28 August 2005
Hon Jim Anderton MP, Progressive Leader

Gently gently into the far right goes Brash's ruinous plan

Facts exposed in the Sunday Star Times about the far right, supporting as well as funding Brash's move to power and advising him not to portray himself as too hard right to begin with, are enough to make New Zealanders feel sick about New Zealand's future under his leadership, Progressive Leader Jim Anderton said today.

"It doesn't surprise me that Brash's leadership coup and his economically ruinous programme of extreme tax cuts based on significant overseas borrowing and, have been funded by the extreme right.

"That programme of tax cuts is exactly what was done in the 1980s and 1990s when Brash, as Govenor of the Reserve Bank decided that unemployment should not go below 7 per cent in order to keep inflation down. What that actually meant was keeping wages down by putting the lives of thousands of New Zealanders onto the scrap heap of unemployment.

"This government has both low unemployment and low inflation - so Brash has been proven wrong again and again. And the economy is growing strong.

"New Zealanders threw out the new right versions of both Labour and National. They voted in MMP to prevent policy abuses by major parties. They now have to take stock of history before jumping in to grab short term individual gains, while tax cuts based on borrowing will lead to long term pain for our economy, health and education systems as well as social services. Increases to prices and mortgage rates will strip away any individual gains in any case.

"The well being of the nation is at stake in this election. We can continue to strengthen our economy so that we can lift wages in the future, support our families is done in all modern developed nations, and preserve social services for all so everyone gets a fair go. Or we can chose to ruin our chances of a successful future by indiscriminate income tax cuts for the 'me' generation.

"New Zealanders must think very hard about what is important for the country. If they do that, I'm sure we will see another positive and constructive Labour led coaliton government with Progressive on hand to keep it on track, as my colleague Matt Robson and I have done for the past six years," Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

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