On day one of the Catching the Knowledge Wave conference the Government admitted it can't deliver the outcomes of the conference, Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley said today.

"Helen Clark is warning New Zealanders not to expect too much from the conference because she knows her Government can't deliver on its outcomes to make New Zealand a successful knowledge economy.

"The five young people who helped organise the conference wrote today that it cannot be a success unless the Government picks up the outcomes.

"The only purpose for this whole three-day knowledge economy discussion is so that we can lift New Zealander's incomes over a long period of time. National has pledged to do this with a growth economy, in contrast to the way the Labour-Alliance Government is running the economy to a standstill.

"New Zealanders will be dismayed to hear that their Prime Minister has said she won't pick up the recommendations of the top minds that have gathered for the conference. We have got the best there is in the world here to tell us how to improve the economy and the Prime Minister says she won't take it on board.

"There is no point in all this discussion if the Government is washing its hand of making progress through the knowledge wave from the outset. While there has to be buy-in from other sectors of the community New Zealand needs leadership to strengthen economy.

"National is very interested in the recommendations of the conference but we have reservations about the extent to which parties can agree on the outcomes. I get a sense that it may be difficult to draw the support of the business sector who currently oppose many of the current Government's anti-growth policies," Mrs Shipley said.

Ends

© Scoop Media