Do Your Job And Stop Playing Politics, Dr Cullen

With the global financial market - including the share market - in turmoil, Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen should be worrying more about the economy and less about trying to score political points against National Leader John Key, ACT Founder and Hunua Candidate the Hon Sir Roger Douglas said today.

"The global situation is extremely situation. By using it to play politics, Dr Cullen is helping no one - especially himself," Sir Roger said.

"With analysts as yet unsure of what the final impact of the crisis will be on New Zealand, this is a time to stick to the fundamentals and ensure that we run the economy as efficiently as possible.

"This means making sure there is no waste and concentrating on those things that are most likely to lead to growth and higher wages: free trade, low inflation and lowering the taxes that have increased $17 billion over and above inflation over the past 10 years.

"New Zealand's growth is stagnant as it is, and the sharemarket crisis could make things even worse. The last thing we need is to have a Finance Minister who worries less about protecting the country and more about political point-scoring," Sir Roger said.