David Seymour
Wellington, April 13, 2022
Vaisakhi (Baisakhi) the festival of harvest is celebrated by Kiwis of Indian origin every year to celebrate the harvesting of seasonal crops by farmers.
For the Sikh community, Vaisakhi marks a special significance as the founding day of Sikhism.
The Solar New Year is under different names ‘Naba Barsha’ for the state of West Bengal, ‘Rongali Bihu’ for Assam, ‘Puthandu’ for Tamil Nadu, ‘Vaishakha’ for Bihar and ‘Pooram Vishu’ for Kerala.
For Hindu New Zealanders, this day is also celebrated as the founding day of Arya Samaj in 1875 and a holy day for the Buddhists as they believe that Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism attained enlightenment or Nirvana on this day.
Kiwis of Indian origin celebrate this special day much like other New Zealanders celebrate Thanksgiving to the Gods that facilitated a bountiful harvest.
I look forward to visiting Temples and Gurdwaras in the time to come to celebrate such special occasions as life returns to normalcy in New Zealand.
As we celebrate this day of harvest with Kiwis of Indian origin, I draw your attention to New Zealand’s rampant inflation.
Spiralling cost of living
According to Statistics NZ, the country has recorded its highest annual increase in food prices increase in the last decade. Our food prices have increased by 7.6% in the last year, fruits and vegetables have exploded by 18% and meat, poultry and fish have gone up 8.7%.
For a food surplus nation that grows enough food for eight times our population, this is unacceptable. Even if we are to take Jacinda Ardern’s explanation of supply chain problems at face value, it should make food in New Zealand cheaper because we cannot export it. Fish and berries that cannot be flown to Singapore end up on the local market.
The Labour Party’s argument that inflation is not caused by their irresponsible spending has proven to be false.
In reality, it is this government’s war on businesses and relentless borrowing and spending which has fuelled domestic inflation that has crept into our most productive sector.
Grant (Robertson) and Jacinda are so focused on the PR spin around the cost of living and blaming global events like the war in Ukraine that every day-New Zealanders who are struggling to make ends meet are getting forgotten.
They deserve straight talk and common-sense solutions rather than a disingenuous spin designed to distract from the mess they’ve created.
Economics 101 shows that when costs increase, they will be passed on to the consumer, and Kiwis are feeling this at the grocery shop, the fuel pump, the increasing cost of rent and mortgages, and even in retail shopping.
Strong measures needed
It is time to stop wasteful spending that pumps money into the economy without producing goods and services to buy. Too much money chasing too few goods means inflation.
As Kiwis of Indian origin celebrate the harvesting season, I encourage us to look forward to the changes required for us to progress as a society and as an economy. To achieve this, we need to reduce tax, bureaucracy and waste, and maximise opportunities for people to get ahead.
ACT would cut the 30% income tax rate to 17.5%. We will lower the barriers to employment and make it easier for small businesses to hire. Our regulatory reforms would ease the burden on farmers. Our plan for infrastructure and housing reform would get New Zealand moving again.
Many Kiwis of Indian origin are small business owners, and I know that many of them are hurting right now from the effects of Covid and the many regulations that have been enforced upon them.
It is essential that we reduce the red tape and costs that are currently suffocating these businesses and give them an opportunity to flourish, this will create a healthy economy for New Zealand.
I look forward to engaging with you to celebrate festivals and discuss our public policy responses to real issues faced by New Zealanders.
David Seymour is the Leader of ACT Party and Member of Parliament elected from Epsom in Auckland.
