Act. Your Party Vote. The right partner for the Government. (11.40-16.10) “Hi, I’ve Stephen Whittington and I’m standing for Act because I care about New Zealand’s future. Tomorrow, you will choose our country’s leaders to guide us through the worst economic crisis of a generation. Only a National-Act government can do this. We simply can’t afford to have our government subject to the demands of the Maori Party, or worse the backward policies of the Greens. And we can’t stand any more of Winston’s treachery. It is critical that National has Act as a strong, stable partner to rely on. John Key has made his preference clear: Act is the right partner for the government. Party vote Act!” Music: “If you are a Kiwi, right down to the bones, no matter where you live, New Zealand is still home. Whether you are here or so far away, you’ll always do things the true Kiwi way. Party vote act the right partner for the government. “Stand proud as a Kiwi, call New Zealand your home, stand proud and remember you’ll not be standing alone. One people, one nation, at the end of the day, you are proud that we do things the true Kiwi way.” “It is everyday people, just like you and me, who make up…” Chris Simmons, Management consultant, entrepreneur, business mentor. List#6: “Out on the baseball diamond with my 14-year old son, I’m hearing families that are having a really tough time right at the moment. They’re having a tough time making ends meet.” Catherine Isaac, Business owner, Karori Sanctuary Trust Chair, Welfare Working Group Member: “People are saying the country is more or less on the right track, but there is a lack of courage and there is a lack of political will to take the tough decisions we need. So this is a time when we really need strong economic leadership, we need economic grunt, and that is what I think Don Brash and the Act Party have got to offer.” Hon John Banks. Former Cabinet Minister, entrepreneur, two term Major of Auckland. List #4. “The values of the Act Party are the values that I share. Choice, individual responsibility and success for the country. We are patriots.” Dr Don Brash. Leader Act Party, former Reserve Bank Governor, kiwifruit famer. List #1. “Act has a set of policies which will actually make a major difference to most New Zealanders.” Stephen Whittington. Law graduate, champion debater. List #7: “Our youth unemployment rate is 27 percent, so that means one in four people between the ages of 15 to 17 who are seeking a job can’t find one. And if they never get their first job they won’t actually get their rung on the employment ladder, and they are likely to become people who are long-term welfare beneficiaries.” Isaac: “I think the issue with welfare is two-fold. First of all we’ve got a whole pile of people who are not getting adequate support, there are people with mental health issues, there are people with serious disabilities who are simply not getting adequate help. On the other hand, we’ve got literally thousands of people who are stuck on various benefits, who aren’t being expected to go and look for a job and aren’t being helped to look for a job, and they do need help.” David Seymour. Policy analyst, rugby coach. List #5: “In particular we are competing with Australia for jobs and investment and skilled people. And we seem to be losing that simply because incomes there are 35, 40, maybe soon 50 percent higher.” Brash: “I mean we all care about the environment, let’s face it. But the RMA has become a monster, creating huge drama for homeowners, farmers, industrialists. Well a recent case, just out of Auckland, a guy built his haybarn at a $13,000 cost, he spent an extra $5,000 to get approval to build the haybarn.” Kath McCabe. Environment lawyer, economic analyst, company director: “Let’s protect the environment, but let’s also protect business and employment at the same time.” Whittington: “For the last ten years we’ve had governments that think they can run our lives better than we can. I think a lot of people are responding to the message that actually individuals are better placed to make those decisions and individuals should be spending this money, rather than the government.” Brash: “I’m a fifth generation New Zealander. I have huge aspirations for New Zealand. I want New Zealanders to feel they have an option of living here. I want skilled New Zealanders to feel they can come back to New Zealand, and at the moment they don’t feel that. We simply have to do better to narrow the gap to other developed countries. People are worried. They feel there is a lack of courage, a lack of commitment to the future, that the government is tinkering, and that is frankly what Act can deliver. We can nudge the government to take the decisions which will make this country the greatest country on earth.” Act: Your Party Vote. The right partner for the Government. Narrator: “For a strong centre-right government give your party vote to Act. The right partner for the Government.” Green Party closing broadcast 2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6cUVmWOkc (7.00) Text is in bold For a richer New Zealand Man: “I’m definitely voting for Green because I trust them. I think they have great ideas and, you know, they’ve come across with really great policy.” Woman with child: “I really like the fact that there are two co-leaders in the Green Party. Its so much better than two cocks fighting: Mr Goff and Mr Key.” Maori man: “Go Greens.” Another man: “They stand up for people and the environment.” Asian woman: “I going to vote for the Green Party because I feel like the Green Party are doing all of the good stuff for the people and the planet.” Balding man: “Ah, the people, the environment and the economy were treated as one big system.” Woman with sunglasses: “Well this election I’m voting for Greens, uhm, mainly because I would really like to see rivers and lakes cleaned up and maintained.” Young woman: “I just want my kids to be able to swim in an estuary.” Man with glasses: “I’m voting for the Green Party this year. Uhm, it is really about their sustainable technology policies. And really building high-value jobs for New Zealand.” Man: “Creating New Zealand as a hub for green technology is just a way forward and something that New Zealand could really be proud of. Woman: “One reasons is that they’ve got a fantastic record on animal welfare. And that is a really important issue for me.” Woman: “Go the Greens! (giggles)” Woman: “All our kids deserve an equal start in life.” Indian man: “Our kids are really important.” Woman wearing cross: “Well I’m really impressed by their policy on getting children out of poverty. That is a really pressing concern for me. And it is a party that seems to prioritise children, and really put it up front, and said that’s a really strong priority for them.” Metiria Turei: “Kia ora I’m Metiria Turei.” Russell Norman: “And I’m Russell Norman.” Turei: “And together we are the co leaders of the Green Party.” Norman: “Tomorrow is your opportunity to decide who will lead and influence the next government.” Turei: “Your vote at this election is your chance to decide what kind of country you want.” Norman: “The Green Party wants a richer New Zealand, with clean rivers, thriving kids, and great green jobs that are good for our families and our environment.” Turei: “If you share our vision for this country, then tomorrow you need to party vote Green.” Party Vote Green Turei: “A growing number of kiwis are saying they want to see a stronger Green party in parliament to protect our future. In a recent poll, you said that the environment was the number one election issue.” Norman: “The Green Party is a responsible, safe, pair of hands. We won’t gamble with our environment, we will protect it. We need to look ahead at the kind of risks we are taking, and prevent any possible environmental damage.” Turei: “It probably doesn’t need to be said, but the Green Party is the greenest party on the ballot paper tomorrow.” Party Vote Green. Turei: “And of course the economy has played an important role in this election campaign, as it should. A productive economy is critical for our way of life, and for the environment we live in.” Norman: “Our country, at this time, has a unique opportunity to take advantage of, and grab hold of the growing global green economy, especially in clean technology. Our clean and green reputation offers superb leverage for New Zealand businesses to develop sustainable products and services and sell them to the world.” Turei: “Growing new green industries will create good jobs for workers and for their families.” Party Vote Green. Turei: “Tomorrow you’ve got a really big decision to make. And we think it is important you know what a vote for the Green Party will mean. Norman: “We have three priorities for the next three years. Clean rivers, kids out of poverty and green jobs. These are important, and they are realistic. And we will make progress on them regardless of who leads the next government.” Bringing 100,000 kids out of poverty Making our rivers clean enough to swim in again Stimulating thousands of smart green jobs Turei: “These priorities are our pledge to you. And we will be here fighting for them.” Norman: “But sometimes, influencing government is about stopping unpopular policies too. For instance, we’ll fight to stop the sale of state assets (images of SOE logos).” Turei: “As parents we know one-year olds are still just little babies. And it is important they form strong bonds with their parents. We will fight for a compassionate welfare system that supports families.” Norman: “Likewise New Zealanders love our oceans and beaches and we have to protect them from unsafe deep-sea oil-drilling. It is an assault on our natural environment and it is an assault on our national identity.” Turei: “It is nice that National has now acknowledged that we have a problem with pollution in our rivers. And it is nice that Labour has said they will join us in the fight against poverty. But nice talk is not enough. The Green Party will take action.” Norman: “Rivers, jobs, kids, protecting our assets, our families and our environment. That is what a party vote for the Greens will deliver at this election.” Party vote Greens. greens.org.nz Bringing 100,000 kids out of poverty Making our rivers clean enough to swim in again Stimulating thousands of smart green jobs Norman: “When it comes to forming coalitions, our preference is to go with Labour because our policies are closer. But we can work with National on a project by project basis, like we do now with the home insulation scheme.” Turei: “However, it is highly unlikely that we could be formally part of a government led by National. But under MMP you don’t have to be in government to make good change.” Norman: “A party vote for the Greens is an effective vote at this election because we get things done.” Turei: “The Greens offer a strong, independent voice for the things that you care about. And that is the power of MMP.” Heart symbol MMP. Norman: “Tomorrow the Green Party is asking for your party vote, because it is your party vote that determines how many MPs we have in Parliament.” Turei: “Our top list candidates include Rhode and Berkley scholars, an international management consultant, conservation and organic sector leaders.” Norman: “We need these people in Parliament to increase our strength, and ensure that we’re moving towards a richer New Zealand for this generation and the next.” Children laughing. Turei: “We love our land and we care about our people; this is why we are here.” Norman: “If you share our vision for a richer New Zealand, make us stronger so we can make your voice louder.” Turei and Norman: “Party vote Green!” Narrator: “A richer New Zealand means clean rivers, every child growing up healthy, and jobs that are good for our environment and our economy.” Norman: “Make it happen.” Party vote Green. Greens.org.nz/donate Announcer: “Tomorrow is your chance.” Everyone: “Party vote Green!” Transcript of National closing TV broadcast 2011 Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” John Key: “Tomorrow’s decision is all about strengthening our economy, and helping our communities and families. So now I’d like to take you through our plan. To do just that, to secure a brighter future. Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: A stronger economy. 170,000 more jobs. Balance the books sooner. National’s plan for the economy Key: The first thing to acknowledge is that these have been very difficult economic times in New Zealand. For a couple of reasons. Firstly, the global financial crisis is on-going and we are continuing to see countries with very high levels of debt. No great probability that they will get back into surplus any time soon, and as we can see in the United States and Europe that position has been extremely challenging. From New Zealand’s perspective we’re in much better shape, but what we do know is that we can’t afford to go out there and continue to borrow, and we have to get back into surplus as quickly as we can. And that is really what the plan has been focussed on, to make sure we do a few things economically. Firstly, make sure New Zealanders have jobs, and hopefully the highest paid jobs we possibly can, and we put the country back into the strongest position we can. The other thing we’ve had to contend with in New Zealand, of course, has been the earthquake, and I think it is worth putting a bit of perspective around that. I mean just to give you some idea, we’ve gone away and looked and we can’t find another natural disaster that’s had such a big impact on a developed economy such as New Zealand. So this is a very, very big event, it has had quite a dramatic effect on our economy. So we’ve very focussed on a few things, getting back into surplus as quickly as we can, and to give you some idea of that we’re going to halve our deficit this year, we’ll halve it again the year after that, and then fundamentally it will be gone. That is the track we’re on. That’ll help take pressure off the Reserve Bank, it’ll help keep our interest rates lower, for longer, and make sure that New Zealand is in a much stronger position if we have to confront any other international challenges or challenges that might come our way. The second thing we’ve been working very hard on is to make sure that New Zealanders feel rewarded for their work, and that is why we’ve cut taxes and aligned our tax system. And we undertook significant tax changes right across the board in 2010. And that had quite a dramatic impact. Just to give you some idea, three-quarters of all New Zealanders face a top personal rate of no more than 17.5%. About half of all New Zealand families, when you take into consideration Working for Families, pay no tax whatsoever, so if you earn 50,000 dollars or less and have two children then you pay no tax in New Zealand. Another really important thing we’ve been doing, is trying to take the red tape off business, stream-lining our compliance costs, and making sure that New Zealanders feel encouraged actually to start new businesses and to hire people.” Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: School reports in plain English. Help for children falling behind. 12,500 more tertiary places. National’s plan for education Key: “So currently, before we became government one in five young New Zealanders left school with hopelessly inadequate numeracy and literacy skills. In other words, they couldn’t read and write properly. So can we really, can we as a country sit back and say, that we can afford to have 20% of all New Zealand children leaving with inadequate numeracy and literacy skills. And the answer to that is patently no, we can’t. It doesn’t matter what job you undertake, in the modern economy in New Zealand you need to be able to read and write properly. And so what National standards is all about is not some sort of test for five year olds, it is monitoring the progress of that child. So it asks some obvious questions, it says if the average five year old can count to ten we want to understand whether you child can count to ten, and most importantly if they can’t ask why not and what are we doing about it. And schools are free to use whatever method they want to make that assessment, uhm, but what they are required to do is, in plain english, report to you the progress that your child is making. And that allows us to very early on pick up some issues that manifest themselves in some young children. Maybe their eyesight isn’t good, maybe they have dyslexia, uhm, whatever the reason might be it is crucially important we identify that progress and we help, uhm, make change. Because in the end, in a modern day New Zealand, it is an absolute basic function of the education system that very Kiwi comes out being able to read and write properly. And if we don’t do that we rob this country and those New Zealanders of a future. Personally, I believe in equality of opportunity. And the only way we will ever get equality of opportunity is where every child, it doesn’t matter what background they come from, what household they come from, what part of New Zealand they come from, come out of school, with a world class education. And that has to be an ability to read, write and do maths. And we owe that to every child, and I believe every parent in New Zealand. “ Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: World class infrastructure. Ultra fast broadband. Better road and rail. National’s plan for infrastructure Key: “We need to make the New Zealand boat go faster. So the only way you make the boat go faster is when you have an infrastructure that will allow you to be competitive and efficient. And if you go and have a look around the countries in the world, that are competitive in the world, they have world class infrastructure. When we have broadband that means we can reach out to the world, all of a sudden you can run a business from any small town or large town in New Zealand and have a world-wide customer base that is affordable. You can do that through the internet, but you can’t do that if you don’t have a reliable, fast internet connection. If you spend, you know, 30 minutes or an hour every day locked up in traffic that is time you are not at work or not with your family, certainly not productive, so it is crucially important we have that for economic growth, for higher wages, and actually for delivering a society where people actually enjoy, you know, what they’re doing as they go about, whether it is work or play. So, you are right, uhm, in terms of paying for that we need to make some choices, and one of the choices that the government has made is that we want to follow what is called the mixed ownership model. So that is that we do want to sell down, a minority stake in four of the assets than New Zealand owns, and by taking that capital out of those particular companies, but keeping a majority stake in those companies, we want to use that money to build other assets in our economy. We’re proposing a model which you will understand is the Air New Zealand model, which means the government not only has, but always keeps, a majority 51% control as a share minimum, and possibly more. It means that we release that capital, and what we actually do is use that to build even more assets. So at the end of that process, New Zealaders won’t have less assets they’ll actually have more assets than they currently do. So we want to use that money, that we are releasing, to build that infrastructure without having to borrow more money. And as I said earlier, what we’re seeing around the world is a very fragile international environment. You’ve got countries in Europe and the United States that are extremely debt laden; they’ve got a lot of debt, and the last thing we want is for New Zealand to be a highly indebted country. So that is how we’re going to pay for it, and that is why we’re going to do it” Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: 600 more police on the beat. Tougher sentencing, stronger bail laws. Focus on victims’ rights. National’s plan for law and order “Yes, so I think it is a basic right of every New Zealander to feel safe in their own home. And I remember in 2008 we campaigned very strongly on the issue of law and order. So if you look at our record over the last three years, I don’t think you can point to any other government that has implemented as much change as we have in the area of law and order to try and make New Zealanders safer, and actually that plan is working for the vast overwhelming bulk of regions around the country we’re actually seeing our crime rates falling. We added 600 extra police, on the streets, on the beat in New Zealand, to again make sure that people feel more secure and as an added deterrent to those who might conduct crime. But we’ve also made a raft of different changes in terms of legislation to send that message that we’re not going to tolerate crime. For criminals that are intent on committing crimes that are very significant and serious in nature, we’ve implemented the three strikes policy. Where eventually there will be no parole, ah, you’ll be in prison for the rest of your life, if you continue to conduct those types of crimes, ah, we’ve lengthened the sentences in a lot of particular areas, particularly for crimes against children for instance. Ah, we changed the bail laws so it is harder for people to get bail. We’ve given the police much greater powers, all so that they can keep you safer, ah, and protect you in your homes. One of the areas we know that can drive criminal activity is the use of drugs. And so my office has personally lead the charge in that area of methyl P use as it is sometimes known, and the results are starting to work. In a number of recent surveys, ah, we’re seeing the price of P on the street rising, and the number of clan labs that have actually been busted is falling. And that is all an example we are making progress. So there is a lot more to be done, but ah, I give New Zealanders an absolute commitment that I remain very focussed on making sure that their safety and security is a top priority.” Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: 800 more doctors. 2,000 more nurses. 27,000 more operations a year. National’s plan for health Key: “One of the things we’ve been doing in the last three years, as the government, is to make sure we provide better services for New Zealanders. And fundamentally that has meant reducing the amount of money we spend as a government on bureaucracy and increasing the amount of money we spend in the areas that we think are critically important to a good and fully functioning health system. And that means we’ve employed a lot more doctors, a lot more nurses, more midwives, and we’re spending more money on pharmaceuticals. And we’re starting to see some great results there, so we’ve conducted around 27,000 additional surgical operations last year. The waiting list for cancer treatment in New Zealand is now no more than four weeks, and often less. Unlike the previous government, we haven’t sent anyone to Australia for cancer treatment, we’ve been treating people in New Zealand so that is a great sign of how those are working. When we first became the government you may remember we fully funded hercetrin, which is a very specific, but expensive, drug that treats a certain type of cancer, and that has taken a lot of pressure off New Zealand families, and particularly New Zealand women. Ah, and I think that has been a great step forward; you’ve got to make sure you put money in the right place and that is more front line services, less bureaucracy, and very focussed on delivering heath care that is close to home, that is convenient and actually delivers top class results for New Zealanders.” Music “It’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Text: Getting more people into work. Payment cards for teens on benefits. Stopping welfare fraud. National’s plan for welfare So roughly 320,000 New Zealanders of working age on a benefit, supporting about 220,000 children. And we think that that number is too high. So, ah, when we look at that real issue of children growing up in poverty, what we see is an awful lot of those children are growing up in welfare based homes. So we do want to reorient the welfare system, to make sure that important safety net is there for Kiwis when they need it, and there will be many kiwis that do, either temporarily or in some cases for all of their life, but we’ve also got to make sure that we really encourage people to go to work if they can work. There are a number of fundamental changes that we are also proposing to make. So, for instance, the area of young people is a specific issue we are focussing on. The historical position, and policy adopted by previous governments had been that if you are young and say you’re 16 or 17 or 18 and on the domestic purposes benefit, the DPB you’re a young mum, then we just give you money and there is no other obligation. And, I say, that is not working, that is wrong, and actually that policy has a label we can attach to it, it is called abandonment. We’re actually, asking a very young person to raise a child, typically on their own. And I think those days have to be over. Firstly, we’re going to make sure we provide support around that young person. We’re going to make sure that they’re in some form of training, we’re going to make sure that they’re attending parenting courses. The second thing we’re going to do is we are going to pay their rent directly, we’re going to pay their electricity bill directly, so that their home is warm for themselves and their child. And the third thing we’re going to do is we’re going to start putting some of that benefit on a payment card, which means that the money can be used for food, but it can’t be used for cigarettes and alcohol. And I think that is a very important step.” Music: “It is time to open up the shadows of your heart. It time to move on. Because it’s a great time to love, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It is a great time to love, it is time to stand up and be counted on. It’s time to stand up and be counted.” Key: “Make no mistake. On Saturday your party vote is crucial”. Voice over: “John Key and National; Building a brighter future”. Maori Party closing (2011) (7.00- Maori language. Kaapua Smith, Candidate for Maori Party list 2011: “The choice that you make tomorrow will turn yesterday’s hopes into today’s reality.” Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata, Candidate for Maori Party list 2011: “The Maori Party is driven by the potential of our people to take back control of their lives. Where does that begin? That beings with Whanau Ora. Wahioroi Shortland, Candidate for Te Tai Tokerau: In Maori. Kaapua Smith, Candidate for Maori Party list 2011: “Tomorrow, when you vote, think about that whanau. And measure everything on their well-being.” Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata: “If governments believe in welfare reform, when Whanau Ora is the way to do it. Whanau Ora is about all of us. Taking responsibility, and lifting ourselves up.” Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga: “The Maori Party will ensure that every bill specifies the likely impact it might have on whanau. We want to raise the minimum wage to $16 per hour. We will remove GST off food, and we will insulate another 10,000 low income homes per year, including rentals. We have a clear vision: end whanau poverty by 2020. Wahioroi Shortland, Candidate for Te Tai Tokerau: In Maori. Kaapua Smith: “Tomorrow, when you vote, think about that environment and keeping it clean and safe for whanau to enjoy.” Awanui Black, Candidate for Maori Party list 2011: “The role of the Maori Party is to provide a safe pair of hand and uphold te takitanga. We want iwi at the decision-making table for all issues related to the environment. We want a oil-less spoiled, and are preparing for that now. That is the difference we can all make.” Maori language. Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata: “Tomorrow, when you vote, think about that reo. Can you live with the silence?” Te Ururoa Flavell, MP for Waiariki: “Our language is heading for extinction. The Maori Party will fight to take our reo back into our homes. We will establish the fund named after Dame Katerina Mataira to carry her legacy forward to increase the number of speakers. We also want Te Reo Maori to be available in all schools by the year 2015. Speaker in Maori. Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata: “Tomorrow, when you vote, think about that whakapapa. And the ties that bind us all.” Tina Porou, Candidate for Maori Party List 2011: “Our greatest message is that we must invest in ourselves. The Maori Party have brought an edge to government. They have created changes no-one thought possible. We will instigate cultural competency and financial literary in every home so we can be the best we can be.” Man in Maori. Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata: “Tomorrow, when you vote, give it to those who will deliver to your whanau. Reflect your expectations and help you to fulfil your potential. Na Raihania, Candidate for Ikaroa Rawhiti: “We want our marae to be the living centre of our communities, to shelter us in the storm, to open doors, to tourism and training, and to be at the heart of our whanau development. We call on all Maori organisations to give two of our young people a job.” Tauhuia Bruce Mataki, Candidate for Hauraki Waikato: “Our vision is to convert our highest hopes into strong, whanau led, communities throughout the motu.” Speaker in Maori. Wheturangi Walsh-Tapiata: “Tomorrow, when you vote, remember it is about policies, delivery and accountability. It is about who will be calling whom on Saturday night.” Hon Dr Pita Sharples, Co-leader and MP for Tamaki Makaurau: “It is about the future of our mokopuna, the dignity of caring for our kaumatua, but most of all it is about you, whanau. So your vote for us will count, whoever wins the election.” Hon Tariana Turia, Co-leader and MP for Te Tai Haurauru:“This is your chance to shape the future of Aotearoa. One in two children who have been born today are of Maori, Pacific and Asian descent. Give your party vote to the Maori Party because that is a vote for your tomorrow.” Sharples: “A vote for the Maori Party is a vote for our future.” Our whanau, our future. Maori party. Tick Maori Party Candidate. Tick Maori Party. NZF closing 2011 (3.00) Winston Peters, New Zealand First: “All my life I’ve been proud to be a New Zealander. We called our party New Zealand First because we believe in our country and our people. Each day more economic storm clouds are on our horizon, like they are overseas. If we are to survive through them we need to be united as one people. There are political parties that believe in selling New Zealand’s assets, and setting up separate systems based on race. A second flag, a separate welfare system, a foreshore and seabed with separate ownership. And a new constitution with separate rights, again based on race. New Zealand First is resolved to stop them, and to make the next government accountable. You need an effective opposition in Parliament and we have the credentials. Bruce Tomlinson: “We all own the foreshore and seabed and we don’t need two flags.” Michael-Lydia Winiana: “Winston will stop them from bringing in different rules for different races.” Peters: “The real battle for ownership of New Zealand will start after election day. That is when you will need New Zealand First and experience on your side. We’ll oppose plans to sell New Zealand assets and plans to create a separate state within a state. If we want to belong in our own country, and believe in a fair go, it is our duty to stop political vandals destroying our way of life.” Clare Winiana: “Winston is not afraid to stand up against big business interests. He has always stood up for the people.” Peters: “As always, New Zealand First will support good ideas and oppose bad ones. Like you, we know our future is with the young who need training and jobs and we’ll fight to give them both. The world’s financial mess was caused by money manipulators and greedy speculators. We can get through this mess and create a better future where we will all share the pain, and we will all share the gain, from prosperity and employment.” Anne Martin: “Our best hope is Winston and New Zealand First. Winston will stop the Aussie banks ripping us off.” Peters: “But we have to own our country, our power stations, our airline, and our mineral resources, our manufacturing and our industries, our farms and our coastline must stay in our hands. We won’t accept secret deals that take them from us. We’ll put our people first and act in your best interests. We have to work hard and smart, like we’ve done before, as one people, one country, and under one flag. With a new fair tax system and with a clean environment. If we go our separate ways with different agendas we won’t have a future. New Zealand First remains true to the values that once made New Zealand a enviable country where people came to live, not leave for a brighter future somewhere else.” Amy Taylor: “New Zealand First is for students and for everyone.” Moni Vaki: “For everyone.” Peters: “You know, that to be that great country again, all New Zealanders need a fair go. So, for a fair go, give New Zealand First your party vote.” New Zealand First. United Future 2011 closing (2.56). (same as opening) Peter Dunne: “Hello. While New Zealand seems set to re-elect John Key, he will more than likely need a moderate reliable partner to form a stable government. Neither Act with its far-right policies or the Maori Party getting more radical to hold off Hone can do that. United Future can. We are a centrist moderate party, with a track record of making government work, focussed on what is best for New Zealand. We are neither left nor right, but we are for middle New Zealand families in a way no other party is. You work hard, earn more money and what happens? Working for families tax credits are whipped out from underneath you. You cannot get ahead and you are often no better off than those who your taxes prop up. Income sharing allows couples with children to be taxed on two equal halves of their combined income to get the tax they pay down. Businesses can already do it, so why not let families have the same choice? And we are talking real money here. For up to 310,000 New Zealand families (text: 310,000) for many $5,000 to $6,000 more (text: $6,000) in your pockets for some up to $9,000 (text: $9,000). United Future says you should not be financially slammed for choosing to have one parent spend more time raising your children. My income sharing bill is already half-way through Parliament. Your vote can help put it in place next year. Asset sales are on National’s agenda, but they cannot be given a blank cheque. Part of United Future’s role as a support partner is to keep the government on a centre path, no extremes. So we say there are three key assets that should never be sold: KiwiBank, Radio New Zealand, and our water. And that we also need to keep New Zealand control of all our other assets. One of the most important things that makes (text: Outdoors) this country a great place to live and raise a family is our outdoors lifestyle. United Future is the real outdoors party, committed to protecting free access for all to our rivers, lakes, coastlines, beaches and forests. This is the real environment Kiwis are concerned about. United Future’s guiding principles (text: Fairness, Superannuation, Choice) of fairness and choice also extend to superannuation. We say older kiwis should be allowed to choose to take their super at a reduced rate from the age of 60 (text: 60, 70) or at an increasing rate each year up to the age of 70 if they delay taking it up. It is sustainable and it gives people choice over how they live their lives. Dunne to camera: “We live in a fast-changing world, with both opportunities and challenges. We need a government focussed on making things better for families, not dragged to the far left or the far right. To make this your country and your government vote United Future.” United Future. www.unitedfuture.org.nz Labour closing address at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ksc1AAnGpsw Labour gave us ... • Free Healthcare • Universal Superannuation • Affordable Tertiary Education • The Minimum Wage • Declared NZ Independent – 1947 • First Woman MP • First Woman Cabinet Minister • First State Houses • Kept NZ out of the Iraq War • Nuclear Free New Zealand Labour: it’s who we are! Grant Duncan, Assoc Professor, Massey. “When we look at our history I think we’ll find that pretty much most of the signature progressive changes that we’ve made have been made by Labour governments. (Newspaper heading: ‘Top marks for political courage’).National parties when it comes to electoral campaigning prey upon the fears of the public. (National Party ad shown: ‘This year the choice is clear. Labour Stop. National Go.’). Now it’s the National party with the stop sign saying progress will stop if you vote for Labour but I think that when you look at the actual policies, when you look at the real world history o what Labour parties do, they don’t have their foot on the break, they don’t actually stop progress, they tend on the other hand to be progressive politically and socially. (Newspaper heading: ‘It’s time to face some hard choices’). Goff: “I think the big difference between National and Labour is that we’ve got a vision and we’ve got a plan for the future. A better New Zealand, a New Zealand that will be better for our kids and our grandkids. It’s about finding jobs. It’s about giving training to people, up skilling New Zealanders. It’s about making sure we’ve got a fair taxation system, that enables us to pay off the debt, keep our assets, and give everybody a fairer go, because people are finding it really hard”. David Parker MP, Spokesperson for Economic Development. “I believe in the efficiency of free and competitive markets. The Labour Party does. We’re not communists. But that doesn’t mean to say that the market’s always right. And that doesn’t mean the government can just take its hands off all the levers that only a government can pull and pretend that the market will get it right. It doesn’t work like that.” Nanaia Mahuta MP, Spokesperson for Maori Social Development. “If National believes that the free market will take care of us, then Maori have been the victims of that philosophy. Labour believes we need to be an active government (Newspaper heading: ‘Labour’s recovery fix-it plan’) and have greater regulation in areas where we can ensure greater equity, in our society. So I think that is really important, and that’s a fundamental difference.” The last Labour Government: • Balanced the Books • Free Trade Arrangement with China • Zero Net Crown Debt • NZ Super Fund • Budget Surplus The Next Labour Government will: • Create a stronger economy with a fair tax system David Cunliffe MP, Finance Spokesperson: “With this tax package, the books balance. We’ve carefully costed everything. CGT is the centrepiece (Text: ‘Capital Gains Tax’), we’ve had independent experts check the capital gains tax and the numbers balance. CGT brings in up to $3 billion per year, and it means that we can pay off the government debt and keep our assets. Duncan: “Capital gains taxes are perfectly normal, most civilised countries have them, there is nothing radical or fearful about them whatsoever. But they are a way of helping put a break on the development of asset bubbles, and they are also a way of ensuring that the wealthy, who are the people mostly making the gains, actually pay a little bit of a tax on what is essentially a form of income. ‘ “What the National party did was increase the proportion of total tax that is paid by middle income and lower income people and decreased the proportion of total tax that is paid by the people who are already most wealthy.” Goff: “There is nothing more fiscally irresponsible than what the National government did. You know they borrowed money to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. The top earning people in this country, a thousand dollars a week in tax cuts, and they borrowed $1.1 billion more than they got from GST to give those tax cuts to the wealthy.” The last Labour Government: • Introduced Working for Families • 20 hours Free Early Childhood Education • Interest Free Student Loans • 100,000 people OFF benefits The next Labour Government will: • Close the gap between rich and poor “Under the last Labour government we stopped the income gap growing between rich and poor, and that was quite a notable feat compared to the trends around the world where the income gap grew between the rich and the poor. (Newspaper heading: Nats’ policy increases inequality’). Since we left office, the income gap has started to grow again. (Newspaper heading: ‘Level of inequality just not acceptable’). David Shearer MP, Research and Development Spokesperson, “Some people have been left behind. There is no doubt about that. That doesn’t mean to say that we reward people who are sitting on welfare, or we allow people at the other end who can get away with not paying any tax. Uhm, but it’s definitely for me, that there’s that sense of fairness, that is disappearing.” Mahuta, “The thing that scares me most about the prospect of a National Act government is that there will be greater inequality in our country between the very rich and the very poor. What that tells me is that Maori will be right at the bottom. (Newspaper heading: ‘Crime hurts young, ethnic, poor’). National’s plan isn’t a plan for a brighter future; National’s plan is to keep the rich rich and the poor poor and downtrodden.” Duncan: “Our New Zealand probably in OECD terms has higher than average income inequality, and yes we really need to take this seriously because I think we can see from the politics that is going on all around the world (Newspaper heading: ‘London’s burning: Riots spread across the city’) now that income inequality and wealth inequality (Newspaper heading: ‘Riots spread to other cities’) have really got out of control. There is no use in having policies that are just lolly scrambles for the rich again. We’ve actually got to think about really reconfiguring social and economic policy”. Goff, “National says we can’t afford to lift kids out of poverty. You know what I say to them. You can’t afford not to. (Newspaper heading: ‘Alarm raised over child poverty’). If we don’t invest in our children we certainly pay for it in (Newspaper heading: ‘NZ’s child poverty rate one of highest’) in our young people being unemployed, poorly educated, (Newspaper heading: ‘Child poverty getting worse’) in the criminal justice system.” Cunliffe” It costs about $100,000 per year to keep a prisoner in a maximum security prison. It’s far, far cheaper to feed and educate young people than it is to see them drop out of the system and to become a cost to society for the rest of their lives.” Extend Working for Families “We need every kiwi kid to get a decent start to life and that’s what our policy will achieve.” Parker, “There are issues here that need to be addressed and the current National led government is not brave enough to tackle them. They’ve got this welfare reform that says they’re going to push all the people sitting on their arses, according to them, into jobs, when we’ve got high unemployment because there’s no jobs to go into (Newspaper heading: ‘OECD calls for superannuation age to be raised’) and yet the big issue is actually superannuation. Within four years the amount that will be spent on superannuation is twenty times the amount that we spend on the unemployment benefit.” Goff, You can’t just put that burden on a younger generation. We know that problem is coming. Let’s deal with it now. (Image: ‘Raise the retirement age’). Let’s fix it. We can do that by gradually getting people to retire later at age 67. Under our plan (Newspaper heading: ‘At last – Labour breaks taboo on super’) it won’t affect anybody until 2020. It’s really obvious why we’ve got to do this. We can make superannuation sustainable, we can protect it for the future, we’ve got to do the right thing. (Labour poster: Labour will leave more for future generations than just debt). Cunliffe: “Universal Kiwisaver is a crucial part of the plan. You know it’s the key difference between us and Australia. They’ve had compulsory super just like Norm Kirk tried to get for New Zealand and Rob Muldoon canned it (Newspaper heading: ‘Reforming superannuation needs to start immediately’). Compulsory Kiwisaver builds a huge pool of local capital. The government’s own savings working group calculated that if we could do something like that we would grow GDP by 10%.” The Last Labour Government: • Raised Minimum Wage 9 Times • 4 weeks Annual Leave • Paid Parental Leave • Lowest unemployment in the OECD The Next Labour Government will... • Grow the economy and create jobs Goff, “Since National became government, 62,000 extra people have gone on benefits. That is costing a billion dollars (Newspaper heading: ‘Unemployment hits its highest level in a decade). You know they talk about welfare reform. The best form of welfare reform ( ‘How high will jobless go?’) is actually providing jobs for people to go to and that is what the research and development tax credit is about. It grows jobs, high pay, high skill, high tech jobs and it enables us to compete with the world at the top level. (Image: Research and development tax credit).” David Shearer, “So we need to bump up the amount of research and scientific research in particular, the amount that companies are doing, we need to plan for that, we need to look at the capital that is available to these young companies that have got fantastic ideas, but they just aren’t getting them off the board at the moment, and a lot of these ideas people come in from the United States or Asia, they look at the idea and they think whoa, I’ll buy that from you and we sell it to them because we don’t have the capital to produce it ourselves. And we need to get alongside some of these companies in a way that we haven’t done yet and really help them along. All of those things are not being done at the moment.” Mahuta, “Youth unemployment is very serious, Maori and Pacific youth unemployment is more dire, over 58,000 young people don’t have a job (Newspaper heading: ‘Youth jobless a time bomb says business lobby group’), or aren’t in any time of training (Jobless young will take lives). The future doesn’t look bright for them (Newspaper heading: ‘Youth unemployment a growing problem’).” Duncan, “This is a disaster now. People are able to leave school and get into trouble with the law and the taxpayer is paying for lawyers, police officers, judges, social workers.” Parker, “The Labour Party has got some pretty brave policy in this area too. We say, well why not encourage employers to take on apprentices by instead paying (Labour policy: ‘Dole Payments to Subsidies for Apprenticeships’) the equivalent amount for a period to the employer who is willing to take on another apprentice. Now that’s the sort of thing that a government can do. No one can do that other than the government, but this current government they’re not willing to take those hard calls. And as a consequence they’re willing, effectively, to put up with very high rates of unemployment and the unfairness and the social unrest that causes over time.” The last Labour Government: • Invested in Public Transport • Emissions Trading Scheme • Increased Recycling Facilities • 17 New Marine Reserves • Home Insulation Programme • 30,000 hectares to the Conservation Estate The Next Labour Government will • Protect our Environment Goff, “National for heaven’s sake, wanted to mine our National Parks, our most precious areas. National wants to pay the cost of pollution for the polluter. Labour believes in making the polluter pay.” Mahuta, “When I saw the Rena disaster I thought oh my goodness, this cannot be happening. And then I thought why is this happening? Is this the result of a more systemic issue of deregulation?” Duncan, “Certainly it looks like the Pike River and Rena disasters are pointing towards a lack of regulatory control in this society, but there are other things as well, the leaky buildings syndrome, for instance, is perhaps another example. “ Parker, “Regulation seems to be a dirty word to the National Party. If it weren’t for regulation our harbours would be full of sewerage. Regulation can be good. We do have a real problem in New Zealand with the extra amount of livestock effluent and fertilizer, going into our waterways from the increasing intensification of farming. That needs to be properly managed so that the environmental outcomes are good, rather than making our rivers dirtier. You can’t have it the other way around and say look, environmental matters, you only do something about the environment when you are wealthy and can afford to do s; the reality is you can’t afford to ignore your environment. The Last Labour Government: • Bought back Kiwirail • KiwiSaver • Rescued Air New Zealand • KiwiBank The Next Labour Government will ... • Keep out state assets Goff, “You know it is really dumb to sell the assets. What business person would sell the best performing assets in their business in order to pay off their debt? You lose the assets. You can only sell them once. And you lose them forever. And you lose the dividends they bring back to us as Kiwis. You know that $800 million last year, that paid for our health services and our education services. You cut that in half.” Duncan, “Those state assets we own, why would we sell them to the few to own (‘State assets assessed for sale to investors’). The so-called mum and dad investors, are wealthy mum and dad investors and they are not the average investor (Buy state asset shares of foreigners will, English tells Kiwis). The asset sales policy is all of us giving to the few. And get this, when those people on-sell those shares at a profit there is no capital gains tax. So the two things need to be looked at together. National doesn’t want a capital gains tax, they want to sell off state owned assets, so the wealthy can get a tax free wind-fall profit out of us, out of something that we the public have invested in and owned for decades. Who would vote for that?” The next Labour Government will... • Introduce Capital Gains Tax • No GST on Fruit and Vegetables • Expand Kiwisaver • $15 Minimum Wage • Extend Working for Families • $5,000 tax free zone • Fair deal for Red Zone residents • Apprenticeship Scheme • Support Auckland Rail • Raise Retirement age to save Superannuation • Free healthcare for under 6’s • Extend parental leave • R&D tax credit • Keep our state assets Duncan, “It is really important that people look beyond the surface image, that they look beyond the personality driven, television driven politics and that they actually have a really cold hard think about what we are actually voting for because the danger is that people may end up voting for policies that aren’t in their practical material interests.” Cunliffe, “Labour’s economic plan is fully costed, its numbers balance, we reach surplus in two years, we pay off the debt quicker than National. It is the most detailed, comprehensive fiscal strategy any opposition in decades has produced and put before the country.” Parker, “So many people out there know that what we are proposing, some of these big choices that need to be made, that we’re right, they know in their hearts its right for New Zealand. And if they want to help they’ve got to get out there and vote on the day.” Mahuta, “It’s a call to action. If people want to vote for Labour they have to get out and vote with their feet. If they care enough to ensure that this country is not for sale then vote Labour. If they care enough to ensure that all our kids get a good opportunity then vote Labour. If they care about having a more fair society then vote Labour. It’s that simple.” Goff, “It is about having a plan for the future and about having the courage to take the hard decisions. It’s not about flogging off our assets and driving down wages. It is about a fairer more equal New Zealand. (2 ticks for Labour).