to consider funding problem gambling organizations at the same level as the profits the Government is making from this socially damaging investment.
“The Government should be ashamed that state entities – including the Cullen Fund, ACC, and the Government Superannuation Fund – have invested $115 million of taxpayer money in a casino operator,” Green Party Gambling Spokesperson Sue Bradford says.
“The Government’s investment in gambling is happening at the same time that Sky City has just announced plans to aggressively target local gaming customers – with the Asian community being singled out for particular attention - to raise its slumping profit margins. |
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Lab worker suspensions only pouring fuel on the fire |
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Written by Sue Kedgley
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Tuesday, 22 May 2007 |
 The Green Party says the decision by West Coast District Health Board and Counties-Manakau DHB to suspend health workers striking over the lab workers’ dispute is punitive, and will only entrench positions on both sides of this rapidly escalating conflict – and the Greens are urging other DHBs considering similar action to pull back from the brink.
“This dispute is over a vital health service, and industrial action is spreading beyond the initial seven workers suspended at the West Coast DHB. The Counties–Manakau DHB has now shown its willingness to suspend some of the 120 workers at Middlemore Hospital who are striking in support of the lab workers. Other DHBs are likely to follow suit over the next fortnight,” Greens’ Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says. |
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Public transport benefits all road users |
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Written by Jeanette Fitzsimons
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Monday, 21 May 2007 |
 It is time road users realised that they are the main beneficiaries of investment in public transport, especially rail, the Green Party says.
The Road Transport Forum and Federated Farmers cannot operate in a bubble, Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today in response to the plaintive complaints from both groups in the wake of last week’s Budget.
"It is disingenuous of them to base an argument against a regional petrol tax to support public transport on whether farmers and truckers use buses. The contribution to future transport costs cannot be based on such superficialities," Ms Fitzsimons says.
"For years, the rest of the country supported farmers through Supplementary Minimum Prices and other farm supports. Even now, farmers resist being charged the true costs of telecommunications, power and social services to rural areas. There is also much resistance within Federated Farmers to farmers fronting up to the true environmental costs of intensive dairying - and the organisation seems more than happy for taxpayers to pay the cost of New Zealand's Kyoto obligations incurred in large part by methane emissions. |
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