Media statement
For immediate release

Tuesday, 28 June 2005

United NZ's 10-year celebration

United Future tonight celebrates the 10th anniversary of the formation of United New Zealand, one of the founding parties of United Future New Zealand.

United Future leader, Peter Dunne, said today, "It was a unique moment in New Zealand politics on June 28, 1995, when four National MP's, two Labour MP's and myself as an independent MP came together to form a moderate centrist party in preparation for the first MMP election in 1996.

"As one of those MP's, John Robertson, now Mayor of Papakura, wrote to me this week 'All of us on the 28th of June 1995 knew we were putting our political careers in substantial risk by leaving major parties and forming what we became known as - a sensible centre right.'

"The need for such a moderate centre party is even more obvious today after the dog's breakfasts that New Zealand First and the Alliance made of the two previous MMP governments.

"United Future, as shown by the attached list of achievements, has shown that it is possible for a party such as ours to make stable government possible in New Zealand and today I want to pay tribute to the courageous foresight of my caucus colleagues ten years ago," said Mr Dunne.

Ends