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Hot Topic ELECTIONS
Hot Topic ELECTIONS
NBR Focus
9 mins to read

Election 2026: Will voters care about the deficit?

Forty years ago, former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon said people wouldn’t know a deficit if they tripped over it.

Since coming to power, the Coalition Government has tried to rein in spending.

Brent Edwards Wed, 04 Mar 2026

The numbers are sobering. 

In its long-term fiscal statement, the Treasury says that if spending and revenue policies are left unchanged, government spending per person will almost double by 2065. In inflation-adjusted terms, it will go up from $18,300 today to $35,900. 

Government revenue will

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Brent Edwards Wed, 04 Mar 2026
Contact the Writer: brent@nbr.co.nz
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Election 2026: Will voters care about the deficit?
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