"National Party Leader Jenny Shipley has finished her campaign with a desperate lie," says Labour finance spokesperson Michael Cullen.

Dr Cullen was responding to Mrs Shipley's claim today that as Social Welfare Minister in 1990-1991, he had authorised $303 million in unappropriated expenditure.

"This always was garbage and still is. No spending was unauthorised.

"What happened was that demand-driven welfare expenditure was running ahead of Budget night projections, requiring an adjustment in the supplementary estimates round towards the end of the financial year.

"That is normal process. All Mrs Shipley is showing with her silly claims is that, even after three years as Minister of Social Welfare, she does not understand how the social welfare budget is put together.

"She would do better to remind the nation that as Minister of Social Welfare, she froze the pension for two years and cut benefits," Dr Cullen said.

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