Party political broadcast for GE2015: Reform Party

SINGAPORE — The Reform Party's Kenneth Jeyaretnam today (Sept 3) delivered the party's first party political broadcast. Here is the full transcript:

Dear fellow Singaporeans,

For this GE we must ask why is Lee Hsien Loong in such a hurry to call an election?

The truth is that the PAP know they have failed. They have run out of ideas for bringing you a better life. They only know how to ask you to be self-reliant and tough, to put up with a bad job, to go without. In truth they only have one idea: to bring in cheaper and cheaper foreign labour to generate economic growth. This in turn drives your wages down and puts a squeeze on every aspect of our society.

Over the last four years Reform Party has worked with you on the ground and on National issues. That is why we ask:

If our economy is doing so well, then why is it that our elderly cannot afford to retire and roam the streets collecting cardboard?

Why is it that the sick cannot afford health care in hospitals where there are not enough beds?

Why is it only an elite 10 per cent of Singaporeans can afford housing with a share in the land?

Why can’t the PAP return your CPF to you at 55?

Before you vote I urge you to ask yourself one more question: where is all the money going?

Lee Hsien Loong says Singaporeans have to be self-reliant and tough but this toughness does not extend to our leaders and the artificial aristocracy they have created. The Government’s own figures show it has run enormous surpluses and has huge reserves yet it says that if we citizens want safety nets or more spending on health and education then taxes will have to rise. This is simply not true.

Reform Party promises to secure a fairer share of the national wealth for Singaporeans. We want to introduce an old age pension, child benefit for mothers, a minimum wage, a cap on foreign worker numbers, abolish Medishield Life premium for over 65s and under 18s, return CPF at 55, give you the chance to own the freehold of your HDB and a stake in GIC and Temasek. The total extra spending for this will be less than 20 per cent of the Government’s real surplus annually. But that 20 per cent will be tax payer money finally invested as it should be — in our only natural resource — our citizens. Reform Party has assembled a team of candidates who all share the same desire to build a more vibrant, more caring and more robust Singapore. They are all elites. Elites of the heart We promise that if you send Reform candidates into Parliament that together or individually they will be fearless in demanding transparency and accountability on your behalf.

We know from past experience that Lee Hsien Loong stubbornly does not heed the calls to him to just listen to his citizens. Is that too much to ask? Vote wisely, vote for Reform and make him listen to you.

On Election Day, Vote for A Brighter Tomorrow, Today! Vote for the Reform Party!