RAM building momentum for GST off food

Thursday September 11

Oliver Woods, co-leader of RAM's candidates group and Auckland Central
electorate candidate, is shocked by the largest increase in food
prices during August in 19 years.

"RAM's petition to get GST off food already has 20,000 signatures"
said Oliver Woods. "That's serious momentum. Our campaign over the
next few weeks with RAM's People's Procession to Parliament is going
to take our petition all over New Zealand to give ordinary Kiwis a
voice for change."

"Labour and National, or the LabNats as they should be called, both
refuse to even talk about getting GST off food" said Oliver Woods.
"The big political parties simply are ignoring hundreds of thousands
of our own people who are struggling with food price increases."

"An easy, immediate solution to these increases would be the removal
of GST off food. No ifs, no buts, just a straightforward removal of a
regressive tax that punishes the poorest people in New Zealand
society."

"Community organisations like branches of Grey Power, the Maori Party,
churches, unions and other important parts of our society are backing
up the call for getting GST off food."

"All that stands in the way of achieving the goal are the two tired
political parties, the LabNats, who tell the people of New Zealand to
eat cake from their high offices in Wellington."

"Let's build a positive alternative this election that uses common
sense, simple solutions for problems that the establishment, elite
politicians simply do not want to solve!"

Oliver Woods is standing as an Auckland Central candidate in the 2008
elections for RAM (Residents Action Movement). As well as being a
post-graduate student at Auckland University, he is also involved in a
small IT start-up company.

RAM is a new political party that formerly registered with the
Electoral Commission in late 2008. After only a few months of
existence RAM has 3,000 members, giving it a bigger membership than
some parties currently represented in parliament (United Future, the
Progressives and ACT). RAM's GST-off-food petition has attracted
20,000 signatures over the past few months.

In the 2008 general election, RAM is contesting electorate seats
around the country, as well as the party list vote. Its aim is to
provide a strong broad left voice.
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