Knowledge Wave Wipes Out Helen Clark

Friday 21 Feb 2003 Rodney Hide Press Releases -- Economy

The Prime Minister has been wiped out by the Knowledge Wave, ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide said today.

"Helen Clark's Government spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the "Knowledge Wave" Trust, yet now the Prime Minister plans to push the 2003 Conference's recommendations `to the side of her desk' because of her ideological prejudice.

"Ms Clark says the conference recommendation that New Zealand aims to get its economy back into the top half of the OECD by the end of the decade, is an "unrealistic" goal. She says if it is typical of the conference's recommendations, she will be "pushing them to the side of her desk".

"The hypocrisy will leave taxpayers breathless. Well over half-a-million taxpayer dollars were spent on the first conference alone. Add to that the sponsorship of this year's conference, plus the cost of sending hundreds of bureaucrats to the talkfests, and it all adds up to a whopping sum.

"The Prime Minister cynically expected insipid `yes men' to wax lyrical about the benefits of her policies. But the Knowledge Wave has wiped her out. Patriotic attendees have spoken their minds, and they have shown the Prime Minister up. The Conference has delivered a clear message: small businesses are suffering under the weight of red tape, and New Zealanders are being choked by high taxes.

"The arrogant, anti-business Helen Clark is back. The Prime Minister well knows her Government's taxation and economic policies provide no hope of ever getting New Zealand out of the doldrums at the bottom of the OECD ladder.

"Helen Clark says to hell with the country, she's going to push this conference's recommendations to the side of her desk. If that's the dumping ground for every sensible idea that she rejects because of her ideological blinkers, she'll need a very, very big desk," Mr Hide said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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