This Budget's lack of a vision for the future leaves it failing to ignite any confidence that the Government will make the transformations the New Zealand economy needs, National's Finance spokesman Bill English said today.

"They have talked the talk but they can't walk the walk. They talk of being a Government that supports entrepreneurship and excellence, but this has not been backed up by any action.

"The contrast couldn't be more stark between NZ and Australia. Here we talk about it - in Australia they do it!

"Last week I challenged the Government to drop the company tax rate in the Budget. This Government can afford to do it - but has chosen other options.

"This has come at the end of a week in which the Government has got itself in a serious mess with the business community over the Resource Management Act and a retrospective GST tax-grab.

"This Budget is the final confirmation that the Government's recent 'charm offensive' with business was nothing more than a public relations exercise which can now be labelled a failure," Bill English said.

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