From Stuff
"Parliament has given overwhelming support to a tobacco tax increase that will raise the price of a pack of 20 cigarettes by about a dollar to around $11, effective from midnight, with two more hikes in the pipeline.
After a debate under urgency tonight the bill was passed into law on a vote of 118-4 with all parties except ACT giving it full backing. ACT split its vote with one MP supporting the bill - John Boscawen - and the other four opposing it.So strong support from most parties.
Interesting to see The Standard with this post and this line within the post.
"Associate Health Minister with responsibility for tobacco harm reduction, Tariana Turia, once considered getting rid of the displays a priority. But she’s too busy reprinting her business cards with ‘Minister for Whanau Ora (don’t ask what it is)’ to worry about stuff like Maori dying of lung cancer any more."
That shows the hatred that some labour people have for Tariana. We cannot trust labour - they will sell us all down the river for the mythical middle vote as soon as look at us. They have done it before and they will do it again.
3 comments:
You've got no argument from me that that's dumb comment or that Labour sold out the Maori constituency over the foreshore and seabed.
That decision was the main reason Labour lost my vote. My support for the Maori position was the main reason the MP go my vote in the last election.
However - Tariana and the Maori Party are richly deserving of the the vilification to which thy are being subjected.
They've climbed into bed with a nasty Tory party and sold their integrity......for what? The Tory version of Maori land rights? A vague and disorganised social experiment in Whanau Ora?
Their silence on the ETS; the complicity in the beneficiary bashing; their silence on the underfunding of Maori immersion schools; their silence over the mining of National parks; their complicity in privatising ACC; their support of privatising prisons.
I was excited when the Maori Party did so well in the last election.
I had enormous respect for Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia.
I won't be voting for them again.
You state very powerful arguments country - very powerful indeed.
Not to put too fine a point on it - they've broken my heart.
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