David Parker: "I'll always advocate for tax reform"
David Parker signed off after more than two decades in politics last week with a final push for a tax on the wealthy. Specifically - either a capital gains tax, or a wealth tax - preferably both. However he acknowledge in his valedictory speech last week, it was a hard sell - even to his own party - a reference to him stepping down as Labour revenue spokesperson before the 2023 election, partly due to his party ruling both out. David Parker has twice held the role of Attorney General, and has also been Minister for Trade, Revenue, Economic Development, Associate Finance, Climate Change, Energy, Environment, State Services, Transport and Land Information ministerial portfolios. He says he's always been a conviction politician, part capitalist, part socialist.
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fast track or slow track? The data problem that could hurt development
"I think inevitably the lack of information does mean a slow track," Simon Upton says. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins The government's fast track for building big infrastructure will be a slow track if New Zealand does not get its head around its hotchpotch of datasets about what is all around us. This warning about "globs" of siloed data hurting development is coming from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. It follows years of failed attempts to unlock billions of dollars of growth from getting a better grasp on everything geospatial - that is, what is in the physical environment and how it interacts. "It's a place-based thing", said commissioner Simon Upton. "If you want to know about where you're going to farm something or where you're going to build something, you need to put together a whole lot of place-spaced or geospatial information, and that's currently held in all sorts of dispersed places." The three-decade struggle with the Resource Management Act had showed up what was at stake. But though this law was in for another overhaul, the key data piece was still missing. "The reason I think that the current moment really is a critical, is that this government is the second government in a row that's trying to completely upend the resource management system and do it all differently." The gap would bog down the government's controversial fast-tracking of big projects, Upton said. "From what I can see, the fast-track process still requires people to pull all the information together and so the panels that are looking at this, they're going to have to give people the time to pull that together and then analyse it. "I think inevitably the lack of information does mean a slow track. "The time has come when we need to be able to 'federate' or pull together that dispersed information so that people can make good decisions." His new report lists a whole raft of shortcomings in the geospatial system: It was "plagued" by duplication, overlaps and significant gaps, was poorly accessible, lacked leadership and was dispersed across scores of councils, agencies, catchment groups and other community bodies. "Without robust environmental information we won't be able to judge if costly actions and mitigations undertaken are making a difference," the 19-page report said. Upton has campaigned for a joined-up - or "federated" - system for years. In a 2022 report, he pointed out how the info gaps around land use, and water quality and use - at many of the 1500 water monitoring sites, for example, only a few types of measurements were made. "Compared with surface water, groundwater is even less well understood." In the marine ecosystem, "luck has driven much of what we know. For example, the early discovery of large submarine volcanoes in the Kermadec Arc, north of New Zealand, was largely the result of serendipitous mapping". The country has tried to get serious about geospatial before, with little to show for it. Over 15 years ago, the first national geospatial review said a massive jigsaw of joined-up datasets constantly being added to, would be worth billions to the economy. So the government set up a geospatial office, its job was to set up the technology, policies, standards and human resources for networks of "open, accessible and interoperable" data. But by 2014, the office (NZGO) was writing a 40-page report about the bureaucratic indifference and fragmentation that had derailed attempts to set up a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) framework by 2014. RNZ got the report under the OIA. "Despite a review and reset in July 2013, low attendance and low engagement in ... governance groups was ongoing and meetings were frequently cancelled," Land Information NZ told RNZ in an OIA response to questions about the fate of a system that was promised to deliver billions in benefits. The geospatial effort dragged its feet for a host of reasons. "Organisations tended to participate in the national SDI for their own ends rather than because Cabinet has directed them to, or to deliver a public good", agencies "didn't have the resources to participate if they didn't get direct benefit"; or they found it "difficult to understand let alone explain to others" so could not get a budget for it. It did not help that it lacked "identifiable measures towards a defined 'end game'". By 2017 the NZGO "was effectively disestablished". The geospatial strategy still exists, but orphaned and without a champion, multiple geospatial industry players told RNZ. Simon Upton put his shoulder to the uphill push years after this drawn-out (2006-17) and failed attempt - he was not in the country at the time it was going on. "But I'd make this observation," Upton said. "This is not sexy stuff. This is scarcely a vote-winning territory, talking about data. "It is not something that is likely to enliven government officials or politicians. "This is really the the engine room stuff." But the government wanted to do spatial planning, so a big job was there to be done, he said. "If you want to do it differently and do it successfully, you are going to need much better information."
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Mata Season 3 Episode 11 Tania Waikato
In the wake of an unprecedented punishment for the haka that drew global attention to the Treaty Principles Bill, Te Pāti Māori legal representative Tania Waikato reflects on the fallout, the opposition to the Regulatory Standards Bill, and what this moment reveals about Māori political power. Parliament took the unprecedented step of suspending both Te Pāti Māori leaders - Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi - for 21 days. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was suspended for seven days - but had also been punished with a 24-hour suspension on the day over a haka all three had performed in Parliament, against the Treaty Principles Bill, in November. It is against the rules of the House for members to leave their seats during a debate - which all three did. Waikato said one of the most galling things about the entire process was that the haka was said to be intimidatory and that the process the committee adopted was framed in that way from the beginning. She said in her 20 years of being a lawyer she had not seen a process that "disrespected the laws of natural justice" in the way it did. "I was actually flabbergasted at the lack of respect that that body had for very very basic rights that had anyone who's been accused of any type of behaviour that could have a censure result, let alone a censure of this magnitude, imposed on them should be given." Requests to the committee to have a hearing at a time when both counsels were available and for the accused to bring evidence to defend themselves against the allegations were rejected even though that was provided for in the standing orders, she said. "So right from the beginning of the process they were not following their own rules and they were ... in my opinion trumping up the charges to make them sound as serious as possible and to slant the outcome towards what we ended up with." Asked why the MPs chose not to appear before the committee, Waikato said it was because the MPs felt they would not get a fair hearing. "They felt, and quite rightly I believe, that they had already predetermined what they were going to decide." Waikato, who is also a health and safety lawyer, said Parliament was supposed to be the height of democracy but the behaviour of MPs within the House had degenerated and was "sliding towards this gutter politics style". "I watched some of the behaviour that goes on in the House and particularly in that last debate before the suspensions were made and there is no way that you could behave like that in any other workplace and get away with it - it would be illegal and you would be hauled up on workplace bullying charges in an instant if you behaved like that in any other workplace." Waikato said she would have advised Te Pāti Māori MPs to do the haka had she been their lawyer prior to this on the basis that the Treaty Principles Bill was "the most divisive, racist piece of legislation that has ever been introduced during our lifetimes". It was an exceptional event which required an exceptional response, she said. "And the Speaker took action on the day, it's not like there was nothing that happened on the day, Hannah was censured for what happened, it should have stopped there." It should not have been referred to the Privileges Committee, she said. Photo: Te Māngai Pāho Photo: NZ On Air
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's unveils final window display
Soon to close Auckland department store Smith & Caughey's has unveiled it's final Queen Street window display after 145 years. The curtains were pulled back at 3:30pm on Thursday, where a projector played a slideshow of images commemorating the iconic store's heritage and people. It accompanied another window display that was revealed on Wednesday, which reflects on Smith & Caughey's origins. Smith & Caughey's historical window display showing store's history. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel About a dozen staff members came outside together to watch the display unveiling. Smith & Caughey's acting chief executive Matt Harray was approached by RNZ, but declined to comment. It comes as the department store's closing date was moved forward to 4pm Sunday, after originally being set to shut its doors on 31 July. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce our official closure, 4pm Sunday 15 June 2025. Until then, we welcome you instore for one last shop, a friendly chat and perhaps a shared memory or two," said Smith & Caughey's on social media. The post went on to say that the final Smith & Caughey's Queen Street window display, "shines a light on the rich history of our business, and our people". Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel The store had announced in May that it intended to close, with 98 staff being made redundant. Smith & Caughey's closed its Newmarket store last year and had reduced its Queen Street store to one floor. At the time, the company cited increased competition from new shopping malls, continued economic uncertainty and low consumer confidence and spending power has contributed to their closure. Smith & Caughey's also said many city office workers were continuing to work from home post-Covid. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel They said the city centre has also faced significant disruption and change in the form of ongoing roadworks and the slow progress of CRL causing traffic congestion. The company said a large decline in foot traffic on Queen Street and an increase in parking costs had caused an impact, forcing the "heartbreaking" closure of the entire business. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel "We are acutely aware that this has been a difficult and uncertain time for our staff and today's announcement is a deeply emotional one for all the team, our suppliers and our loyal customers," Harray said at the time in a statement. "Our intention has always been to address the business challenges so that Smith & Caughey's can continue. Every attempt has been made to achieve this and every feasible option investigated, no stone left unturned. "However, it's sadly clear it is no longer viable for us to keep the doors open." Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
