11 April 2005

Progressive MP emphasizes young people at Grey Power meeting

Progressive MP Matt Robson highlighted policies designed to better secure the financial well-being and future happiness of young people at the Grey Power annual conference in Rotorua today.

"NZ First, United and National are trying hard to convince senior citizens to forget about the actual record of the NZ First-National coalition and the National-United coalition governments of the 1990s.

"They seem to think they can spend this government's surplus three or four times over, by promising massive increases in spending on everything from pensions, to significantly more Police on every street corner, and everything in between.

"But the record of the Labour-Progressive government on protecting present and future retirees from the indignity of poverty in old age speaks for itself. It is second to none.

"That is why when I speak at Grey Power meetings I use the time to outline the Progressive Party's 2005 election policies to better secure the well-being of younger people instead, as most retired New Zealanders have children, grand children and even great grand children.

"Most retired New Zealanders that I meet understand why Progressive is advocating to cut tertiary graduates' debt in return for them committing their skills to working New Zealand.
Most pensioners understand why our party is advocating to ensure low income families can get into their own homes and most retired New Zealanders appreciate why we are advocating raising the alcohol purchasing age back to twenty.

"Progressive's policies are about promoting the economic and social development of our country so that there is a better future for all in our own towns and regions, " he said.

Matt Robson represented the Progressive Party at a panel discussion at the Grey Power annual meeting in Rotorua today. Prime Minister Helen Clark will address the conference tomorrow as a keynote speaker, together with Don Brash and Winston Peters.

The Progressive Party has commissioned independent economic advice on all of its Election 2005 policies, which include reducing the company tax rate to 30 per cent.

The party has said it favours progressively raising the minimum threshold of National Super and is currently studying the cost of such a policy. Progressive has also said, however, that it won't unfairly raise superannuitants' expectations by campaigning on financially reckless policies which stand no show of being implemented by any coalition government.

ENDS

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