27 September 

“Tonight’s edition of Chris vs. Christopher was more entertaining than the last one, but when you scratch beneath the surface the real solutions to the problems New Zealanders are facing weren’t on offer. New Zealand can be a prosperous nation with a productive economy and first class services, but it needs a real change in direction,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Neither Chris has put forward a vision for what real change looks like. They disagreed about their respective financial plans, but the reality is Labour’s is just more of the same and continuing the same wasteful spending that has made life so tough for Kiwis, while National hasn’t released one.

“Chris Luxon said the public sector needs to be shrunk and he’s right, but unlike ACT he can’t say how he’ll do it.

“ACT is the only party with a credible plan to fix the economy by ending wasteful spending, we have laid out to voters exactly how we’ll cut $25.5 billion in spending over four years and how we can pay down debt.

“Vague promises of fiscal responsibility are not good enough, while New Zealanders pay $18 million in interest on the government debt every single day, they need a party with the convictions to make policy to tackle these issues and follow through on it. That’s what ACT will bring to the next Government.

“The catchphrases were different from the two Chrises on topics like education and climate change, but their direction was the same. The status quo isn’t working in either area though, our education system has been in decline for years and isn’t setting students up with the skills they need to compete and succeed, while climate policy is one of the biggest costs on households for policies that don’t reduce global emissions.

“Both Chrises mentioned how much money they would spend on fixing potholes, but neither offered a solution to improving New Zealand’s roading infrastructure and preventing potholes. Spending money can’t be the goal of the next Government, that’s how New Zealand has gotten into this mess. The next Government needs to be focussed on outcomes.

“New Zealand has huge challenges ahead of it, and this election is a chance to elect a Government that will tackle them head on and set the tone for future generations. That’s what ACT is proposing. It will take big changes but New Zealand can be a prosperous nation where everyone has the opportunity to get ahead.

“This election campaign can’t be about catchphrases, it needs to be about New Zealand’s future prosperity. Only ACT has the courage to make the tough decisions required for real change. New Zealanders face a choice: more of the same, or real change. The choice is ours.”

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