Source: Radio New Zealand
The Prime Minister played down the leak. RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he’s “very relaxed” about New Zealand First leader and cabinet minister Winston Peters leaking Budget information.
On Friday, Peters revealed the government would scrap the fees-free tertiary education scheme, which covered the cost of students’ third year of study.
“I’ll give you a Budget leak right here, right now,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan.
“We’re going to reshape it and repurpose it for the trades and a whole lot of industries where we do need it, and we’re going to get a far better payback for our money, and we’ll pay far less money for doing it.”
Luxon played down the leak at Monday’s post-cabinet press conference.
“I’m very relaxed, we were going to do a pre-budget announcement, he got ‘Heathered’ on the radio, that’s all good.”
It was a failed policy, and a “huge waste of taxpayers’ money” that had not delivered, he said – adding that Peters’ party deserved “real credit” for acknowledging it was not working, despite it being a “big New Zealand First commitment”.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who will deliver the Budget on 28 May, would not add anything further.
“The prime minister’s already expressed my views,” she said.
Winston Peters revealed the Budget information on the radio. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said it didn’t seem like “much of a leak”.
“It seemed relatively intentional, and certainly there was no anonymity about it, this is Winston Peters just doing his own thing.”
If Willis had not given Peters permission to make the announcement then it was a “clear breach” of Cabinet rules, Hipkins said.
“It doesn’t get much more serious than leaking what’s in the Budget.
“Christopher Luxon has no control of his cabinet, never has done,” he said.
Willis did not clarify whether she had authorised the announcement.
The first iteration of the fees-free policy was brought in by the former Labour government, which made the first year free.
Hipkins would not say whether his party would resurrect it in any form, if elected, adding no decisions would be made before the Budget.
“I want to see the detail of what the government are doing with that money first … where that money is going,” he said.
The policy helped ease the financial burden for students, Hipkins said.
“It’s been a long term goal for the Labour Party to ease the cost that young people face when they’re participating in post school education.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand