Progressive challenges Opposition to produce alternative budget

Progressive MP Matt Robson today challenged the leader of the Opposition, Don Brash, to produce an alternative budget setting out how National and its potential coalition partners would implement their alternative programmes for New Zealand.

"When the NewLabour Party was formed in New Zealand, in 1989, we produced Alternative Budgets each and every year that we were in opposition for a whole decade until we got into government in late 1999.

"National and its allies should show New Zealand voters the courtesy of getting independent economists to cost their policies so that everyone can judge whether the social and economic costs of their programme is matched by the alleged benefits," Matt Robson said.

"Our opposition parties are falling into the same trap as Britain's main opposition Conservative Party which is facing serious pre-election embarrassment over comments made by a senior party figure on plans to cut social spending.

"A party deputy chairperson resigned recently after the publication of an honest speech that he gave to his supporters. In it, he suggested that the true extent of the party's plans to cut public spending would be concealed from the voting public until after the General Election," Matt Robson said.

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