Election 2023: Chlöe Swarbrick, Mahesh Muralidhar, Oscar Sims and Felix Poole go head to head in Auckland Central debate
A new poll shows incumbent Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick is in a close fight to hold the seat with National’s candidate Mahesh Muralidhar nipping at her heels.
The candidates vying for the electorate took the stage in the city Tuesday night in the sixth Taxpayers’ Union election debate.
A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll released moments before the debate began showed the Green Party’s Swarbrick holding onto her seat by a thin margin, but a statistical tie when accounting for the margin of error.
Of the 500 Auckland Central residents questioned, 26 per cent said they supported Swarbrick, 24 per cent said they would vote for Muralidhar, while only 12 per cent said they were for Labour’s Oscar Sims.
However, 29 per cent of people were still undecided.
When asked what Auckland Central voters believed the most pressing issue was, law and order was overwhelmingly the most popular response. The other issues voters were concerned about were the cost of living, housing and public transport.
Act’s Felix Poole is also participating in the debate, which is being moderated by the hosts of The Working Group podcast, Martyn Bradbury and Damien Grant.
As for the party vote, 30 per cent said they would vote National, 21 per cent Labour and 19 per cent Greens. There were 17 per cent undecided.
STORY CONTINUES AFTER THE LIVE BLOG
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Swarbrick is the final speaker.
"I will begin by letting you in on a little secret, if you leave politics to the politicians, we will get what we have always got."
Swarbrick says she thinks the bar for politics is far too low, and Kiwis accepting the "politics we think we deserve".
"Watching the debate the other night, I felt incredibly uninspired, but that does represent our future, we can decide to have government to takes meaningful action on climate change and seriously addresses inequality."
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Act's Poole claims young people are not thinking about who to vote for at the moment, they are thinking about moving overseas. In a point unrelated to his others tonight, Poole uses his final minute to discuss the 'giant' pay difference between Aussies and Kiwis.
"In many ways, crime, poverty, it comes from a question of productivity."
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Labour's Sims began his final words by saying "this is too important for you to stay home".
"We can't afford a government who will throw renters to the dogs," Sims said.
Once again, he received the most hecklers by far, at one point his precious minute was cut off by the crowd's noise.
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Candidates are now allowed to give their final statements, with National’s Muralidhar first up to bat.
"This election you have the power to shift power back to people and communities," he said, "Shift and trust decentralisation rather than centralisation."
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"If you want to position yourself as someone who is not race-baiting, then you have to be very clear about those who are overt racists come out of the woodwork and say they stand with you, you have to say that they do not stand with you", Swarbrick said.
The moderator did not let the Act candidate reply to these claims.
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One of the moderators, Damien Grant, asked Swarbrick about her claims a few days ago when she accused Act of "race-baiting" and asked if she had "finally come up with any examples".
She did bring attention to Simon Court saying Three Waters reform would lead to iwi "searching for taniwhas" and Chris Baily revoking te reo Māori "in quite a nefarious manner".
The moderator asked if she believed these accusations were "dangerous" and "if she was really sure" to which, she replied "well I think we just have to look at the sort of people who have aligned themselves with the party",
This was met with biggest reaction from the crowd thus far, a mixture of cheers, boos and groans loudly echo within the venue.
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When asked about the cost of living Sims points to his party's decision to appoint the first-ever Grocery Gommissioner who has legal powers.
"We have had duopoly in the country for decades," Sims said.
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Sims' turn, he said they have built the most amount of public housing than any other government. He also said it is really concerning for people like him who rent that National wants to bring in no-cause evictions, considering the electorate has such a high percentage of renters. This is met with many heckles from the crowd, with one woman growing considerably irate.
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Swarbrick asks Muralidhar if he accepts that with the current state of the tax system, people are incentivised to invest money into land speculation. Back and forth ensues, with Muralidhar repeating that we need to "keep building houses" while Swarbrick grows continually frustrated about him not understanding the question. "Speculation is a lot different to building my friend."
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Muralidhar deflects questions regarding National's hunt for $20 million to meet their plans for tax cuts, saying not every economist disagrees with their plan, but claims every economist disagrees with the fiscal plan regarding the tax off fruit and veg.
"What we are going to do is make a strategic shift of power away from the government and onto consumers," he said.
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National’s Muralidhar said one of the biggest challenges over the past six years has been Labour and Greens pitting people against each other "Landlord vs Renters, Rich vs Poor, Māori vs Non-Māori, these sort of segmentations do not work, we are part of one intrinsic elaborate economic system and play a non-zero sum game".
He said National wants to put landlords into the market with better quality and quantity, by reintroducing interest free building again.
He said the number one issue in housing right now is that people are not building enough houses, and also touched on the fact social housing is not currently working.
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Swarbrick earns a massive cheer from the crowd when discussing redistributing tax into the education system, as she claims it is proven time and time again this is the most effective pathway out of poverty.
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Swarbrick was asked about claims we can't fund public services and social infrastructure due to lack of taxes, and the conversation of wealth tax is reinvigorated when asked why we don't tax them first.
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Now we move onto the third category, cost of living and housing.
Act's Poole is up first, asking about the slashing of public services. "A big factor to the cost of living crisis has been the Government's wasteful spending".
All "important" public services would be maintained, such as education and police, Poole said.
"Act has a really good plan to build new houses and give the GST to councils so They can get on top of the issue," he said.
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National’s Muralidhar is asked national's "mutilating" of public transport, and he pointed to the masses amount of debt Auckland Council is in.
"We need to just deliver the Cit Rail Link really well so Auckland City can start moving again".
He said in the mean time the roads need to be fixed so people can get into the city.
When asked who the public transport system was meant to serve under the national party, donors or the public, Muralidhar simply replies "the public".
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Swarbrick is asked about the trucking industry which is apparently "best mates with National" according to the moderator, she said we needed a bigger focus on rail, walking and cycling for Auckland Central.
She said the relocation of road space is how we will fix the emissions problem in her electorate.
She said it would be difficult to address climate change under a National-Act-NZF government.
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Acts' Poole is asked next, he discusses fixing roads and putting more investment into building more roads and fixing pot holes.
Poole said Act wants to introduce more road tolls in order to pay for this scheme.
"When it comes to roads in our cities, we need to charge people if they are congesting our roads," Poole said.
"If your using Symonds Street at peak times in the morning, you should pay for that privilege".
When asked if he wants to privatise the roads, he said he didn't care as "long as they are fixed".
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Sims points to Labour's successes, such as the Northern Busway extension, but does say Labour has failed on things such as the City Rail link.
He also points to the millions of dollars that has been poured into Auckland Transport to make busses as reliable as before Covid.
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Next, we move onto public transport.
Labour's Sims is asked about Labour's "inability to do anything meaningful with public transport".
"It's hard to build infrastructure" he said, which is met with a mass of boos from the crowd.
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When asked on what she thinks are the causes of the crime wave, Swarbrick claims "these are not the consequences of the 1930's and 40's, these are the consequences of the economic reforms of the 80s and 90s, like the mother of all budgets".
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Swarbrick's next question was regarding the ages of the youth committing ram raids, which the moderator claims are the correct ages to be "victims to John Key's public and state housing".
She said "these are not crimes of young people who have a sense of hope for the future".
"They are not crimes of people who are reading the crimes act of 1965 and thinking about what they are going to be punished with."
She pointed to the statistics over the last year which show that of the crimes committed by youths, 95 per cent of those youths had been subject to family harm.
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On the domestic violence numbers, Swarbrick pointed to the Green's 30-year plan headed by Marama Davidson that addresses "the inter-generational drivers of domestic and sexual violence".
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Swarbrick was next and asked about the huge domestic violence numbers, which are wildly underreported compared to the murders and ram raids within the electorate.
"I think it is firstly really important to acknowledge that people are scared," Swarbrick said.
"I also want to acknowledge the people who have been victimised need to have genuine solutions put forward, so I think the greatest disservice we can do those victims is to put forward solutions we know do not work.
"That's why I think it is important that we are upfront about the evidence that show these solutions work."
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Act's Poole reiterated the claims crime has risen over the last six years and agreed with Sims regarding it's social and economic causes, however, claimed the Act had better, "more robust" policies regarding stopping crime.
When asked why Act wanted to register cough medicine and not guns, Poole pointed to gun owners' information being at risk of being leaked.
"We have actually seen gun violence go up and those on the gun registry be put in more danger," Poole claimed.
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Sims was questioned if it was fair to say Labour was "tough on crime" after the mass increase over the last six years, to which he blamed it on the tougher economic and social climate.
"We can't go back to the failed policies of the past," Sims said.
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Next, it was Sims' turn, he was asked about the ankle bracelet technology after the mass issues regarding the system in a recent wave of crime, including the recently revealed act of criminals putting tinfoil around their ankle bracelets.
"I believe it was Bill English, the leader of the national party who said prisons are a moral and fiscal failure," he said, which was met with groans from the crowd.
He attacked his National counterpart regarding the boot camps, pointing out the past failures with the project.
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When Muralidhar is asked how exactly they are going to stop the youth ram raids before they happen, he said "our social investment programme will have targeted community programmes with underprivileged youths and communities that are struggling".
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National’s Muralidhar speaks first and is asked about the "failed boot camps" they want to instil if elected. "I have spoken to 100 businesses, it's terrible," he said.
"The city is rife with crime."
He said the military-style academy will provide youths with a "better opportunity to grow" and will address the long-term issues with crime.
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The debate then moves onto what voters said was the most pressing issue, crime.
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Green's Swarbrick said it was the honour and privilege of her life over the last term to represent her community. She acknowledged the mass amount of challenges the community has faced over the last four years and spoke about her many achievements over the term as well.
"I think I have demonstrated time and time again that I will fight tooth and nail for this community".
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Act's Poole said in his introduction that the leader's debate the other night was "boring" and the choice between two Chrises is unacceptable.
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Labour's Sims said he wants to make Auckland the "most liveable city in the world". He wants "effective action" in law and order, protected renters rights and faster action on climate change in his 1 minute introduction.
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National’s Muralidhar begins his introduction: "I want to make it the best places to live and work in the world". He said we "need to fix the crime wave" and also speaks on transport on how he didn't want to invest in projects that "don't go anywhere".
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Additionally, the majority of people believed Swarbrick's performance was good over her term, with a net positive score of +15 positive rating. This result brought a cheer to the crowd, as did the reaction to her currently being the most popular candidate, if only by a small margin.
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The other issues voters were concerned about were the cost of living, housing and public transport.
"A damning statistic from this poll is that voters are assured that the country is heading in the wrong direction, with nearly two-thirds of the electorate unsatisfied with how the country is dealing with the nation’s problems,” Purves said.
“Candidates will need to show how committed they are to these issues if they are to swing informed voters in this highly competitive electorate.”
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When asked what the Auckland Centrals voters believed the most pressing issue was, law and order was overwhelmingly the most popular response.
This comes after a spate of high-profile crimes within the Auckland CBD.
Two people were gunned down and another 10 were injured at a high-rise construction site in the downtown CBD in July. The shooter,24-year-old Matu Reid, was also killed during an exchange of gunfire with police.
At the time of the shooting, Reid was serving a sentence of five months home detentionfor domestic violence, handed down in the Auckland District Court on March 28.
Mere weeks after this tragedy, two men were gunned down during an altercation on Auckland’s lower Queen St,with the shooter then fleeing the scene on a scooter on August 3.
One of the men died, the other was critically injured.Police are still trying to find 24-year-old Dariush Talagi, who iswanted for arrest for the murder of Sione Tuuholoaki, 26.
Auckland City has also become a hot spot for ram raids and smash-and-grab style robberies, leaving shop owners and residents alike shaken and scared.
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A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll released moments before the debate began showed Green’s incumbent Swarbrick is holding onto her seat by an extremely thin margin, with Nationals’s candidate Mahesh Muralidhar nipping at her heels.New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves called this a “statistical tie” when you account for “the margin of error”.
Out of the Auckland, Central residents questioned, 26 per cent said they were for Swarbrick, 24 per cent said they were for Muralidhar, only 12 per cent said they were for Labour’s Sims and major 29 per cent were still undecided.
As for the party vote, 30 per cent say they would vote National, 21 per cent Labour and 19 per cent Greens. 17 per cent are undecided.
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Taxpayers Union's Auckland Central debate begins with a toast to democracy by the host, before a representative for the Taxpayers union reveals fresh poll results.
Seymour’s flying start in the west tempered by bad weather and empty shops
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Act’s David Seymour was forced to miss two public meetings today as bad weather scotched plans to use his own plane to chat with residents in Ohakune and Taumaranui.
Arriving in New Plymouth early ahead of another public meeting tonight, Seymour had little else to do but brave the rain and visit local businesses.
Many were empty but that didn’t limit his popularity with many owners, staffers and members of the public giving their support, or at least their best wishes, to the Act Party leader as he seeks to form a government with National after October 14.
Today marked the first use of the plane, dubbed Flying Pinky, which was given to Seymour by one of his supporters.
Read more here:
Watch: Auckland Central candidates debate city's issues
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The candidates vying for the Auckland Central seat will take the stage in the city tonight in the sixth Taxpayers’ Union election debate.
The candidates featured in tonight’s debate are incumbent MP Chlöe Swarbrick for the Greens, National’s Maresh Muralidhar, Labour’s Oscar Sims and Act’s Felix Poole.
The debate will be moderated by the hosts of The Working Group podcast, Martyn Bradbury and Damien Grant.
Watch it here:
How Australia could sway the NZ election
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With just over two weeks to go until New Zealand chooses the next Government, polls are indicating things are still reasonably close and a kingmaker might be required to settle the race.
This year more than any other election, it seems every vote will count. Enrolled voters are at 90 per cent, as of September 10, according to the Electoral Commission. That’s nearly 3.5 million voters of the 3871,418 eligible voters in Aotearoa already enrolled.
But there are about a million Kiwis living overseas and three-quarters, or 750,000, of them could be eligible to vote. And with roughly 70 per cent of expats living in Australia, potentially 500,000 voters from across the ditch could have a real influence in this election.
Overseas voting for the 2023 New Zealand General Election can be done online from Wednesday, September 27 to Sunday October 14, and a new campaign aimed at getting Aussie-Kiwis to vote has been launched.
Read more here:
Northland, the politics of belief and ‘Nimby’, ‘misogynist’ and ‘racist' voters
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It’s a tumultuous campaign in the North for Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime, who is fighting to keep her seat. As David Fisher writes, she seems to be going about it in an unusual way.
Read more here:
On the Campaign: Who's winning when it comes to the economy?
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National and NZ First want to change how beneficiaries work, and Labour wants to give $1 billion to Pharmac. And Grant Robertson and Nicola Willis remain the debating duo to watch - Liam Dann joins On the Campaign to discuss how they are performing and how coalitions could affect the big parties financial plans.
Peters says Act - NZ First differences 'the most normal thing in politics'
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NZ First leader Winston Peters is confident of striking a deal with National and Act should he be in a position to help form the next government.
Speaking after a public meeting in Taupō today, Peters told the Waikato Herald he could not understand why the media were “preoccupied” with something the public would decide on election day.
“We will work with anyone – not Labour in this case because of their past – but we have got to try and work with anyone to try and make this country have a much better government.”
Read more here:
Slower speeds avoid 34 crashes on one road, and made journeys 3.6 minutes longer
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An independent report of the policy that has seen speed limits lowered on particularly dangerous stretches of roads has found reducing a 100km/h speed limit to 80km/h on a 76km stretch of road prevented 34 crashes in 12 months.
The report reckoned the lower speed limit added 0.5 to 2.8 seconds per km travelled, increasing journey times of between 36 seconds and 3.6 minutes across a single journey.
A cost-benefit model reckons the avoided crashes created $93 million worth of benefits, while the slower journey times created costs worth $1.3m that year. A sensitivity analysis showed benefits range from $65m to as high as $120m.
The review was conducted by Ernst and Young for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. It looked at a 76km stretch of State Highway 5 between Rangitāiki and Esk Valley and took in the period between March 2022 to February 2023.
Read more here:
What Christopher Luxon really means when he says he’d rather work with Act than NZ First
Natasha Gordon
It looked as though it would be touch and go as to whether New Zealand First would get over the 5 per cent threshold. But Christopher Luxon has all but guaranteed the party’s green light back to Parliament by formally stating National would work with the party if it needed to.
Read the full story here:
'Heartless': The Greens attack National's traffic light system
Natasha Gordon
The Greens also attacked National's announcement this morning, saying its proposal for a punitive traffic light system for beneficiaries was "heartless".
National system is:
Green - No change to benefit for those who prepare for and look for work
Orange - First or second breach of obligations would require more regular check-ins and/or attendance at job workshops
Red - A third breach would see sanctions including benefit cuts or suspension, money management and mandatory community work experience.
Jobseekers would also be required to reapply for benefits every six months, show documents to prove they're applying for jobs and attending job interviews, and face a one-month benefit stand-down if they're evading arrest warrants.
National has previously pledged to peg benefit levels to inflation. They are currently pegged to either inflation or wage growth, whichever is higher.
The Green Party’s social development spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said this would make life harder for thousands of people who need support.
"A National government would literally leave children to go hungry and punish families. It is cruel, ill-thought out, and will endanger the well-being of thousands of people.
"Evidence shows that benefit sanctions do not help people into work - and yet National is making the choice to use them, knowing full well it will cause harm."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said National's plan would push more people into poverty.
Asked what evidence there was that the traffic light system would shift the dial in terms of pushing beneficiaries into jobs, National leader Christopher Luxon said simply that he thought it would work.
He said beneficiaries wouldn't receive warnings if there were genuine reasons why they didn't fulfill their obligations, such as if childcare plans fell through if their bus didn't show up.
He denied that National would treat beneficiaries like criminals, and emphasised that job seekers had responsibilities.
New Zealand First also released a welfare policy today, saying someone should only be allowed to be in a Job Seeker benefit for up to two years of their working lifetime.
If anyone needed help beyond that, they would be expected to do community work for a wage.
Who can give businesses more certainty? Grant Robertson and Nicola Willis battle it out
Natasha Gordon
Finance Minister Grant Robertson is continuing to pledge to take a “balanced” approach towards managing the economy, while his National Party counterpart, Nicola Willis, is vying to be more “predictable” in the way she sets policy.
The pair clashed in a MYOB-NZME organised debate, focused on small businesses, on Tuesday morning.
Read the full story here:
The Green Party wants to double the Best Start payment
Natasha Gordon
The Green Party wants to double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age.
That would increase the payment, which is currently universal for a year and income-tested for the child's second and third year, from $69 to $140 and make it universal for all three of a child's first years.
Party co-leader Marama Davidson said it would make a significant dent in child poverty, which hits one in 10 children, and one in five for Māori.
"How is it possible that in a wealthy country like ours there are thousands of children without enough to eat, a good bed, warm clothes, and decent shoes?" she asked in a statement.
It would be paid for by the Greens' wealth tax, which Labour has ruled out but the Greens say could be implemented if the Greens had enough leverage in post-election talks.
The Greens' tax package also includes Working for Families payments of up to $215 every week for the first child, and $135 a week for every other child, in addition to Best Start.
According to the material deprivation measure in the latest child poverty statistics, there are 120,000 children experiencing material hardship, though this has dropped from 11 per cent to 10.3 per cent of children.
On the Campaign: Why this week is a 'last opportunity' for parties to make their case
Natasha Gordon
There's been some big campaign promises today - and that's because time is running out for leaders to make their arguments before people start heading to the polls.
For more on this, catch up with the big stories from the start of the week with the latest On the Campaign.
Seymour holds firm on Treaty of Waitangi referendum demand
Natasha Gordon
Act Party leader David Seymour is sticking to his guns on the issue of a debate and referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi, as a non-negotiable condition for forming a government in coalition with Chris Luxon and the National Party.
Read the full story here:
Natasha Gordon
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said governments shouldn't be getting involved in ring fencing money for cancer medications.
Hipkins on other topics
Natasha Gordon
Hipkins said they will not be implementing a wealth tax, regardless of talk from MPs.
On National's welfare plan, Hipkins said it will push more people into poverty.
Chris Hipkins was aware Biden was going to recognise Niue as an independent country.
"The banks have a responsibility to support their customers and people through a tough economic cycle," Hipkins said, following a report of bank profits.
He said one more cost of living policy to go, but "the major policies have been announced."
Hipkins isn't aware of any complaints laid against Shanan Halbert.
He doesn't believe Labour supporters are getting too combative.
"I would stress that people should be civil during an election campaign."
When asked whether his MPs are going rogue to try and win an electorate, Hipkins stressed there will no be wealth tax or capital gains tax.
"The Welfare Working Action Group said welfare sanctions don't work," Hipkins said.
Hipkins makes health announcement
Natasha Gordon
Labour leader Chris Hipkins is visiting the Langimalie Health Clinic in Ōtāhuhu.
The Labour Leader said under a re-elected Labour government, Pharmacs budget will have increased by 60%, much more than the 25% of the last government.
He said National have opted to fund a series of handpicked cancer medicines.
Hipkins said he will be laying out a fiscal plan for how Pharmac will be funded later this week.
"If we don't put this money into pharmac, they will have to reduce the funding for medicine."
"I think it's important that government shouldn't hand pick the medicines," Hipkins said.
Hipkins said today was one of the last pieces of funding and they will be able to add them up.
Vera Alves
Kia ora, everyone! If you're just joining us now, here is a recap of what you might have missed from our election coverage so far today:
- The Herald's Poll of polls gives Labour a 0.2% chance of being in government, the worst result for a main governing party since the Great Depression
- Grant Robertson and Nicola Willis faced off in a finance debate this morning
- Chris Hipkins says he recognises people want to change but asks one question: "a change to what?"
- National announced its plan for Jobseeker beneficiaries
- Labour has pledged a $1 billion boost to Pharmac medicines
- The Green Party want to double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age.
- Winston Peters is confident of striking a deal with National and Act should he be in a position to help form the next government
- Act’s David Seymour's flying start in the west was dampened by bad weather and empty shops
Labour’s health policy boost Pharmac funding by $1 billion over four years
Vera Alves
“No one chooses to be unwell, and medicine can be expensive, that’s why Labour will continue to grow the amount and types of medicines New Zealanders can access.”
Vera Alves
Luxon took a selfie with a child in a Blues jumper, to which Luxon asked: “are you sure the Crusaders aren’t the better team? Are you sure?”
He then met a young first time voter and asked if she had seen any of his tik tok videos, which he claimed he was putting a lot of effort into.
She told him she was about to start studying to be a parademic.
“Hopefully you can pay me more,” she told him.
Meanwhile, back at the mall
Vera Alves
Luxon was invited to “an experiment” with children at a table with bowls and different coloured dye.
He swapped his red dye for blue.
Luxon has spilled his slime on his suit, telling the kids "mine has just exploded on me".
His coloring experiment then extended to a tray.
Luxon said his tray art represented “man’s inhumanity to man”.
Labour pledges $1 billion boost to Pharmac medicines
Vera Alves
Labour has pledged an extra $1 billion over the next four years for Pharmac so it can fund additional medicines.
Labour says it has increased funding for Pharmac, the government agency that decides which medicines to fund, by 62 per cent since 2017, increasing from $870 million to $1.2b a year.
The new funding would see an extra $181m a year for ongoing costs over the next four years starting from 2024/25, with another $50m in the first two years specifically for new medicines rising to $100m in the final two years.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said this would “turbocharge” Pharmac providing more cancer treatment along with for other critical illnesses.
Pharmac funding has been a highly politicised issue in recent years, with both National and Act highly critical of the agency.
Hipkins said under the previous National government, from 2008 until 2017, Pharmac funding increased 25 per cent including three years when it was frozen.
“Our funding boosts have meant Pharmac has made available 75 new listings and widened access to 137 treatments,” Hipkins said.
“It’s estimated that over 118,000 New Zealanders have benefited from the funding decisions implemented in 2021/2022 alone.”
Hipkins also referenced the party’s policy to remove the $5 prescription payment for all New Zealanders, helping 2 million people in July/August alone.
“We will also continue to support Pharmac to independently ensure that all medicines are considered, not just those that appeal to certain politicians,” Hipkins said.
Labour’s increased Pharmac spending:
- More modern cancer medicines
- Blood cancer medicines like venetoclax for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
- Medicines for rare diseases like Spinraza and Trikafta for Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Cystic Fibrosis respectively
- Preventive medicines like PreP for HIV and Bexsero vaccine against meningitis
- Medicines for multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and Hepatitis C
- Modern medicine for people who have chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, mental health or contraception
Vera Alves
Selfies with school students at the mall
Vera Alves
“What can you do with this?!” Luxon said pointing to his bald head as he entered a beauty and hair salon.
Business was going well despite a “little slowdown”, staff at Allure told him.
Vera Alves
There were plenty of workers but costs have gone up because of inflation, staff at The Food Crew said.
Vera Alves
Luxon has arrived at the North West mall and is greeting staff at the Food Crew.
High interest rates were putting pressure on the business, Luxon was told.
Vera Alves
Luxon has finished his visit to the strawberry farm in Kumeu by trying his hand at making ice cream.
He swirled several cones-worth, giving himself an 8 out of 10.
Vera Alves
Luxon said the foreign buyers tax is going to come in.
Vera Alves
When asked whether Hipkins would still work with Winston Peters, Luxon said Peters hasn't worked since National for 20 years and Labour worked with NZ First in 2017.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Hipkins picked up the phone and talked to Winston Peters."
Vera Alves
When asked if he can push through their tax relief if they have to work with NZ First, he said they will deliver tax relief to New Zealanders.
"In this country, we are going to restore the promise that if you work hard, you can get ahead."
Vera Alves
Luxon denied that National will treat people like criminals, but to emphasise that job seekers have responsibilities.
"We will do everything people to get job ready."
'More serious interventions needed' to get people into work - Luxon
Vera Alves
Luxon said there will be understand there will be circumstances that won't allow people to get off welfare or job seeker benefits.
Louise Upston said Work and Income have discretion to apply to each case.
"If people hit an orange stage, there is other support people can receive to get them into work or work ready," she said.
Upston said "having been there myself, it's incredibly challenging".
Luxon said it had reached the point where "more serious interventions were needed" to get people into work.
Luxon said they are not up for people who are serial job seekers.
"We believe that work is a fundamental way to solve poverty."
"At a time where there are record job shortages, god help us if we can't get people off welfare into work," he said.
Vera Alves
Luxon said that sanctions have been working.
"Over the past two years any of us can walk down any main street and see situations vacant signs."
Luxon said there are various things we need to work through to get people job ready that include addictions services and job preparation.
When asked whether trapping people in low paid work is not poverty, Luxon said moving people into paid work is the best thing to do.
"Life in work is a much better scenario than a life on welfare."
'You'll not get a job if you turn up in your pyjamas' - Upston
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Upston said her preference said her preference is always to have people in work.
She said one of the biggest frustrations she hears is that job seekers don't turn up for training or work.
"You'll not get a job if you turn up in your pyjamas and that's what I heard from an employer last week," said Upston.
Luxon said there have been more than 60,000 people into a job seeker benefit with low unemployment and a job shortages.
"Your fellow tax payers are paying for you to be on a job seeker benefit while you look for work," he said.
He said there are a series of cascading responsibilities to try and get you back into work rather than welfare dependency.
"You are deemed capable of working" Luxon said.
"Your job is to get a job."
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Louise Upston said "the option of having money management is far better than having having your benefits reduced"
"Those on a job seeker benefit earns $340 a week, but we want to have non-financial sanctions rather than having their benefits cut," she said.
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Luxon said it's about helping those into work, not trapping them in welfare dependency.
"The vast majority of those on job seeker benefits are meeting obligations, but there are some who don't," he said.
He said "you have an obligation to those tax payers who are helping fund those benefits."
Luxon said around 85 per cent of those on an unemployment benefit are complying with those rules.
Beneficiaries will need to re-apply every six months under National
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"We're not talking of those unable to work, but those who can work," Luxon said.
"We're going to make some changes to to have rights when they need it but responsibilities to those taxpayers who help."
Louise Upston said this is not a sanction for those who cannot work, but a way to help them into work.
"If there are three or more breaches, that will be a red light and sanctions will step up."
"Most people comply, but when they don't, they will know that actions will apply."
"We will require beneficiaries to apply for the jobseeker benefit every six months rather than 12."
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National leader Chris Luxon is in Kumeu this morning at Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens.
Luxon says if you work hard in NZ, you should be able to get ahead.
National will always champion a true safety net, he said.
He added that National will always depend on work as a true safety net.
"There are more than 60,000 people on a job seeker benefit than when National was last in power."
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Back to the debate with the finance leaders:
On benefits, Willis said the country needed job coaches but National would use sanctions on people who misused social welfare.
Willis was asked if National's approach would lead to more youth being denied state assistance.
"Right now there are kids on the street. And Grant knows that. We actually owe them the dignity of helping them into work."
Robertson said National would decimate the public sector workforce, including job coaches and others likely to actually help reduce unemployment.
On trades, an audience member said he was from the plumbing sector and many trades were in crisis because they just could not find Kiwi trainees.
Robertson said politicians, educators and businesspeople had an obligation to show young Kiwis getting an apprenticeship or trade offered people a very good career and good life.
On coalition partners, Robertson said National would be embroiled in chaos with New Zealand First and Act but Willis said Labour would have to get in bed with the Greens, who were obsessed with a wealth tax.
"Everybody in this room knows that the tax cuts Nicola's proposing won't add up," Robertson said.
National wants harsher penalties for beneficiaries, announces traffic light system
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The National Party wants harsher penalties for those on benefits who don't meet their obligations to look for work.
Party leader Christopher Luxon and social development spokeswoman Louise Upston made the announcement in Auckland today while visiting a strawberry farm in Kumeu.
It includes a traffic light system:
Green - No change to benefit for those who prepare for and look for work
Orange - First or second breach of obligations would require more regular check-ins and/or attendance at job workshops
Red - A third breach would see sanctions including benefit cuts or suspension, money management and mandatory community work experience.
Jobseekers would also be required to re-apply for benefits every six months, show documents to prove they're applying for jobs and attending job interviews, and have a one month benefit stand-down for those evading arrest warrants.
National has previously pledged to peg benefit levels to inflation.
They are currently pegged to either inflation or wage growth, whichever is higher.
“For those who are able to work, employment is the best way out of hardship. It provides individuals and families with greater independence, choice and opportunity, and is also better for taxpayers," Upston said.
Chris Luxon campaigning in Kumeu this morning
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National leader Christopher Luxon has started his day at a strawberry farm in Kumeu, where he was told they lost half their crop because they didn’t have the workforce.
The farm currently produces about a ton of strawberries a day, but at its peak it did ten times that.
Immigration-friendly policies to boost the workforce would help, Luxon was told.
The owner laughed when Luxon asked if GST-free strawberries would make a difference to costs at the shop.
Prices for strawberry exports were “not bad”, he said, though he had stopped exporting as it was “too much work”.
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On ease of doing business, Willis said there was always a philosophical need for some regulation.
"First do no harm" should be the mantra for Governments but Labour's approach to regulation was either hyper-reactive or absurdly prescriptive, Willis said.
She said attempts to regulate aspects of the baking sector were hijacked by MBIE and mutated into the most"prescriptive, Byzantine, complicated" regime for the sector anywhere in the industrialised world.
Willis said National had three areas of focus for SMEs.
"The first is the lack of capital investment in our small and medium enterprises."
Skills were the second priority, she said, requiring "nimble" immigration systems.
And access to markets was the third.
Willis acknowledged Labour had made some progress in this area, striking free trade deals such as the NZ-European Union agreement finalised in July.
Asked if National would consider selling 49 per cent of Kiwibank, Willis said that was not het party's policy.
Act, National's most likely potential coalition partner, has proposed such a sale.
Robertson said Willis sounded less than convincing on the Kiwibank sale.
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On skills and education, Willis said underachieving students would be "a drag" to themselves, their families, and the community.
"I am so worried about the declining achievement in our schools... that is an urgent task if we are going to emerge from our currently poor growth trajectory."
Robertson said the country needed a more cohesive training system, involving relevant businesses.
"When we came into office we were facing a sector that was broke," he said of the country's polytechnics.
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Robertson said National was vague about how to finance major transport initiatives, offering few if any details on how it would involve the private sector in huge infrastructure projects.
The two traded barbs on how to involve private sector partners in these big projects.
"Grant, I'm not going to do a commercial negotiation from opposition. That would be dumb," Willis said.
"You can say 'Oh we will, we might, we should' - but you haven't. You have a fear of the profit motive."
Robertson said the Government inherited problems from National with one major transport project.
"When I came in, Transmission Gully was in terrible trouble...an $800 million project ended up costing $1.2 billion."
"You were happy to go to the ribbon-cutting ceremony," Willis said.
On labour supply, Robertson said the worker shortage had eased.
On inflation, he said freakish events such as last summer's weather disasters had impacted the price of some everyday products - but New Zealand was on track to reach the 1 to 3 per cent Reserve Bank target.
"NZ relative to the size of our economy printed enormous amounts of money... you got your foot and you smashed it on the accelerator."
Willis said Labour's priorities had been mulling over a wealth tax rather than fixing healthcare system waiting times or other social issues.
Robertson urged Willis to go visit people in cyclone-ravaged parts of Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti Gisborne, where the Government had provided relief.
Meanwhile, outside the building...
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New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union debt truck parked outside NZME Auckland.
'Your replacement for the RMA is a dog': Willis and Robertson trade blows in finance debate
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On transport, the governing party was obsessed with light rail in Auckland but had achieved nothing with that transport model, she said.
Willis said Labour had torpedoed National's previous highway projects.
"That on again, off-again approach to infrastructure has been incredibly corrosive."
And she told Robertson: "Your replacement for the RMA is a dog and will only make things harder."
But Robertson pointed to Auckland's City Rail Link, which he said was progressing well.
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Robertson said high migration numbers showed New Zealand was a desirable place to live - but the recent annual net migration of 96,000 was not sustainable.
He would not say what he thought an ideal net migration number was.
"What we need is the right person for the right job at the right time."
Robertson said Treasury estimates had suggested a likely, sustainable number was about 45,000 a year.
Labour was out of touch with reality on numerous issues, Willis said.
Some big spending when Covid-19 arrived was justified but the Government had kept splurging long after required, the National finance spokeswoman added.
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MYOB chief executive Paul Robson said the cost of living, compliance, and law and order were the big political issues for small and medium-sized Kiwi businesses.
Robertson said the Government had supported business through the pandemic but also had the ideas to support companies in the post-pandemic era.
He reminded people of the wage subsidy scheme and said the Government was already on track to bringing inflation down.
"That in turn will lead to interest rates coming down as well."
Robertson insisted Labour was taking crime concerns seriously.
"We've acted. We've brought in the new offence around ram raids."
Willis said National knew the country's economic success depended on SMEs having confidence but the Government was swamping the sector with red tape.
"We are facing sticky high inflation. Interest rates have risen rapidly."
She said the Treasury had anticipated no per capita GDP growth for a year.
Wills said the immigration system had been "schizophrenic" lately.
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Finance Minister Grant Robertson and National’s finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis are currently facing off in a special debate centred around the small business sector, moderated by NZME Business Editor at Large Liam Dann.
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The Labour leader backed up Carmel Sepuloni’s claim that thousands of children will be dumped back into poverty if National is elected.
“National have been very clear that they will change the way that benefits are calculated that will reverse the change that we have made that has lifted thousands of children out of poverty,” he said.
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When asked to respond to the party’s claim of 300 new cops on the beat over four years, starting from 50 from 2024-25, Hipkins said there will be 300 more police officers on top of the 800 we have added.
“Attrition for police is sitting at about 4 per cent, which is quite low compared to other workforces.”
Hipkins said, on a plan of Australian police forces attempted recruitment drive in New Zealand, Australia has always tried to poach our talent.
“Police have had a 33 per cent pay rise under our government and I am proud of that.”
“A National-Act Government would call that wasteful spending.”
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Labour leader Chris Hipkins told the AM Show that National and Act are coming down in the polls.
“They have lost six seats since the last TV3 poll.”
“And I think a National, Act and NZ First would be a coalition of chaos.”
He said the party’s goal in the next three weeks is to make sure Kiwis understand the implications of change.
“I get that, with things as tough as they are for families, it’s natural to think about change. But change to what?”
“Change to a party that wants to go back to all of the things that created problems in the first place.”
“Three weeks is a long time in politics.”
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A Taxpayers' Union truck "Robbo's removal company" parked near NZME ahead of a debate between Labour's and National's finance spokespersons.
STORY CONTINUES
The results of yesterday’s fresh Newshub-Reid Research poll showed a surge of support for Christopher Luxon for preferred prime minister, but he would need to pick up the phone and call Winston Peters to form a Government.
Labour’s tumble has continued but only slightly - it’s down to 26.5 per cent, a tiny slide of 0.3 points.
National has also fallen slightly, down 1.8 points to 39.1 per cent.
The Green Party have risen 1.9 points to 14.2 per cent, one of their best poll performances.
Act has fallen 1.3 points to 8.8 per cent.
Crucially, New Zealand First is up 1.9 points to 5.2 per cent - enough to enter Parliament.
Auckland Central
Geography: Central Auckland from Herne Bay to the Domain, including Eden Terrace, plus Waiheke and Great Barrier islands.
History: Labour stronghold 1919-2008, except 1993 when Sandra Lee won for the Alliance. Nikki Kaye won for National in 2008 and held the seat for four terms. Since Lee, women have always won the seat.
Leading party candidates and their list places: Mahesh Muralidhar (National) 43, Felix Poole (Act) 25, Oscar Sims (Labour) 63, Damian Sycamore (TOP) 8, Chloe Swarbrick (Greens) 3.
2020 results
Candidate vote: Chloe Swarbrick (G) 36 per cent, Helen White (L) 33 per cent, Emma Mellow (N) 28 per cent. Winning margin: 1068.
Party vote: Labour 46 per cent, National 21 per cent, Greens 19 per cent, Act 8 per cent.
5 things to know about the electorate
1. 55 per cent born overseas (highest in NZ).
2. Highest proportion in NZ of residents aged 25-34; lowest under 15.
3. 39 per cent home ownership (NZ 65 per cent).
4. 32 per cent households have no car (NZ 7 per cent).
5. 25 per cent have no heating (NZ 4 per cent).
Data: Census, Electoral Commission and NZ Parliament.