National should welcome 18 months of public scrutiny

National leader Don Brash should be welcoming the prospect of 18 long months to sell his message of asset sales, tax cuts for the rich and social division, Progressive leader Jim Anderton says.

"Don Brash has only been National's leader for a few short months. That isn't nearly enough time for New Zealanders to be able to rationally decide if they want him as Prime Minister.

"Over the next 18 months, New Zealanders will be able to assess for themselves if they really want a National government which would sell Kiwibank to a big Australian bank, reverse paid parental leave and four weeks' annual leave and take us back to the Muldoonist divisions of the past when we spent all of our energy navel-gazing and arguing amongst ourselves," the Progressive leader said.

"Democracy is nourished by informed debate and over the next year and a half we're going to have a great national debate on the pros and cons of a National government versus the Labour Progressive government. People will be able to make their informed decision late next year," Jim Anderton said.

In January, National surrendered to the politics of division by launching an ill-considered attack on the Treaty of Waitangi and race relations in New Zealand.

Last week, National turned superannuation back into a political football by saying it wouldn't be there for everyone under the age of 50.

And today Don Brash inadvertently gave an insight into his desire to deny New Zealanders the opportunity to enjoy 18 months of rational, democratic debate about National's divisive policy proposals by revealing that he would much rather that Parliament to be dissolved for a snap election!

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