Simon Bridges - Leader of the Opposition

17 September 2019

When Jacinda Ardern leaves tomorrow to go to the Rugby World Cup and the United Nations she will be leaving behind a mess at home, Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges says.

“Jacinda Ardern’s Government is in chaos following revelations it tried to cover up sexual assault allegations. Getting on a plane won’t give the victims the support that they need and the answers that they deserve.

“The country is in the midst of a growing measles epidemic which has affected more than a thousand people. One of the first things her Government did was drop immunisation targets which has resulted in fewer people being immunised against the deadly disease. As the Prime Minister herself once said ‘what gets measured, gets done.’

“Ms Ardern is flying away from the disaster that is KiwiBuild, one of the biggest public policy failures in a generation.

“The numbers of people on the dole have increased by 15,500 since her Government took office and the numbers of people on the social housing waiting list has more than doubled to 12,600.

“The latest GDP figures are due out this week. The economy has slowed sharply in the past two years, largely because her Government has created uncertainty, added many costs and demonstrated incompetence. Some economists are speculating this trend will continue.

“Instead of directing her departments to put as much resource as possible into fixing these messes, her biggest priority is the Christchurch Call, and, while the sentiment is nice, it won’t actually achieve anything.

“The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party has dismissed allegations of sexual assault as ‘rumours’ and Finance Minister Grant Robertson is embroiled in the Party’s poor handling of the sexual assault cover up.

“New Zealanders will be rightly thinking, who is here to show some leadership?”

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