Labour and the Alliance have now both confirmed they think taxpayers' money belongs to them, Treasurer Bill English said today.

"The fiscal policy of Labour and the Alliance of spending between $4.3 and $6.4 billion more is a patronising "government knows best" approach that will wreck the books, wreck the economy, and wreck jobs.

"How on earth can we trust Jim Anderton to spend taxpayers money wisely? How can we trust Michael Cullen to balance the books?

"Remember their records.

"Before the 1990 election Labour was claiming a Budget surplus.

"In fact the post-election briefing for National in 1990 showed forecast deficits of $3.7 billion in 1991/92, $4.5 billion in 1992/93, and $5.2 billion in 1993/94.

"And that was from a Labour government Jim Anderton left because it wasn't spending enough.

"It is the easiest thing in the world to promise to spend someone else's money.

"Labour/Alliance can come up with an endless list of things they want to throw your taxes at. The question is, will it make New Zealanders better off?

"Higher taxes, higher government spending, higher interest rates, and higher costs on business will not increase growth and will not create jobs."

Mr English said economic growth, careful management of government spending and tax cuts means a bigger economic cake, and more for everyone.

"That's more appetising than letting Cullen and Anderton eat the cake while the rest of us see what's left."

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>