25 May 2012

New Zealand Needs Hope And A Plan, Not More Excuses

New Zealanders are sick of National making excuses for its failed economic management and are angry that families are being made to pay for its mistakes, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.

Dr Norman launched a stinging attack on the Government’s Budget and lack of a good plan for New Zealand in a speech to North Shore Grey Power in Auckland today.

“It’s time for National to stop making excuses They wanted to be in power, they made the big promises; it’s time to hold them to account,” said Dr Norman.

“We get that times are tough but we are sick of being promised that the brighter future is just around the corner and then, when the promises are broken, being told ‘just wait a little longer’.

“A tiny surplus in 2014/15 - achieved by taxing paperboys, making medicine more expensive, and cramming more kids into classrooms - does nothing to fix the economy.

“It has become a purely political goal.

“Bill English’s admission today that we are in the middle of a series of economic crises just makes a mockery of his Budget’s rosy economic forecasts.
“It is a signal that, when the economy again fails to live up to the projections that the surplus target depends upon, National will use the surplus target as an excuse to make more cuts to our public services and impose more costs on our families.

“This budget offers zero hope for Kiwis looking for a chance to get ahead in New Zealand. All that will do is force more people to pack up and move to Australia.

“The Green Party has a smart green economic plan for the New Zealand economy – a plan that takes our national debt seriously while moving our economy onto a more sustainable footing.” said Dr Norman.

Additional information:
Full text of Russel Norman’s speech to Grey Power
Green jobs plan

ENDS

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