Tuesday 14th Sep 1999
Ken Shirley
Media Release -- Economy

The silence of Labour's Phil Goff over his Party's betrayal of the West Coast is further evidence of the deep division in the Party's ranks after the policy announcement last week.

ACT Deputy Leader Hon Ken Shirley tonight told a public meeting in Greymouth that Phil Goff was the Environment Minister who signed the West Coast Accord on behalf of the Crown.

"It's no secret that Phil Goff is totally opposed to Helen Clark's decision to renege on her promise to honour the contract with the people of the West Coast. He will not be able to stay silent on the issue for long.

"By betraying the West Coast with this extremist forestry policy Helen Clark is inviting a major backlash within her caucus. That backlash has already seen Jim Sutton resign as forestry spokesman and it would now seem that Damien O'Connor is very shaky on his support for his own Party.

"It's not just Michael Cullen who's wearing an omelette after Labour was kicked off the Coast yesterday. This is a time bomb for Labour. The backlash has gone far beyond the Coast. They are a Party in deep trouble.

"Every New Zealand province now knows that Labour is a party that cannot be trusted," said Hon Ken Shirley.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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