Greens say ‘ka kite’ to employers, Labour serves up ‘AI slop’

“Labour and the Greens are engaged in a cynical, focus-group-driven race to announce policies that sound good without confronting the underlying problems in the economy,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The Greens say they are concerned about young New Zealanders heading overseas. So they should be. It’s hard to take them seriously when they’re the same party whose co-leader only weeks ago said ‘ka kite’ to an employer of hundreds, worried about their tax policies.

“Their solution is to spend more of your money to create government jobs, while driving away the businesses that employ people and increase the wealth of the country.

“The Greens warn $76 billion in GDP could be lost from young Kiwis moving overseas over the next four decades. I might believe they were worried about the economic loss if their own spending promises weren’t more than three times that amount over just four years.

“I've been travelling around New Zealand this campaign and have heard time and again from business owners who are on a knife-edge this election. They’re deciding whether to invest, expand and hire more staff if the Coalition is re-elected, or scale back because of the threat of higher taxes and more red tape from Labour and their allies.

“Meanwhile, Labour has responded to the cost of living with yet another cynical policy. Apparently, the answer to New Zealand's economic problems is banning ‘fake discounts’.

“Misleading discounts are already illegal under the Fair Trading Act. There’s been a fair bit of conjecture over ‘ai slop’ social media this election campaign, the real villain is Labour’s ‘ai slop’ policy.

“New Zealanders are smart enough to compare prices, spot a bargain, and decide whether something is good value.

“ACT has a fully costed Fiscal Plan to save $22 billion over four years, balance the books sooner without new taxes, and reduce debt by $12.4 billion compared with current forecasts by 2031. We'll cut government waste, reduce the burden on businesses, and restore confidence to invest and create jobs.

“We'll also help New Zealanders build wealth by removing tax on qualifying KiwiSaver investment earnings, allowing their savings to grow faster without forcing them to contribute more from their pay packets at a time when the cost of living is already stretching household budgets.

“ACT wants to make New Zealand a country where young people can get ahead, businesses can succeed, and hard work and saving are rewarded.

“That's how we unlock New Zealand's potential and give young Kiwis a future worth staying for.”