Anderton Incorporated Spends More Public Cash

Spending $350,000 on the loss-making Industry New Zealand magazine Venture clearly isn't enough for Minister of Industry and Regional Development Jim Anderton. He has now embarked on a new promotional venture with taxpayer cash, ACT New Zealand Commerce Spokesman Deborah Coddington said.

"In a press release today, Industry New Zealand's Major Events Manager describes the organisation's latest expensive publication as a "celebration of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship". I'm surprised the Major Spending Manager Jim Anderton didn't make the announcement himself.

"In answers to my parliamentary questions, Mr Anderton says Industry New Zealand has set aside $124,500 to create this new `stapled broadsheet insert' - very expensive junk mail in everyday language - to `showcase the innovation and talent of New Zealand businesses'. This throwaway pamphlet will be inserted into copies of the 2003 "Best of the Best" publication.

"Hand-picked companies will only pay half the cost of featuring in the advertisement.

"New Zealanders already know this country is full of people with `entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity'. We don't need Jim Anderton to spend our own money telling us so. What we do need is for the Government to get out of the pockets of taxpayers, so New Zealanders can keep more of their own money, and let creative, innovative and entrepreneurial skills soar," Miss Coddington said.

© Scoop Media