Pledge size insane, says Cullen

Finance Minister Michael Cullen delivered a personal attack on National's tax package yesterday, calling it a bribe of an "insane size" from two multimillionaires who stood to gain $92 a week personally while pushing children into poverty.

He said it was a last throw of the dice by an "elderly gentleman who can never remember his own policies" - National leader Don Brash.

And he had a go at National's unashamedly wealthy finance spokesman, John Key, a former foreign exchange dealer.

"I really question in New Zealand today how multimillionaires like Dr Brash and Mr John Key, who likes to pose in front of his trophy house, can award themselves a $92-a-week tax cut while they are saying more children should live in poverty," Dr Cullen told reporters in the Beehive.

National's policy to cancel the $10-a-week rise in family support for 2007 would mean many more people living in poverty because beneficiaries with children would miss out.

Dr Cullen said the policy was unworkable because there was only one other party in Parliament "likely to vote for tax cuts of this insane size and unfair configuration: that is Act".

"There is no way this will get through. It is an empty promise. It is bribe with no substance behind it."

Asked why National's promises were bribes but not Labour's, he said: "Because ours are littler promises and will be paid for. Quite simple. We don't forecast rising debt."

National's policy is estimated to cost $3.9 billion within three years as opposed to Labour's Working For Families package of $1.5 billion over the same period.

Dr Cullen said National's package "threatens everything that has been achieved in terms of fiscal sustainability, in terms of fairness."

The amount of net new spending allowed next year by National was $750 million.

"That just so happens to be the amount I was considering for Vote: Health alone in next year's Budget.

"Nobody can get away with net new spending of $750 million next year without massive cuts in health and education."

Asked about the disadvantage of Labour's policy for single people, Dr Cullen said many single people wanted children.

"Not everybody in this country is a 'me, me' person. Some of us are 'we' people as well, thinking about the wider society and others in our wider families, not just about ourselves."