Govt ‘window-dressing’

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 4

Govt ‘window-dressing’

By

MARTIN FREETH,

in Wellington The Opposition last evening accused the Government of window-dress-ing its books to make the fiscal deficit look better. It also alleged that the $1.87 billion result could hardly be called an achievement when compared with the original $1.28 billion forecast made by the Government. Opposition members said they had been flooded with telephone calls from people saying the Government had held up payments that should have been made during the 1985-86 financial year. The National Party’s

spokesman on Government expenditure, Mr Michael Cox, said export incentives usually paid within six weeks of a claim for them were behind, while contract payments to small firms which had done Government work in February and March had not been paid. One person had reported a $30,000 tax rebate cheque had not been received for a return made in October, Mr Cox said. He described this as window-dressing of the worse kind and alleged that the Government would continue to repeat its “unprofessional behaviour” next March or

face a fiscal deficit in 1986-87 that would probably be $3 billion. The Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas, gave reporters a firm denial of any attempt to hold off expenditure. Any “creative” accounting by the Government would just be stupid because payments would eventually have to be made, and it would be impossible to direct departments to stall on meeting small debts, Mr Douglas said. The Opposition also attacked Television New Zealand for plans to screen an hour-long current affairs programme to discuss the deficit. The programme,

planned to screen on May 4, was a “bizarre propaganda exercise ... on be-' half of Roger Douglas,” said the Leader of the Opposition Mr Bolger. Television New Zealand planned to use the Government House ballroom to make the programme which would include two Government and two Opposition speakers, Mr Bolger said. “If overshooting your deficit estimate by nearly 50 per cent justifies hiring the Government House ballroom to stage an hourlong television ‘talkfest,’; the mind boggles as to' what Mr Douglas might have demanded had he achieved his original prediction of $1.28 billion.”