Thu, 27 Jan 2005
New Political Party Launched
The Aotearoa New Zealand Equal Values Party
Equal Values Announces Its Arrival
The public launch this week of the newest entrant into the political arena was announced today by Party founder Adele
Hughes, who outlined that the party has been preparing policy over the past year in preparation for the 2005 elections.
"We did this in response to a growing sense of public dissatisfaction with the major parties, who remain fixed in
convention and will not make the changes that are necessary in order to overcome their past mistakes. Our goal is for
New Zealand to become the best little country on the face of this planet. Since the inception of Equal Values in August
of 2003 we have spoken with many people - real discussions, not polls - who confirmed the need for change. We have
identified precisely which changes need to be made, and have developed policy to address these needs," said Mrs Hughes.
Commenting on the recent statement made by Don Brash in reference to his 2004 Orewa speech 'I make no apology for that
speech because it plotted a way forward,' she noted that Dr Brash had used an interesting choice of words.
"It really exposes just where National is coming from. The public have sensed desperation and a lack of direction from
National for some time now. And the best that he could come up with in this year's Orewa speech is a plan to regurgitate
the damage he helped cause in past," said Mrs Hughes. "Where is his vision? Where are his carefully measured and
detailed plans to achieve the best outcomes possible for everyone in New Zealand? It is the very least we could expect
of a party that has previously been in government," she said.
"The truth is, they don't exist. For months now we have seen Labour apply more poll driven patch-up of systemic failure
in the lead up to the elections, coupled with the sounds of silence from a National Party struggling to justify its
existence. Dr Brash's magnificent plot for the future has now been revealed in a discourse of shallow and superficial
rhetoric designed to appeal to the hardhearted and self-absorbed amongst us who carry their righteous indignation around
with them in their wallets. The effects of his proposals will be harmful and damaging to many."
"Yes, thing's certainly need to change" she said, "but we don't have to draw blood to do it. We need to empower people
to move off benefits, not flog them. Neither party has been able to come up with any plans to achieve opportunity and
wealth creation. What about our disenfranchised youth - our unfortunate younger generation who have dipped out big-time.
Is he addressing intergenerational theft? We are left wondering what his plans are for the twenty percent of our
children who don't have enough to eat. Or the thirty percent of our children who live in relative poverty - all living
in a land of plenty that also has the fourth highest rate of child maltreatment deaths in the world. Where are the
concrete signs of addressing the issues that are significant and important to many people?"
"All we ever get are changing party cycles that hit or miss, invent, tinker, tweak and damage in an endless game of
political self-perpetuation. The aim of the game is to avoid political extinction. Everything else is secondary,
including people".
"What is needed is a strong focus on visible and tangible access to opportunity, based on the principles of equality and
inclusion. We need put in place much better ways to empower families and end the cycle of poverty, and help people and
business to prosper," she said.
ENDS