Christopher Luxon
National Party leader
Today the Government will deliver the 2023 Budget. I’d like it to include disciplined spending, meaningful tax relief and a plan to get the economy moving but, for those, we’ll have to wait for a National government.
Rather, I expect the Budget will confirm that New Zealand can’t afford another three years of Labour’s economic mismanagement.
Tuesday on the AM show, Chris Hipkins was asked how much the Government would spend this year. He had no idea; absolutely no clue. It was excruciating to watch.
The answer is $129.3 billion – which is $53 billion, or 69 per cent, more than National was spending nearly six years ago. That increase is simply astonishing.
Mr Hipkins also may not know that net debt has gone from $5.4 billion in 2019, to $78.7 billion this year.
His ignorance of the true picture of New Zealand’s economy is just one more example of Labour’s lack of respect for people’s hard work and taxes.
This week I announced that National’s fiscal responsibility plan will include:
- The Treasury reporting annually on what major programmes achieve. I won’t put more money into programmes that don’t work when it should be going into getting better outcomes
- Every taxpayer receiving an annual “Taxpayer’s Receipt” from Inland Revenue, showing the taxes they’ve paid and the government payments they’ve received, including Working for Families and benefit payments. That receipt will also show where taxpayers’ money has been spent, eg education, health, and welfare.
- Public sector chief executives and their deputies will have their pay linked to performance
National will bring fiscal discipline back to Wellington. That doesn’t just mean spending less money, it means ensuring spending is delivering value.
National will get New Zealand back on track and, with a fresh approach, New Zealand will have an incredibly bright future.
