I can see this becoming a regular post. Checking up on the accuracy of National’s advertising and pointing out the most egregiously inaccurate examples.
Yesterday Bridges was schooled in Parliament by Jacinda Ardern. If it was a boxing competition they would have called it off in the first round.
During her speech she said that GDP growth was at 2.7%. The figure is entirely defensible. Stats NZ’s website confirms that is the growth rate for the year to September 2019.
But Bridges claimed it was wrong and the growth rate was actually 1.6%.
The Reserve Bank report does say this (page 37) but Bridges has used a different time period, and one that includes an estimate of the December 2019 quarter growth rate and not the actual figure.
Arguably both are right but Bridges is wrong to use poorer quality data. And he is completely wrong to say that Jacinda’s figures are entirely wrong.
And, putting to one side caveats against using GDP growth as an indicator of societal health, New Zealand is doing remarkably well compared to the rest of the Western World in terms of growth.
The behaviour is straight out of the Trump playbook. Attack your opponent and question their competence using what essentially is a lie. And repeat.
It worked for National in 1975. I am pretty sure they will continue to do the same this year.
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