15 July 2009 Media Statement

All talk and no jobs

National is talking big about agriculture, but it’s running up a surrender flag with no new ideas, Opposition agriculture spokesperson Jim Anderton says.

“Today John Key billed his speech as a major statement on the economy, but he had no new ideas while unemployment is increasing.

“Unemployment in a region like Gisborne increased from 3.8% in 2006 to 7.8% in March this year and it will be inevitably higher now. Yet while unemployment is rising quickly in regional New Zealand, National has no ministry or policy for regional development or industry development. They never did and they don’t have now.

“National imposed a massive tax increase on research and development and it cancelled a two-billion dollar partnership between the government and private sector to invest in primary sector innovation.

“While John Key talks about the economic performance of agriculture, he has no idea about why our farms, businesses and homeowners are paying much higher interest rates than Australians, when the same banks are doing the lending.

“John Key is all talk and no jobs,” Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

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