Cost of living adverts - Sources
Below is the source for each claim made in our adverts on New Zealand’s cost-of-living crisis under the previous Labour Government, as part of “We Can’t Afford Labour.”
Advert 1 & 2: Supermarket Shop and Cost-of-Living
1. “The last time Labour were in Government, they drove us into a cost-of-living crisis.”
Source:
-
Between 2010 and 2016, annual inflation averaged 1.5 percent, RBNZ, Prices (M1) - accessed 10 September 2026.
-
By the second quarter of 2022, inflation surged to 7.3 percent, RBNZ, Monetary Policy Statement, August 2022.
2. “Food prices rose at the fastest rate in 36 years.”
Source:
-
Food price inflation at its highest level in 36 years, RNZ, May 2023
3. “The cost of bread went up 49%; mince up 34%; potatoes up 44%; eggs up 144%; cheese up 31%; vegetables up 35%; And thanks to Labour we’re still paying the price.
Source:
-
StatsNZ, Food Price Index Selected Monthly Groupings for New Zealand (Monthly), and Food Price Index Selected Monthly Weighted Average Prices for New Zealand (Monthly) September 2017 to September 2023.
4. “Food prices rose at the fastest rate since the 1980s.”
Source:
-
Food price inflation at its highest level in 36 years, RNZ, May 2023
Advert 3: Government debt and cost-of-living
5. “The last time Labour were in charge, Government debt doubled to $120,000 for every household.”
Source:
6. “Even three years after COVID, Chris Hipkins was borrowing $72 million every day. Which meant higher costs for you.”
Source:
- Internal calculation -- at the time, $72 million per day borrowing, meant according to the International Monetary Fund, the second highest cyclically adjusted fiscal deficit in the OECD.
7. “Food prices rose at the fastest rate since 1980s.”
Source:
-
Food price inflation at its highest level in 36 years, RNZ, May 2023
8. “Vegetables went up by 35%; mince up 34%; eggs up 144%; cheese up 31%. We’re still paying the price.
Source:
- StatsNZ, Food Price Index Selected Monthly Groupings for New Zealand (Monthly), and Food Price Index Selected Monthly Weighted Average Prices for New Zealand (Monthly) September 2017 to September 2023.