PM Aims To Fight Mid-term Blues

Monday, 28 May 2007, 8:12 pm
Article: Kevin List

The Prime Minister today assured the media that she couldn't work any harder but perhaps she could work smarter at her post-cabinet press conference. After the last political poll from TVNZ showed Labour trailing National by 25 points the PM faced a number of questions regarding what plans she had to turn Labour's mid-term blues into brighter days.

While conceding that the support for Sue Bradford's repeal of Section 59 may have hurt her poll ratings the PM was adamant that supporting this legislation was the only morally tenable position her government could have taken.

"I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't confident that the Government can recover its position," the PM told the media when quizzed about Labour's dismal poll results.

In response to questions about Solid Energy's actions in paying for information relating to protestors actions in attacking a corporation which kicks back millions of dollars to the NZ taxpayer the PM pointed out that that the government did not in any way approve of spying on protestors. This message had been channelled back through SOE Minister Trevor Mallard to the board of Solid Energy. The PM did however point out that Solid Energy's CEO Don Elder had assisted in turning around a struggling enterprise into one that was now greatly benefiting the NZ taxpayer.

The PM was also asked for an update on the government's plans to keep gangs in check to which she replied that Police Minister Annette King was in the UK and looking at the anti-social behaviour laws drafted by Tony Blair's government.

It was made apparent by the PM that NZ First's law and order spokesperson Ron Mark was being kept updated with what Labour is investigating in regards to NZ's gang problems.

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