3 April 2002

Finance Minister, Leader of the House and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Michael Cullen, said today that the impending split in the Alliance was sad but that the government remained secure.

“Mr Anderton has said that those MPs who plan to leave the Alliance at the end of this term will remain Alliance MPs until the parliament is dissolved. I welcome that commitment, and Mr Anderton’s continuing strong endorsement of the government and of what it has achieved.

“He and the other Alliance MPs have made a big contribution to the coalition’s success.

“Both sides of the Alliance divide have consistently said that they will continue to support the coalition agreement and the government in the House,” Dr Cullen said.

He said the fact that all the Alliance MPs were committed to supporting the coalition was evidence that the Electoral Integrity Act was working, and would protect the proportionality of the Parliament.

“That was always the intention of the legislation,” Dr Cullen said.

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