A decision lies ahead. Photo / Bevan Conley
Continuing from the previous issue, the Bush Telegraph has one more candidate’s response - Pete Arnott from New Zealand Loyal.
As a party of people’s representatives, listening to people and acquiring valuable input about their needs is exactly what NZ Loyal is about. None of us desire a political career, we are here to replace our current politicians, who have turned their backs on the people of this country.
Medical access
An immediate solution would be to bring back all the great medical professionals who have been mandated out of work. Those mandates were a violation of human rights and our rights to access to great medical care. Such a mistake has proven way too costly.
The other side of the coin is that this is yet another symptom of economic hardship and the extreme problem of our current cost of living. This is so easily solvable with our 1 per cent (transaction) tax policy - the first fair tax policy this country has ever seen, and one that will close the loopholes for those currently abusing it and spread the tax burden evenly. Imagine the difference it will make when people will only have to pay 1 per cent tax and the big corporates are paying their share of the tax burden at last.
Earthquake compliance
Again a topic that needs collaboration and discussion with the community beforehand and clearly the right balance needs to be found: we definitely want people safe but the Government need to have some accountability or share in taking responsibility for the safety of buildings. If we are going to suddenly impose regulations, then support needs to be there to help people meet them. However, we need regulations to also adhere to common sense rather than being purely bureaucratic.
Promotion of the regions to business and immigrants
Regardless of whether it is immigrants, locals or anyone else, small and medium-sized business has been almost annihilated by a system that is not rigged in our favour. Everybody understands this now: the reason the system works in favour of big industry and corporations while crushing everyday business owners is unmistakably a result of corruption. Why do we elect politicians who are so clearly bought and paid for? The point of difference with NZ Loyal is that none of our candidates are here for fame or money. We’re motivated by a desire for integrity in our Government, which is supposed to exist solely to meet the needs of the people of our country.
The lack of public transport in the district as well as other services
Really just another symptom of the general downturn. We see the push for centralised banking and electronic currency as a hugely negative trend which is taking people away from our village life. We need local banks, we need cash and all the general needs of our elders should be not just a high priority but a duty of honour.
The cost of living
The fact that this squeeze is real is a no-brainer. It is pretty hard to tell someone with $100 left after bills and needing to feed a family of four that they are imagining it. Do we buy eggs or cheese this week because we can’t afford both? Tax theft and hyperinflation, caused by the nature of our fiat money system (which has to go) and politicians serving the interests of someone other than us are the three pillars of this situation. Our policies resolve all three. Let’s put money back in people’s pockets. Fair taxation, complete removal of illegal regulatory capture and conflicts of interest and accountability for such crimes against our people have to be implemented.
Three Waters Reform
Resources absolutely need to be managed locally and no amount of money is too much for people to have clean water. Our fair and simple tax policy captures more than enough revenue for central government to support us locally in terms of water supply, healthcare, education, roading, law and order. All this becomes possible when we stop funnelling money out of our economy to unproductive foreign bankers and corporations. All that wealth could then be free to circulate through productive businesses such as farming, manufacturing, hospitality, building and tourism etc - the real engine of our economy and the real creator of jobs and decent wages.
Roading
It is clear to everybody now, roading has not been managed either effectively or within the realms of common sense. An interesting aspect of this issue is also that poor-quality imported bitumen is not adequate for our needs. We are capable of oil independence in New Zealand, not only that, but New Zealand is renowned for producing some of the highest-quality oil products worldwide. It makes no sense to be importing this. We propose reopening our local refineries. Energy self-sufficiency makes sense and removes our dependence and vulnerability to the world oil situation.
Again, capturing avoided corporate tax means much more money available for infrastructure such as roading.