Some ‘Facts’ about Labour

“Labour’s latest attempt to smear the Government’s economic record is short on facts, long on revisionist history, and promises absolutely nothing,” says National Party Campaign Chair Steven Joyce.

“Labour constantly pretends they didn’t drive New Zealand into recession before the rest of the world. They pretend the Global Financial Crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes never happened, and they want to pretend they didn’t leave behind massive debt and spending messes to clean up.

“Their economic ‘facts’ don’t stand up to 30 seconds of scrutiny. They fail to mention the GST changes were part of a tax switch that Labour is refusing to undo. They don’t mention that most of the rise in unemployment occurred before the National Government’s first Budget and as a direct result of the recession that started under Labour in early 2008.

“Their economy with the truth doesn’t stop there either. After-tax wages have actually risen 10 per cent faster than the cost of living during National’s term of Government, and the number of Kiwis moving to Australia was higher in Labour’s last term.

“And finally comes the most shocking part – once again they promise precisely nothing that would help meet the economic challenges New Zealand faces in the world.

“National has committed to get back to surplus in three years and pay down debt, to ensure we can afford the public services New Zealand families rely on. Our 120-point economic action plan will grow industries and exports.

“By contrast Labour has gone through three stages in this campaign:
1. They started by racking up $16 billion in extra debt.
2. They then ran out of money and went to sleep.
3. Now they have woken up – but to the sound of their own dishonest ‘facts’.

“The truth is that Labour’s solution to debt is to borrow more, and their solution for job growth is to whack at least 10 major new costs on business.

“The only things that Labour is racking up faster than debt are smears and untruths. Labour is panicked and attempting to pull the wool over the eyes of the New Zealand public. Under Labour, New Zealand would owe our future.”