What’s the difference between National and Labour?

Labour has a clear plan for our economic recovery and rebuild – and it’s already in motion.

Our five-point plan to create jobs, support businesses and communities, and grow our economy will keep New Zealand moving as together, we rebuild and recover from COVID-19.

National’s current plan is more about stimulating their dreadful poll numbers than stimulating the economy. It would require harsh cuts to health and education, and empty the COVID Response and Recovery rainy day fund, leaving us no way to respond to future resurgence.

Labour has a strong leader with a proven track record who puts people first.

Jacinda Ardern has led New Zealand through the March 15 terror attack, the Whakaari/White Island eruption and a global pandemic, all while making progress on the long-term challenges facing New Zealand.

National has had three different leaders in the past four months, each with different priorities and positions.

Labour will protect New Zealand’s vital services like health and education.

To afford their policies, National would have to make massive cuts to our vital services, like health, education, and disability services - all in the middle of a global pandemic. Their plan is not only unaffordable, but would severely damage the lives of New Zealanders.

We believe that every New Zealander deserves quality healthcare, a great education, and a warm, dry place to live. That’s why Labour’s plan will create jobs, invest in our communities, grow the economy and responsibly pay down debt, without cutting our vital services.

National’s plan doesn’t add up.

A basic error has left a $4 billion gap in National’s economic plan, which means they now have to find more ‘savings’ to pay for their policies. No one who knows how to run a Budget would have made a basic mistake like this.

If National can’t even do the basics required on their own policy costings, they cannot be trusted to run the country. Making mistakes like this has real world consequences that New Zealand does not need during this challenging time.

This is a time for stability and certainty, not policy made up on the fly that doesn’t add up. Labour’s balanced plan is already creating jobs, backing businesses and supporting New Zealanders, as we get on with our economic recovery.

Labour will keep New Zealand moving.

Thanks to our careful economic management before COVID-19, and our strong health response since the virus arrived in New Zealand, we’ve been able to get our economy going faster than many other countries.

We’re taking advantage of this headstart by rolling out our plan to create jobs, support businesses and back our exporters, and continue to grow our economy. We can’t afford to slow down now.

A vote for National is a vote to put on the brakes and start again from scratch.