Hon Steven Joyce
National Party

Associate Finance Spokesman
Campaign Chair

18 November 2011 Media Statement

32 pages of Labour waffle

The Labour Party's latest attempt to re-heat its half-baked grab-bag of economic slogans shows that the party remains in denial about how much the world has changed over the past four years, says National Party Associate Finance spokesman and Campaign Chair Steven Joyce.

"The only new things in the 32 pages of Labour waffle, are the desire to carry out more reviews (at least 5 or 6), to earnestly examine some things, and to generally stamp their feet, and instruct firms to grow.

"This is the same recipe that the old Labour regime used to get New Zealand into recession before the rest of the world in the first place. Tinker with a few minor settings, try to look positive, but at the same time whack employers and entrepreneurs with more costs that squash their ability to grow and create jobs.

"The rest of the recipe is the same dangerous stuff that they have been unsuccessfully peddling over the past several weeks.

"That includes 10 big new costs on businesses that would cost thousands of jobs, and a solution to debt that involves borrowing $15.6 billion more over the next four years. Labour still has its head in the sand on the crisis in Europe, which was caused by excessive borrowing, and poorly thought-out policies."

Mr Joyce says Labour remains in total economic denial. Under Labour's recipe New Zealand would truly "owe our future".

ENDS

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