- By Christopher Luxon, Leader of the Opposition and MP for Botany
Last week’s news that New Zealand is now in a recession will be extremely concerning for families up and down the country.
This Labour Government has mismanaged the economy on a scale we’ve never seen before.
Food price inflation has been above 12 per cent for four months in a row now and with no end in sight for rising rents and mortgages rates, the next few months are going to continue to be very tough for many Kiwis.
New Zealand faces a toxic combination of high inflation, high interest rates and a shrinking economy. There’s nowhere to hide and everyone’s feeling it.
It’s time to say no to Labour, yes to National’s strong economic management and to take the country in a different direction.
It’s time to dump policies that have been anti-growth, anti-business and that have led New Zealand to where it is today.
While Labour continues to make excuses, the data does not lie.
New Zealand is now in worse shape than many of the countries we compare ourselves with, including Australia, Canada and the US, all of which have faced similar global challenges but are continuing to grow.
The simple fact is that Labour has mismanaged the economy and New Zealanders are paying the price.
Half of us are worrying about money and 20,000 people are behind in their mortgage payments.
Going to the supermarket has become an act of courage for manyand some families are cutting their kids’ swimming and sports lessons in order to afford the increase in their mortgage interest rates.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
Labour’s decision to spray the money hose with wild abandon and too little care for results, and to ignore the pleas of productive businesses laid low by a rolling maul of red tape, have made our predicament much worse than it need have been.
Now is the time to return to disciplined economic management, and a National government that backs the workers and businesses New Zealand needs to help grow our economy out of its current mess.
National will focus on strengthening New Zealand’s economy to address the cost of living, raise incomes, deliver better results for government spending, provide tax relief and drive the skills, technology and infrastructure needed to support future growth.
National will get New Zealand back on track.
