Letter: Former finance minister again returns to the fray

OPINION: 2025 Task Force chairman Don Brash tells us that not only are his policies the only ones that will close the income gap with Australia, but that the reason they have not been followed is a lack of courage on the part of successive governments.

Yet, in 2005, as National Party leader, he denied vehemently Labour Party claims that these were his policies, presumably because he knew full well that if the public thought that they were, he would have gone down to catastrophic defeat.

So either he was guilty of what he now implies about former Labour leader Helen Clark and Prime Minister John Key, or he was planning to do what he said he would not.

In parliamentary terms, that makes him guilty of one of two banned words: the "H" word or the "L" word.

Whichever, one small fact might help: the income gap referred to grew by far the most in the very years (1984-1993) when Dr Brash's economic prescription was most closely followed.

Dr MICHAEL CULLEN

Ohope

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Dan   #3   09:09 pm Dec 06 2009

Would the good Dr care to offer anything constructive, or is he simply content to sling a bit of mud around? What solutions would you offer to this country's dire economic situation, Mr Cullen? I would be interested to know. Currently Brash's solutions are the best on offer by default. Or are you finally able to admit that you have no solutions - that you were, in fact, at the very heart of the problem?

Ohope - synonymous with rich pricks

pete   #2   10:58 pm Dec 05 2009

In 2005 this economic genius told us to stop investing in property and invest in the economy. Bit late now for those who invested in

Bridge corp

Hanaover Finance

Provincial

NZSX

etc

The man is an academic full of theory, an over glorified ex-public servant. In fact in the last year this countries highest paid beneficiary for his unwanted services on the 2025 thing. Would sooner spend $25000 on a Hip Hop fact finding tour....cheaper than Rodenys 50000 wedding trip.

Bring on FPP & get rid of this drain on the tax payer.

Bruce   #1   03:40 pm Dec 05 2009

It's a sad day when the truth which cannot be said out loud in parliament has to be read in a newspaper.

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