Quiet Sinking Of Loudly Proclaimed Programme

Thursday 1 Jul 2004 Dr Muriel Newman Press Releases -- Social Welfare

Once again, the Government has suffered a blow to its credibility - this time by lumbering the Labour Department with the task of quietly announcing the demise of its controversial Social Entrepreneur Scheme, ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader and Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

"The demise of this discredited Labour Party campaign promise was announced in small print by the Labour Department's Chief Executive. This is a complete turnaround from when it was launched with flair, style, fanfare, rhetoric, endless press statements and photographs," Dr Newman said.

"Clearly, the scrapping of this programme is so embarrassing that the Ministers cannot even front it. So much taxpayers' money has been wasted in this ill-advised, badly administered scheme that it has become too hot for the Labour Government to handle.

"As a result, we see yet another U-turn - a Labour Party flagship quietly sinking into oblivion.

"One would at least expect Government Ministers to have the dignity to announce the failure of their own initiative. But perhaps it is because this was a Labour Party scheme - rather than one which stemmed from officials' advice - that the Ministers would rather leave someone else to do their dirty work," Dr Newman said.

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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