We’re here to help now open for the public
The world premiere of “We’re here to help” was in Christchurch Tuesday night. I got to see an advance copy around three weeks ago at a media screening, which I reviewed.
I was kindly also invited to the première but sadly couldn’t attend as I had a meeting of the Parliamentary Internet Caucus (which in a coincidence of good timing had Peter Dengate-Thrush as the guest speaker. We had booked Peter in some months ago and by chance his election as Chairman of ICANN occurred just a few days earlier, so his talk on Internet Governance was even more relevance) wearing my InternetNZ hat.
There’s a short story in The Press about the movie, which opens for the public today. Even though in the article Dave Henderson is taking a swipe at Labour MPs for not turning up, people shouldn’t think this is a political film which only “righties” will enjoy. It isn’t. In fact the obstinate Minister displayed in the film is a National Minister. The political backdrop to the film is fairly minor – it is primarily about a fight against the bureaucracy.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:48 am
I used to hear all kinds of horror stories like this about the IRD and mentally filed them in the maybe this happened/ maybe it didn’t category.
BUT.. after becoming a small business owner last year I now believe all of these stories.
Shit… the IRD fucks up a calculation so they want you to pay too much, you point this out and they don’t give a shit, pay up or else they say.. They even admitted they made a mistake but they can’t find it.
“It’s only $2k you have to pay, what’s the problem?”
I was totally bloody gob smacked. PRICKS!!!
November 8th, 2007 at 9:53 am
And he is still in the middle of another Audit (this one going on for over 2 years!).
What a crock! This guy has done enormous stuff for Christchurch however this attitude by Civil servants is a great example of the attitude that pervades New Zealand beuracracy today. That if you don’t agree with us, you are against us and are therefore a target.
Much like the Labour Party really.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Have had the same, Lance. I sympathise. Thankfully, as Aunty Helen and Uncle Scrooge put it the other day in Question time, you and I have had our tax cuts through WFF and 20 Hours Free, so we should have plenty of money to spend on IRD stuff ups.
Yeah right!
November 8th, 2007 at 10:01 am
I look forward to hearing the folk who so loudly objected on principle to the use of some $30,000 in public money for the play The Hollow Men now objecting on principle to significantly more than $1 million of public money being spent on this movie.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:12 am
“I look forward to hearing the folk who so loudly objected on principle to the use of some $30,000 in public money for the play The Hollow Men now objecting on principle to significantly more than $1 million of public money being spent on this movie.
”
Even Henderson pointed out the irony in this in an article a few weeks ago. And I believe he objected to it as well, but had already sold the story so had no control over it from then on.
Question, would this movie be caught up in the EFB?
November 8th, 2007 at 10:17 am
By the way David. the Hollow Men was so popular it is now on at the Circa. You should be able to get tickets this time, despite it selling out many nights. I’m sure I am not the only person who would be interested in your review.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hey, whats the problem with the IRD?? NZers must (collectively) approve of it. This is a democracy. You don’t like what the government is doing you vote it out, and vote in the alternative. Can anybody tell me where that system falls down???
Where’s the party advocating for radical changes to the tax system and the abolition of the IRD and its offensive powers? Geez, it isn’t hard. Pay you tax in one cheque every year as you pay your rates. Collect tax by GST. Surely if NZers wanted changes to the tax regime, some political group would be standing on that basis and gleaning a large number of votes on the issue.
There’s no such party, and I guess that means there’s no votes out there to support such a party, so following on logically, it must mean that the stinking disgusting intrusive tax regime is supported by the greater majority of NZ voters. They like it. More- they fucken love it. They faithfully and mindlessly vote en masse for it every election. The fucken dipshit lemmings that they are.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:31 am
They’re still bordering on incompetent. I got a letter at the start of this year to say that our business would be going to fortnightly PAYE returns as our PAYE payments were more than $100k per year. At that point, our SALARIES bill was not much more than $100k pa!! I rang, rang, and rang again and again to be finally told “Whoops, our bad, leave it with us, and keep filing monthly” – which we have!
However, we kept receiving both the fortnightly and monthly paperwork! A little later I got a bill for late filing of a fortnightly return – same deal – I rang, rang, and rang again and again to be finally told “Whoops, our bad, leave it with us, and keep filing monthly, and we’ll put through a credit” – still waiting for that – meanwhile, just got our GST refund this week, with the amount of the bill for supposed “late payment” of PAYE deducted!! Aaarghh!
November 8th, 2007 at 10:34 am
“Question, would this movie be caught up in the EFB?”
Well, didn’t the reviewer say it was politically neutral? An error if you ask me. The idea of big powerful unresponsive individually crushing monolithic government as so well embodied by the IRD is a leftist concept, not anything the right today should advocate.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Brownie said “Thankfully, as Aunty Helen and Uncle Scrooge put it the other day in Question time, you and I have had our tax cuts through WFF and 20 Hours Free”
You saw the irony in that too Brownie! My kids are 20 and 16, so no benefit from 20Free, and as the youngest lives with her Mum and the oldest is at varsity, no relief from WFF either. Not to worry – I go to sleep every night secure in the knowledge that Dr Scrooge has vast sums of dosh tucked away top make my future secure – after all, they keep telling us “You’re better off with Labour” – yeah, right!
November 8th, 2007 at 10:36 am
“Surely if NZers wanted changes to the tax regime, some political group would be standing on that basis and gleaning a large number of votes on the issue.”
As I’ve said, the party who says g.s.t is obsolete wins.
unfortunately the majors won’t say that and if a new crowd advocates the issue they won’t be listened to.
Act and Liberterianz should combine on this very relevant issue
November 8th, 2007 at 10:45 am
In the main the thug IRD culture was a direct result of a thuggish penalties regime which was brought in by National. National were the enablers.
Snot nosed mentally crippled unemployable IRD staff were suddenly given huge unaccountable powers certainly beyond their meager abilities to fuck with the lives of law abiding citizens.
Thank you National.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:24 am
National?? Naah, can’t be true. Have to be left wingers to do that… and National can’t be left wing. It would mean shifting to a political status that would violate everything they’re meant to stand for..
November 8th, 2007 at 11:33 am
“Act and Liberterianz should combine on this very relevant issue
Its necessary to pass an extremely extensive examination on doctrine before one can be admitted as a Libertarian. Combining with them would be a bit like combining with the Exclusive Brethren.
November 8th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Lol! @ RB
November 8th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I think it would be worth Dave Henderson doing a huge bill board or big ad demanding an apology from Mickey Cullen.
There is a huge full page ad been put in the Press down in Christchurch yesterday by some chap with a dispute with the Govt. about some land deal in Canterbury and it was a serious eye catcher that would have made some Govt members squirm. Dave should see it and do an ad demanding a public apology from Mickey Cullen I bet that would make him squeal.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I’m sure Rodney knows how to spell his own name.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
“…in the article Dave Henderson is taking a swipe at Labour MPs for not turning up”
Rest assured the condemnation at the premiere was for all the cowardly MPs who didn’t show up. Only one was spared.
“Where’s the party advocating for radical changes to the tax system and the abolition of the IRD and its offensive powers? … There’s no such party”
I don’t expect Redbaiter to be able to read, but I would have expected him to know that’s exactly what Libertarianz has had as policy for the last twelve years.
“Its necessary to pass an extremely extensive examination on doctrine before one can be admitted as a Libertarian.”
All that’s required is an honest commitment to liberty. Is that bar too high for you?
November 8th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
All that’s required is an honest commitment to liberty. Is that bar too high for you?
Libertarianism in one lesson – still very funny.
http://world.std.com/~mhuben/onelesson.html
November 8th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Yes, unintentionally hilarious, Unaha. I especially ‘enjoyed’ this fatuous crap: “Private ownership is the cure for all problems, despite the historical record of privately owned states such as Nazi Germany, Czarist and Stalinist Russia, and Maoist China.”
November 8th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
“All that’s required is an honest commitment to liberty. Is that bar too high for you?”
I wish. All Libertarians seem to do is squabble amongst themselves over the precise definition of liberty and what doctrine should apply and how big a part acceptance of homosexuality should play in Libertarianism etc etc etc ad infinitum. Yawn…. (Thanks for the smile unaha- so true)
Meantime- Go Ron Paul- I have to cheer him on. Even tho his international defence policies (especially on Iraq) are so lame and he’s inexplicably sucking up to the 9/11 truthers, he might be the only way to break the cycle of self perpetuating big government, and he deserves support for his courage and determination and his persistence and (so far) his wonderful achievements as an outsider in the race for the US Presidency.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
“I don’t expect Redbaiter to be able to read, but I would have expected him to know that’s exactly what Libertarianz has had as policy for the last twelve years.”
I know they can’t even pay their fucken electoral registration fee on time. What’s the point of having policy if its that far away from being implemented? Just another bunch of self indulgent navel gazing political elitist snobs, all hat and no cattle. All talk and no do. No plan. No strategy. With a leadership that takes no responsibility for success of failure. Lamely promoted as an “ideas” party. Because it can’t hack real world politics, where like it or not, success or failure is measured in electoral support.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
The only one squabbling with himself is Redbaiter. From the ‘Cue Card Libertarianism entry on Liberty‘:
“Freedom [liberty]: One of the most abused and mis-used words in the language; in its authentic sense, libertarianism’s raison d’etre. In its positive aspect, the right to exercise one’s rights – the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property and happiness. In its negative aspect, “The absence of coercion or constraint in all choice or action that does not inflict force or fraud on another.” Or as The Free Radical’s Editorial Policy puts it, “the absence of compulsion from human affairs.”
So simple and succinct one would think even Redbaiter could understand it.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
After 8 years on a political siding National is to blame?!? Hilarious!
November 8th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I’m sure Dave would be disappointed to see the discussion surrounding the movies descend into a national-camp/labour-camp ponts scoring discussion.
As someone has pointed out, the comment was aimed at both sides of the fence. I understand even that the producer commented before the movie, in his welcome speech, that it was remarkable (unprecedented) that no politician (other than Rodney) turned up to a NZ movie premier. They are usually falling over themselves to turn up and include themselves in the success of it all.
I believe that none of the big parties want to mess with the IRD. The IRD provides the river of cash for the pet projects/redistribution/election advertising/latest lollynomics exercise.
National has nothing to be proud of in this movie. A few ex-national politicians come off looking like pricks. Neither, however, does Labour, after their cowardly priviledged smears on Dave in parliament.
November 8th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
“I believe that none of the big parties want to mess with the IRD. The IRD provides the river of cash for the pet projects/redistribution/election advertising/latest lollynomics exercise.”
Well, there you have it. The IRD are absolute and answerable to no one.
They can destroy marriages, families, lives, even push individuals to take their own lives.
Politicians back down to them (which shows they don’t have confidence in an honest audit, let alone the barrage some have to take.)
November 16th, 2007 at 9:08 am
I have been doing quite a bit of research into the whole tax thing and I have to say the more I dig the more scared I am becoming. There are a lot of documents out there proving the fact that our current tax system is in fact one big scam and should never have got to the size that it is today.
When you dig even deeper you start realise how powerful the IRD have become and how they will protect themselves and the government at all costs. I believe it has got to the stage where no one is willing to stand up and question ‘The System’ let alone fight because it is a big monster to try and face down.
Some facts to ponder: The tax system was supposed to be changed to $75,000 for the top bracket but somehow this just got forgotten and has remained at $60,000. WHY is it that I have a tax bill due next year that I am getting CHARGED interest on? I tried to complain and lodge the argument that surely the interest should not be charged unless the money is overdue? The response – You are currently using the money and not us.
HOW DOES THAT WORK??? So here’s the outcome – pay your bill early and you won’t get pinged – pay your bill on time and be charged interest on top??? Is it JUST me or have we completely lost the plot on this?
In America there are revolutions starting to happen because The People are starting to realise they have been shafted by a bill that is in fact illegal…at WHAT stage are KIWI’S going to stand up for their rights and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?
If anyone would like copies of the documents I have uncovered disproving the current system is legal let me know as i am trying to educate people out there to stop just taking everything on face value and start asking more questions….
March 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hi Macc, I would like a copy of the documents,please. if you could, please email it to me at rogeryu0501@gmail.com thanks.