ACT's The Letter - 9 May 2005
THE SITUATION
Winston Peters scored a king hit. (Damn). Labour had a bad week. While the economy roars along, there are signs that the
export sector is struggling as forward hedges end. Inflation and union militancy continue.
WRONG IRAQI
Confidence in Labour’s immigration administration has been shaken by the knowledge that one of Saddam Hussein’s cabinet
ministers received a visa to visit NZ. The government’s incompetent handling of the issue has made it much worse.
Immigration Minister Paul Swain has joined Hawkins in the walking wounded. If NZ First does nothing more, (and Winston
has an endless list of Iraqi’s) the party is now guaranteed to receive over 8%. Given the collapse of United, the
decline of the Greens and the rise of the Maori party, Winston is odds on to hold the balance of power.
IMMORAL
Labour took a real hit with its staunchest supporters - the party member who knocks on doors and sells raffle tickets.
These activists see Labour as a moral movement. Swain’s action in ordering the Immigration Department to scour the
records and then to revoke the permit of the wrong Iraqi immigrant was a gross injustice. What happened to due process?
Mallard’s vicious, malicious attack on ex-commissioner Peter Doone in last Wednesday’s adjournment debate was the worst
abuse of parliamentary privilege in recent history. We do not intend repeating Mallard’s slander but he set out to imply
that Doone was incompetent and had an alcohol problem - a claim he knows to be totally false. Mallard believes that by
destroying Doone’s reputation he can distract the electorate from the shocking fact that it was the Prime Minister Helen
Clark who anonymously confirmed a defamatory story she must have known was not true. They are the sort of people who
when they have no further use for their pets, abandon them.
DOORMATS
In the Wednesday debate while National’s Gerry Brownlee was speaking Mallard walked over to United’s Larry Baldock who
was scheduled to speak next (on the serious issue of child prostitution in the Minister of Police’s electorate) and said
“I am taking the next speaking slot”. Not a request but simply a statement of fact.
IT’S IN WRITING
Rodney Hide has copies of the court documents in the Doone defamation case and is giving a press conference today. The
documents show that Clark’s claims are false. Ex-commissioner Doone sued over a front- page story that he had told a
breathalyser-carrying constable, That won’t be necessary. It turns out that all reports indicate the constable never
made such a statement and said that he thought the breathalyser was in his pocket. The first time there was any
suggestion that Doone had said “That won’t be necessary” was when it appeared in the paper. Yet the documents show Clark
does not deny she told the paper “You’re not wrong”.
The court documents also reveal that the paper contacted Clark after printing the false claim The Prime Minister
confirmed that, on her understanding what was published in the 16 January 2000 article was accurate. The documents state
She (PM) also read to me parts of the Robinson Police Inquiry (That report was completely confidential).
The papers also show a legal contempt of the Police Complaints Authority inquiry as Clark confirms in her evidence
“I recall that I went through some aspects of the information contained in the Police Complaints Authority report.” with
the Sunday Star Times reporter. At the time the report was confidential and had not been released by the Police
Complaints Authority. For more see www.act.org.nz/doonegate.
SLOW DOWN
The Letter has picked up signs that exports to Australia are starting to really struggle. It’s a double whammy, the rise
of the Kiwi and the slow down in the Australian economy especially in the construction sector. It’s the first real sign
of the predicted slow down.
POLL WARNING
The British elections bring lessons to both Labour and National. Labour will be reflecting that high polls do not always
translate into votes. No Labour government anywhere has been able to persuade their voters to turn out in big numbers
twice to re elect them. Even Britain’s unprecedented economic performance still resulted in just a 36% vote for Labour.
The lesson for the Conservatives there and here is that you cannot win on marginal issues, such as immigration. Of most
concern to the electorate there and here is health and education on which conservatives have nothing to say. National
criticise NCEA but it is their policy. Who thinks health will be better under National or even knows a single National
health policy?
THAT’S OK THEN
Labour’s Energy Minister told the house that the $15 a tonne carbon levy was not a tax increase but a tax shift. The
difference he explained was that Labour intends returning the levy to the community. Isn’t that the justification for
all taxes?
WE TOLD THEM
Labour announced today that the financial state of the Wananga was worse than first thought. The Council are all sacked,
Mallard is appointing a statutory manager, and we taxpayers are giving an immediate $20 million loan.
POLL
Last week we poll was emphatic 98% of respondent’s thought Clark should publicly apologise to Peter Doone. The latest
BNZ survey of business confidence showed businessmen are concerned about their own businesses. Such polls are a more
accurate predictor. The most accurate of all is the right way/ wrong way poll. “Do you think the country is heading in
the right direction” We will send the results to the PM. Vote at www.act.org.nz/poll.
ENDS