Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Agreement means a do nothing government

Hon Bill English National Party Leader

8 August 2002

Agreement means a do nothing government

The agreement reached today between Labour and United Future means New Zealand will get a do nothing government, says National Party Leader Bill English.

"The Greens have withdrawn their support for Labour even though they tend to agree with their policies. Meanwhile, Peter Dunne has voted overwhelmingly against Labour but is now supporting them on confidence and supply.

"Labour has bought stability for the price of future progress in New Zealand. It's the wrong answer for the challenges that lie ahead."

Mr English says New Zealand is heading into tougher economic conditions with deteriorating health and public services.

"This government arrangement makes it almost certain there will be no progress made in helping small businesses expand our economic base, sorting out education standards in schools or hospitals with growing waiting lists.

"I expect that this agreement will deliver little for families. A new bureaucracy will be quickly bogged down in political correctness and over analysis.

"It is disappointing that United Future has given away so much in return for so little.

"This agreement provides an excellent opportunity for National to lead a vigorous and constructive opposition both inside and outside Parliament," Mr English says.

Ends


Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On How Climate Change Threatens Cricket‘s Future

Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else and complaining that he's inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” - which is how most of us would describe his own coalition agreements, 100-Day Plan, and backdated $3 billion handout to landlords... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.