Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Labour Party says a cost of living "sermon" by National Party Ministers reeks of desperation and spin.
The government is on the defensive over its efforts to mitigate the cost of living, even as it announces fresh measures to save voters cash.
On Monday, the coalition promised to legislate a ban on surcharges for contactless card payments from no later than May 2026.
The Commerce Commission estimates New Zealanders are paying up to $150 million in surcharges each year - including $45 to $65 million in what it considers excessive charges.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was a worthwhile policy but the "most important" thing the coalition could do was to "double down" on its long term economic plan.
The government spent the first 10 minutes of yesterday's post-Cabinet media briefing outlining actions it had already taken in this plan: tax relief in last year's budget, cutting government spending and scrapping plans to increase petrol taxes to name a few.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis stressed these steps did not mean everything was fixed but said the coalition had managed to get the country "back on course" since getting into office.
"We know many people are still doing it tough and the economy is recovering from a protracted downturn. However, we know that the fundamental changes we are making will deliver," she said.
"Economies are like oil tankers. You can't turn them around on a dime, but New Zealand is back on course."
'Out of touch' - Hipkins
The latest Ipsos Issues Monitor survey saw Labour overtake National as the party New Zealanders consider most able to handle the cost of living.
This was despite the Labour Party releasing no substantial new policy since the election.
Opposition leader Chris Hipkins told Morning Report the priority of a Labour government would be getting people back to work. He could not say how the party planned to do this.
Hipkins said he didn't want to be in the position National is in where "a whole lot of the policies they made before the election seem to have just dissapeared, and previous governments have done that too".
"We could make sure that the government is actually spending the money it says it is spending."
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
Hipkins was quick to criticise the government's Monday briefing, saying no amount of spin could convince the public they were better off.
"According to the sermon that we just heard from Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon, New Zealanders just don't understand the genius of their plan.
"Things are supposedly getting better, according to them. I think it shows just how out of touch they are with the reality facing the vast majority of New Zealanders."
Hipkins said there were now 18,000 fewer people working in construction, more people heading over to Australia and higher unemployment rates compared to the last election day.
"No amount of spin from them is going to change the reality that things are getting worse for New Zealanders under their leadership.
"I think we should start calling them Fisher and Paykel, because they've got more spin than a front load washing machine."
Hipkins took aim at the government's move to hike director fees for the 22 Crown-owned entities; in some cases by up to 80 percent.
"Increasing the pay of some of the best paid New Zealanders at a time when the majority of Kiwi families are struggling just to make ends meet shows just how out of touch they are."
Luxon said public sector director fees had gotten "completely out of whack" compared to private sector fees and the government needed to be able to attract good people into public roles.
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