Opponents hit back at Brash's speech

National leader Don Brash has been accused of offering no solutions on the economy and of stealing into Winston Peters' territory on immigration as critics panned his Orewa III speech.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen said: "This is a speech which says and does nothing new at all and adds nothing to political debate within New Zealand. It's the same tired old right-wing rhetoric from the same tired old leader," said.

The only person who could be happy about it was National Party leadership aspirant John Key, Dr Cullen claimed.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said it lacked credibility for Dr Brash to claim the economy was a huge issue "when five months ago they weren't prepared to debate the economy in the course of the general election campaign".

"Nothing has changed about the forward projections for New Zealand's economy since September last year."

Dr Brash's previous two speeches at Orewa got the nation talking and saw two of his key spokeswomen out of their jobs as he delved into Maori and welfare issues.

Dr Brash said he hoped this speech would not have the same effect on his ranks.

He also told journalists that his new emphasis on immigration had nothing to do with Mr Peters, the leader of New Zealand First.

"I am the last person to want to confine immigration to Anglo-Saxons. I have got a non Anglo-Saxon wife and I've got no problem at all with non Anglo-Saxon immigrants," he said.

"But we do need to have a discussion about what kind of immigration best suits New Zealand in the short term and the longer term."

But Mr Peters said Dr Brash's immigration comments were a "straight take".

"Don Brash has spent his three years as a leader plagiarising the speeches and the policies of other parties," Mr Peters said.

"Imitation is a very pale and shallow form of flattery where he's concerned."

- NZPA