Prime Minister Bill English visited Hawke's Bay yesterday to announce the National Party's five-point plan for the country's economy and tax system.
Accompanied by party spokesman for finance Steven Joyce and a large entourage of supporters and local candidates, Mr English called in to fresh produce marketing and distribution company Freshmax near Hastings for a brief tour of the packhouse, including chats and photos with the workers, before announcing National's plan for economic success.
"We are very ambitious for New Zealand and New Zealanders, but to achieve that you need a strong economy and a strong set of government books," he said.
To that end, the plan set out to build surpluses and pay down debt, raise family incomes, invest in public services and infrastructure, keep simplifying taxes and support business confidence.
It included a family incomes package, that would see 1.3 million families received $1350 extra per year on average, making tax simpler for businesses, cracking down on multi-national tax compliance and a promise not to introduce any new taxes.