The campaign is entering a crunch point ahead of advance voting opening, with Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen saying National MP Mark Mitchell’s solution to law and order consists of chest-beating rather than good new policies.
Andersen made the comment after Mitchell yesterday announced National would deliver 300 more police to the beat to focus on inner city crime, and that he would end the so-called “policing by consent” model.
The first promise was slated as a “cut and paste” by Andersen, who said it simply copied Labour’s new policy of three weeks ago – right down to the costings for the 300 extra police.
“Mitchell is completely scrambling and realising on day one of voting that beating his chest and repeating headline-grabbing slogans won’t actually reduce crime.”
Earlier in the day, the pair had an exchange on Mike Hosking’s Newstalk ZB show, in which Anderson accused Mitchell of “scaring old ladies” by holding public meetings on law and order.
However, Mitchell said Labour’s approach had resulted in rising crime, especially in inner-city areas.
“Increased crime is concentrated in what were once relatively safe inner-city areas, where shop owners and members of the public are expressing concern about a lack of visible police presence on the streets.”
He also panned the effectiveness of the policing by consent philosophy, saying it was “a failure” and confusing for police.
On a later walkabout in Newmarket with National leader Christopher Luxon, Newmarket Security patrol lead Ray Siliko said the post-Covid surge of crime had eased and the most common crime he saw now was youths stealing food.
“Just stealing food. Sometimes we understand where they are coming from and give them some food to eat for the day. But I don’t really know what we can do.”
Law and order and the economy are key issues in the campaign as the parties ramp up ahead of the start of advance voting next week (overseas voting started on Wednesday) and fight to get advantage for the early votes.
Tomorrow, all eyes will be on the National Party releasing its long-awaited fiscal plan, showing how its policy promises add up and potentially giving a greater clue as to the extent of its cuts to the public service to pay for its tax cuts.
Labour released its fiscal plan in Auckland yesterday when Labour leader Chris Hipkins used the moment to have another whack at National for the costings of its tax cuts policy and question how it would pay for them.
A Newshub Reid Research poll earlier this week showed that 54 per cent of voters did not believe National could pay for its tax cuts promise, while only 30 per cent believed they could.
National’s finance spokesperson Nicola Willis questioned whether Labour would stick to its allowances for new spending and said National would stick to its allowances, unless there was a disaster that required a government response.
She said her plan would pay down debt faster than Labour’s.
Labour’s plan contained no real surprises, but did calculate the expected impact of new policy promises such as taking GST off fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, a $1 billion injection for Pharmac and a pledge to train more doctors.
Finance spokesman Grant Robertson restricted himself to fairly tight new spending allowances over the next three years: $3.5b next year, $3.25 the year following and $3b in the two subsequent years.
There is very little room for any further policy promises, although Robertson said it would allow room to both meet cost pressures and the new commitments in Labour’s plan.
After the Newshub leaders’ debate last night, Hipkins will be in Northland today while National launched its campaign bus in Auckland on Wednesday – and that will today drive National’s leader Christopher Luxon around in Tauranga and Whakatāne.
Act leader David Seymour will unveil policy on landlords and tenants in Auckland, Green Party co-leader James Shaw will take part in a climate debate in Auckland and NZ First leader Winston Peters has a public meeting in Gisborne.