Dear Nicola Willis,
Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.
You’ll have to make some really tough decisions. Not only turning down their requests for the money needed by our underfunded public services. But telling them to actually spend less than they were before.
I’m sure that with just the right amount of laser focus they can deliver the same for less. That’s the goal right?
I’ve been thinking about the large hole in your revenue forecasts. Along with the wildly optimistic costing of things like Simeon’s roads. The thing is, with all that, and with the economic climate as it is, do you really want to be cutting public services to pay for tax cuts and roads?
Austerity measures, cutting government spending like you’re doing, will only prolong the recession. With the resulting uncertainty causing consumers to spend cautiously.
I do understand it’s only the back office functions you’re cutting, and that frontline services will continue independently without them. Untroubled by the carnage out the back. To be honest it’s a shame more people don’t understand that.
You must be under a lot of pressure Nicola. If it’s not people complaining about you laying off all these public servants then they’re only moaning about something else.
In his speech yesterday Chris Hipkins said, “More people smoking might be good for the Government's bottom line but it won't make for a healthier society. Cutting school lunches and support for those with disabilities might help Nicola Willis balance the Budget, but at what cost to those who will miss out?"
Those things worry me too Nicola.
I’ll admit that I didn’t vote for you, but for better or worse you guys are my government too. I’m writing to you in the hope that maybe you could see your way to doing a bit more of the former. A bit more better, and a bit less worse. We all want that, right?
Some of the things you’re doing are fair enough, they’re democratic, the people voted for a centre right government. It’s not what I’d like but it’s understandable that you guys will spend, and tax, less than we’ve seen over the last six years. But some of the things your government is doing must make you cringe inside.
People portray you as being uncaring, some even suggest that you like having to do these things. But I’m sure that’s not the case. These are your electorates after all, Wellington Central and Ōhāriu, that are going to be hit hardest. Your own people.
I know it’s frustrating that they didn’t elect you, but you can guarantee they never will once you’ve done this. People remember these things. Are they what you want to be remembered for?
You know, I bet these decisions weigh as heavily on you as they do on those that will be impacted. Well, almost, but you know what I mean.
I know you said that the tax cuts would mean you could take your family to the movies. That’s a nice thing. I think a lot of people would love to have an extra bit of money for something like that. But if it’s at the expense of someone else that really needs it, a family that is going to suffer, so I can take my family to the movies? Well I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I don’t want it. I don’t want a tax cut on that basis.
You’re a parent, you know how hard that can be. It must be so much harder for those who have a child with additional needs. The constant demands on them, dominating their lives as they do everything they can to give their child the best life possible.
We’re lucky Nicola, none of our children have those additional needs. We probably wouldn’t admit it but there are times I’m sure when we count our lucky stars that it wasn’t our kids, that it wasn’t our life.
Some of the other things you’re doing really concern me, but this one really struck a nerve. It did so with others too, judging by the comments I got when I posted this:
Annelies: “I don’t want a tax cut if it means people lose their livelihoods, those less fortunate are made even less fortunate, drugs and other contraband enters the country more easily, pests and diseases ravage our agriculture, people die waiting for surgery, people die during the next pandemic, people die from guns and smoking. I could go on ...”
Lindy: “A comment was made about some carers getting their nails done. So what if they do? Something like that can make such a difference to one’s mental health. Especially caring, in many cases, 24/7.”
Zac: “I'm against tax cuts across the board. History shows us they target those who don't need additional money and it goes into savings. As with the Key government in 2009 this one is directing it's cuts at the vulnerable.”
Mathair: “If this government was so worried about 'the squeezed middle', why did they not prioritize the realignment of the tax brackets over the refund to landlords?”
Peter: “What's the saying? You can tell a lot about a society by how it treats its most vulnerable....”
Louise: “Me neither! Nor any of the people losing their jobs, or sanctions on beneficiaries. We need pay rises for ECE’s and police, not mining the environment without checks & balances nor removal of smokefree legislation. So many reasons why I don’t want a tax cut the country can’t afford.”
David: “It will get swallowed up in the increased costs of other things that have risen because of the tax cut.”
In case you think that I’m one just of those bleeding heart liberals, and my mates are all a bunch of lefties, well - it’s a fair cop. But we think people should be rewarded for their hard work too, just like you do.
Chris Hipkins said the following during his speech yesterday:
“Our current economic model celebrates those who live off wealth over those who live off work. In the modern economy, contribution and reward aren’t as linked as they used to be. Hard work is no longer the ticket to getting ahead it should be.
While some earn a lot more than they are worth, the majority are worth a lot more than they earn. Success and aspiration should be celebrated. But when hard work no longer pays off, it’s time for a rethink of the system.”
I’m not suggesting you’d agree with him, but focus on his words, not where they came from. What he’s saying is much the same as your own party’s views on aspiration and being rewarded for your efforts.
Whether we are on the left or the right most of us would agree that people who earn their money from wages or a salary shouldn’t be disadvantaged compared with those whose income is derived from wealth, not from work.
We all hear those stories from people saying I managed to buy a house, so can you if you just work hard. Or stop buying coffees, or smashed avo, or whatever it is.
I was fortunate, my wife and I saved a deposit overseas and bought a place before house prices doubled, and then doubled again. But I’m under no illusion that the same opportunity exists for those starting out now.
We’ve moved the goalposts further and further away until the kiwi dream of owning a house is out of reach of so many, particularly those unable to access the Bank of Mum and Dad.
That’s the sort of thing we should sort out. Families that work hard and live modestly should be able to buy a house. But your package delivers billions to landlords and little to nothing to those who aspire to home ownership. It’s not getting that back on track, it’s making it worse.
I know it isn’t your priority but if you could do things to make housing more affordable any other changes you make to help with the cost of living would pale in comparison.
If you want to help the squeezed middle then forget the tax cuts and make houses cheaper. I know it’s a hard problem but restoring those tax breaks to landlords, encouraging them to buy up even more investment properties, is the opposite of making it better.
Nicola, before you decide which road to take I want you to think about something. I’d like you to imagine the faces of the kids, and the parents, the families whose lives you’re going to make harder if you make these spending cuts to deliver your tax cuts.
Can you picture them? Is it worth it?
Twenty years from now perhaps you’ll meet one of those people, while you’re waiting to cross the road, or to be served in a shop. Will they say - you’re the lady who said, ‘sorry people, we can’t afford these tax cuts at the moment, it’ll hurt too many people’, and you refused to do it?
Will they say, “my mum always said, ‘god bless that Nicola Willis, she helped us when it looked like things were going to get really tough’”?
Or will they just look at you, tears welling, remembering what you did to their family, and to so many families. Until they look away from you.
Choose the first option Nicola. Listen to that voice that nags at you late at night - the one you don’t acknowledge, but know is right. Even a lot of people that voted for you would understand you doing that.
Don’t go down that second road Nicola, it’s not the direction that will get things back on track, it’s going to make things worse for lots of people.
Your predecessor, Grant Robertson, knew that the role of Finance Minister was an impossible act of balancing demands. He had to make tough calls. I’m sure sometimes that meant not doing the things he would have loved to do. But being in charge of the expenditure of a country is a huge responsibility.
If you do your best to help the people that need it most it will all be ok. Decent folks, from the left and the right, would respect you for that Nicola. I know I would.
Yours sincerely,
Nick.
I'm sure she won't read it but I've messaged it and emailed it to her just in case 🙂
Absolutely love this letter. Cleverly written and hits the nail on the head. Do you think she'll read it? I don't think I've ever disliked a government more in my life time. All their actions so far are horrid.