Election 2023: Candidates spar in Queenstown over spending, taxes

A month out from Election Day, the four leading parties’ finance spokespeople came together for the ASB Great Debate in Queenstown to pitch their spending and visions for New Zealand’s future.

National’s tax plans and Labour’s spending all came under fire at Thursday night’s debate, while ACT and Green also worked to promote their own agendas.

Labour finance spokesperson Grant Robertson, National deputy leader Nicola Willis, Green Party co-leader James Shaw and ACT Party leader David Seymour debated, with Q+A host Jack Tame moderating.

National’s Nicola Willis, ACT’s David Seymour, Jack Tame, Green’s James Shaw and Labour’s Grant Robertson pose for a photo following the ASB Great Debate in Queenstown on 14 September.
Photo: RNZ

As the night began, Robertson noted New Zealand faced a lot of challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic and still “came through okay”.

“We’ll fully cost everything we do and we’ll make sure at the end of the day every New Zealander gets a chance to succeed.”

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“Okay isn’t good enough,” Willis said in response, and claimed Labour had mismanaged the economy and it was hurting New Zealanders.

She noted debt levels have risen dramatically since 2019.

“It is time for a government that will focus on growing this economy, on repairing this economy.”

Watch some highlights from the debate:

ACT’s Seymour said New Zealand needed real change.

“Over the last six years, the amount of spending has gone up 30 percent over and above the rate of inflation.”

The next government needed to be honest about what the country could afford or it would face a gradual decline in living standards, Seymour said.

David Seymour
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Greens’ Shaw said the climate crisis represented the single greatest opportunity to build a productive clean technology, high-value economy.

“Our country has woefully invested in pretty much every category of infrastructure that you can think of,” but now there ewas an opportunity to invest in stronger, greener replacements, he said.

“People are sick and tired of the status quo. Now is the time to be bold.”

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Robertson defended the government’s spending during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying “now is the time to bring spending back down to more normal levels”.

The National Party’s tax plans came under more scrutiny, as economists have also questioned how much it will actually raise.

Their policy would end the ban on non-residents being able to buy houses in New Zealand – but only if they paid $2 million or more and paid a fee of 15 percent of the sale to the government.

“I respect the fact that economists have their opinions, but I stand by our costings,” Willis said.

Seymour noted an irony in National and Labour’s positions.

“I’m just astonished that we’re in a debate where National says they will tax more and Labour is saying they will tax less.

Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton

“This government doesn’t have a tax problem, it has a spending problem,” he said, to heavy applause from what sounded like a lot of ACT supporters in the house.

“Introducing new taxes is not the path to prosperity for New Zealand,” Seymour said, attacking what he called wasteful spending.

Asked by Tame how many government jobs ACT’s spending reduction plans would cut, Seymour said it would go from 62,000 full-time workers to 47,000, the same number there were in 2017.

“To be clear, you are going to make 15,000 people redundant immediately?” Tame asked.

“Yes,” Seymour said.

Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton

Tame noted the Greens are proposing a wealth tax, the very mention of which got the Queenstown crowd booing.

“The Green Party is actually proposing more income tax cuts than National at this election,” Shaw said.

Everybody who was earning $125,000 or less would see their income tax go down under the Greens plan, he said.

Climate change was also a strong part of the discussion, including debates about whether the Emissions Trading Scheme is working effectively and if New Zealand is properly promoting innovation.

“We are going to make sure we invest in adaptation,” Willis said, noting that “climate change is upon us.”

Shaw said green energy development would give a big boost to the economy.

“When it comes to climate change, the ACT party are more deadly than serious,” Shaw said, claiming ACT wanted to unwind all of New Zealand’s progress.

Seymour called for less regulation.

“This country should be a superpower of agricultural genetics,” Seymour said, but “because we let the superstitious loony tunes” set the agenda it had not happened, he claimed.

The candidates also took questions on infrastructure planning and immigration and exploitation of migrants as recently reported by RNZ.

Issues specific to Queenstown’s growth and development also dominated the debate.