Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Labour's latest fiscal plan is out, and it leaves a lot of big questions unanswered. Chris Hipkins claims he can avoid spending cuts and major tax hikes while still getting the country back into surplus. Is that realistic, or is he just buying time before the election?
We are joined by Jordan Williams from the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union to cut through the political spin. We take a close look at public sector spending, the cost of living, and why the government keeps growing while everyday Kiwis deal with sluggish economic growth. Jordan explains why removing business investment incentives hurts productivity and keeps local wages down.
We also tackle the lack of accountability in big council and government projects. From massive infrastructure overruns in Auckland to serious management failures in Tauranga, we ask why no one in leadership ever takes responsibility when things go wrong.
00:00:00 Hipkins fiscal strategy and missing numbers
00:02:14 The issue with business tax and low productivity
00:04:10 Is Labour pushing Barbara Edmonds under the bus?
00:07:05 Government spending vs public service size
00:17:30 Infrastructure white elephants and council accountability
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCSypyI8wbnZgJDYY0VCdwJQ/join
Get in touch with Duncan - duncan@rova.nz and join us on the socials.
Website: rova.nz/podcasts/duncan-garner-editor-in-chief-live
Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast
TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast
Labour's latest fiscal plan is out, and it leaves a lot of big questions unanswered. Chris Hipkins claims he can avoid spending cuts and major tax hikes while still getting the country back into surplus. Is that realistic, or is he just buying time before the election?
We are joined by Jordan Williams from the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union to cut through the political spin. We take a close look at public sector spending, the cost of living, and why the government keeps growing while everyday Kiwis deal with sluggish economic growth. Jordan explains why removing business investment incentives hurts productivity and keeps local wages down.
We also tackle the lack of accountability in big council and government projects. From massive infrastructure overruns in Auckland to serious management failures in Tauranga, we ask why no one in leadership ever takes responsibility when things go wrong.
00:00:00 Hipkins fiscal strategy and missing numbers
00:02:14 The issue with business tax and low productivity
00:04:10 Is Labour pushing Barbara Edmonds under the bus?
00:07:05 Government spending vs public service size
00:17:30 Infrastructure white elephants and council accountability
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCSypyI8wbnZgJDYY0VCdwJQ/join
Get in touch with Duncan - duncan@rova.nz and join us on the socials.
Website: rova.nz/podcasts/duncan-garner-editor-in-chief-live
Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast
TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast
