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Bill English
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David Cunliffe
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David Parker
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John Hayes
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Labour Party
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Partial asset sales
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Quote of the Day
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The Greens
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Winston Peters
This was sent to us overnight by an alert reader. It's Bill English's answer to a supplementary question during Question Time yesterday:
John Hayes : What reports has he seen supporting the Government’s approach to investing proceeds from the share offer programme in new public assets?Hon BILL ENGLISH : I have seen reports from an unlikely source: an alternative budget that was issued in the last week or two. The reports indicate that this alternative approach to the Government’s finances will continue the current Government’s approach of using proceeds from the share offer programme. The Opposition budget includes the $4.7 billion proceeds from the asset sales being spent on public assets, which was rather a surprise given that they had spent 4 years vigorously opposing the policy.
This one seems to have snuck under the radar just a tad, as answers to patsy questions from Government backbenchers often do.
But this one is particularly significant. Labour appears to have factored in the proceeds of partial asset sales into its "alternative budget". Doesn't it make all the hot air generated by the Greens and Labour as they railed against asset sales all seem a little hollow, if Labour is simply going to go an a spending spree with the loot?
We guess it answers one question though. There is clearly going to be no buy-back of the shares in Air New Zealand, Mighty River Power, Meridian and Genesis, because Labour can only spend the money once.
And wasn't a buy-back of assets a bottom line for Winston Peters in potential coalition negotiations? Has Labour slammed the door in Mr Peters' face to go on a spending spree with the Greens?
David Cunliffe and David Parker are economic hypocrites. They should not be allowed within a bull's roar of the Treasury benches.
