Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:13556] 
11.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: Why is the Government spending $21 million to promote and sell the 2004 Budget to the public? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister of Finance) 
:  
The Government is not spending $21 million to promote and sell the Budget to the public. The Government through the Inland Revenue Department and the Ministry of Social Development will run publicity campaigns over the next 4 years to inform families of their new entitlements as each component of the package comes on stream. The Government is determined to ensure that New Zealand families have the resources to give their children a decent start in life but of course they need to apply for that support. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister of Finance confirm that the Labour Party pamphlet titled  
2004 Budget: What’s in it for my family and me? 
 is aimed purely at promoting Labour’s fortunes at the next election and was funded out of the Labour Party’s Parliamentary Service budget; if so why are New Zealand taxpayers being ripped off for a further $21 million for Labour’s propaganda on that issue? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The pamphlet was certainly paid for out of the Parliamentary Service budget as were the member’s own billboards the National Party billboards and various other billboards I have seen around from all sorts of parties over the last few years. The publicity campaign around the Budget will be to ensure that people actually know what entitlements are there so they can apply for them. Unfortunately I do not think any member of the House will qualify. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: Has the Audit Office been consulted on the publicity campaigns? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Yes and it will continue to be so consulted to ensure that the campaign meets the guidelines the Auditor-General has laid down. 
Sue Bradford 
: Will the Government consider providing more financial support to community-based advocacy groups whose main task is to help people to get their full benefit and tax entitlements given the tens of thousands of families who are still missing out and with this new $21 million evidently available for promoting the Budget measures? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Obviously I considered that and indeed I would see that as a much better condition for coalition terms than ensuring that we remain totally GE free. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: If the Budget is as good and as widely popular as he claims how could it possibly be necessary to spend four times the total amount spent by all political parties on the last election campaign and more than New Zealand’s biggest advertising client Coca-Cola spends in a year on promoting this package and how does he expect New Zealanders to believe that this is anything other than simply a taxpayer-funded attempt to shore up an ailing Labour Party? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: As long as the campaign makes sure that people are aware of their entitlements it will be much better for the people and certainly for their teeth than the Coca-Cola campaign and better than most of the spending by political parties at the last election. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister of Finance remember in contrast to this issue today Helen Clark complaining bitterly in 1993 about the $2.5 million campaign to promote health reforms saying: “The use of advocacy advertising paid for with $2.52 million of taxpayers’ money is a matter of major public concern and is an orgy of advertising that has hit the public 5 months before a general election.” or is there one standard for Labour when it is in Opposition and a different standard when it is in Government? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No that was certainly a purely propaganda campaign. For example it included—[ 
Interruption 
] If the younger members who cannot remember it would care to remain silent—Amanda Millar wandering around an empty surgical ward that was built purely as the result of a National Party pump-priming exercise to support George Gair. Those health reforms did nothing for the nation’s health. This campaign is about ensuring that people apply for what they are entitled to. What really worries the Opposition is that people might realise how good the Budget is for them and actually apply and get it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table this unwarranted propaganda and I request that the rest of the country do not send it to me in the future. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.