National will ensure that Treasury has a greater focus on providing sound advice on the effectiveness of Government
spending, identifying wasteful spending and driving higher productivity in the public sector, National’s Finance
spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.
“We will continue the proven Social Investment approach to Government spending, which this Government has abandoned, and
we will reintroduce targets that keep government agencies focussed on delivering better outcomes for New Zealanders.
“We introduced targets that focussed public agencies on reducing welfare dependency, child hospitalisations, the number
of children experiencing physical or sexual abuse, serious crime victimisations and waiting times for social housing,
and increasing the numeracy and literacy of children and qualifications of 25-34 year olds.
“The Government has scrapped those targets as well as health targets that were delivering better outcomes for Kiwis.
“We also will consider amending the Public Finance Act to improve accountability and reporting of results of all
Government spending.
“By reining in wasteful spending and focussing on targeted, measurable outcomes, we can afford tax relief for
hardworking New Zealanders.
“We will also aim to reduce our overall debt burden when the economy is growing so there is capacity to borrow when
times are tough.
“National is the best party to manage the economy. We will restore business confidence and revive our economy so that we
can lift our aspirations, both in what we can earn and in what social challenges we can overcome.”