WELLINGTON: National Party finance spokesperson Nicola Willis has challenged Labour to explain what she describes as an $18.2 billion gap between the party’s proposed spending commitments and its planned revenue measures.
Speaking at a press conference, Willis called on Labour leader Chris Hipkins and senior party figures to clarify how they would fund a range of election promises, including Labour’s newly announced policy to cap public transport fares at $20 per week in major centres and $10 elsewhere if elected.
Willis criticised the proposal as “another dubiously costed policy,” arguing that Labour’s spending plans do not align with its revenue projections. She claimed that, even under conservative assumptions, Labour faces an $18.2 billion shortfall, which she described as a “hidden bill” for New Zealanders.
The National MP said New Zealand’s economy was showing signs of recovery, with unemployment and public debt forecast to decline, and argued that maintaining those gains required disciplined fiscal management.
Willis also questioned Labour’s estimate that its public transport fare cap would save commuters an average of $1,200 a year at a cost of $65 million annually, saying the figures did not add up.
Labour had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of reporting.
