LAUNCH OF THE "TAXOMETER"

It is now about one year until the general election.

The election will be a choice between those of us who broadly support the changes in New Zealand since 1984, and those who are adamantly opposed.

It will be between the National Party, willing to work with all those prepared to support a progressive and realistic agenda, and the Labour/Alliance Coalition.

National's vision for the future is clear to you all. We want to improve the living standards and quality of life of all New Zealanders by:

·
Maintaining the foundations of New Zealand's economic come-back:
The Reserve Bank Act
The Employment Contracts Act
The Fiscal Responsibility Act
A low-rate, broad-base tax system
An open and competitive economy
·
Reducing the size of government and taxation to 30% of GDP as fiscal conditions permit. ·
Providing the best environment for business in the world, so that our productive sector can take on the world and win. ·
Bringing innovative, creative, 21st Century ideas to the social policy challenges we face.
We are the party of the future.

In contrast, all that is offered by Labour and the Alliance are soft words and vague promises to spend more.

Labour and the Alliance rely on old failed remedies and refuse to face up to the future.

They cynically rely on the German proverb "An old error is always more popular than a new truth".

There are four things we know about Labour and the Alliance:

1.
Labour and the Alliance would raise your taxes again and again 2.
Labour and the Alliance would spend more and more of your money 3.
Under Labour and the Alliance, your interest rates would go up and up 4.
Labour and the Alliance would regulate your life more and more tightly
When I became Prime Minister, I challenged the Labour Party to stop just opposing everything and to come up with some policies New Zealanders could consider.

Subsequently, they have, and the reality is becoming clear.

The old-fashioned spending promises have begun.

As we move through the next 12 months towards the election, those promises will come thick and fast.

I know from my experience as a social policy minister that more money is helpful but, alone, it fails to solve problems.

And the National Party says this to Helen Clark: "we won't let you tell the special interest groups and your union buddies that you'll fund all their old-fashioned pet projects, without telling hard-working families and the productive sector how much it will cost them and what the consequences will be to growth and jobs.

If Labour doesn't come clean, we will.

Labour's promises don't add up.

That's why today we launch the taxometer.

This taxometer will measure the rate of tax required to fund Labour's spending policies. It will be a constant reminder to the Labour Party and the public.

We intend to keep Labour honest over the next 12 months.