Brash: Debate the real issues during final days

National Party Leader Don Brash today issued a challenge to Prime Minister Helen Clark to direct her party to spend the final days of the election campaign debating the issues that are important to New Zealanders.

“During this campaign voters have been served up distraction after distraction generated by our political opponents.  They have constantly sought to divert attention away from the issues that matter,” says Dr Brash.

“All the distractions in the world will not hide the failure of this Labour Government.  We’ve had six years of bungling NCEA, six years of the 111 crisis, and six years of Labour’s political correctness.  We’ve had six years of Labour ignoring mainstream New Zealanders.”

Dr Brash also challenged the media to inform voters on their choices, and not get bogged down by more distractions at the request of the Labour Party.

“Labour’s whole campaign has been an attempt to scare voters.  Ms Clark and Mr Cullen’s only message in the past few weeks has been ‘don’t let National in’.  That is all they have to say.

“The contrast between National and our opponents could not be more stark.  National has the guts to tackle the issues that matter.  We want exams, they give excuses.  We want a safety net, they provide a drift net.  We’re about Kiwi, they are about iwi.  We’re about criminals doing the time, they’re about getting them out in no time.  And perhaps most importantly, we are about providing the right incentives to work hard and get ahead.  They are about wasting your taxes.

“The New Zealand public has a very important decision to make in six days.  The polls are saying that between now and then they want their politicians to focus on voters’ issues, not to spend their time trying to distract their opponents.  National is the only party that will tackle those issues,” says Dr Brash.


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