New Zealand's 'Centre' Parties

United Future New Zealand

Although United Future markets itself as a centre party of 'common sense' its policies don't really back this up. By international standards New Zealand 's economy is not centrist but staunchly neo-liberal. However, United Future consistently supports laissez-faire policies. For example, United Future offers no support for New Zealand's farming or manufaturing sectors although this is perfectly acceptable (to a moderate extent) under the Washington Consesus. United Future promotes an expansionist immigration policy and agrees with National that wealth-based immigration will strenghten the country's economy. AlthoughUnited Future claims to support recreational hunting and fishing interests its expansionist immigration policies are more likely to worsen, rather than improve, the quality recreational hunting and fishing in New Zealand.

New Zealand First

A pragmatic party which the countries liberal elites love to demonise. New Zealand First is the only party which aims to balance free trade with the long-term development of the economy. By advocating compulsory personal saving and greater investment in research and development New Zealand First aims to raise the living standards of the majority of the population. New Zealand First also promotes limited skill-based immigration as opposed to expansionist wealth based immigration. Further wealth-based immigration will only serve to increase labour shortages and degrade the country's infrastructure and natural environment. The main question marks over New Zealand First's policies are its fairly extravagant promises to the elderly and its promotion of high rates of economic growth through increased exports, which may no longer be realistic. To a certain extent New Zealand First does deserves its tag as a opportunistic populist party, largely because of the muck-raking style of Winston Peters, who would make a good investigative journalist should he chose to retire from politics. Also New Zealand First appears unwilling or unable to promote a capital gains tax, or a land value tax, which is needed to help encourage investors to invest in businesses rather than houses.