National leader Christopher Luxon has refused to rule in or out ACT's budget proposals if they enter government together, but says Nicola Willis - not David Seymour - would be finance minister.
Christopher Luxon speaking to media at Parliament Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The ACT Party put out its alternative budget yesterday proposing a wide range of cuts and an increase to the superannuation age to achieve tax cuts and return the government to surplus sooner.
Recent polls which had National overtaking Labour do however suggest it would need to partner with at least ACT to get into government, and leader Luxon was fending off questions from reporters this morning over which cuts he would rule out.
"I'm sorry but I'm not interested in talking about the ACT policy about what they would do in the budget," he said. "We'll have those conversations with them at the right time which is going to be next year sometime.
"I'm telling you that there's 18 months to go before an election and election calculations will be held much further down the road. We're not focused on that now."
He was quick to rule out having ACT leader David Seymour as finance minister, however.
"I am making a concrete promise, I am having Nicola Willis as our finance minister - there's no doubt about that, that's very clear to me."
But Seymour said that was a premature move.
"It's a promise that he can't actually keep because he doesn't even know what the election results are and I think it's frankly disappointing to focus on who's in the job rather than what job needs to be done for the people of New Zealand.
David Seymour speakers to reporters at Parliament Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
"He might find, actually, depending on what the people of New Zealand decide, that David Seymour is the finance minister that people want. I think he's come to that prematurely, quite frankly.
"I'd focus on the policy first then look at the people. He's got it the other way round 18 months out? That's his call."
Luxon's hardline stance on his finance minister was echoed somewhat by Minister of Finance Grant Robertson. He said if Labour got into government as the bigger party again next term, they would be holding the purse strings.
"However, every party when they put together a coalition has to be aware of what other parties are promising, and that's the issue for the National party is what of ACT's plan they would take on board.
"I think the issue for the National Party is there is a very specific alternative budget - costed budget - out there, and therefore questions will get asked.
Grant Robertson Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
He repeated his comments from yesterday that ACT's proposals were "equal parts naive and dangerous".
"In the end, David Seymour can produce a budget like that because there's no chance of them ever actually being able to implement it."
Willis said there were some areas of agreement between the National and ACT - but it was not her job to front ACT's policies.
"At a general level we agree that this government has conducted a lot of wasteful spending, it's not getting enough good outcomes for the expenditure that it's doing, that it owes New Zealanders more tax relief.
"We have said that we believe that tax thresholds should be inflation adjusted and that is achievable at a fiscal cost of $1.7 billion and would deliver the average household $1600 in tax relief. That's our policy, it's quite different from the proposal that ACT has put forward."
"It's up to ACT to promote their ideas, that's not my job."
Being ruled out of the finance portfolio was another insult for Seymour, who was accused of deliberate dog-whistling by Minister of Māori Development Willie Jackson.
Jackson had said it was a problem for National if it valued its relationship with Māori.
"I would have thought it was untenable really ... the way ACT is going you can't get on board with a party like that - I mean he's from another time now, Seymour, he's so desperate for votes he'll do anything and say anything to try and attract a right-wing prejudice vote.
"His perspective is no different to Brash's, he perpetuates lies and myths, he tries to make out that article three rights don't exist, he tries to make out every single person have the same right, and the reality is he's trying to deny that Māori have a Treaty right.
"That treaty right's not a superior right, it's an equity right - it brings the Pākehā and Māori people together, that's what it's all about."
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
He said he would never deny Seymour's Ngāpuhi whakapapa, but he was not a good advocate for Māori.
"Yeah absolutely, he's just a useless Māori, that's all ... you don't deny any people their whakapapa [but] you know, it doesn't make them some sort of a great advocate for Maori does it. I mean he would probably be the worst advocate for Māori in terms of politics, I've never seen anyone like it.
"Absolutely [he's] Māori but maybe just the most useless advocate for Māori we've ever seen."
Seymour had his own views on those kinds of comments.
"It's been a tough day, I was just minding my own business and all of a sudden they say I'm a useless Māori who's never going to be finance minister. It's a sad and sinful world but here we are.
"I'm proud of my Māori whakapapa, I'm proud of all of my heritage, and I'm not going to stoop to getting involved with someone like that. Look, Willie Jackson, he's good for a laugh but he's also a good example of why we need more serious people in charge of our government and our country's future."