16 November 2000

Hon Peter Dunne has hailed the formation of United Future New Zealand as a new start for New Zealand politics.

Mr Dunne, who will lead the coalition between the United New Zealand and the Future New Zealand parties, says New Zealanders have had enough of disillusionment, political double-talk, broken promises, character assassination and the lack of core values, that have driven politics for too long.

"We have had enough of the fact that the hopes and aspirations of mainstream New Zealand families seldom fit with the agendas of the political parties elected to government," he told today's Auckland function to launch the new coalition. He said that in many meetings over recent months, both the United New Zealand and the Future New Zealand parties have shared this frustration and also an equal passion to make New Zealand number one again.

"The more we have talked, and discussed our hopes for the future, the more we have realised how much we have in common, and the more we have become confident we can and should work together to promote those goals, and to provide the leadership and vision we see New Zealand presently lacking."

"United Future's vision for New Zealand over the next 10 to 20 years is to make our country once again the best place in the world to live in and bring up a family," he said.

Mr Dunne said United Future will aim to rekindle the spirit of principled independence, ingenuity, pragmatism, common-sense, and passion for the underdog that have long been seen as the fabric of New Zealand's national character.

"We want to utilise New Zealanders' inherent wisdom and common sense, that have been overlooked for too long, to move forward once more."

"Across New Zealand today, I hear a strong call that what the country desperately needs to make our MMP system work effectively is a viable centrist political party, to stop all the nonsense we have seen in recent years, and United Future aims to be that voice of reason," Mr Dunne said.

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