Category: New Zealand Labour Party

With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus.

“The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update is the rotten cherry on top of Nicola Willis’ first year as Finance Minister,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“The damage she has done to the economy means the recession will be longer and the recovery harder.

“A series of poor decisions on her part mean that unemployment is on the rise, there are fewer jobs and a Kiwi leaves every six and a half minutes for greener pastures.

“She is also attempting to manipulate the narrative by magicking up a new way to measure the deficit, but New Zealanders will see through her spin.

“Struggling to balance the books after choosing tax cuts – on top of outrageous tax breaks for landlords and tobacco companies – she’s now looking to pick the pockets of Kiwis through sneaky new taxes to pay for them.

“The Government has no plan to grow the economy other than talking about it. That’s not how the real world works – National is out of touch,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand.

“With inflation at 2.2%, the government’s decision to only lift the minimum wage by 1.5% means their take home pay goes backwards,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich.

“The groceries and other goods they’re purchasing rise with inflation, so the money is worth less. The government has announced an effective wage cut, right before Christmas.

“Many lower paid New Zealanders would’ve been hoping they’d be back on the up come April next year, given the government cut their wages in April this year too. Despite advice that recommended a 4% increase to the minimum wage, they chose to only lift it by half that.

“This Government dished out $2.9 billion to landlords and $216 million to tobacco companies this year, but have only found 35c for a minimum wage worker.

They also scrapped the top up for workers with disabilities. They are looking after the wrong people,” Camilla Belich said.

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All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates.

“Right across the country, people are facing up to double digit rates increases as a result of this Government’s political posturing on water infrastructure and refusal to help councils with new revenue,” Labour’s local government spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.

“Today Christopher Luxon and Simeon Brown stood at the podium and unironically said councils’ funds are tight, so therefore housing shouldn’t be a priority for them.

“They said they should fund roads instead of housing people. But it shouldn’t have to be either or.

“Councils are in this situation because those same Ministers cancelled the Affordable Water Reforms, stopping the very solution to keep rates down, and then waited months to announce a worse plan.

“The Government also knows there is a longer-term problem with the ratings system, so instead of looking for a solution they dismissed all recommendations from the review into the future of local government and are doing everything possible to shift the blame onto councils.

“They’re keeping their own noses clean, rather than finding a way to bring down costs for ratepayers and I think that is cynical and disingenuous.

“Every time people get a surprise in their rates bill, look at Simeon Brown because it’s his doing,” Kieran McAnulty said.

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The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers – less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target.

“We can add this failure to the long list of ways the Government has undone progress towards a low-carbon, sustainable economy on which New Zealanders’ jobs and livelihoods depend,” Labour energy and climate spokesperson Megan Woods said.

“National missing its own self-imposed first target to install 670 chargers this year is yet another broken promise from this government.

“They have promised so much but delivered so little.

“National has cut $3 billion from climate initiatives, scrapped the clean car discount, repealed the ban on oil and gas exploration, prioritised destructive sea-bed mining over offshore wind electricity generation, and scrapped funding that helped big emitters transition to renewable energy.

“The Government talks a big game about reducing emissions but repeatedly undoes effective programmes, taking New Zealand backwards,” Megan Woods said.

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The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act.

“The Government must rule out cutting New Zealanders entitlements to four weeks annual leave, bereavement leave, and family violence,” Labour’s workplace relations spokesperson Camilla Belich said.

“Brooke van Velden has dramatically dumped six years of work in an ideological attack on workers’ rights.

“With the Holidays Act being one of the biggest concerns for business – scrapping work on the legislation leaves both workers and business with no certainty over the future.

“This work was a collaboration with businesses and employees to get the settings right. The Government is once again taking us backwards because it’s more interested in protecting the rights of big business rather than working people.

“The move to hours calculation rather than gross pay may lower the value of what people will get paid for holiday pay.

“Brooke van Velden’s war on workers has already seen this Government move to reduce sick leave, rush to reinstate 90-day trials and scrap Fair Pay Agreements.

“National and ACT are choosing to make life harder for workers. People deserve to have decent pay, decent leave and feel valued in the workplace,” Camilla Belich said.

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Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery.

“Christopher Luxon said modern slavery was an issue he would march in the streets for – well here’s his chance,” Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich said.

“A bill drafted by team of independent legal experts released today is ready for immediate introduction to Parliament – all it is waiting on is National.

“The bill would speed up progress on modern slavery laws and offer a comprehensive solution to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.

“It is hoped with support from both National and Labour MPs the bill could be introduced in the first sitting of Parliament in 2025, as bills that have support of 61 non-executive members can bypass the ballot process.

“Labour strongly supports legislation that tackles the exploitation of people in our country and abroad. The bill sets out clear steps for New Zealand to take a stand against modern slavery, it’s well overdue.

“Earlier this year Chris Hipkins wrote to the Prime Minister offering Labour’s support on legislation. It’s time National took action.

The Combatting Trafficking in Persons and Modern Day Forms of Slavery Bill was drafted by the Modern Slavery and Trafficking Expert Practitioners Group (MSTEP), which includes criminal and regulatory barrister Jacob Parry, ANZ’s ESG Lead Rebecca Kingi, and World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice Rebekah Armstrong.

“Businesses have long called for a clear framework to address modern slavery, both to protect workers and to ensure that New Zealand companies remain competitive in the global market. If we do not act, we risk being left behind by other countries that are already putting in place measures to combat modern slavery,” Camilla Belich said.

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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night.

“Speaker Gerry Brownlee overruled the advice of the Clerk and the Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives. This is unprecedented,” Labour Shadow Leader of the House Kieran McAnulty said.

“Furthermore, he failed to reference a single previous ruling and in making his decision has potentially unilaterally changed the rules of Parliament.

“It has raised serious constitutional questions about the passing of a Government Bill that provides for private benefit.

“This amendment provides a list of 149 individuals and companies that will benefit from this change. There is a clear process for Private Bills that has not been followed in this case.

“Quite rightly, there is a process that a change that will benefit a company or individual should go through. The Private Bill process has previously been used to benefit individuals – such the Paige Harris Birth Registration Bill. That Bill received unanimous support, as it identified an anomaly in the law that was seen by many across Parliament to be unjust.

“This is a far cry from that. The culmination of the Speaker’s inability to cite any previous ruling, his decision to ignore the advice of the Clerk and Presiding Officers, and the nature of the amendment to the Bill in question has caused Labour to lose confidence in his ability to oversee a functioning, democratic Parliament.

“I urge him to reconsider his ruling, and the potential consequences it will have on this Parliament,” Kieran McAnulty said.

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After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive.

“For someone who rates their own fiscal management, Nicola Willis has botched the ferries deal,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“She has taken a whole year to come up with smaller ferries that are going to cost the country more money in the long run. The portside infrastructure will still have to be built, she’s just burdening future New Zealanders with the cost.

“Nicola Willis came into Government and immediately rolled back the ferries deal with no plan B. It was a knee-jerk reaction and Kiwi companies and taxpayers will pay the price.

“This Government is making decisions that will fail future generations. It talks about good infrastructure planning with one hand while running down our infrastructure just to make a political point with the other.

“Nicola Willis’ legacy will be New Zealanders waiting years longer for smaller and lower quality ships and hiked costs to exit the existing contract.

“We are now at the end of the queue for new ships as procurement hasn’t even started. 2026 should have been the year for the delivery of new ferries, instead this government’s deal making means we will have no ferries, just a big bill for the cancellation costs.

“Cancelling the order for two rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries has already cost KiwiRail half a billion dollars in sunk costs and it will likely be hundreds of millions more to break the contract.

“Choosing to go ahead with ferries that are not rail-enabled would mean higher costs for ports, freight companies and consumers.

“Nicola Willis botched this deal from the moment she was in the captain’s chair. It was just the beginning of the poor choices she’s made over the past year,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing.

“Labour fully supports this decision. The greyhound racing industry has been on notice for a long time, including three reviews in the last decade into greyhound racing practices,” Labour’s racing spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“The Labour Government gave the industry two options – operate under stricter conditions or face a ban. The lack of progress on straight tracks and failure to improve animal welfare systems to avoid injury and death shows that continuing under strict conditions is no longer viable.

“We also need to protect the integrity of the wider racing industry which takes animal welfare seriously and contributes significantly to the New Zealand economy.

“Labour is willing to work with the Government to ensure a timely implementation of the ban. The first step in legislation today protects greyhounds from unnecessary destruction, ensures these animals are treated with dignity as the industry transitions to closure.” Tangi Utikere said.

“We are supporting today’s Bill making its way through the house in all stages to ensure the safety and wellbeing of dogs,” Labour’s animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said.

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The Prime Minister has committed to shut down his government’s boot camps if there is evidence of harm to children – so he must do that today.   

“First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the tragic death of one of the young participants and send my sincerest aroha to their family and loved ones,” Labour’s children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said.

“The latest revelations prove the Government has lost control over their boot camps.

“Today’s hearing did not instil any confidence that things are going to get better, with officials at pains to match the Minister’s positive spin of a successful programme. We were even told that there will ‘absolutely’ be future offending.

“The Prime Minister should end boot camps today. They have become a huge risk for vulnerable young people.

“We, and countless others, have time and time again warned that boot camps are a failed experiment of the past. It’s time Christopher Luxon and Karen Chhour own up to this reality and put a stop to them,” Willow-Jean Prime said.

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