6. GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does she have confidence in the Minister of Finance?
Does she agree with Dr Cullen’s statements that Television New Zealand and three of the countries largest newspapers were biased in their coverage of the debate over tax cuts and were running a personal agenda in favour of tax cuts; if so, why?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Dr Cullen and I would not be the only people in New Zealand who thought the media had something of an obsession with this issue.
Did she have any discussions with Dr Cullen following the broadcast of television footage showing him criticising a number of senior journalists for stories about tax cuts, and did she give him any counsel about the inadvisability of shooting the messenger?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Yes, we did have a discussion. The main conclusion of that discussion was to not trust that particular journalist again.
Has she told Dr Cullen that while 63 percent of New Zealanders believe he could have given tax cuts, his attacking journalists for doing their job simply reinforces the view that he has no acceptable reason for his heavy taxation burden on New Zealand workers?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I do not know how many times the National Party has to be told that New Zealand is not a heavily taxed country.
Does she accept that the poor response to the “Bondi Budget” is in large part due to Dr Cullen’s failure to deliver much-expected tax cuts, and can she confirm that it will take the retirement of Dr Cullen for Labour to deliver on New Zealand workers’ expectation that they will get tax cuts?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I expect Dr Cullen to keep on delivering better services and infrastructure—all the things that cannot be done if everything is thrown away in tax cuts as the National Party wants to do.