Government dismays NewZealanders again

Iain Lees- Galloway Palmerston North MP

Yesterday the Government delivered its sixth Budget, and for the sixth time it failed to deliver any real sense of direction for the future.

It picked a handful of policies developed by Labour, half- baked them then tossed them out in the hope they would keep people happy until after the next election.

It failed to instil hope for the 147,000 New Zealanders who do not have jobs or the 285,000 Kiwi children living in poverty. It does nothing for the increasing number of New Zealanders who cannot afford to buy a home or who are having trouble paying the rent.

As winter sets in, the families who can no longer meet their electricity bills or who just cannot afford $ 3.60 for a 2- litre bottle of milk are no better off from this Budget.

National has failed to show that it has any ideas to upgrade the New Zealand economy so that, together, we can address these issues. Labour will put people first. The biggest losers in this year’s Budget are first- home buyers. Home ownership rates are their lowest in 50 years and dropping. This Budget does nothing to change that.

By contrast, Labour’s housing and tax policies will restore the Kiwi dream of home ownership.

We will build thousands of affordable homes.

We’ll make it easier for Kiwis to make ends meet. Last year 46 per cent of us didn’t get a pay rise. Average pay rates went up 1.6 per cent when inflation was 1.5 per cent.

We hear a lot about how the economy is growing and in good shape. Good shape for whom? The benefits are not getting through to ordinary people.

We are determined to get Kiwis back to work – 7.7 per cent unemployment in the Manawatu just isn’t good enough. We aim to reduce unemployment to 4 per cent in our first term. We will modernise the economy, focusing on investment, innovation and industry to help create secure, long- term jobs.

We have already announced industry upgrades for manufacturing and forestry. Businesses support our R& D tax credits for innovation, and tax incentives to increase productivity.

We will help exporters by lowering interest rates, which takes pressure off our over- valued exchange rate. Universal KiwiSaver, and the Variable Savings Rate, mean Kiwis will pay more money into their own savings, and less in interest.

The choice is stark for us all this year. On one side Labour’s principled policies put people first; on the other, for National, it is business as usual.