Media statement

For immediate release

Tuesday, 7 October 2003

United Future seeks political consensus over families

United Future leader, Peter Dunne, and the party’s family spokeswoman, Judy Turner, say they’re delighted with the growing emphasis on family-friendly policies that is developing in Parliament and want to take positive steps to develop it.

The MP’s say they’re hugely encouraged to see that the primacy United Future has placed on developing policies that will strengthen the family unit has led to other parties such as National and New Zealand First announcing in recent days they, too, have appointed family spokespeople.

“We note that Labour’s coalition partner, the Progressives, say they will be pushing the Government in the current Budget round to help families by

* Prioritising children in the Budget.

* Raising the level of family support.

* Expanding and strengthening care and protection services.

* Improving the health of children, including raising the standard of housing for low income families.

* Ensuring all children have an adequate standard of living.

* Ensuring access to education, including expanding access to early childhood education especially for children of low income families.

Mrs Turner said, “These are all laudable objectives that United Future supports. I intend writing to the family spokespeople of the Progressives, National and New Zealand First, seeking a meeting where we can formulate a common policy around these issues that we can present together to the Government.

“After all, it is now clear that the Government has a massive surplus in terms of its tax take that should be invested in improving the health and strength of the New Zealand family.”

Mr Dunne said it had been decided not to invite ACT to the meeting because its sole family policy appears to be a tax cut while the Greens had repeatedly shown by their pro-drug policies they were anti-family.

Ends

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