National to take fresh look at policies

Don Brash

National Leader Don Brash says his MPs will examine whether any of their policies need changing at a caucus meeting in Taupo on Tuesday.

The three-day planning retreat will begin with a review of the election campaign and the final result which left National vastly improved on its 2002 effort, but still short of forming a government.

National Leader Don Brash says that result has boosted his resolve to remain in the job and says despite reports that some are out to undermine him his MPs want him to stay on.

"I have no plans to step aside and there is no mood in the caucus to have me step aside."

Dr Brash said despite the election result it was also time to have a fresh look at all the party's policies.

"It will be partly about looking to see whether there are any policies we have to modify or adjust in the light of events," Dr Brash said.

One of those to be looked at will be the pledge to settle all Treaty of Waitangi claims by 2010 and general Maori policy.

Dr Brash said National remained committed to a "tight" settlement deadline and was against "separate race-based development", but acknowledged goodwill was required on both sides.

It would be difficult for National not to rethink its policy because if the next election does not take place before the due date in 2008, there would be little time to implement the 2010 policy.

The retreat will also have MPs thinking on how it can attack Labour and loosen its hold on power.

National has described the current government arrangements as unstable and hopes the deals with New Zealand First and United Future will fall apart or that Labour will stumble due to internal stresses.

Last year National tried with limited success to rattle NZ First MPs and their leader Winston Peters and it will continue with attempts to destabilise the governments, though destabilise is not the word he chooses.

"I don't want to use the word destabilising actually, we want to hold the Government to account," Dr Brash said.

"I think they are vulnerable in a whole range of areas... the big issue on the agenda is the economy."

Dr Brash points to low business confidence, shrinking economic growth and redundancies as reasons the Government should reduce the rate at which its spending is increasing.

This year he will push even harder his well worn line that New Zealand has to become more prosperous than Australia if it is to survive.

"I had swallowed the Government line that we had been doing relatively well relative to Australia, but that of course is crap."

New Zealand's poor productivity growth had been masked by immigration and consumer spending, and National would present an alternative government with credible policies on health, education, welfare, law and order and the economy, he said.

- NZPA