Political spin is one thing. Facts another. My reading of NZ Treasury's Half Year Economics & Fiscal Update 2024 is that little has changed since the government changed. The latest figures show that the fiscal deficit (excess of government spending over taxes) equals -3.1% this year under National, ACT & NZ First. Given GDP is about $400 billion, that's $12 billion added to NZ's national debt. Next year, 2025, its forecast to be -4.1% and the following year, -3.1%. The average of those three numbers, which comprise the Coalition's first term in office, is -3.4%. How does it compare to when former PM Jacinda Ardern & Finance Minister Grant Robertson governed?
