Have your say: Beware Winston

What has Winston Peters done for Northland in the last six-and-a-half years, a reader wants to know.

Can I remind your readers of the dangers of Winston Peters.

Firstly let's remember the no baubles of office campaign, once Labour held the most seats in the house, Winston held out for the Foreign Minister's post, with all the overseas travel perks, ministerial cars, posh hotels and of course pushing Phil Goff out of the post.

Winston will be 70 this month, a pensioner for five years and still being paid a party leader's salary by the taxpayer.

The only thing he will be able to do is possibly delay changes to the Resource Management Act.

Therefore any Northlander hoping for a better paid job in mining or drilling, either on or off shore will be out of luck.

Winston claims to have taken the surtax out of superannuation, but has he really? Stop and think for a while. Superannuation is paid as a percentage of the net annual wage, net means in the hand after all expenses are taken out, including tax.

You were paid the percentage of that figure in your hand, that was until Roger Douglas came along and decided to tax you again. Superannuants now pay tax twice on each dollar received from the government, based on net average wage. Did Winston do anything about this when in power with Labour? Re Goldcard, how far do you have to travel to catch a free bus or ferry?

What has Winston done for Northland in the last six-and-a-half years and what, (still not in government) can he do in the next 2.5 years?

Neil Lomax
Hastings, Hawke's Bay
(abridged)

What do you think? Comment below.