Face of the Day

Despite the 2023 loss, Jackson was confident Labour’s support was growing. “I think it’s coming back, I know it’s coming back, we’ve seen that and we’ll be putting some strong policies in place over the next 18 months to ensure that support and continue that support.”

, and Good Oil Staff

April 14, 2025 . 6:30 AM

2 min read

Labour MP Willie Jackson said communities felt a bit deserted by his party when it was in government. Photo/Mark Mitchell.

Senior Labour MP Willie Jackson believes his party should have removed GST from meat products while in Government to help reduce the high cost of living.

That’s despite Labour’s 2023 election policy proposing to remove GST from fruit and vegetables being widely panned as complicated to introduce and ineffective at providing relief to those who needed it.

Jackson’s comments come as tax policy discussions continue within the party as the public waits for Labour’s confirmed 2026 election policy, expected to be announced by the end of the year.

Appearing on the Unfiltered with Dave Letele podcast, Jackson was asked how Labour would win back enough support to return to Government after receiving just 26.9% of the vote in 2023.

Jackson accepted communities had felt a “little bit deserted” by Labour amid a painfully high cost of living and persistent inflation. Annual percentage increases of food prices were above 10% from late 2022 to mid-2023.

“You’ve got to look after our community in the supermarket and at the petrol pump,” Jackson told Letele.

“We made mistakes in those areas. We didn’t do enough in the supermarkets, we should’ve taken GST, probably, off meat.”

Despite the 2023 loss, Jackson was confident Labour’s support was growing.

“I think it’s coming back, I know it’s coming back, we’ve seen that and we’ll be putting some strong policies in place over the next 18 months to ensure that support and continue that support.”

In August 2023, ahead of the election, Labour leader and then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced a policy stripping 15% GST from fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables. It was similar to Te Pāti Māori’s policy to take GST off all kai.

Hipkins had earlier ruled out implementing a wealth tax or capital gains tax if elected in 2023, despite senior MPs such as the now outgoing David Parker developing a wealth tax policy.

The policy received very little support from economists, who believed it was overly complex, would increase compliance costs on businesses and wouldn’t lead to the promised financial relief for consumers.