Times are tough right now. People are losing their jobs. Petrol, power and food prices are out of control.
It is harder to take care of your health because doctors’ fees are going up, especially if you get sick after hours. Parents are stung with steep fee increases for keeping their children in early childhood education. The financial pressure on families is enormous.
That is because under National, we are going backwards. They do not have a plan to get our economy going. Labour does have a plan; we will grow the economy and make it work for all Kiwis.
We will create jobs.
We will invest in skills training and provide more apprenticeships.
We will support exporters to grow their businesses.
We will invest in ‘Can-do Kiwis’ and their high-tech, clean-green ideas.
On top of that, we will give financial relief to all Kiwis because we believe in giving everyone a fair go.
We will take the GST off fresh fruits and vegetables.
We will create a tax-free zone so that the first $5000 earned will be tax-free.
We will make sure everyone pays their fair share of tax.
Unlike (Prime Minister) John Key, who ducks responsibility, we will be a hands-on Government that actively manages the economy.
Cynical excuse
He is rushing around blaming the Canterbury Quakes for our economic woes, but we all know the Country was in trouble well before that terrible tragedy.
Mr Key is using the crisis in Canterbury as a cynical excuse for savage cuts to Working for Families, interest free student loans and essential public services like health and education. He also claims we need to hock off valuable state assets to pay for the quake recovery.
The truth is he and (Finance Minister) Bill English were planning these cuts well before the Quake and are now trying to pull the wool over the eyes of New Zealanders.
Mr Key claims these cuts are necessary because he lives in the ‘real world’ where tough decisions have to be made. His version of the ‘real world’ involves riding around in a flash new BMW, posing for photos with celebrities and taking home more than $1000 a week extra in tax cuts.
Suffering children
That is not the world most New Zealanders are experiencing. They are struggling to pay the bills and have no hope of saving for their future.
We are worried about the future for our children too. Far too many of them in New Zealand are not getting the start in life that will see them fulfil their potential. The gap between the rich and poor is growing and it is children who suffer the most when that happens.
Labour will put children at the centre of our policy. We want to finish the job we started in Government by ensuring that no child grows up in poverty.
We will give practical support to parents. We will make sure we have the best health and education systems that are both accessible and affordable.
National swept into power with plenty of grand promises. But life for most of us is no better. This is not the kind of New Zealand that Labour wants – two New Zealands where the rich get richer and the rest of the country gets left behind.
