Show us where the money has gone Dr Cullen

act-new-zealand

Tue May 15 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Show us where the money has gone Dr Cullen

Tuesday, 15 May 2007, 8:57 am
Speech: ACT New Zealand

Rodney Hide's Speech to Council of Canterbury Manufacturers' Association, Christchurch, Monday 14 May 2007.

Back in 2000 Cullen was spending close to $9000 per man woman and child in this country. Today it is well over $13,000. For the typical household of 2.7 people that's more than $35,000.

Should there be five of you in your house - it's more like $65,000 that Cullen is spending on your behalf.

You might well ask what you are getting for that.

Better Health? Better Education? Better Roads? Better Law and Order?

I don't see too many people nodding out there.

A not unreasonable question though - given it is your money he is spending.

But no, Cullen has built a wall of silence around where the money goes. And we are talking big numbers here. Forget the average family. Core Government spending is up $20 billion since 2000. No, it's not a slip of the tongue. That's a 32 percent increase in real terms. The Government's own top advisers from Treasury have warned Cullen: "There is little information to indicate that New Zealanders are getting more services and better results from the public sector for the large increase in resources provided."

An extra $20 billion of your money and nothing to show for it.

Sorry, that is a slip of the tongue. There is something to show for it.

Rising inflation and interest rates that are hurting hard working New Zealander's with every informed international economic body pointing to the dual remedy of cutting Government spending and taxes.

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'Oh no,' cries Cullen. 'Cutting taxes would drive up inflation because people would spend the money!' Goodness me, we can't have that can we? People spending their own money!

No, Dr Cullen claims to know how to spend it for you. Typically, by using your money to buy votes, by reducing hard working Kiwis to State Beneficiaries.

John Key and the National Party are saying that anything Labour can do - they can do better, and that includes spending your money for you. National under John Key is morphing into the Labour Party. Both Labour and National believe they can spend your money better than you can. ACT in Government would put an end to all that.

ACT's Taxpayer Rights Bill will put politicians on a budget, just like every well-managed company and home in the country.

ACT would cap Government spending at the per person level it is today.

It's easy, add up how much Government spends today, divide it by the number of people in the country and that's it. Not a cent more.

ACT would inflation-proof that figure and take population growth into account - so not a single dollar would be cut from essential services like health care or education.

But. If politicians wanted to increase spending, they would have to either cut ineffective spending in other areas, or ask Kiwi taxpayers for their permission to increase taxes through a binding referendum.

A Taxpayer Rights Bill that will make political spending transparent and accountable - with taxpayers given the right to veto expensive plans.

ACT's Taxpayer Bill of Rights will make New Zealand more democratic. It will give Kiwis Government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people'. A budget based on ACT's Taxpayer Rights Bill would change the relationship between the Government and the people.

A Government forever required to live within its budget, and seek the permission of Kiwis, through a referendum, if they want to take more of what we earn in tax. Cullen is currently spending $55 billion of taxpayers' money. What business would allow its Treasurer to spend that kind of money without first asking for a detailed explanation of where the money was going and what might be expected for it?

ACT in Government would answer both questions. In minute detail.

And by calling for greater transparency we would make sure every taxpayer knew where every last cent went and for what.

That would put an instant end to the current secrecy that exists. And nowhere is it more prevalent than in the area of Health spending. This will shock you.

Treasury used to issue a quarterly report on the productivity of the various District Health Boards. Not anymore. The figures on people treated, operations conducted and so on were so damning the Government has ordered Treasury to stop publishing them.

It gets worse.

The Ministry of Health used to issue a detailed analysis of the elective surgery booking system. We were given a blow-by-blow account of success and failure. We were actually told how many people had died waiting.

Not anymore.

That figure has been conveniently lost in a maze of bureaucratic waffle. And what does that tell you about the state of the Health Service?

They are so scared about the facts getting out that Ministry of Health staff have been told not to answer when I or Heather Roy ring to ask when we might reasonably expect answers to our Official Information Act requests.

We want specifics on how long we should have to wait; what drugs are covered. Is it really asking too much to be told the level of service we will receive in return for the money we have paid?

That's exactly what we expect from private insurers. We should demand no less from Government, with the bureaucrats and their political masters held accountable for any failure to deliver on their promises.

ACT will introduce Service Level Contracts, and every six months Government departments will have to review their performance and publish the results so we know whether those promises have been kept, and do something about it if they haven't.

We need Government to start telling Kiwi taxpayers how it is, in clear, straightforward language.

Only a budget driven by ACT policy will deliver that.

ENDS

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