The real debate in the upcoming campaign will be about the future of New Zealand, not National's elusive tax cut plan, Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.

Speaking before tonight's Insight debate on tax, Steve Maharey said National's failure to unveil its tax policy is only serving to mask their total lack of policy and vision on the issues that really matter to New Zealanders.

"National said they would announce their plans after the budget," Steve Maharey said. "Now Brash says National will announce them after the election is called. They said they would produce an alternative budget, but now Key says it's too hard.

"Key promised tax cuts by Christmas, but Brash said by Easter or maybe Christmas 2007. We're not having an actual tax debate, because National doesn't know where they stand.

"The real debate is about six years of successful policy and six years of increasing prosperity for all New Zealanders.

"We're going to talk about how we've helped families and how we've slashed poverty. We're going to talk about what families need to build the kind of country they want for their children.

"Under Labour, we've achieved the lowest unemployment in the developed world, a quarter of a million new jobs in the economy and the restoration of strong and successful public services.

"We've seen businesses thriving with record profits and every region in the country growing strongly.

"It's not only time for National to unveil their tax policy, it's time for them to start talking about their real plans for health, education and welfare. All we know so far is that National would make massive cuts to social spending.

"Labour will fight a campaign about the future. National will continue to waste the country's time searching for a tax policy that will actually work."