Dana Kirkpatrick: Cost of living and the Budget

Dana Kirkpatrick, National MP for East Coast.

OPINION

I have heard from East Coast constituents that the cost of living is a daily struggle. I have been listening to stories from people who are having to make hard choices, with some struggling to pay the rent and afford the weekly grocery shop.

Hardworking New Zealanders have done it tough, for too long. That’s why we will be unveiling an affordable and responsible tax package in the Budget to provide relief to the hard-pressed families here in the East Coast and across the country.

Tax relief in the Budget will be affordable - we will not be borrowing extra to pay for it, and it will not add to inflation. It will be fully funded through a mixture of savings, reprioritisation, and additional revenue sources.

We’re reducing government spending on consultants and contractors and right-sizing the public service, which has grown 39 per cent since June 2017 – adding 18,500 people to the public payroll.

That means more funding will go to the frontline, including our hospitals, our schools, and our police.

The final details of the Budget are still being worked through, but New Zealanders can rest assured the Government will honour its commitments to deliver responsible tax relief, bring public spending back under control, and deliver better public services.

A stronger economy means higher incomes, lower cost of living, and lower mortgage rates. It’s how New Zealand can afford to invest in the public services that matter – like health, education, and law and order.

I have also heard feedback from constituents who want to know the Government’s plan to reduce benefit dependency.

Jobseeker Support Benefit numbers are significantly higher than when National was last in government and we think that’s unacceptable.

We know that work-ready job seekers are forecast to spend an average of 13 years on a benefit, and teenagers could become trapped on welfare for 24 years of their working lives.

That is why the Government has set a target of 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support by 2030.

There is a suite of measures we are taking to achieve this target, including mandatory reapplication for Jobseeker benefits every six months, new non-financial sanctions, and a traffic light system to help job seekers comply with their work obligations.

I will continue to advocate and be a strong voice in this Government for the East Coast. I am proud to be a member of a Government that is committed to getting this country back on track.

Dana Kirkpatrick is the National MP for the East Coast