John Key MP National Party Finance Spokesman
26 August 2004
Growth blunder should leave Minister red faced
"Statistics Minister John Tamihere might like to believe he is a 'red blooded male', but after today's botch-up of the
first quarter GDP figures he will be red faced as well," according to National Party Finance spokesman John Key.
Mr Key is reacting to news that first quarter GDP numbers have had to be revised downward after 'the detection of a
processing error in Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) first quarter residential building work data'.
As a result, March quarter GDP (gross domestic product) has now been revised to 2.1% from the previously reported 2.3%.
"It looks as though Mr Tamihere's casual attitude is slipping into his Ministries and the quality of work they produce,"
says Mr Key
ENDS