National losing the plot

National losing the plot

23 June 2004 Media Statement

National losing the plot - Cullen

"National's internal manouevrings over tax policy are just the latest in a long line of issues on which it seems unable to reach any solid agreement," Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today.

He was commenting on deputy finance spokesman John Key's public support for a cut to the top tax rate in preference to the cuts for "lower and middle income earners" advocated by party leader Don Brash.

"Yet another issue, it seems, for the 'too hard' basket. The list of decisions National is dithering over is growing embarrassingly long and contains some embarrassingly large items.

"They include:

- whether to have an independent foreign policy or take orders direct from Washington;

- whether to resume their asset sales programme of the 1990s;

- whether to abolish the New Zealand Superannuation investment fund;

- whether to advocate repeal of the Working for Families package should National be in a position to form a government;

- whether to dismantle the Primary Health Organisations and the cheaper health care they provide to more than 3 million New Zealanders.

"Act's support is around its ankles, it has a leader no-one in the caucus much likes and whose only strategy for the leadership is to stop being himself. But at least we know what it stands for," Dr Cullen said.

ENDS

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