Ruth Richardson agrees to debate country’s fiscal position with Nicola Willis

Former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson has accepted Nicola Willis' challenge to debate fiscal policies. Photo / File

By RNZ

Former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson has agreed to a challenge from the current holder of the role to debate her.

On Tuesday morning, Nicola Willis challenged Richardson, who was Finance Minister from 1990 to 1993, to a debate.

The challenge, Willis said, was because the Taxpayers’ Union was preparing to launch a pressure campaign against her.

Richardson is chairwoman of the organisation.

“My message for Ruth Richardson is a very clear one, come and debate me face to face. Come out of the shadows. I will argue toe for toe on the prescription that our Government is following,” Willis said.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis criticised Ruth Richardson's organisation for its pressure campaign and called for a public debate. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“I reject your approach and instead of lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper, come and debate me right here in Parliament.

“I challenge any of these media outlets here to host that debate. I’m ready anytime, anywhere. I will debate her. She needs to come front up face to face.”

Richardson had earlier laughed when RNZ asked her if she would debate Willis and made no apologies for the pressure campaign.

“I came to Parliament as a Minister of Finance. She is the Minister of Finance. She has to make the calls.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tory Relf said Richardson was more than happy to debate the Government’s debt, levels of public spending, balancing the books and growth.

“The Government promised to reduce public spending. It’s now higher than when Grant Robertson left office,” Relf said.

“The Government promised to tackle Labour’s 30% increase in bureaucrats. They’ve managed to reduce the size of the core public service by not even 1%.”

Relf said all National Party finance ministers since Robert Muldoon have had to tackle structural deficits inherited from Labour, and Willis’ challenge was no different from Richardson’s or Sir Bill English’s.

“The Government promised to get the books back into surplus. Unless you count a newly invented OBEGALx measure, the Government’s fiscal pathway never gets New Zealand back into surplus,” Relf said.

“The Government promised ‘growth, growth, growth’. GDP per capita is lower than when Grant Robertson was in office.

“The Government promised to reduce borrowing. Borrowing is still near Grant Robertson-era levels.”

The Taxpayers’ Union confirmed Richardson was ready to debate the country’s fiscal position after the release of the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update next Tuesday.

– RNZ