7 February 2005

Brownlee foot in mouth…again

The current MP for Ilam, Gerry Brownlee, has once again disgraced himself, and he continues to be an embarrassment to his party and the people of Ilam. In the house last week, Brownlee stated that he only agreed on two things that Prime Minister Helen Clark said in her opening address to Parliament, that the country has huge potential and that the country needs leadership. He dismissed the rest as 'platitudinous claptrap'.

Julian Blanchard, the Labour candidate for Ilam in the 2005 election, responded saying, "Whether you are a Labour party supporter or not, the Prime Minister made many statements that most sensible people would agree with. It once again clearly shows that Gerry Brownlee is far too quick to speak without actually letting common sense invade his thinking. He is an embarrassment to his colleagues and the people of Ilam".

Statements in the Prime Ministers speech, which Brownlee has now clearly indicated that he disagrees with, include:

• Now we must increase our focus on measures that will, over the longer term, reduce crime and imprisonment rates by tackling the causes of crime.

• For this government, investing back into health, education and people from the surpluses we've built are our top social priorities.

• We want people to be able to afford to go to the doctor early on - and be able to afford their medicines.

• A top priority is to resolve the long term funding pressures in the elder care and disability services sectors.

• Making it possible for every individual to fulfill their potential through education is our dream, and it's the dream every family has for their children. Making that possible enables our nation to fulfill its dreams - of prosperity, high living standards, and a great quality of life.

• There's no place for the kind of government which sets New Zealanders against each other. New Zealand needs governments which draw on the strengths of all to move the whole country ahead.

• We also want better value for money than we've been getting in some areas of further education and training spending. Low quality providers and courses should not expect to survive. The money they have consumed can be far better spent elsewhere.

• Both Maori and Pakeha want us to complete treaty settlements so we can move forward together.

• We believe a confident, proud nation is one in which people will want to live, work, raise their children, and invest.

• A strong sense of national identity makes us a stronger nation.

ENDS

© Scoop Media