National offers first of 'stepping-stones'

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Bill English kicked off National's election campaign on Auckland's North Shore yesterday trying to stress differences with Labour over health, education and the Treaty of Waitangi.

In front of the biggest National Party audience he has faced since becoming leader nine months ago, Mr English delivered a confident speech to about 700 party faithful.

He suggested that Labour was a sloppy manager of the health system, too controlling over education, and not ambitious enough for Maori.

His speech was littered with references to the "gritty determination" of New Zealanders and his own party.

He received a less rapturous reception than the name-chanting support he got at the venue a month ago for a charity boxing match.

But he appeared to buoy members whose party begins the campaign about 20 points behind Labour.

He accused Prime Minister Helen Clark of trying to manipulate voters over Greens Party threats to bring down a Government that lifted the moratorium on commercial release of GM products in October 2003, a threat Mr English described as "greenmail". Helen Clark has said she wants an outright majority and avoid a Green ultimatum. Mr English is trying to dissuade his own supporters from answering her call.

"I give that commitment now, that National would vote with Labour to defeat the Greens on GE," Mr English said.

"Labour and National agree with lifting the GE moratorium. That makes the Greens irrelevant."

He said the Green threats to pull down Labour was empty.

The Greens would not bring down a Labour government on the issue of GM because it would get a National-led government as a result.

"That's why the picture Helen Clark has painted is a fraud."

National releases its health policy today. National had "sweated blood" to get the health system in good order by 1999, when it left Government.

"In the last two years it has gone down the plughole."

By next year the deficits facing health boards would rise to $500 million - "a financial scandal on the scale of the BNZ" and patients would pay through loss of services.

He said Labour did not trust schools to manage their own budgets and staffing. List candidate Allan Peachey was principal of Rangitoto College, the largest school in the country with 2400 pupils and yet the system did not allow him to deal with his staff.

"What makes more sense than a school being able to work out how it employs people.

"The hairdresser can do it. Why don't we trust the likes of Allan Peachey. We should. National does.

"If Labour can't resolve a teachers' strike, how are they going to resolve bigger issues on the social status of Maori in New Zealand?"

Mr English expanded on the party's treaty policy, to close the book on lodging claims within its first year in office and settle claims by 2008, giving it a nation-building flavour.

The party's policy on resolving treaty issues was about being ambitious for New Zealand, he said.

"A lot of people have been used to living with the grievances of the treaty and the tale of misery that has been the status of Maori in New Zealand."

He referred to the "soft bigotry of low expectation."

"There's a whole lot of people who think we should live with this. Fundamentally they don't believe that Maori can do any better. And I despise that attitude," he said to resounding applause.

"Wouldn't we be a better people if we can resolve these issues, because if we can achieve that, we can achieve anything.

"Let's turn our stumbling blocks into stepping-stones."

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