Unfortunately we have another National Party government in power at the moment, and as a consequence, another economic dumpster fire taking hold. Inflation’s hurting Kiwis, and instead of providing relief, National is fiddling while wallets burn.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon's response is a tired remix of tax cuts for the rich and wealthy landlords, which includes himself, and finger-pointing at Labour. Prices for basic necessities like food and rent are crushing Kiwi families, but National and their corrupt coalition partners are too busy cosying up to their corporate mates to even notice.
Meanwhile, Luxon’s spin doctors churn out “we’re listening” platitudes, but where’s the action? Wage growth’s stagnant, inequality’s ballooning, and their budget’s a black hole of wasteful spending and broken promises. National’s not just clueless...they’re complicit in the decline of Kiwi living standards, living standards that were once the envy of the world.
Don't believe me? Here's some stats to show you how the countries actually doing.
On Sunday, Ipsos reported:
Key findings in the Cost of Living report include:
- 1 in 4 (26%) New Zealanders are finding it difficult to manage financially. This figure has remained relatively steady in the last two years, but represents a 6ppt increase since monitoring began in May 2022.
- Low-income households are disproportionately affected by financial difficulties, with a 13ppt increase in those who report finding it difficult since May 2022.
- Nearly half (47%) are worried about their job security, with women significantly more likely than men to be concerned (54% women vs. 39% men). 2 in 3 (65%) also believe that unemployment will rise in the next year.
- Of those who are worried about their job security, 83% say they are spending less, indicating a correlation between job security and consumer confidence.
- The vast majority of New Zealanders are expecting increases in household spending, particularly on essentials like food (80%), utilities (80%) and other household shopping (75%).
- 41% think their disposable income will decrease in the next year, and fewer than a quarter (22%) expect an improvement in their standard of living.
The National Party’s Statistical Shambles: A Legacy of Dodgy Numbers
Let’s cut through the spin. The National Party government, whenever it’s been in power, has a track record of statistical failures that’d make a first-year data analyst blush. From cherry-picking figures to outright ignoring inconvenient truths, their approach to numbers has been less about informing the public and more about propping up their narrative. If you’re looking for transparency, you’ll need a microscope to find it whenever National is in charge.
Economic Mismanagement: Where's that GDP Growth Gone?
Back in 2017, National was still riding high on John Key’s “rockstar economy” rhetoric and a fast recovery from the GFC. They couldn't however hide the fact that much of New zealand wasn't doing well, largely due to their austerity measures inflicting pain on every day citizens.
Fast forward to their return in 2023 under Christopher Luxon, and the numbers tell a similar story. They’ve consistently hyped up GDP growth as a sign of their economic wizardry, but the reality? Stagnation. According to Stats NZ, real GDP growth has been crawling along, with a measly 0.1% increase in the year to September 2024. Compare that to Labour’s 5.5% peak in 2021, and you’ve got a government that’s less rockstar, more one-hit wonder.
Check out this graph from Stats NZ—it’s a flatline that’d make an ICU nurse panic. National’s response? Point to global headwinds and dodge accountability. Funny how those headwinds only seem to blow when they’re in charge.
Unemployment: Cooking the Books
Unemployment stats are another area that Luxon appears conflicted on. National loves to crow about “job creation,” while also wanting high unemployment to keep pressure on wage growth, but their numbers are shakier than a house of cards in a Wellington gale. In 2017, National left office with their tail between their legs and an unemployment rate of 4.8%. By 2024, under their watch again and despite them redefining what an unemployed person is, it’s crept up to 5.4% (Stats NZ, September 2024). That’s thousands more Kiwis out of work when the only economic crisis is the National Party. And no, you can’t blame it all on COVID-19 anymore...that excuse expired years ago.
What’s worse is how they massage the figures to fit their narrative. Underemployment—folks stuck in part-time gigs who want full-time work—has spiked, but National barely mentions it. This chart from the Household Labour Force Survey shows underemployment hitting 4.7% in 2024, up from 3.9% in 2020. It’s not just about jobs; it’s about quality productive jobs, and National’s dropping the ball without much of a mention from mainstream media outlets at all.
Housing: A Crisis They Won’t Count
If there’s one area where National’s statistical failures scream loudest, it’s housing. They’ve spent years pretending the affordability crisis is under control, while prices have soared into the stratosphere. The median house price has continued to grow ensuring many working families cannot afford to buy, and National’s answer? Tax cuts for landlords and a big middle finger for first-home buyers.
Their stats game here is pure sleight of hand. They tout “new housing consents” as proof they’re building, but consents aren’t homes and have tanked since National gained power. Actual completions are also lagging. This MBIE graph shows consents peaking in 2022 but completions flatlining. Meanwhile, homelessness is up, with centres like Auckland showing a remarkable increases of 50% more homeless people on the streets. Not exactly the right time to be gutting New Zealand's social housing builds.
Child Poverty: Stats They Can’t Spin
Perhaps the most damning failure is child poverty. National’s always quick to dismiss it as “complex,” but the numbers don’t lie. In 2017, 24% of Kiwi kids lived in poverty (Child Poverty Monitor). By 2024, and largely due to a policy lag from the previous Jacinda Ardern led government, children living in poverty is now hovering at around 22%...hardly the progress the National Party claim. Material hardship, where kids go without basics like warm clothes or healthy food, is up to 13.6% from 12.7% in 2017.
This Child Poverty Monitor chart shows the hardship for Kiwis created and perpetuated under National’s watch. Their tax cuts skewed toward the wealthy did nothing for low-income families, and scrapping Labour’s free school lunches program and replacing it with inedible products contaminated with plastic only made things worse. It’s a statistical and political betrayal of the next generation that will have negative consequences for years to come.
The Pattern: Denial and Distortion
What ties all this together is National’s knack for dodging accountability, largely due to a complicit mainstream media who aren't doing their jobs properly. They’ll cherry-pick a stat here, ignore a trend there, and hope nobody notices. When GDP stalls, they blame the world. When unemployment rises, they redefine “work.” When housing and poverty worsen, they point to “market forces” or blame previous Labour-led administrations. It’s a playbook straight out of a PR firm, not a government serious about evidence-based policy or improving the lives of everyday New Zealanders.
The stats don’t just show failure...they show a government that’s stopped listening. New Zealand deserves better than leaders who treat numbers like inconvenient noise. If National wants to keep waving the “competent economic managers” flag, they’d better start grappling with the data instead of burying it.
