Labour promises to protect the bureaucracy, whatever the cost

“Labour’s public service policy amounts to a blank cheque for Wellington bureaucracy,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Their test is apparently whether a job can be saved. ACT’s test is much simpler, is the job actually worth what taxpayers are paying for?

“New Zealand does not need more bureaucracy to decide whether the bureaucracy should be smaller. We need parties prepared to cut the waste and grow the country.

“ACT would deliver a smaller, more efficient Government with only 18 Ministers and 19 Departments. That’s what most similar countries have, but we have 28 Ministers and 39 departments, about twice as many as countries of the same size. Saving money needs to start at the top.

“Meanwhile Labour has a $10.4 billion-a-year hole in its spending plans. If it won’t cut waste, where is the money coming from?

“Labour’s economic plan is like a game of Jenga. More spending gets piled up, savings are pulled out from underneath, and a $10.4 billion hole is waiting for when the whole thing falls over.

“There are only three ways to fill a hole that big. Higher taxes, more debt, or spending cuts. Labour has ruled out the last one, so New Zealanders should be very nervous about the first two.

“If we want New Zealand to be the best little country in the world, we need a Government that is smaller, more efficient, and focused on getting results from every dollar.

“That is how we make life more affordable, grow the economy, and unlock New Zealand’s potential.”