Heather du Plessis-Allan: Is that it Labour?

So that was what we waited months for, eh?

Labour’s cheaper public transport policy.

A policy so predictable that we actually did predict it four hours before it was released.

And it was predictable because it’s not a new idea. It’s an idea they took from 2022, dusted it off, and tried running out again with the tiniest of tweaks.

Being predictable is a problem because it’s not interesting. It means it won’t get cut-through. It’s not a policy that creates the kind of buzz they need after months of policy drought.

You know what else is a problem? Their maths.

There is no way this is going to cost $65 million a year and save 1.3 million public transport users an average of $1,200 a year.

$1,200 times 1.3 million users is $1.6 billion.

They’re either fibbing about the cost, or they’re fibbing about the benefit.

I think it’s a bit of both.

What’s worse for me, though, is that this policy suggests Labour may not have any ideas other than spending money.

It’s what they do every single time there’s an election or a crisis.

Cost of living crisis post-Covid? Hand out $350.

Child poverty? Give mums of newborns $70 a week for a few weeks.

Want to win an election? Make a year of university free.

That doesn’t grow the economy. It doesn’t actually fix the fundamental problems we have, like high inflation or low wages. It just throws money at the symptom—stretched budgets—and grows the debt.

It’s not running a country. Spending money is the easiest thing in the world to do.

You and I could run the place tomorrow if that was the extent of the thinking required.

I’m disappointed this is what Labour made us all wait months for.

They’ve got another five months. They need to do more than this with future policy announcements if they want a proper chance at the election.

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.