Labour's finance spokesperson gives few details about party's fiscal policy targets
Barbara Edmonds made a post-Budget speech at a Porirua Chamber of Commerce event. File picture.
Photo:
RNZ / REECE BAKER
Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds says she still has not read the Greens' alternative Budget, while defending a scarcity of fiscal policies of her own.
Edmonds made the comments after a post-Budget speech to an audience of about 20 people at a Porirua Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday morning, where she savaged the coalition's plan as a "direct assault" on New Zealand values.
During a question-and-answer session at the Supply Room restaurant in Paremata, Edmonds was asked for her views on the
Greens' fiscal plan
- unveiled a fortnight ago - which included significant new taxes and spending.
"No disrespect to my friends in the Greens, but I didn't read their Budget," Edmonds said. "At least they had a plan. I just didn't read their plan."
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Edmonds said she would "maybe" get round to reading it after finishing going through the more than 2000 pages of the government's Budget.
"I will get to it when I get to it," she said. "I'm one person. My focus has been this government's Budget."
Asked for her high-level view on the Greens' proposals based on media coverage, Edmonds observed there was a lot of tax and social spending.
"Whether it's balanced or not?... maybe ask me that question after I've read it."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins made similar remarks immediately after the Greens released their plan, but later described it as a "huge spend-up" and "unrealistic".
Edmonds' speech on Tuesday gave a scathing appraisal of the coalition's Budget: "Make no mistake about it, this will be remembered as the
Budget that cut women's pay
.
"Cutting women's pay to make the Budget add up was a deliberate decision by Nicola Willis... when you take money that has been set aside for future pay rises and put it into something else that is a cut. Plain and simple."
She said the Budget was a "direct assault" on New Zealand values: "We're the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Fighting for equality is in our national DNA. Turning our backs on equal pay is not who we are as Kiwis."
Though Edmonds opened her speech by saying she would preview the different choices Labour would have made in the Budget, she gave little detail beyond high-level promises to invest in jobs, health, and homes.
"That's how we will build a better future."
Quizzed by reporters on a variety of policy proposals, Edmonds repeatedly deferred to the party's yet-to-be-released fiscal plan. She declined to clearly state Labour's position on its preferred debt cap or surplus target, nor whether it would maintain the coalition's Investment Boost tax incentive.
Edmonds said she was comfortable with the amount of policy Labour had released thus far and said it would all be "carefully considered".
"We will have policy announcements, as Chippy has said, towards the end of the year... but actually, we have this Budget to work through... we've got next Budget to work through... and then we will come out with our fiscal plan.
"I know you're eager, and I know you want to find the new hook, but today I was talking about the government's Budget, so you'll just have to wait."
When in opposition, the National Party also came under pressure over a
lack of policy detail
less than a year out from the 2023 election.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Chair refuses to apologise, rejects use of ‘kia ora' in council email
Environment Southland has eight catchment committees across the region. Photo: ODT/Supplied A chair of a southern council group is unrepentant about his behaviour at a recent meeting, which was dubbed "disrespectful" by a council leader. Mataura catchment liaison committee chair Hugh Gardyne has also rejected the use of 'kia ora' in an email reprimanding him for his actions. The committee Gardyne oversees is one of eight in the region that supports Environment Southland with local river work. In May, Gardyne gave a blunt presentation to councillors, alleging catchment management was in "a state of paralysis" under the watch of the council chief executive and that communication was ineffective with the general manager in charge. He was shut down at the end of his talk, when he mentioned an abatement notice later revealed to be one [ issued by Environment Southland against itself]. A letter from Environment Southland chair Nicol Horrell on 28 May warned Gardyne of his behaviour, saying parts of his presentation were factually incorrect and disrespectful. "My intention is both to correct your understanding of the facts, and to inform you that councillors will not tolerate any criticism levelled at staff in public meetings or disrespectful behaviour," Horrell wrote. He added it was incorrect to suggest catchment work was in a state of paralysis and accused Gardyne of not having all the facts. "I would be interested to know from where you are getting your information." The letter ended with a suggestion that Gardyne apologise to the chief executive and manager in question, but Gardyne has defended his actions, saying his criticism was about questioning professional ability. "It doesn't, in my opinion, deserve a response or an apology." Hugh Gardyne chairs the Mataura catchment liaison committee, which helps Environment Southland with river management. Photo: ODT/Supplied Gardyne said he would speak at council again in the future and the response from the general manager had been "great", following the presentation. Separately, he also took exception with the use of 'kia ora' in the email sent by Horrell, which delivered the reprimanding letter. Gardyne requested he instead be addressed with 'hello' or 'dear'. Horrell told Local Democracy Reporting using the te reo Māori greeting was commonplace and he didn't think its use would be Gardyne's biggest issue. "I would have thought that that's almost a wee bit racist." In a letter back to Horrell, Gardyne doubled down on perceived issues with river management and questioned whether the chair's concerns were shared by other members. Environment Southland oversees eight catchment liaison committees, which help the council develop annual maintenance programmes and budgets, as well as provide a local point of contact. Gardyne has been involved with the Mataura group since the early 1990s. Last month, the council said it was working to improve communication with its catchment committees. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
The Panel with Leonie Freeman and Mike Willlams Part 1
Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipa-Clarke was among those to perform a haka, at Parliament, after the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, on 14 November, 2024. Photo: RNZ/ Samuel Rillstone Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Leonie Freeman and Mike Williams. They discuss the fallout from Te Pāti Māori haka protest; Trump vs Musk: grab the popcorn, and the issues around political party affiliation in local politics.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
The House: Parliamentary week achieves two out of three goals
Still, two out of three isn't bad. Photo: 123RF While Parliament's week was dominated by its final event - Thursday's debate on the report from the Privileges Committee into a haka performed in the chamber - the rest of the week focussed on other business that, while more mundane, was still worthy of note. The Government appeared to have three objectives for this week in the house. Crucial to the administration's continuance, the first goal was to successfully complete the initial debate on the budget. The long initial budget debate could no longer dribble on over weeks, so the house spent six hours of the week completing the second reading debate, which is the first debate a budget gets. The reading was accomplished and so the Government continues. This may sound silly, but a Government cannot survive, if the house votes against its budget. Agreeing to vote for budget and taxation bills are the 'supply' portion of the 'confidence and supply' agreement that is the foundation of any coalition agreement. The budget focus now turns to select committees and what is called 'Scrutiny Week', when ministers appear before various subject committees to defend their budget plans. Scrutiny Week begins on 16 June. A second objective was possibly not in earlier plans for this week - to finally polish off the bills originally slated for completion two weeks ago during budget week urgency. Then, the Leader of the House had asked the house to accord urgency for 12 bills the Government hoped to progress through 30 stages of parliamentary debate. The plan was ambitious and it did not succeed. Despite day-long sittings until midnight Saturday (when urgency must end), only two bills were completed, others were untouched, and 13 stages were unfinished or unstarted. This week's plan for the house had MPs returning to the well for more of the same. Just like last time, progress was at a snail's pace. After quite a few hours, the Government had slugged its way through just a few more stages. The plan was slowed to a crawl by bills' committee stages (formally known as the Committee of the Whole House). Committee stages are a crucial way for MPs to publicly interrogate the minister in charge of a bill. With patience, they can tease out a lot about both a government's development of legislation and its intended real-world impacts. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi moved the vote on his own punishment. Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii Because the committee stage has no set duration, it is also a way for the opposition to make the Government really work for progress. The Government did achieve progress on the bills left incomplete from budget week, but again, it was probably not what was hoped for. They will need to come back yet again in three weeks to have a third crack. The Opposition is showing itself to be quite effective at the filibuster. The Government's third objective was to have the debate on the recent Privileges Committee Report on three Te Pāti Māori MPs done by the week's end. As Leader of the House Chris Bishop said in re-initiating the debate: "My encouragement would be for everybody to finish this debate today. "Have a robust debate, but let's end this issue once and for all, and deal with the issue and get back to the major issues facing this country." That wish was fulfilled with apparent agreement from across the house. As 6pm neared, the MP who eventually moved that a vote be taken was Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. The frankly fascinating debate on the report will be reported separately. - RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Enjoy our articles or podcast at RNZ. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
