New Zealanders need the Prime Minister to do his reading

green-party

Wed Sep 19 2012 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

New Zealanders need the Prime Minister to do his reading

Wednesday, 19 September 2012, 3:48 pm
Press Release: Green Party

19 September 2012

New Zealanders need the Prime Minister to do his reading

John Key’s refusal to read important documents is an insult to ordinary New Zealanders who care about democracy and to 270,000 children living in poverty, the Green Party said today.

Mr Key continues to deflect questions in the House about John Banks’ integrity as a minister and about solutions to child poverty by failing to read both the police report into Mr Banks’ donation scandal and a Green Party Bill to tackle child poverty.

“The Prime Minister’s condescending behaviour trivialises these issues and treats everyone in New Zealand with contempt,” Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said.

“He continues to suggest my Bill, which extends the In-work Tax Credit to the children of beneficiaries, part-time workers and students, is a universal child payment. But if he read my Bill he would realise it is highly targeted and the only change it makes is to ensure the poorest children would get the same child payment that has helped other children out of poverty.

“Meanwhile, Mr Key continues to dodge questions about John Banks’ honesty in soliciting donations from Kim Dotcom and Skycity by saying he hasn’t read one of the police reports.

“This sort of behaviour takes the people of New Zealand for mugs. Ordinary people can see that John Banks has been less than honest about this whole donations affair, and that the Prime Minister is dancing on the head of a pin by trying to evade questions about Banks by saying he hasn’t read the report.

"I have today sent copies both of my Bill and the police report to Mr Key so he can no longer claim ignorance of two hugely important issues facing New Zealanders today.

“Poor kids can’t wait for the Government to provide jobs for their parents. They need solutions from the Prime Minister, not sneers,” Mrs Turei said.

ENDS

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