Damien Smith
ACT Associate Finance spokesperson
The cost of living is falling fowl of New Zealanders with chicken prices a sign of what’s to come.
“The egg-onomic impacts of this Government’s decisions have started to peck, but it’s no laughing matter for shoppers with Tegel putting prices up 10 per cent.
“Tegal has pointed to pressures on the industry, including increases in the cost of labour, feed and fuel impacting supply chain costs.
“Life for Kiwis is set to get more expensive. Housing costs are up, so are housing taxes. Petrol costs are up, so are petrol taxes. Rents are up, so are rental regulations. Labour costs are up and now chicken nuggets are more like gold nuggets.
“Inflation this high was the inevitable result of printing money as a cushion through COVID. Kiwis are now literally paying the price.
“The Reserve Bank’s money printing has created enormous inequity, with asset prices being inflated for those already wealthy, while prices rise for those trying to get ahead.
“The Government needs to stop messing with the economy, New Zealand now needs sensible economic management. The days of easy money printing are over.
“Fundamentally, the Government has overdone fiscal and monetary stimulus without doing anything to boost actual goods produced. When you get too much money chasing too few goods, that’s inflation
“In fact, the Government has many productivity damaging policies that make matters even worse. They should dump the avalanche of damaging regulations such as those on farmers, the Zero Carbon Act, and so-called Fair Pay agreements. Instead, it should be asking how to create the conditions for prosperity.
“If it doesn’t it won’t just be the price of chicken that egg-splodes in cost.
“The Government should be trying to make life easier for New Zealander’s but under its watch, the cost of living has seen a record increase.
“It all adds up and is pecking away at middle New Zealand.
“Everything this Labour Government does is either about taxing and redistributing or dividing us against each other. There is a better way, as ACT has shown with our alternative budget.
“We would cut the 30 per cent marginal tax rate to 17.5 percent. We will reverse the 39 per cent tax rate and we will reverse the Government’s interest deductibility change.
“Under our plan the average earner would get between $1286 and $2107 in their pocket a year from tax cuts.
“ACT will continue to fight for middle New Zealand, the battlers being squeezed from every direction by this Government.”
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