7 March 2007

Key promises the earth again

National leader John Key is again pandering to a vocal minority and showing little ability to deal with a serious economic issue, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said today.

Dr Cullen was responding to news that John Key and Nick Smith told foresters in Christchurch yesterday that National would give them carbon credits.

"Once again, Mr Key is giving people what they want to hear. You can do that in Opposition, that's the easy job – promise the earth and damn the consequences.

"It's the same with his $11.5 billion dollars of tax cuts – sounds good to some – but is unaffordable, reckless and unfair.

"It's clear National is making policy on-the-hoof again, appealing to vested interests and trying to derail the government's responsible approach to a serious economic and environmental challenge.

"National needs to come clean about what its policy actually means and what it could cost taxpayers.

"Something needs to be done about deforestation – we are working on this.
However, National is just frustrating the process, snuggling up to vested interests and coming up with policies that would end up giving a few forest owners a windfall gain at the expense of ordinary taxpayers.

"It's policy making straight out of the "Hollow Man" – allowing a few mates to direct policy on an issue that affects all New Zealanders. How can people trust him?

"The only consolation is that the man who once dubbed climate change an "utter hoax" is at last accepting that it is an issue the National Party has to have a policy on. Trouble is, he's struggling to come up with anything sensible," Dr Cullen concluded.

ENDS

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