Labour has released its Cost of Living Action Plan, with help for families on food bills, healthcare costs, petrol, transport, and the cost of getting kids to school.
“Everywhere I go I hear the same thing: people are working hard, but they’re still finding less left at the end of each week. That's why getting the cost of living under control is Labour’s number one priority,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.
“The weekly groceries. Seeing a doctor. Power bills. Petrol. It all adds up. Christopher Luxon promised to fix the cost of living, but under National things have gotten worse. New Zealand can’t afford another three years of National making life harder and more expensive.
“Labour has a plan. We’ll help with the bills you face every week, and we’ll crack down on big companies ripping you off, so you get a fairer deal.
“Getting costs under control is also about making sure people have enough money coming in, which is why our plan is about good jobs too. We’ll back apprentices and tradies, and get work started fixing our schools and hospitals,” Chris Hipkins said.
Labour will:
Give every New Zealander three free GP visits a year with a new Medicard
Cap public transport fares at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else
Freeze the fuel tax for three years
Help households install solar, with low-interest SolarSaver loans
Make price gouging on essentials illegal, and make companies pay back what they’ve overcharged
Scrap the $5 prescription charge
Crack down on hidden fees, subscription traps and junk insurance
Give smaller Kiwi businesses, from independent mechanics to local grocers, a fair shot against the big players
Cut student debt by 10%, and back 30,000 apprentices into work
Bring back fresh, locally made school lunches, and work to restore rural school buses
“Three free doctors visits could save a couple up to $500 a year. A daily bus commuter could save around $25 a week. And a family with solar could cut around $1,000 a year off their power bill,” Chris Hipkins said.
“These are real savings for real people. And every promise we’ve made is fully costed and paid for in our fiscal plan.
“Today, I am also announcing two new commitments to help parents with household costs. Labour will bring back fresh, locally-made school lunches, and we will work to restore the rural school bus routes that National cut.
“As a parent myself, I know how school costs add up. Labour’s school lunches will mean one less meal to find money for and a healthy lunch for your children. It also means more jobs in your local community.
“And bringing back rural school buses that National cancelled will save parents on petrol costs, not to mention time and stress.
“Kiwis should be able to put food on the table, see a doctor and get where they need to go, with something left over at the end of the week. Your hard work should get you somewhere.
“Lower bills. Good jobs. A fairer deal. That’s Labour’s plan,” Chris Hipkins said.
