John Key MP
National Party Finance Spokesman
23 February 2006

Spending reviews more akin to toothpick than razor

The Government’s review of public spending is more akin to a toothpick gang than a razor gang, says National Finance spokesman John Key.

He was responding to today’s announcement by Trevor Mallard that the Government will put its spending reviews in the hands of individual departments.

“That approach is like letting the inmates run the jail,” Mr Key says. “Reviews like this should be done independently of departments.

“The Labour Government have spent all the money and run out of the will to find cost savings. All they are prepared to do is flinch more from the long-suffering taxpayer’s pocket.

“They now have serious problems with the amount of public spending they have piled on over the past six years, and are clearly spooked by Treasury’s concerns about the quality of some of that spending.

“But despite being spooked, Labour does not seem to want to do anything about it. They have run out of ideas, and they don’t know what to do.

“No wonder they are having enormous problems getting the Budget settled.”

ENDS

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