New Zealand will only achieve higher living standards and sustained economic growth through a far-sighted economic development programme, Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton said today following the release of Treasury briefing papers.

'The value of the Treasury briefing is that it makes plain the choice New Zealand faces. If we go down the road the National party was taking us, we will continue to suffer very poor growth and massive overseas deficits.

'The Treasury papers make it clear that a hands-off approach means cuts to retirement incomes, increasing decline in regional New Zealand and a growing gap between rich and poor.

'Treasury briefing papers make it plain that industry policies such as venture capital schemes, research and development assistance and the promotion of industry clusters are common in developed countries.

'Successful economic development requires partnership between the government and the private sector.

'The incoming government will promote job-rich new industries, especially in struggling regions. Instead of abandoning regions and accepting high unemployment and rural decline as inevitable, we will work in partnership to develop the economy with high-value, high-skill new industries,' Jim Anderton said.

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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>>