For immediate release

Wednesday, 12 February 2003

Dunne highlights Greens' untrustworthy role

United Future leader, Peter Dunne, today contrasted the positive role United Future plays in ensuring New Zealand has stable government with the inconsistent, untrustworthy attitudes of the Green Party.

"The Greens want to have it both ways. On the one hand, they claim to be co-operating with the Government in trying to improve New Zealand, but yesterday they promoted a vicious attack on the Government through a no-confidence motion in Parliament," he said.

"Yesterday, Helen Clark set out the Government's targets for economic growth which the Greens - who claim to be co-operating with Labour - don't like. So Greens co-leader, Jeannette Fitzsimons, after lambasting innocent latte drinkers for destroying the planet, is now promoting a motion of no-confidence which sounds like it was written by any of the Opposition parties," said Mr Dunne.

"The Greens have a history of this sort of behaviour. They campaigned furiously for a Royal Commission into genetic engineering and when the Commission came up with an answer the Greens didn't want, they stamped their feet in a wild tantrum and generally threw their toys out of the cot.

"This is typical behaviour of the fanatical ideologues in the Green Party - they claim their way is the only right way and everyone must follow their lead, an attitude also interestingly found in petulant children."

Mr Dunne said it was this sort of behaviour that meant no serious political party could contemplate a long-term political relationship with the Greens because of their inherent instability.

"Stable government is no idle topic for academic musing, it's central to the economic and social well-being of New Zealand. That's why United Future supports the Government that the voters elected, while retaining the right to disagree on individual pieces of legislation.

"That's the responsible, adult way to work with governments and it's time the Greens learnt that, if they ever want to be taken seriously," said Mr Dunne.

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