2020 election: Robertson and Goldsmith trade blows over monetary issues and fiscal holes

Labor finance spokesman Grant Robertson continues his attacks on National, focusing on what he sees as the party’s Achilles heel.

The Wellington Central MP has again pointed to National’s books, this morning trying to show that his opposition’s fiscal hole was even bigger than previously thought.

He spent much of this morning’s RNZ debate with National’s finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith on the offensive, forcing the national MP to back down.

But Goldsmith criticized his rival several times for saying “nonsense” and saying that Robertson was “throwing mud that doesn’t stick.”

Despite the claims, counterclaims, and counterclaims, Goldsmith refused to commit his party to supporting the creation of an independent fiscal costing unit to cost the spending plans of all political parties.

Goldsmith again admitted that there had been a $ 4 billion shortfall in his spending plan – his calculations to stop contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund were based on outdated data.

It also admitted a “very small error” regarding capital allocations.

But he rejected Robertson’s claims that National was counting twice how it was going to pay for its transportation spending plans.

Robertson has claimed that National planned to “strip billions” from the government’s transportation fund to pay for even more funding shortfalls.

Goldsmith, however, said this was not the case – “we are shuffling different pots of money,” he told the Herald after the debate.

He said National had initially planned to pay off part of its $ 31 billion transportation infrastructure fund using part of the unallocated $ 14 billion Covid-19 recovery fund.

Instead, he decided to use that money to pay for his planned temporary tax cuts.

To make up for the funding hole that was created, National said instead that it would use more money from the National Ground Transportation Fund, which is used to pay for roads, bike lanes and other transportation projects, to cover the shortfall.

“He is [Robertson] acting as a trainpotter; if things haven’t been labeled exactly the way he expects, he gets excited, “Goldsmith said.

But Robertson didn’t like this: “There is double counting. To make up for that, now they are raiding the national ground transportation fund.”

He said National’s plan was “a mess” and “chaotic.”

“These mistakes matter in the real world. If you make mistakes like this when putting together a plan, in government those mistakes matter.”

The pair traded multiple blows throughout the debate on myriad issues.

“Everything Paul [Goldsmith] what it describes comes from a completely unaffordable irresponsible plan that will not be fulfilled in the long term, “said Robertson.

“You can’t stand on the sidelines like you did for nine years and let things get worse.”