Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Economic Development
2 November 2013
Media Statement
Labour's leftward lurch continues
The Labour Party seems determined to continue ignoring all the evidence that New Zealand is on the right economic track,
by promoting a radical shift into a state-controlled economy reminiscent of the 1970s, Economic Development Minister
Steven Joyce says.
After another month when business confidence, employment intentions, consumer confidence, and net immigration continue
to rise, Labour's leadership are keeping their heads in the sand and suggesting what the country needs is a radical step
back to the past with less opportunity, fewer jobs for New Zealanders, and more state control.
"They haven't learnt. It was a Labour Government that drove New Zealand into a recession before the GFC, while it is the
National Government that is lifting New Zealand out ahead of most of the developed world,” Mr Joyce says.
"And yet Labour's leaders want to drag New Zealand not just back to 2008 but all the way to the 1970s.
"According to Labour, the Government should take political control of electricity, house building and now insurance.
They want to remove the independence of the Reserve Bank, and they want to go back to a rigid national pay system, where
everyone gets the same no matter who they work for or how hard they work; and they want to increase taxes on productive
businesses that grow jobs.
“With the IMF saying that New Zealand is on track to be one of the strongest developed economies in the next few years;
with businesses growing and adding jobs, and with low cost of living increases and low interest rates; New Zealanders
are entitled to ask which planet are these people on?
"With the Government's careful, conservative, and sensible economic policies starting to pay off for New Zealand, this
is no time for Mr Cunliffe and Mr Parker to start trying their pet socialist theories out on the finely-tuned and
increasingly strong New Zealand economy."
ENDS