"National's FamilyBoost childcare tax rebate will help 130,000 low-and-middle-income families keep more of what they earn," said Christopher Luxon.
That is the National Leader announcing cheaper childcare, the Party's first big pitch to low-and-middle-income families and centre voters this election year.
FamilyBoost would see families earning up to NZD$180k, get a quarter of their childcare cost back in a rebate, and that's on top of current subsidies and the 20 hours free for kids who are over three years old.
It is means-tested, so the more you earn the less you get… and it’s expensive. It costs a billion dollars over four years.
National has faced criticism over the expensive policy, being asked how they will fund the project and where they will get the money from.
Speaking with Tova O'Brien on Monday morning, National deputy leader Nicola Willis said it will cut consultancy costs, if elected.
"The bill for consultancy in New Zealand has exploded. It's now at $1.7 billion, which is half a billion more than it was just five years ago," Willis said.
"The money thrown at Three Waters reform, the money thrown at the TVNZ/RNZ merger… We've seen a merry-go-round of 'go nowhere' projects.
"We're going to stop this practice of public servants being public servants one day, then the next day rebadging as a consultant or a contractor and charging back at twice the rate.
"That's not good for taxpayers, it's not good for the public service, it's not good for anyone."
Willis said this policy will not add flame to the inflation fire, telling O'Brien there will be big cutbacks alongside it.
"The $51 million that was spent on consultants to dream up a cycleway over the Auckland Harbour Bridge, we're going to stop that stuff," she said.
"We're reprioritising, we're cutting back that consultancy spend that's become very wasteful so that we can let hard-working New Zealanders keep more of their own cash that they're having to spend in order to work, in order to get ahead."
Listen to the full interview between Nicola Willis and Tova above.
You can also download the full interview on the Tova podcast, and listen on the go.
