Wednesday, 14 September 2005

Dunne: MMP worked because of United Future

The supply and confidence agreement between Labour and United Future has lasted three years and two months -a full six months longer than the failed Labour-Alliance minority coalition last term and almost twice as long as the National-NZ First government debacle from 1996, United Future leader Peter Dunne said today.

"It has been the most stable government to date under MMP, indeed we have been the party that has made MMP work for the first time," he said.

"The key difference has been United Future's commitment to providing stable government, which has in turn contributed to the economic boom that the country currently enjoys."

He said that New Zealand voters needed to be aware that the NZ First that last week said it wouldn't hold a government to ransom and hadn't done this term is the same on that has put at least four no-confidence motions since 2002.

"And they call that stability?"

"Kiwis will also remember the farcical 1996 coalition negotiations - and for what? The disastrous and short-lived coalition with National that followed?"

"I still have a newspaper article from the bust-up in 1998, with the front page blaring 'Government in Crisis'. That sort of thing has been completely absent during this last term," Mr Dunne said.

He said the Greens have also moved three no-confidence motions in the current government, and despite providing support to the Labour-Alliance government on confidence and supply during the 1999-2002 term, they staged a walkout from Parliament prior to the election, claiming that they would vote against any government that allowed the commercial release of GMOs.

"And the Greens' threat was the reason the Prime Minister used to call an early election, stating 'I do not believe that it is acceptable to New Zealanders to see small parties exercise a balance of power irresponsibly.'"

"The evidence is clear: only United Future has a record of providing stable government."

ENDS

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