Twelve months ago the Labour coalition said that it wished to be judged on whether it managed to close the gaps between
Maori and Pacific Islanders and the rest of New Zealand, said Hon Richard Prebble.
In the Helen Clark authored Speech from the Throne it was stated “As long as the economic and social gaps between Maori
and other New Zealanders remain large, the government of New Zealand cannot claim to have addressed the needs of all New
Zealanders. My government is committed to closing the gaps.”
This week Prime Minster Helen Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton released a 24 page booklet highlighting the
coalition’s achievements after a year in office, absolutely no mention was made of ‘closing the gaps’.
“Today, like Soviet historians, the government are trying to erase even the term ‘closing the gaps’ from history
records.
“This government will be judged on its closing the gaps strategy, a strategy based on the premise that only if those
with more are made poorer will the strategy work. Instead of focussing on making the pie bigger for everyone the
coalition has been hell bent on reducing everybody’s portion.
“A government that was accountable would admit that the average household is $70 per week worse off and that the gaps
between New Zealand and the rest of the developed world are widening by the day. It is the worst record of any
government in the history of New Zealand.
“Instead of concentrating on media spin and rewriting record books the Labour coalition should do a U-turn on its
business unfriendly policies and give everybody the opportunity to increase their slice of the pie, said Hon Richard
Prebble.
ENDS
For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at
act@parliament.govt.nz.