David
Cunliffe
Economic Development Spokesperson
15 August 2012 MEDIA STATEMENT
National’s Exports Plan Just Story Telling
The only new ideas in National’s much-hyped ‘comprehensive exports plan’ are story-telling, branding and photo
opportunities, says Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe.
“National’s so-called ‘comprehensive exports plan’ is just a list of old ideas and restates a goal they set four years’
ago.
“Steven Joyce has been talking up his exports plan since he announced it six months ago. In fact he set up an entire new
ministry to deliver it. But there’s nothing more than a grand total of eight new ideas and most of them are how to write
a story.
“In those six months all they’ve come up with is: write a story about New Zealand, provide some photos and guides to
sell it and provide it to business. It sounds like a school project but it has taken five ministries and a super
minister to come up with this.
“Every year National comes up with another pretty brochure they call an economic plan, but as ever there’s no grunt
behind them.
“Labour also believes in growing exports but we have a strong plan to deliver it. We will increase our investment pool
through boosting savings and pro-growth tax reform will direct that money into exporting businesses that will create
jobs that pay a decent wage.
“All National has said to business today is, ‘here’s some nice photos and a pretty guide, now go off in the world and
earn us billions of exports dollars’.
“This is a massive let down to business and New Zealand.”
ENDS