“Grant Robertson should be able to connect the Government’s floundering COVID response with money printing and rising
costs of life and housing, but can’t or won’t,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“New Zealand had the second largest fiscal policy response in the OECD, before Delta hit. The Government was not ready
for Delta, and billions more have been borrowed and pumped into the economy since August. We almost certainly now have
the largest fiscal stimulus in the OECD.
“All the borrowed and printed money that the Government has pushed into the New Zealand economy pushes up the price of
everything, especially housing. The Government’s conservative approach to COVID-19 depends on cheap money, but cheap
money means inflation.
“At the same time, Grant Robertson cannot explain why the borders are so slow to open. Requiring seven days isolation
will kill tourism. Waiting until April for non-citizens to enter just hands the export education market to Australian
and Canadian universities.
“New Zealanders are paying the cost of COVID though cheap money and a poor response from Government. The Government
needs to start balancing all costs of COVID, not just COVID itself.”