On the campaign trail, week two: Tax plans and spending

"We know what we're doing" - Christopher Luxon

There has been a huge focus on the economy during the second week of the official election campaign.

It has not just been about day-to-day living costs, but the big picture issues with the pre-election unveiling of the books.

If you listened to Labour it was good news, with Chris Hipkins saying overall he was "pretty pleased with the picture" shown by the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update.

But the opposition hit out at government spending and borrowing and National leader Christopher Luxon said the update showed that there was more pain to come.

Luxon this week continued to face questions about, and defend, his party's tax plan with economists' analysis finding a massive hole in the numbers.

Meanwhile, ACT leader David Seymour floated the idea of a confidence-only agreement with any future National-led government.

This week's Focus on Politics is RNZ's roundtable discussion covering the major happenings of the 2023 election campaign. Political editor Jane Patterson, political reporter Katie Scotcher, and NZ Herald's political editor and deputy political editor Claire Trevett and Thomas Coughlan spoke to Morning Report host Corin Dann. 

Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on  Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.