Even if Chris Hipkins rejected 80 per cent of the Greens' spending plans in coalition negotiations, Labour would still need to increase taxes by $9.4 billion to fund just 20 per cent of their demands, National's Campaign Chair Simeon Brown says.
"The Green Party's spending plans are so staggeringly large that even a fraction of their agenda would leave Kiwis facing billions of dollars more in tax.
"Of the policies the Greens have bothered to cost themselves, they are proposing $47 billion in additional spending.
"So even if Chris Hipkins somehow convinced the Greens to completely abandon 80 per cent of their agenda, he would still need to find $9.4 billion to pay for what remained.
"That's before you even get to Labour's own $18 billion in unfunded promises, taking the combined bill to $27.4 billion.
"And that still doesn't include Green Party commitments they haven't costed, such as expanding ACC, delivering a universal student allowance, free tertiary education, or building thousands of new public homes.
"Nor does it include a single concession to Te Pāti Māori or Opportunity.
"Forget the tail wagging the dog. With some polls suggesting the Greens command more than half of Labour's support, Chloe Swarbrick wouldn't be some minor coalition partner. She would have enormous leverage, and Chris Hipkins would tax the living daylight out of Kiwis just to keep the support of the Greens.
"At least the Greens are honest about it. They've made clear they want new taxes to fund their spending. Chris Hipkins needs to tell New Zealanders how much of their agenda he is prepared to sign up to.
"So Chris Hipkins needs to answer a simple question - which Green Party spending promises is he prepared to adopt, and which are off the table?
Some of the Greens' spending commitments include:
- $21.1bn for passenger rail and mass rapid transit rail
- $5.38bn for their free ECE for all policy
- $4.86bn for their 'Job for Every Young Person' guarantee
- $2.8bn to set up 'KiwiMart'
- $2.44bn to establish a critical infrastructure fund for marae
- $1.82bn for free school lunches
- $1.28bn for free and capped public transport fares
- $981m for Kiwipower
- $970m to expand warmer homes
- $824m to cover council shortfalls on public transport funding
- $460m to put solar on public housing stock
"The only way New Zealanders can stop Chloe Swarbrick getting her hands on the country's finances and taking a wrecking ball to the economy is to give their party vote to National.
"This election will be tight. New Zealanders face a clear choice. Keep the plan that is working and build on three years of progress, or put Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and Opportunity in charge and go backwards.
"National will spend responsibly, get debt down and grow the economy, with no new taxes. The alternative is a Labour-led coalition promising billions more in spending, higher debt and nine new taxes on hardworking New Zealanders."
