Source: New Zealand Labour Party
Today I released Labour’s Fiscal Plan.
It sets out, line by line, how we’ll get everyday costs under control and exactly how we’ll pay for it.
Three free GP visits a year. Free prescriptions. A $20-a-week public transport fare cap. A three-year freeze on fuel tax. Action on grocery prices and power bills.
These simple, practical everyday fixes will put a bit more money back in your pocket.
Every commitment is costed. Every commitment is funded.
We’ll get the books back into surplus and bring debt down over time, while investing in the things that help people get ahead.
Government is about choices. And I know which choices I’ll make as Finance Minister.
I’ll back businesses to grow and create jobs. I’ll invest in healthcare so people can get help when they need it. And I’ll make getting everyday costs under control a priority.
National has been running a campaign of outright lies about Labour’s plans. They have made everything more expensive. They’ve broken the economy with their cuts and left everyday Kiwis to pay for it. They know it, so they want you to talk about anything but their record.
It’s dishonest and it ends today. We’ve shown how it all adds up. Now they have to answer for their own record.
Christopher Luxon promised to fix the cost of living. He has made it worse. People are paying more and getting less, and after three years, his answer is more cuts.
More cuts to the services we rely on. More jobs lost. More families falling behind. Three more years of the same, only worse.
I will never accept that running down our schools and hospitals is the best we can do for this country. And I won’t accept that the people caring for our loved ones should have to keep fighting to be paid fairly.
That’s why we’ll restore pay equity and give 65,000 care and support workers an immediate $4-an-hour pay rise, while we work towards proper settlements. That commitment is fully funded too.
I’m proud of this plan. And I’m proud of the difference it will make to people’s lives.
More people able to afford a doctor’s visit. Families with more money left after the bills are paid.
That’s the Finance Minister I will be. I will make those choices and make life better for people who are working hard and deserve to get ahead.
We have the plan. We’ve shown how we’ll pay for it. And I’m ready to get on with it.
Kiwis can’t afford another three years of National.
Better starts now.