Criticism met with sarcasm

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 4

Criticism met with sarcasm

By

PETER LUKE

pelitical reporter Sharp criticism of the Government’s economic performance was met with blistering sarcasm when National’s new-look front bench made its debut in Parliamentary debate yesterday. “It is very clear that the productive sector of this country is on the skids,” said the Opposition’s chief spokesman on finance, Miss Ruth Richardson. When this sector was on the skids, New Zealand could not pay its bills or invest in world-class education and other social initiatives, she said. “What this country will be reduced to and this Parliament will be reduced to is that we will be consigned to a squalid argument about who gets what share of dwindling resources.” All four finance spokesmen flaunted the recent "chorus of commentaries” on the economy from such groups as the Institute of Economic Research and the Bureau of Economic Research, Ltd. A prime target of attack were Government predic-

tions about when inflation would be in single figures. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition,. Mr McKinnon, suggested that these predictions be measured in geological terms. The Government had misled Its own candidates and New Zealand throughout the election campaign, he said. Miss Richardson also said that the Budget surplus forecast by the Minister of Finance, Mr Douglas, would instead turn out to be a deficit The Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Moore, made a blistering, often personal attack on Mr McKinnon and Miss Richardson. The latter he referred to as "a busy bee with a sting in her tail” while Mr McKinnon’s claim to polltcal fame was "that he is likeable.’’ The Minister of Local Government Dr Bassett, said that National was becoming a party of “rural Right-wing ranters and ravers.” Referring to pamphlets distributed during the election campaign, he said that the more people within the party claimed to be doing “God’s work” the more they used “Satan’s tactics.”