来源：霍建强议员办公室   

信用评级下调对约翰基的“右臂”说是一大讽刺

工党财经事务发言人 大卫∙康利夫（Hon David Cunliffe） 

上星期五，新西兰信用评级遭遇两个下调，这对总理约翰基上周声称“大多数国家会拿他们的右臂来换我们的位置”简直是莫大的讽刺。

上周，就在我们得知信用评级被调降之前，约翰基说新西兰的经济形势比大多数国家都要好得多。若事实果然如此，为什么新西兰和希腊、匈牙利、冰岛、爱尔兰、墨西哥、葡萄牙及西班牙一样被Fitch下调了信用评级，而大部分（四分之三）属于OECD经合发展组织的国家的评级却没有被调降？ 

要是像比尔∙英格里希声称的那样，各评级机构对于国家党政府的经济措施持肯定态度，而新西兰信用评级居然还被下调――这就让人太看不懂了。 

在国家党失当的经济管理之下，新西兰的一个真正担忧是，尽管已经遭遇两个评级下调，现政府却似乎仍旧无法领会评级机构此举所传达的讯息。事实上，比尔∙英格里希仍坚称国家党将按既定政策行事，不顾Fitch已表示得很清楚――即考虑到政府净外债水平，新西兰被认为是“在已获评级的国家中是一个异数”。

工党财经事务发言人大卫∙康利夫就此评论说，我国的评级之所以被下调，并不是由于国家党所称的国际因素造成的，而是新西兰自身的问题。世界上大多数国家才不会拿自己的右臂或任何东西跟我国换净外债的难题。约翰基和比尔∙英格里希也许很高兴在那里搅混水以求过关，评级机构可不吃这一套。

国家党的“税改”为最高收入阶层大减税、却让全体百姓付更高的GST，这无益于我国经济。大幅砍削公共服务、在经济管理上的放任自流不是评级机构或公众希望看到的。一个工党领导的政府不会只是‘蒙混过关’，工党有一套专为解决新西兰面临的结构性问题的完备经济战略。我们致力于达至以下几个目标：

国家党治国心不在焉。工党则认为新西兰的未来实在太重要了，容不得想当然而掉以轻心。

联系：大卫∙康利夫 021377337

大卫∙康利夫授权，国会大厦，惠灵顿

David CUNLIFFE

Finance Spokesperson                      

3 October 2011                                                              MEDIA STATEMENT

Downgrades mock Key’s ‘right arm’ claim  

Last Friday’s twin credit rating downgrades for New Zealand make a mockery of Prime Minister John Key’s claim last week that ‘most countries would trade their right arm for our position’, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Cunliffe.

“Last week, just before the downgrades, John Key said New Zealand was in much better shape than most countries. If that is the case why has Fitch downgraded New Zealand, alongside Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal and Spain, and yet left three-quarters of OECD countries without a downgrade?

“That doesn’t make sense if, as Bill English claims, ratings agencies endorse the approach the National Government has taken toward our economy,” David Cunliffe said. “Quite clearly they don’t endorse what National is doing --- otherwise they would not have downgraded us while leaving the great majority of OECD countries untouched.

“One of the real worries for New Zealand, under National’s economic mismanagement, is that the Government still seems unable, despite the twin downgrades, to heed the messages the rating agencies are delivering. In fact, Bill English still stubbornly says National will stick with its policy settings, despite Fitch making it clear that it considers us to be ‘an outlier among rated peers’ in terms of our level of net external debt.

“Our downgrades have happened not because of an international problem, as National claims, but because of a New Zealand problem,” David Cunliffe said. “Most countries would not trade their right arms or anything else for our external debt problem. John Key and Bill English might be happy to muddle through, but the agencies are not impressed.

“National’s ‘tax switch’ that delivered big cuts to the top and higher GST for all has not helped. Swingeing service cuts and hands-off economic management are not what the ratings agencies or the public want to see. A Labour government won’t just ‘muddle through’. Labour has a cohesive economic plan that addresses the structural problems New Zealand faces. We are committed to:

·         A capital gains tax (CGT) to cut public debt to zero by 2021 and reduce the tax incentive for property speculation;

·         A strong prudent fiscal policy with a fully-costed manifesto;

·         Strong savings policy for a bigger and better KiwiSaver that will lift New Zealand’s savings rate and close the savings gap; 

·         Monetary reform to reduce the volatility of the exchange rate and ease long term interest rates to assist exports;

·         Economic development policies that will boost business growth and exports.

“National is asleep at the wheel,” David Cunliffe said. “Labour believes New Zealand’s future is too important to take it for granted.”

Contact: David Cunliffe 021 377 337.