The truth about Labour’s ‘hidden bill’ as Nicola Willis goes on attack – Audrey Young

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Welcome to Inside Politics. With much gravity, Finance Minister Nicola Willis held a press conference on Sunday afternoon with her National Party hat on (is it ever off?) to prosecute Labour on the charge that it has been hopelessly late in releasing policy and costings in election year. The case against policy release is stronger than the one against costings.

Let’s get a little perspective. Election day, November 7, is 142 days away.

At the last election on October 14, 2023, when National was in Opposition, Willis released her tax policy 33 days before advance voting and 44 days before the election.

The Treasury updated its books (known as Prefu) on September 12.

Willis then released her fiscal plan – meaning National’s overall costings for all policies, including tax – on September 28. That was only four days before advance voting started, and 17 days before election day. That was very late in the day, and National was roundly criticised for having dragged it out so long.

It is true that Labour’s Barbara Edmonds has not yet released the party’s fiscal plan, and the sooner the better. Let’s hope it is not as far away as Willis left it at the last election.

It is also true that Labour has been light on policy releases, because parties tend to release most policy when people are more focused on the election. But the cupboard is not completely bare.

Among the policies either formally released or informally stated, it has promised to introduce a capital gains tax on the sale of residential investment property and commercial property; fund three free doctor visits a year; fund maternity scans during pregnancy; fund free cervical screening; cap public transport at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch; establish a Future Fund; repeal the more restrictive pay equity law; reinstate fair pay agreements; not join Aukus Pillar II; reinstate the ban on new oil and gas exploration; abolish charter schools or convert them to special character schools; and today it has announced it would abolish the $5 pharmacy prescription charge.

Stock-take of coalition agreements

Herald reporter Derek Cheng has written an important piece today detailing all the things that have yet to be implemented from the coalition agreements (there aren’t too many) or deals that parties have since done to forfeit one policy for another, such as reversing a ban on live animal exports, which Act traded for tackling wilding pines.

Cheng writes: “The coalition commitment for 500 additional frontline police is seven months and nearly 200 officers behind deadline ... Others include liberalising genetic engineering laws, which has stalled following New Zealand First concerns, strengthening electronic monitoring, and reforming Commerce Commission market studies to focus on reducing regulatory barriers to new entrants (all National-Act commitments).”

No longer sticking to her knitting

National’s Banks Peninsula MP, Dr Vanessa Weenink, was one of several women MPs who have been openly knitting in Parliament recently – Greens co-leader Marama Davidson and Labour’s Deborah Russell have also been spotted doing so. Weenink was taking part in a charity drive, knitting squares to support the Stitching Together Aotearoa initiative for the Premmie Knitting Club project running until June 30.

But Weenink tells me she has given up because of what she called a “misogynistic” response to it.

“It was genuinely enjoyable, and I found that knitting in the chamber actually helped me concentrate and listen more attentively – a feeling I think many knitters would appreciate.”

There was some positive reaction to it after a shot of her was shown on TV. However, it also brought a wave of negative comments, with some accusations that she was wasting time.

“Ultimately, it’s important to choose which issues are worth investing energy in. For me, continuing to knit in the chamber didn’t seem like a battle worth fighting.”

I agree with her. We wouldn’t want to see MPs bringing out their old socks to darn while listening to debates, but a little knitting for charity is no less time-wasting than the doom-scrolling on their phones that most of them are distracted by.

Stanford turns scrutiny week on its head

You have to hand it to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford for turning scrutiny week on its head this week. Instead of a select committee putting her under scrutiny, she blew the whistle on her own officials after receiving a report last Friday detailing a cover-up of an IT project gone bad.

Colleagues who were present in the select committee room on Tuesday reported seeing pained looks on the faces of officials each time she lobbed a criticism in their direction.

Scrutiny week should belong to Opposition MPs, to show their expertise in the subject and grill the ministers, but in most cases they have been disappointing.

Scrutiny week was introduced to Parliament’s rules in 2023. It sets aside two weeks a year, in June and December, for select committee scrutiny of ministers and the senior officials in Government agencies. In June, they examine the spending plans from the Budget that has just been delivered, and in December they look at the previous performance. All MPs are expected to attend Parliament during the week, although the House is not sitting. The Audit Office helps to advise select committees on areas of potential examination and some of the questions that could be asked. That advice is published by the select committee a few months after the review.

Each select committee publishes a scrutiny plan at the start of the parliamentary term.

By the way

Quote unquote

“I’m hugely disappointed, and I’ve lost confidence in the advice that they give me because of this” – Immigration Minister Erica Stanford speaks bluntly about officials who withheld the truth from her about defects in a failed $32 million IT project.

Micro quiz

National MPs Ryan Hamilton, Joseph Mooney, Sam Uffindell, Tim van de Molen and Catherine Wedd chair five of the 13 subject select committees, but which ones? (Answer at the bottom of this article.)

Brickbat

Goes to Winston Peters for suggesting public servants who deliberately misled Immigration Minister Erica Stanford should be put in prison. A dangerously low bar to set, especially for an MP.

Bouquet

Goes to Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche: “I think the courts determine who goes to prison.” As grounded as ever.

This week’s top stories

Coalition checklist: The coalition promises Govt will rush to meet before election and what it will give up on

Immigration scandal: Peters claims MBIE officials guilty of ‘constructive theft’

Immigration scandal: Staff dismissals likely for public servants implicated in immigration project scandal – Public Service Commissioner

Immigration scandal: ‘Furious’ Stanford reveals officials misled her over ‘doomed’ $32m immigration project

Poll shift: New poll shows Green Party surge could eject coalition from power

Election pledge: Labour makes another health promise paid for by capital gains tax

Penk profile: From submarines to spin rooms – how Chris Penk stays afloat in politics

Mental health: ‘Significant’ mental health improvements offset by ‘persistent’ youth and Māori inequities

Emergency housing: The state of emergency housing in six charts

‘Statutory spring-clean’: Govt keen to repeal 152 laws – why you probably won’t notice they’re gone

Injury report: ACC’s national injury snapshot reveals where you’re most likely to get hurt

Policy costings: Labour ‘confident’ in capital gains tax revenue, won’t say what it’ll do if it makes less than expected

Infrastructure plan: Government backs Infrastructure Plan with cross-party support

Quiz answer: Ryan Hamilton, finance and expenditure; Joseph Mooney, social services and community; Sam Uffindell, health; Tim van de Molen, foreign affairs and defence; Catherine Wedd, environment.

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