Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs.
"New Zealanders struggling with the cost of their weekly grocery shopping don’t need more vague promises from Nicola Willis, they need real action," Labour commerce and consumer affairs spokesperson Arena Williams said.
"When Labour was in government, we took bold action to break up the supermarket duopoly. We banned restrictive land covenants, enforced mandatory wholesale access, and introduced a Grocery Commissioner to hold the industry to account. We didn’t just talk about competition, we legislated for it.
"If National was serious about tackling the supermarket duopoly it would build on the real progress Labour made. Instead, all Nicola Willis is offering is no new ideas, no deadlines, and no clear policies.
"It’s a smokescreen for a government that is floundering when it comes to the cost of living," Arena Williams said.
"Nicola Willis talks about 'growth', but the only growth we’ve seen is in the number of job losses, the number of Kiwis leaving, and the number of homeless Kiwis," Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.
"Willis’ announcement is part of a troubling trend of all talk and no action. This government has failed to deliver on their FamilyBoost promises, they’re failing on ferries, and now they’re failing to seriously address grocery prices."
