Labour’s GST policy is a miserly offering that will do very little to help families suffering through the cost of living crisis, but will have supermarket owners rubbing their hands with glee, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“Kiwis are being smashed by a cost of living crisis that has dragged into its third year and the best Labour has to offer is a tax change worth less than a kumara.

“Labour are foolish to suggest supermarkets will pass all of this reduction on to shoppers.

“National would cut out the middle-man – instead of passing tax cuts through the local Pak ‘n Save, we would put the relief direct into people’s bank accounts with income tax reduction.

“Only months ago Grant Robertson was warning that this GST policy would benefit supermarkets most. He knows the ‘Grocery Commissioner’ won’t have a hope against the most powerful duopoly in the country. Chris Hipkins has forced him to suck it up, with little care for whether the promise of cheaper groceries will actually be delivered.

“This is classic Labour. Over-promise and under-deliver, with Kiwis left missing out.

“National’s tax plan will deliver direct income tax relief to working New Zealanders. Kiwis will get a lot more out of our plan than Labour’s damp squib of a policy.

“Instead of designing a complex scheme that benefits supermarkets and lawyers much more than shoppers, National will simply let Kiwis keep more of what they earn to spend as they like.

“National can afford to be more generous because we will stop wasteful spending, reduce backroom bureaucracy and drive resources to the frontline of our schools and hospitals.

“National will stop the policy band-aids and instead strengthen the economy so we can reduce the cost of living, lift incomes for all and deliver the public services New Zealanders deserve.”

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