‘Scaremongering’: National slams Labour’s commitment to Super age, winter energy payment

National claims Labour is seeking to scare the public through its attacks on how a National/Act Government would cost Kiwis thousands by changing the superannuation age and capping KiwiSaver contributions.

Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni today confirmed Labour would keep the Super age at 65 while also taking a shot at the Opposition, claiming National’s policy to raise the super age to 67 could mean people will miss out on more than $50,000 – a figure which would be much higher if Act’s policy to cap KiwiSaver subsidies was added.

Speaking at the party’s Congress in Wellington, Sepuloni also said government contributions to KiwiSaver would not be stopped or reduced, payments to the NZ Super Fund would not be stopped or reduced and the Winter Energy Payment would be maintained.

However, the figures do not take into account the benefit from National or Act’s tax cuts, something David Seymour was quick to point out.

“If Chris Hipkins wants to launch dishonest attacks against Act, he should have the guts to do it himself, rather than getting Carmel Sepuloni and Kelvin Davis to do his dirty work for him.”

Act leader David Seymour says Labour is being disingenuous. Photo / Marty Melville

Sepuloni, speaking to media following her speech, defended the move to maintain the Super age at 65, despite the Treasury warning the large numbers of New Zealanders heading for retirement could lead to an “unsustainable level of debt” and increased health costs.

Sepuloni claimed it would still be affordable as long as investments into the Super Fund were continued.

She ruled out lowering the age for some members of society, such as Māori and Pasifika who had a lower life expectancy.

National campaign chair Chris Bishop believed Labour was whipping up anxiety among voters ahead of the election.

“This afternoon, we have seen a desperate Labour party more interested in political attacks and scaremongering about the National Party than actually governing.”

“They’re just resorting to political attacks and clichés about the National Party and I think it’s pathetic and they should be ashamed of themselves.”

He pointed to the fact that Labour campaigned in 2011 on raising the Super age to 67.

National deputy leader Nicola Willis hit out strongly at Labour’s decision against changing the Super age, saying it was a “massive hole in the Government’s books”.

“[Labour] will no doubt fill that hole by imposing large new taxes on working people and by loading even more debt on young New Zealanders,” she said.

“It’s reckless, fiscally irresponsible, and simply dishonest.”

Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni confirmed Labour would not change the Super age and would continue contributions to the NZ Super Fund. Photo / Mark Mitchell

It followed a speech from Grant Robertson that included a number of shots at the Opposition leaders as he looked to enthuse his party’s members ahead of an expected tight election.

He took great pleasure in poking fun at National’s use of artificial intelligence in its attack ads on social media, saying National MPs had been “hunched over ChatGPT” searching for their next ad.

“AI is now creating their policy and their people as well,” Robertson proclaimed to hearty laughter.

“Every bad idea that the Nats has ever had has been put into ChatGPT and it spat out their leader, Captain Cliché himself.”

He compared the Opposition to the most “rubbish Marvel comic ever invented”, deeming David Seymour a “reverse Robin Hood”.

Despite the jovial jabs, Robertson had to concede an election win was far from guaranteed.

“All of this would be hilarious if it didn’t matter so much and we all know this is going to be a tight election.”

Deputy leader Kelvin Davis’s speech set the tone early, with criticisms of Act’s intentions to scrap several ministries and boost prison numbers while he also hit out at “negative National”, saying everything is at stake at the upcoming general election.

“The coalition of cuts is real”, Davis impressed upon the 400 people in attendance.

The latest 1News Kantar Public poll indicates National and Act could form a government, a shift from prior polls that have suggested a combination of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori could get over the line.

Party president Jill Day preceded Davis with a more upbeat speech, paying homage to party leader and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins whom she described as “the most down-to-earth, sausage roll-eating, Coke-zero drinking Prime Minister we’ve ever had”.

Labour Party president Jill Day. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour’s former leader Jacinda Ardern got a brief mention from Day, to immediate applause from those who had gathered at Te Papa in Wellington.

But the focus was quickly shifted to Hipkins, who was not attending this morning as he was watching his children play Saturday morning sport. He will be making his speech tomorrow afternoon.

“Our Prime Minister will always choose to do the right thing, our party will always remain principled,” Day said.

Davis began his speech referencing the challenges the Government has faced, including the March 15 terror attack, the White Island eruption, Cyclone Gabrielle, Covid-19 and the recent fatal hostel fire in Wellington.

“Every time this Government has responded, it has been with compassion and kindness.”

He told a brief story about Hipkins in Kaikohe, Northland, for Waitangi Day - chatting with residents while partaking in a local delicacy from Len’s Pies.

“It wasn’t staged, just Chippy being himself. No need for [artificial intelligence],” Davis joked, a shot at National over its use of AI in social media posts.

However, Act was Davis’ primary target, saying they would prefer to imprison Māori and go back to a “one-size-fits-all model that has proven not to work”.

“Their value system is the antithesis of ours.”

He followed his comments with critiques of “negative National”, saying the party would evict tenants for no reason and scrap Labour’s removal of the $5 prescription charge.

“We are being judged by an Opposition that operates under a different worldview and values but I’m positive and I have hope for the future.”

Katherine Tribe, from the party’s Hamilton West committee, was attending her first Labour conference “because I want to see a left-leaning coalition going into Parliament”.

While she accepted that people in older generations may sympathise with right-wing parties, Tribe believed a National/Act Government would lead to worse healthcare and education provision.

Former Labour MP for Whanganui Jill Pettis, who was attending her first conference in some time, said she was determined to help efforts to win the upcoming election.

“We have to win,” she told the Herald.

“Those gains in the [Helen] Clark Government and this Government have to be protected.”

She said the energy at the Congress was expectedly positive, given members were surrounded by like-minded people.