Speaker must explain dodgy CommieMart costing and taxpayer-funded Green electioneering

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Speaker to intervene over the Parliamentary Library’s extraordinarily low costing of the Greens’ plan to nationalise 120 supermarkets and two distribution centres.

The Greens' policy announcement cites a Parliamentary Library estimate for their claimed acquisition cost of just $1.3 billion, before another $1.5 billion is pumped into getting “KiwiMart” operating. To date that estimate has not been made publicly available.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “The $1.3 billion figure fails the most basic sniff test. Even if the two distribution centres are thrown in for free, it values each supermarket at just $10.8 million.

“PAK’nSAVE Albany’s operating business was estimated at $50–60 million in 2021, excluding the land and building. New World Point Chevalier’s owner reportedly paid $14 million for the fixtures and fittings alone.

“Apparently Chlöe Swarbrick can nationalise an entire supermarket for less than it costs another grocer to buy the shelves and fridges.

“Either the Parliamentary Library has found the bargain of the century, or something has gone badly wrong. It needs to release its workings and assumptions.

“We have long supported an independent election-policy costing unit, ideally sitting within an independent Office for Budget Responsibility. But that only works if the costings are expert, transparent, and politically neutral. The Parliamentary Library cannot simply appoint itself to that role without the safeguards that make such a system credible, including transparency.”

Mr Williams said the use of the Library for election policy costing also raises a serious legal issue.

“Parliamentary resources are funded for parliamentary purposes. Electioneering is expressly excluded.

“If taxpayer-funded Library staff have been used to cost and bolster a flagship Green Party election policy, that is spending public money outside the purpose authorised by Parliament.

“The Library has traditionally been very clear that its work cannot be used for electioneering or party administration. So why is CommieMart different?

“The Speaker needs to explain how this was allowed, and the Library needs to front up with the working behind their numbers.”