Brash slams Budget during Bay visit

National Party leader Don Brash pulled no punches in his speech at the Mission winery in Taradale today, with Labour's finance minister Michael Cullen and the 2005 Budget the target of most of his barbs.
"Commentators have said that it (the Budget) demonstrates fiscal responsibility by Michael Cullen. Well I dispute that. Michael Cullen, more than any other finance minister in recent years, has presided over out-of-control, low-quality government spending that has carried waste to the point of irresponsibility," Dr Brash said.
"Dr Cullen has presided over a 24 percent increase in the number of civil servants since he has been in the job, and the increase in the cost of core civil servants over that period substantially exceeds $1 billion annually".
"These are not doctors, nurses, teachers or defence force staff. We are talking about pencil pushers here, and the vast expansion of the Beehive political apparatchiks."
The number of bureaucrats employed in the health and education sectors came in for particular attention, as did Government job schemes.
"Jim Anderton's farcical jobs machine, which costs $250 million a year, deserves a mention.
"You will recall he spent $306,000 fast-tracking the sale of 10 acres of prime waterfront land to Sovereign Yachts for half a million dollars, when it was worth more like $10 million.
"That was supposed to create a new industry and 350 jobs.
At last count they had built one yacht."
"This is what you get from a tax-and-spend Labour Government. Endless plans, initiatives, targets, grants, panels, boards and regulation.
"All of this staffed by numerous layers of government, a vast expanding network of bureaucrats and administrators.
What do they do? They implement and administer all these plans, targets and initiatives.
"The Budget was stuffed full of them. That is why you were not offered a proper tax cut, a better incentive to work, to get ahead," he said.