Hide pushes tougher law and order stance

Act leader Rodney Hide used his first state of the nation speech yesterday to highlight the party's push for tougher law and order policies and tax cuts for all New Zealanders.

He continued to stress that Act was the ideal coalition partner for a Don Brash-led Government, taking a dig at National at the same time for "increasingly moving to the centre and signing up to Labour policy".

And he dismissed suggestions that Act - typically rating between 1 and 3 per cent in polls - might not survive the next election.

Mr Hide took over the party leadership last year but has since failed to significantly raise its ratings.

But he said Act usually slumped in the polls between elections, like other smaller political parties.

Act would be back, but had work to do and "in these crowded party-political times, Act will need to be bolder - not Brash - than it has ever been before".

Prime Minister Helen Clark was a good political manager of her Government's policies, but the country had no clear direction and was drifting, Mr Hide said.

"It is getting tougher and harder to work and to get ahead as New Zealanders."

The Working for Families Budget package would make it even tougher as it provided no incentives.

Act believed the first job for any Government was to defend its people from "thugs and bullies".

The party would set a goal to make New Zealand the safest country in the world, he said.

In order to put more money in every worker's pocket, Act wanted the business and top personal tax rate lowered to 25c in the dollar.

"We should extend the 15c rate up to $38,000."

Mr Hide said this could be done without cutting a dollar of spending.

The party also wanted to see "colour-blind Government" that spent less on welfare and had a pro-immigration policy which was hard-headed and focused on attracting skilled migrants.

Mr Hide said Labour had come into office with aspirations to take New Zealand up the wealth ladder of OECD countries, but had failed.

Act wanted the country to be ranked alongside Australia, Britain, France and Italy, not Cyprus, Israel and the Czech Republic.

About 100 party supporters attended the address at the Crowne Plaza in central Auckland.

After his speech, Mr Hide said taxes and crime were the burning issues for the people he had met round the country.

People wanted to see action on crime, which seemed to become more brutal every year, he said.

"I have got right around New Zealand and I have met as many New Zealanders as I can, and I am reflecting their views."

Orewa II

A year ago former banker Don Brash was being hailed as the National Party's alchemist - the man with the common touch who delivered one speech and turned the deflated party's prospects golden again.

Next week, inevitably tarnished by a year in the political limelight and with the party slumping in the polls, he gives his second Orewa speech. What will he say and is there another rich vein to mine? Ruth Berry asks some commentators


NIGEL ROBERT

Spolitical scientist The problem with giving an A+ speech last year is that Dr Brash won't be able to match it this year. "If people expect it to be as good and as powerful as last year they are going to be disappointed." Last year's race relations speech was an easy topic, in the sense that it avoided voters' nervousness about a return to a Rogernomics/Ruthanasia-style era, which talk of reforms in other areas such as welfare could evoke.

ALASDAIR THOMPSON

Employers and Manufacturers Association northern branch chief executive

Dr Brash "should talk about the economy, I think it's a major issue".

All politicians should be focusing on raising living standards and there needs to be across the sector - employers, employees and politicians - buy-in on the objectives required to make those improvements.

Political parties such as National then need to outline how each of them would do that in government.

WYATT CREECH

Former National Party deputy leader After last year expectations will be high. This creates a challenge, but also a great opportunity to command attention. Welfare and education are important, but he hopes Dr Brash will also talk about the economy, including the need for tax cuts. "I think people will start to question whether the Government needs to collect this much money when it's in an absolutely huge surplus situation."

ANDREW LITTLE

Engineers union secretary

"What last year showed was that it's all very well making a large, provocative speech, but you've got to have a plan of action to follow through on and he didn't have that." Mr Little predicts a speech following the moral right line of the Bush Administration on erosion of values and loss of freedoms.

PETER DUNNE

United Future Party leader "I have got no interest in what Don Brash is going to say at Orewa. I'm not even interested in commenting on it."

FRANS GEURTS

Orewa Rotary Club president Members believe Dr Brash has "done his dash on race issues" and should focus on issues such as welfare benefits or the economy. There is "a hell of a lot of interest in the speech" and the club could have sold four times the 155 tickets available.