25 August 2004

Hon Jim Anderton MP, Progressive Leader

Progressive to campaign as pro-growth insurance in 2005

The Progressive Party will be campaigning for the party vote in next year's general election as a pro-growth and pro-jobs insurance policy, Jim Anderton said today.

"In a year's time, Helen Clark is going to make New Zealand history by becoming the first ever Labour leader to emerge from three general elections to lead our country as prime minister," he said in the General Debate in Parliament.

"But on the clear evidence of MMP elections so far, Labour is unlikely to win a Parliamentary majority next year," he said.

"Labour will, as it has these past five years, govern in coalition. The Progressive Party must be its partner to help ensure that the next coalition government remains progressive and forward-looking," he said.

New Zealand's per capita growth rate has been stronger over the past five years of Labour-led progressive coalition governments than in the immediately proceeding five-year period of National-led government.

Over the last five calendar years our per capita GDP increased by a cumulative 14 per cent, compared with 11.3 per cent for Australia. In the previous 5 years, the figures were 9.9 per cent for New Zealand and 16.9 per cent for Australia.

"In the Budget legislation enacted by this House last night we saw an unholy alliance of five parties – National, NZ First, ACT, Greens and the Maori Party.

"Those are five parties that to varying degrees stand for regression.

"They stand for sectarian interests, partial illusory vistas, incomplete and impractical ideologies. They stand for various degress of failure, grievance and division that New Zealanders don't deserve and which New Zealand can't afford," Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

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