Prime Minister Bill English visited Hawke's Bay yesterday to announce the National Party's five-point plan for the country's economy and tax system.
Accompanied by party spokesman for finance Steven Joyce and a large entourage of supporters and local candidates, Mr English called in to fresh produce marketing and distribution company Freshmax near Hastings for a brief tour of the packhouse, including chats and photos with the workers, before announcing National's plan for economic success.
"We are very ambitious for New Zealand and New Zealanders, but to achieve that you need a strong economy and a strong set of government books," he said.
To that end, the plan set out to build surpluses and pay down debt, raise family incomes, invest in public services and infrastructure, keep simplifying taxes and support business confidence.
It included a family incomes package, that would see 1.3 million families received $1350 extra per year on average, making tax simpler for businesses, cracking down on multi-national tax compliance and a promise not to introduce any new taxes.
"There is no need for more taxes - the Government has surpluses and there's a growing economy," he said.
"We want to spend to support families and build infrastructure such as the four-lane highway between Napier and Hastings.
"Who would have thought five to six years ago that there would be so much growth in Hawke's Bay.
"We have the confidence that you do that this region can have that kind of growth that warrants large-scale infrastructure."
He took shots at Labour's and the Greens' proposals for changes in the economic direction of the country in terms of tax changes as well as industrial relations and trade.
"They are pulling back from trade policies that are vital for these products to get into export markets, and their immigration changes could have a big impact on the horticultural industry."
The two parties had also set out to be divisive, pitting rural against urban, particularly around water quality, he said.
"They would do much better to give credit to the farming and horticultural communities, and regional councils, for the intensive work that's gone on in the last five to six years, investing millions to lift water quality."
While visiting Morrinsville yesterday, however, where farmers protested against Labour's proposed royalty on commercial water users, Ms Ardern said she believed New Zealanders were united behind the issues such as cleaning up rivers, ending homelessness and having better health services.
Concerns about the changes planned by the opposition were also being felt in Hawke's Bay, Mr English said, amid issues of water supply availability on the Heretaunga Plains.
He noted that Mr Yule was campaigning hard in the Tukituki electorate.
"He's experienced and running hard - he knows we have to work hard this week."
After his Freshmax visit he stopped in at Florian Cafe at Greenmeadows New World and Taradale Production Engineers at Onekawa.
A Takaro Trails bike ride to Westshore Inn was scheduled but abandoned due to light rain.