Don Brash MP National Party Leader

21 April 2005

Labour’s policies killing New Zealand

National Party Leader Don Brash says Helen Clark and Michael Cullen are tearing the heart out of New Zealand by not doing anything to stop the rapidly growing exodus of people to Australia.

He is commenting on figures that show in the year to March there was a net migration loss of 17,166, or 330 a week, to Australia – an increase of 6,132 or 118 a week over the previous 12 months.

“This is extremely worrying, and the blame must lie fairly and squarely at the feet of Helen Clark and Michael Cullen.

“Their policies are doing untold damage to this country. They are driving more and more of our bright young people overseas with their low-wage, high-tax policies.

“They are killing this country by allowing its lifeblood – the next generation – to seek a place where they can earn a decent wage without giving a huge chunk of it back to the Government.

“The reality is that Labour has done nothing significant to improve living standards since coming into office more than five years ago, and has done plenty of things which damage our prospects.

“The average Kiwi household’s income, after tax and inflation, has not moved, and over the same period the gap between after-tax wages in New Zealand and Australia has grown from around $5000 to nearly $9000 annually.

“National will change this trend, and we will start with tax cuts,” says Dr Brash.

ENDS

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