PM confirms plane talk all hot air

new-zealand-national-party

Tue Sep 07 2004 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

PM confirms plane talk all hot air

Tuesday, 7 September 2004, 8:39 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

National Party Finance spokesman John Key is relieved that Helen Clark has confirmed she was never serious about buying an exclusive Prime Ministerial jet.

“The Government’s answers to my written questions confirm the suspicion that the suggestion of a new Prime Ministerial jet was merely a convenient distraction to media pressure over her low-flying motorcade.

“The Prime Minister has confirmed, ‘there is no intention to change the existing arrangements whereby the Air Force makes transport available as appropriate’.

“Michael Cullen says neither he nor his department have done any work on purchasing a plane and ‘there is no intention to do so in the future’.

“It’s hard to reach any other conclusion, than the Prime Minister used the suggestion as a way to take the media focus away from her high-speed dash through Canterbury.

“Overtaxed New Zealanders don’t want the Government inventing new ways to spend their money. We’d all prefer a refund,” says Mr Key.

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