ACT Will Continue to be the Effective Opposition

Tuesday 30 Jul 2002

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is acting like a jilted bride with his laughable claims that the National and ACT parties are irrelevant, ACT Deputy Leader Ken Shirley says.

"Mr Peters was hoping to be in government. Now his hopes have been dashed and he's started making vain and empty claims about New Zealand First being the only effective opposition.

"Mr Peters' team is a bunch of novices and we know what happened last time he came into Parliament with a number of new MPs. How many Tuku Morgans and Jenny Bloxhams is he bringing with him this time?

"The ACT Party has been consistent with its messages of getting tough on crime, a timetable for Treaty settlements and a tax cut for every worker.

"Mr Peters has picked up ACT's policies on crime and the Treaty. The only policy he has to himself is his xenophobic campaign against immigrants, with race-based slurs against Asians. He is the Pauline Hanson of New Zealand politics and I predict New Zealand First will share the same fate as Ms Hanson and her One Australia Party.

"Mr Peters failed as Treasurer and it's clear his main economic policy is that New Zealand can inflate its way to prosperity.

"During this term of Parliament, ACT will be working assiduously to promote our fresh, new ideas. ACT will continue to be the effective opposition in Parliament and select committees.

"I challenge New Zealand First, and other parties who borrowed ACT's policies during the election campaign - including Peter Dunne's promise to adopt ACT's policy to use the private sector in health - to hold firm to them in Parliament," Mr Shirley said.

ENDS

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