MELISSA LEE

We’ve just heard Budget 2022 being delivered.

Labour’s backwards budget will do nothing to help struggling Kiwis, their families and businesses during the cost of living crisis. It’s confirmed that New Zealand is going backwards under Labour faster than ever.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson needed to focus this Budget on helping the squeezed middle to overcome the escalating cost of living crisis and stop Kiwis falling further and further behind. But it’s clear he’s failed. Instead what Grant Robertson has delivered is a backwards budget.

Kiwis, the economy and outcomes are all going backwards under Labour and the Budget forecasts confirm the situation is only going to get worse.

New Zealand is experiencing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. Inflation is at a 30-year-high, expected to run rampant for years to come, and wages aren’t keeping up. Mortgage costs are up because of rising interest rates, rent is up $140 per week, food price inflation is the highest in a decade at 6.4 per cent, and petrol is up over $3.00 per litre. More and more Kiwis are falling behind each week, squeezed by growing costs and a government that refuses to offer them meaningful income tax relief while ramming through the biggest spend-up in New Zealand history.

Labour’s temporary cost of living package will do little to support Kiwi households through the cost of living crisis. It is band-aid economics made up on the fly, with even Treasury warning the Government that the one-off cost of living payment is a poor mechanism for addressing a long-term problem.

The squeezed middle are paying the price for Labour’s economic mismanagement and if you are on the average wage of $72,000 or higher, you will get nothing under Labour.

Under National’s tax plan to inflation-adjust tax brackets, someone on the average wage would get $860 every year. This would allow Kiwis to keep more of what they earn.

But Labour wants to keep the extra tax revenue because they are addicted to spending, which means the government books are also going backwards.

Not only did Labour give themselves an extra $6 billion for this Budget – the biggest ever spend-up in New Zealand’s history – but they’ve also raided future budgets. They are spending $2 billion from Budget 2023 and $0.4 billion from Budget 2024. And that’s before you count climate spending and the cost-of-living band-aid which are on top of all that, taking the total spend-up to more than $9 billion per year of government spending.

Yet there’s little to show for it, with no clear plan or targets for delivering better outcomes for New Zealanders. Under Labour, wait times for surgery and specialist assessments have blown out, literacy and numeracy achievement rates have hit alarming lows and violent crime and gang numbers have exploded. They’ve added more than 10,000 bureaucrats to the public service, yet outcomes are getting worse.

New Zealand needs a government with financial discipline and a culture where government cares about how every single dollar is spent and the outcomes it will achieve. Kiwis across the country are having to tighten their belts and look after every dollar they’re spending and the government should be doing the same.

New Zealand is going backwards, fast. We simply cannot afford this Labour Government. (MELISSA LEE MP)  PN

National Spokesperson for Broadcasting & Media| Digital Economy and Communications | Ethnic Communities E: mplee@parliament.govt.nz Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Please get in touch on 09 520 0538 or at MPLee@parliament.govt.nz to make an appointment. Melissa Lee National List MP based in Auckland

MPLee@parliament.govt.nz • melissalee.co.nz • mpmelissalee

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.

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Jo and Dave James founders of Juno Gin hope to attract gin enthusiasts from across the country to explore their newly refurbished cellar door and tasting room in New Plymouth.

“We are a boutique distillery creating award-winning gin that was born out of a love for the spirit,” says Jo. “Our Juno gin is available for purchase online and in specialist boutique bars and restaurants. The vision is to create a very personal experience for guests travelling to the New Plymouth region.”

There are several tour options, including The Taster Tour, which incorporates a distillery walk and boutique gin taster. For a deeper dive into all things Juno there is a Full Distillery Tour that includes canapes and cocktails on arrival. The cellar door is designed to host events and parties, ideal for larger groups or corporate retreats.

The distillery tours take the time to talk through Juno founders personal approach to producing gin while Juno share the process of how they infuse botanicals into the spirits as well as any interesting liquors that Juno are working on at the time.

The Juno Gin Cellar Door is open six days a week retailing Juno Gin at exclusive cellar door prices. Visit www.junogin.co.nz to book a visit.

We are feeling a lot more ‘back to normal’ here at the Ponsonby Community Centre!

While we are still encouraging mask use and good hygiene practices, we are now able to welcome back full capacity numbers for our venue hire rooms.

Check out our revamped website for more information or email info@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz.

New programmes for this term include a preschool sport programme at the 20 Ponsonby Terrace building and the 52 Hepburn St building (Freemans Bay Hall) – both free to attend! Please register through the above email address though as there are limited spaces.

•Ponsonby Terrace sessions – Tuesdays 12pm – 1pm (after Ponsonby Playgroup)

•Hepburn Street sessions – Fridays 9:30 – 10:30am (in the auditorium)

We have also had awesome fun with the kids school holiday crafty classes over Easter and hope to keep offering them each school holiday period. Check our facebook page for events - @ponsycommunity www.ponsonbycommunity.org.nz 09 37 81752, E: info@ponsonbycommunity.org.nz