Rt Hon Jenny Shipley

Leader of the Opposition

Wednesday 9 August 2000

Govt has no direction - because it won't listen

The Labour-Alliance Government does not know where it is taking New Zealand - largely because it refuses to listen, Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley said today.

"The Government has no vision for New Zealand. It is flying blind - ignoring or rejecting most of the best advice," Mrs Shipley told a National Press Club breakfast at Parliament.

"The catalogue of wrong decisions the Government has made because it has rejected what New Zealanders are saying is growing by the week.

"On tariffs, it ignored advice that freezing tariffs will actually hurt the NZ businesses they are trying to 'protect'.

"Jim Anderton has evaded questions on his 'jobs machine' and it has become clear that neither he nor his officials have any clear idea about where millions of dollars budgeted for Industry New Zealand will go.

"The Government refused to get any economic advice on the impact of its West Coast package or how many jobs could be expected to be created. Neither Treasury nor the Ministry for Economic Development were asked.

"The Government has also ignored New Zealanders who called for tougher penalties for violent crime in the Norm Whithers referendum.

"It ignored Derek Quigley's report on the F-16s because it didn't like his recommendations.

"When it didn't like the Heart of the Nation report it turned the arts report into a $250,000 doorstop.

"And we all know how it turned a deaf ear to 1000s of New Zealanders who made submissions against its ACC reforms and the Employment Relations Bill.

"The Government insists that it knows best, but eventually it will have to wake up and face reality. In the meantime, it is ordinary New Zealanders who are paying the price, as lost confidence takes its toll on jobs and growth," Mrs Shipley said.

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