Delamere dumping last gasp of dying government
The bizarre actions of the Minister of Immigration and his dumping just days before the election shows the poor judgement of Jenny Shipley and has opened up a huge rift inside ACT's ranks.
'This bizarre situation is the last ridiculous act of a dying government,' Alliance leader Jim Anderton said.
'Delamere grossly overstepped his position as Minister of Immigration making a unilateral policy decision just days before the election.
'But Shipley has only half sacked Delamere, removing him as Minister but not removing him from cabinet. This is just one more example of her appallingly bad political judgement.
'What is worse for National is that part of National's only coalition partner, ACT seems to be supporting Delamere.
'It has been reported that ACT MP Donna Awatere Huata seems to be supporting Delamere.
'Richard Prebble has to explain while on National TV he is against Delamere's actions but his only Maori MP is for Delamere.
'ACT and National are cracking under the strain of a looming defeat. ACT has made a huge blunder on this issue. They have lost credibility. It is not credible for ACT to support Delamere on one hand and attack him on the other.
'Over the last three years Shipley's National government has sold hundreds of thousands of hectares of land to foreign investors without uttering any objections, but now in the last three days of her government she finally rejects further investment.
'New Zealanders are looking on in dismay as nightly this government's scandals are revealed.
'It is time for a change, a party vote for the Alliance will make sure that this kind of scandal does not happen again,' Jim Anderton said.
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