# National despairs at Labour's cost of Luxon attack > National campaign chairman Simeon Brown calls Labour's cost-of-living claims 'sad' as party alleges $6235 annual rise for families. - Title: National despairs at Labour's cost of Luxon attack · NZ Herald - Summary: National campaign chairman Simeon Brown calls Labour's cost-of-living claims 'sad' as party alleges $6235 annual rise for families. National says Labour's… - Keywords: breaking, national, labour, cost of living, chris hipkins, simeon brown, christopher luxon, cost of luxon, fiscal plan, mortgage rates, tax cuts, politics - Source: NZ Herald — https://nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2026-national-despairs-at-labours-sad-cost-of-luxon-attack/KJIXRIHB65H2POC5ASQNR72V5M - Read time: 2 min - Topics: breaking, national, labour, cost of living, chris hipkins, simeon brown, christopher luxon, cost of luxon, fiscal plan, mortgage rates, tax cuts, politics ## National campaign chairman Simeon Brown says Labour is 'throwing stones about the cost of living' during Christopher Luxon's time as Prime Minister. > Labour is 'throwing stones about the cost of living' ## Labour's cost claim Labour campaign chair Kieran McAnulty released a document claiming a family with two children pays $6235 more per year through increased prices of food, fuel, power, healthcare, transport and fees. > $6235 more per year ## Hipkins' response Chris Hipkins conceded Labour's calculations did not include reductions in mortgage rates or the Government's tax cuts. > Labour's calculations did not include reductions in mortgage rates ## Hipkins dismisses US-Iran conflict Hipkins dismissed any suggestion rising costs could be explained by the US-Iran conflict, saying Luxon didn't acknowledge the same influence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Covid pandemic on the cost of living. > Luxon didn't acknowledge the same influence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict ## Brown's cost comparison Under Labour, food price inflation hit 12.5%. Today, it's 1.9%. Under Labour, the Official Cash Rate hit 5.5%. Today, it's 2.75%. > food price inflation hit 12.5% ## Brown's warning Brown warned that costs remain high and too many families still feel the squeeze, but New Zealand needs no higher spending, borrowing or taxes. > costs remain high and too many families still feel the squeeze ## National's fiscal claim National alleged Labour could not fund its spending promises and would need to tax households an additional $2263 per year to fulfill commitments. > $2263 per year ## Hipkins' fiscal plan Hipkins insisted his fiscal plan is sufficiently funded and committed to introducing only one new tax on some capital gains. > fiscal plan is sufficiently funded ## National's stance National says the last thing New Zealand needs is to turn back to higher spending, higher borrowing and higher taxes. > last thing New Zealand needs is to turn back to higher spending ## Author background Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. > Deputy Political Editor ## Author history He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. > worked for NZME since 2018 ## Labour's fiscal plan Labour's fiscal plan includes tax cuts and spending promises that National claims would require additional household taxes. > fiscal plan includes tax cuts ## National's fiscal warning National warns that costs remain high and too many families still feel the squeeze, but New Zealand needs no higher spending, borrowing or taxes. > costs remain high and too many families still feel the squeeze ## What happens next National and Labour continue their fiscal policy debate over cost of living and tax impacts on households. > continue their fiscal policy debate ## Key takeaway National says Labour's 'Cost of Luxon' document falsely claims families pay $6235 more yearly due to Luxon's leadership, ignoring tax cuts and mortgage rate reductions.