Gerry Brownlee MP
National Party Constitutional Issues Spokesman

10 August 2005

Predictable codswallop from constitutional review

National Party Constitutional Issues spokesman Gerry Brownlee says the parties which took part in Helen Clark’s ‘constitutional review’ should hang their heads in shame.

“What an absolute waste of Parliament’s time, but then Helen Clark always knew it would be.”

Mr Brownlee is commenting on the constitutional arrangements select committee report that recommends politically correct education campaigns, but otherwise says ‘do nothing’.

“This is the report you release when you’re not releasing a report. It’s the sort of time wasting exercise that only serves to give politicians a bad name. Make no mistake - Helen Clark is to blame for this waste of energy and waste of taxpayer money.”

National refused to take part in the committee, predicting it would be a whitewash set up with the sole purpose of trying to neutralise the collateral damage done to Labour by Don Brash’s Orewa speech on race relations.

“Labour’s done nothing. Helen Clark talked this thing up to be the answer to growing frustration about the double standards employed by Labour on race relations, but it has solved nothing.

“Only National can be trusted to deliver policies based on need not race. Labour has now shown once and for all that it has no determination to make the changes this country needs,” says Mr Brownlee.

ENDS

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