Dunne Misleads Public With Kahawai Ads

Monday 13 Sep 2004 Ken Shirley Press Releases -- Other

"The expensive newspaper ads taken out by United Future attempting to explain their curious position on the kahawai fishery is laughable" ACT New Zealand Whip Ken Shirley said today.

"United Future MPs Peter Dunne and Larry Baldock, whose photos appear in the advertisements, claim that ACT, NZ First and the Greens are responsible for the continued demise of the kahawai fishery and its unavailability for recreational fishers," Mr Shirley said.

"They are patently wrong on two counts. Firstly, the legislation bringing kahawai onto the quota management system is promoted by the Labour Government, which United Future is supporting on issues of supply and confidence.

"If United Future cannot negotiate in favour of its policy on the kahawai issue it's a bit rich for them to blame the other minor parties who collectively come nowhere near comprising a majority in Parliament.

"The second error is more substantive and highlights United Future's utter confusion on this whole issue. Prior to this legislation, kahawai were not included on the quota management system and therefore commercial fishers had unrestricted access with no enforceable limits.

"The legislation that United Future is opposing actually introduces kahawai as a species onto the QMS, and therefore enables Government to set sustainable catch limits on the commercial fishing sector that take into account the needs of the recreational fishery.

"If United Future had any sense at all it would be embracing this legislation rather than isolating themselves with a ridiculous policy stance, and then attempting to cover their embarrassment of failure by blaming other political parties," Mr Shirley said.

ENDS

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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