Another Day, Another Desperate Attack From Labour
Labour’s campaign of misinformation continues with false claims around National’s Local Water Done Well policy, says National’s Campaign Chair Chris Bishop.
“Every day Labour comes out with more outlandish claims about National, from cancelling the winter energy payment, to sacking all the teachers, to halving sick leave. It’s a whole new level of desperation.
“There is no hole in National’s Local Water Done Well Plan.
“It’s laughable that the architects of Labour’s disastrous Three Waters policy, which was outright rejected by councils up and down the country, are now lecturing National on our policy.
“Labour has had six years to make inroads on water infrastructure and they have failed at every hurdle. In fact, all they have achieved is spending millions of dollars on consultants and a flash pad in Freemans Bay.
“National will scrap Labour’s undemocratic and unworkable Three Waters model and replace it with a sustainable system that ensures drinking water, stormwater and wastewater remain in local control.
“National’s plan supports balance sheet separation including by allowing councils to get together to form Council Controlled Organisations. Access to long term financing will minimise rate increases.
“By giving councils these types of tools, National’s expectation is that councils fund long term water infrastructure. That has always been our stance.
“National’s fiscal plan includes significant spending buffers to allow us to deal with cost pressures and the unexpected – including $9.9 billion remaining in operating buffers and $8 billion remaining in the capital allowance.
“Its clear Labour is a government that is out of time and out of ideas. It is time for a strong and stable National government that has a plan to rebuild the economy and take New Zealand forward.”