MEDIA RELEASE
06 June 2002
User pays or quality public services
The ACT Party’s Tax and Economic Policy show New Zealanders have a stark choice between quality public services and user
pays,” said president of the Council of Trade Unions Ross Wilson today.
“While the current Government is committed to rebuilding public services ACT
obviously want more user pays.”
Ross Wilson said that as ACT is the natural coalition partner for National, at least some ACT policies would be
implemented if National was in Government.
“Voters will shudder at the thought of Rodney Hyde as Minister of Finance
or Richard Prebble as Minister of State Services or Minister of Labour,” he said.
Ross Wilson said workers would be unimpressed at ACT’s plans to abandon the economic development programme that is
really showing results in regional development and industry co-operation.
“The plan to scrap the Super Fund, which provides some security for workers that there will be a basic income in
retirement, will also fail to impress,” he said.
Ross Wilson said abandoning Air New Zealand would be a disaster for the workforce, tourism, and the country as a whole.
“Perhaps the worst news for workers in ACT’s announcement is the plan to completely re-write the Employment Relations
Act.”
Ross Wilson said ACT’s policy to dismantle the ERA was the same as National’s.
“All in all this just shows how both National and ACT are the parties of Rogernomics,” he said.
ENDS