Labour and Greens confused on finance plans
Four and a half weeks out from Election Day it is clear that Labour and the Greens are talking past each other on their
fiscal plans, and New Zealand taxpayers would be worse off for it.
“Both the Greens and Labour have released spending commitments that take little or any account of the other party.
Labour have already promised to spend at least $18 billion over four years, and the Greens have promised another $10
billion,” Mr Joyce says.
“And today we have the extraordinary situation of Russel Norman demanding that Labour’s numbers be independently
verified.
“Given that on current polling these two parties would both be big players in any post-election left wing government
it's amazing that they can’t present any sort of united position on tax policy, spending or borrowing.
“They can't even agree on basic things like what the top tax rate should be.
“It's not as if the Greens would be a small player in a post-election confidence and supply agreement. They have made it
clear as recently as today they expect to be viewed as a major party, that they want to have co-deputy Prime
Ministerships for their leaders, and they expect big economic and social portfolios in any left-wing coalition.
“Surely it’s not too much for the public to in turn expect that the two parties would get together and work out which of
their wish lists would get precedence. Failing that, all we can all assume is that they'd spend the full $28 billion,
and probably then some to accommodate other small players.
“New Zealand can't afford disarray in its government and its economy. Only National can provide the strong stable
leadership that can keep New Zealand moving in the right direction.”
ends