Yesterday it was announced that Grant Robertson was leaving politics.
The announcement was not surprising. His going list only was a strong indication that he may not be around for long, particularly if Labour lost the election.
The announcement was met with some really mean spirited comments from the Government parties. No wonder politicians are held in such low regard.
Christopher Luxon was actually not that bad. The following quote is recorded in this Radio New Zealand article:
“Look, I just want to say to him today ‘thank you for your public service’. He’s had 15 years in this place both in Parliament, been a great servant of Parliament and also in government, we wish him well,” he said.Luxon had previously said Robertson was the “worst finance minister of all time”.
“I don’t want to get into that today,” Luxon said. “It’s a day where actually he’s announced his retirement, and actually I just want to acknowledge that he’s put service in there. We disagree with how he might have gone about it but we wish him well.”
Nicola Willis made similar comments.
But then David Seymour was asked his comments were less magnanamous.
ACT leader David Seymour was less conciliatory. He seemed to regret Robertson’s resignation, saying that “were he to be replaced by a more competent person, that would make it harder for the ACT Party”.
“Grant was a very good opponent for the ACT Party, we’ll miss him and actually we’re not sure what we’ll do without him,” Seymour said.
“We could always rely on Grant for great humour, but also great opportunities to point out what the Labour Party was doing wrong.
“Grant Robertson’s legacy unfortunately is $100 billion worth of debt. His job as finance minister was to get value for money from the public purse and now this government is going to have to work doubly hard to save money to make up for the debt that he accumulated.
And it looks like Winston Peters was also handed the same attack lines. He is quoted as saying this:
NZ First leader Winston Peters, the deputy prime minister, offered a mix of heavy criticism and well wishes.
“I think he’s well fitted, he’s going off to a university that’s $100 million in debt, having left this country in debt, so he’s well practiced as to what he should be able to do now. But I wish him all the best.”
He said Robertson had not handled the Covid-19 pandemic well at all.
“The second time around in ’21 and onwards, the handling of that was a disaster. And that’s why as time goes by the inquiry will find that out, and the level of indebtedness was massive, unjustified.”
Both Peters and Seymour displayed the same level of class you would expect from Donald Trump.
Compare this with what Andrew Little said when John Key announced he was leaving politics:
John Key has served New Zealand generously and with dedication. Although we may have had our policy differences over the years, I respect the Prime Minister’s decision to stand down.
“I can empathise with his reasons. Politics requires much sacrifice. We may all be politicians, but not all our lives are politics.
“The Prime Minister has served New Zealand through times of considerable global instability, and will leave politics proud of his achievements. I wish him and his family the best for the future.
Or what Jacinda Ardern said when Bill English bowed out:
Bill has worked tirelessly as Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister, and Opposition leader among his many public roles. Very few serve for so long at such a high level, but garner the respect of many,” Ardern said.
“He has always stood for what he believes in. He is a man of clear convictions who has always had a genuine concern for the well-being of New Zealanders, and gave a huge portion of his working life to serving on their behalf.
“The impact of public service on a politician’s family cannot be understated. In the 27 years Bill served as an MP, with the support of his wife Mary, his children were born, and grew up. They have made great sacrifices so he could do his job to the best of his ability.
“I wish Bill and his family all the best for the future.”
The allegation of expanded debt is an old trope that the right always engage in. But when you look at the Government’s finances over time the last Labour Government built up considerable net worth. From 2017 to 2023 the Governments accounts show that net Government worth increased by $151.7 billion while net debt increased by a more modest $50 billion.
And given Robertson’s major role in keeping 20,000 kiwis alive during a one in one hundred year global pandemic as well as avoiding dire predictions of the economy crashing throw away lines about how debt is unsustainable is ridiculous.
The one criticism I had of Grant was that he needed to increase spending even further on climate change and infrastructure. But I could not fault his dedication to the job or his ability to be a very good manager of the country’s finances during times that were unprecedented.
And this morning new Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds started off by deftly avoiding answering questions about a capital gains tax as policy while at the same time acknowledging that there is a party process to follow. The election of a progressive Policy Council by Labour members recently is no accident.
From Radio New Zealand:
When asked on Morning Report about her view on tax reforms such as bringing in a wealth tax or a capital gains tax, she said she wanted to look at revenue being earned that wasn’t taxed.
“It is something that Labour will need to take into the next election, a really clear fiscal plan, and tax is a part of it.”
She added: “I think there’s a case for re-examining all the different revenue bases that we need to look at, because we do have some really long-term pressures on our fiscal position.”
She refused to say whether she supported Robertson’s recommendations for a wealth tax taken to Cabinet around six months before last year’s election.
She preferred to “draw a line in the sand” on what position she had taken at the time.
“I need to start again in my own shoes and have a look at what we need to do. But there’s also a party process too and I’m going to respect our party process and go through that.”
One thing that Labour will need to do is build up a counter narrative to the Government’s branding of the economy. The fundaments are actually fine, way better than those of many other countries.
But all the best to Grant. Thank you for your sterling work for the party over many years.
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