Monday, 14 June 2004

Dunne congratulates Hide; offers helpful advice

United Future leader Peter Dunne today congratulated ACT’s new leader Rodney Hide on his election and said his door was always open to Mr Hide for advice on how to carry out his job.

“Regrettably, Mr Hide has started poorly by raising the apparent bogy of National leader Don Brash being ‘held hostage’ if he enters in a coalition with myself or Winston Peters,” said Mr Dunne.

“It may be Mr Peters’ style to make non-negotiable demands as the price of his support, but United Future has already well-demonstrated the ability to be a stable, sensible partner for a major political party, without abandoning its policies or principles.

“This is in marked contrast to the extremist parties like the Greens, who refused to back Labour in 1992 over the single issue of genetic modification, but have now abandoned that policy in their increasingly desperate efforts to become relevant and a part of a Labour-led Government.

“As the new leader of an extremist party rating 1% in the polls, Mr Hide would do well to observe that the New Zealand voter does not back small parties that make unrealistic demands on the bigger parties.

“Voters, not extremist parties, choose governments. Mr Hide would do well to concentrate on uniting his caucus and developing policies that appeal to the New Zealand voter, before pronouncing on who should be the Prime Minister of New Zealand,” said Mr Dunne.

ENDS

© Scoop Media