Thursday, 27 January 2005

Dunne: We'll be back bigger and the 'party of influence'

United Future will be back after the election with many more than its current eight MPs and as the "centrist party of influence" in the next government, leader Peter Dunne said at the conclusion of a two-day caucus retreat today.

"We're very well positioned to come back bigger and stronger, and championing the New Zealand family in a manner that no party has done before," he said.

Mr Dunne said the caucus retreat had been an outstanding success in honing and fine-tuning an inventive family-focused mix of policies across a range of areas.

"I think the policies we roll out this year will show exactly what we mean by putting the family at the centre of New Zealand politics.

"We have finalised our family and family support packages, our law and order, education and health policies, and made substantial progress on an innovative and radical tax policy that will benefit all income-earners, but especially working families raising children," he said.

Both the health and education policies would draw strongly on greater use of private-public partnerships.

Mr Dunne said voters will recognise the political stability that has been provided by United Future, in stark contrast to the debacles of the previous two terms with NZ First, the Greens and the Alliance.

"Basically, United Future is the party that has made MMP work; it is the party that given the platform that has allowed the most consistent spell of positive economic indicators in 40 years," he said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media