Rocky Road Ahead for Helen Clark

Thursday 8 Aug 2002 Ken Shirley, Acting Leader Press Releases -- Governance & Constitution

Acting Leader of ACT New Zealand Ken Shirley predicted a very rocky road ahead for Helen Clark, following news that the Green Party have rejected an assurance of supply and confidence votes.

"Labour is now betrothed to United Future - a party which campaigned on a platform of lower company and personal tax, getting much tougher on crime, putting a deadline and fiscal cap on Treaty of Waitangi settlements, establishing charter schools, eliminating state funding of political parties, and using public-private partnerships in the health sector.

"All of this is anathema to Helen Clark and the Labour Party. How will Phil Goff cope with United Future's complaints about his Sentencing and Parole legislation? Will Margaret Wilson accept Treaty deadlines which she ideologically despises, simply so her party can hang on to power? Will Mallard reverse direction and allow bulk funding for schools, purely to keep Peter Dunne happy?

"Another source of conflict is United Future's shattered "moderate" image. Already we have seen new United Future MP Larry Baldock opining that state funds should be slashed for organisations that teach teens sex education. And MP Paul Adams believes that Aids sufferers should be publicly named.

"Given the make-up of Helen Clark's caucus, this is a recipe for unsolvable conflict. Yet she has given the moral conservatives the power to hold New Zealand to ransom, Winston Peters-style.

"Labour is learning with the rest of us that United Future is not as united as we think - the Electoral Commission has confirmed that Peter Dunne's party is completely defunct, and couldn't even scrape together 500 members for the election. The moral conservatives have taken over the party and reached parliament through the back door.

"When she puts her suspicious signature to a deal with Peter Dunne and his moral conservatives, Helen Clark will become the author of this Government's messy demise," Mr Shirley said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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