The Taxpayers’ Union says National’s
claimed $18.2 billion gap between the Labour Party’s
promised spending and revenue measures highlights
exactly why New Zealand needs an Independent Office of
Budget Responsibility to independently verify the costings
of election promises.
Taxpayers’ Union Executive
Director Jordan Williams says:
“If National is
right, Labour’s spending promises leave taxpayers exposed
to a funding gap of $8,800 for every Kiwi
household.”
“But the bigger issue is that voters
are expected to take politicians’ competing claims on
trust. One side says the numbers don’t add up. The other
side insists they do. For the average voter, it’s
impossible to know who’s telling the
truth.”
According to National’s analysis,
Labour’s announced spending commitments total more than
$21 billion over the forecast period, while its identified
revenue measures raise only $2.8 billion, leaving a
shortfall of $18.2 billion.
“Whether the true figure
is $18.2 billion, more, or less isn’t really the point.
New Zealanders deserve independent verification rather than
partisan arithmetic.”
Williams says recent questions
surrounding Labour’s public transport fare cap policy
demonstrate the problem.
“Given the clear errors in
Labour’s costings of its public transport policy released
on Wednesday, things have to change. Labour claimed 1.36
million New Zealanders would benefit by an average of $1,200
per year, yet simultaneously claimed the policy would cost
only around $65 million annually. Those numbers simply
don’t reconcile.”
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“A properly resourced
Independent Office of Budget Responsibility would lend
credibility, rigour, and expertise to opposition policy
development. It would also provide voters with confidence
that the promises being made during election campaigns have
actually been checked.”
The Taxpayers’ Union has
long advocated for an independent parliamentary budget
office modelled on institutions operating successfully
overseas.
“This is not a left-versus-right issue.
The public should be able to trust the numbers regardless of
which party is making the promises.”
“The
Taxpayers’ Union has been calling for an Independent
Office of Budget Responsibility since we launched our
pre-election ‘Bribe-O-Meter’ in 2014. More than a decade
later, we’re still relying on political parties marking
each other’s homework.”
“Helen
Clark and Ruth Richardson found common ground this week
in supporting stronger institutions to improve democratic
accountability. An Independent Office of Budget
Responsibility would be a practical reform that improves
transparency, lifts the quality of public debate, and helps
voters make informed choices.”
“If Labour’s
numbers stack up, independent scrutiny would prove it. If
National’s criticism is justified, independent scrutiny
would expose it. Either way, New Zealand voters, and
taxpayers,
win.”
