19 July 2005

Key plays the fool

Labour strategist Pete Hodgson is accusing John Key of being willfully ignorant in his criticism of Labour’s pledge card.

“Labour has honoured every pledge made in the last two elections. The very reason we introduced the signed pledge card was to restore some accountability to the political process following nine years of National governments saying one thing and doing the opposite.

“Mr Key is again distorting the truth. In its first term Labour honoured its pledge not to increase income tax for taxpayers earning under $60,000. In 1999 when that pledge was made, 95 per cent of taxpayers were in that category. That percentage may have declined as incomes rose, but the pledge not to increase taxes for those earning under $60,000 has been upheld.

“What makes Mr Key’s statement so laughable is that it was his party which promised the decent society, and then put in place a series of policies which ripped New Zealand apart.

“National promised to abolish the superannuation surtax, and then reneged on that at the first opportunity. It was his party which cut New Zealand superannuation and then claimed it wasn't a cut.

“National is so lacking in confidence of its own policies for the upcoming election that it won’t release them, let alone an alternative budget showing its costings. If National was confident their policies would stand scrutiny, they would have released them months ago.

“It is breathtakingly pathetic of Mr Key to attack Labour. We have a track record of devising policies, costing them, announcing them, and then keeping our word. National's record is the opposite,” Pete Hodgson said.

ENDS

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