Hsieh accuses Ma of ducking common market questions

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday accused his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of dodging questions about the "cross-strait common market" policy.

"It has way too many flaws," Hsieh said. "Instead of explaining it more clearly, Ma ducks the questions and denies he ever proposed it."

Hsieh has proposed putting the common market proposal to a referendum and said that voters who supported the concept should vote for Ma and those opposing it should vote for him.

Hsieh made the remarks while discussing the common market concept with former DPP legislator Lin Cho-shui (林濁水) at his campaign office yesterday afternoon.

Hsieh said he is opposed to the "cross-strait common market" because a free flow of capital, labor and technology between Taiwan and China would undermine the local economy.

Hsieh said Ma asked Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) to be his running mate because he thought Siew would be able to salvage the economy, but actually, the economic growth rate had decreased during the 10 years when Siew served as the steward of the nation's economy.

"Will the economy be better if Ma is president?" Hsieh asked.

Hsieh said that he did not think Ma knew how to tackle the problem of utility fees, while Hsieh said he acquired a full knowledge of it during his stint as premier.

Hsieh said he was against using further development and the investment of public funds to boost the economic growth rate because it would drive up commodity prices.

He is also against allowing Chinese investment in residential property because it would sabotage the supply and demand chain, he said. The country would pay a dear price if 10,000 Chinese tourists were allowed to visit Taiwan daily, he said.

To improve the economy, Hsieh said local industries must upgrade their technology and diversify their investments. His concept of economic prosperity would allocate resources more fairly, establish social justice and maintain the sustainable development of the environment, he said.

He would like to see the unemployed get jobs, commodity prices remain stable, less debt and lower housing costs. He also proposed cutting taxes, reducing inheritance and gift taxes and decreasing the corporate income tax rate.

To lure Chinese investment back, Hsieh said he proposed granting an amnesty to China-based Taiwanese businesspeople so that they could transfer their capital back home.