Labour's Next Finance Minister Ready To Deliver For Kiwis

01 Nov 2026, 17:29 by New Zealand Labour Party · SCOOP

Barbara Edmonds will hit the ground running as Finance Minister, with a first-week plan to bring bills down, stop National’s cuts and make Kiwis’ money work better for them.

“Too many Kiwis are sitting at the kitchen table working out how far the money has to stretch, doing everything right and still coming up short. That has to change,” Labour finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“New Zealanders have heard enough promises. They want to see results, and they want a Finance Minister who has their best interests at heart.

“National said they’d fix the cost of living and families are paying more for almost everything. They said they’d fix the economy and 48,000 more Kiwis are out of work. Nicola Willis had her chance, and she blew it.

“From day one, my job is to make sure the money is there to deliver for Kiwis, and that the numbers add up,” Barbara Edmonds said.

Labour will:

Action to bring your bills down: Start work on Labour’s cost of living plan, starting with public transport fare caps, free GP visits and a law to ban price gouging and break up the supermarkets.
Stop cuts to public services: Direct the Public Service Commissioner to stop further cuts to the people who keep our hospitals, borders and schools running.
Be responsible with the books: Meet the Treasury on day one, get the full picture and set out expectations to get to surplus and bring debt down. Start work on a simple, targeted capital gains tax.
Put jobs at the centre of the economy: Write to the Reserve Bank Governor setting out the plan to restore the Bank’s dual mandate.
Build wealth in New Zealand: Direct the Treasury to get to work on the New Zealand Future Fund.
Pay care and support workers: Instruct officials to deliver a $4 an hour pay rise from 1 January 2027.
Cut student debt: Start work on wiping 10% off eligible student loan balances on 1 April 2027.
Back small businesses: Instruct officials to draft a law so big businesses pay small suppliers within 15 days, and start work on a $10,000 asset write-off from 1 July 2027.
End the tobacco tax break: Work with the Minister of Customs to reverse National’s tax cut for tobacco companies from 1 January 2027.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

“Fixing the cost of living is just the start. I want an economy where hard work pays off again, so you can buy your first home, back your family’s future and retire knowing you have enough.

“Every dollar the government spends is someone’s hard-earned money. I’ll treat it that way, with no waste and every dollar going where it makes a real difference.

“Labour will grow this economy from the ground up, backing local businesses in every region to invest, grow and hire. In six days, Kiwis can vote for change and Labour is ready to deliver it,” Barbara Edmonds said.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading