NATIONAL PARTY CANDIDATE FOR AUCKLAND CENTRAL

Last week, University of Auckland student Anya* told me how she’s getting by on one meal a day because she can no longer afford the most basic groceries. Her friends shared stories of pleading for extra shifts at their part-time jobs to help ease the pressure on their families and, in one heart wrenching case, contemplating having to choose between continuing their education and keeping a roof over their heads.

This is the reality of what a so-called technical recession looks like for so many Kiwis. The cost of everything from food to fuel is up, driven by inflation rates that Aotearoa New Zealand hasn’t experienced since 1990. Every week, we’re spending more for less. And while we’re all hoping the worst is behind us, commentators have a more sobering view, with Kiwibank’s Chief Economist predicting that the second half of the year will be tougher than the first.

We often hear the argument that this is a global issue - the implication being this is a cost of living crisis we had no choice but to have. The reality is that tradeable inflation (the component affected by international price movements and exchange rates) has dropped by nearly 24%, while nontradeable aka NZ-centric inflation continues to rise. For the fifth year in a row, inflation is more than 200% higher than the Reserve Bank target.

Despite facing similar macro challenges, almost every country we compare ourselves with is in better economic shape. This is a New Zealand issue. And there’s no denying that the Government could and should have acted to get things under control before our economy spiralled backwards.

Cutting wasteful Government spending would have been a great start. The word limit on this article sadly precludes me from sharing a comprehensive list, but an annual spend of $1.2 billion on consultants is staggering - especially when you consider that the in-house public service has simultaneously grown by 33% since Labour came into office. And judging by the quality of our services, the value delivered by this expenditure is questionable at best.

Public spending is critical to a healthy economy, but only when it delivers real results for our communities. Taxpayer monies should go towards boosting our critical frontline services, building infrastructure that is resilient and helps us grow, and easing the pain on hardworking residents and businesses. And our Governments should be measured and held accountable based on the outcomes they deliver, not the announcements they make.

When I’m out campaigning in Auckland Central, I meet so many people who spend every hour of their day working hard to grow their businesses, help their communities and create jobs. It’s those people, and the people they employ, that we need to unleash to really get our economy humming.

That means reducing the cost of living, restoring discipline to government spending, cutting red tape and backing our businesses to succeed. We’ve progressed so much as a city but at the moment our innovation feels held back – it’s hard to innovate when you’re drowning in costs and our young people can no longer afford to call Auckland Central home.

Anya and her friends deserve better. We all do. *name changed to protect privacy

Mahesh Muralidhar

National

Party

Candidate for Auckland Central E: mahesh.muralidhar@national.org.nz www.national.org.nz/maheshmuralidhar

Authorised by M Muralidhar, 188 Ponsonby Road, Auckland

HELEN WHITE: SUPPORT FOR TODAY, BUILDING FOR TOMORROW

We’ve recently released Budget 2023, which sets out more support for today and the next steps in our plan to build for tomorrow.

I wanted to use this opportunity to share a few key initiatives, including a cost of living package to ease the pressure on people here in Auckland.

We appreciate that many are doing it tough right now, and this budget aims to provide practical cost of living support across some of the core expenses facing New Zealanders –childcare, healthcare, transport and power bills. It will help to make things a bit easier for families, students and older New Zealanders by reducing or removing some of the costs they currently face. Millions of Kiwis will pay a little less as a result.

We’re helping parents stretch their budgets a little further, by making childcare cheaper with 20 hours free ECE for twoyear-olds. This will be a major saving for families and will reduce barriers for working parents to take on more hours if they can.

Removing the $5 co-payment on prescriptions will make it easier and cheaper for Kiwis to access the medicines they need. Starting 1 July, this will have a meaningful impact for many households, particularly those who have multiple prescriptions to fill on a regular basis.

Public transport is now more accessible for young New Zealanders, permanently. We’re providing free fares on buses, trains and ferries for children aged five to 12 and halfprice discounts for all passengers aged 13 to 24, from July this year. Free fares for kids under 13 could see savings of $30 a week for families with two children. This will make getting to school and tertiary education cheaper and easier.

We’re also reducing power bills by making Kiwi homes more energy efficient. In addition to the Winter Energy Payment, we’re helping to reduce power bills by over a hundred dollars a year through the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme. We’re nearly doubling the existing retrofit programme that has reduced electricity use by on average 16% over the winter months.

These initiatives will help Auckland households now, while also delivering long-term education, health and climate benefits.

Budget 2023 also includes a massive boost to our country’s infrastructure which has been tested during the recent flooding and cyclone. That’s why we’ve allocated significant funds to build back better with greater resilience, to protect communities from increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events.

It’s a practical Budget focused on the basics, and making investments where they are needed most. However, we need to do more than just respond to the challenges of today, we also need to build for the future. That’s why we’re continuing to make targeted investments in areas that are critical to grow the economy and lift productivity.

Investing in infrastructure, skills, science and technology supports every area of the economy. It’s how we support people into work, drive higher wages for Kiwis and build a stronger, inclusive and more resilient economy.

Labour List MP based in Mt Albert. www.labour.org.nz/HelenWhite

Funded by Parliamentary Services.