Luxon appeals to NZ’s ‘squeezed middle’

New National Party leader Christopher Luxon has started to sharpen his lines of attack on the economy, declaring that his refreshed National Party will concentrate on New Zealand’s ‘‘squeezed middle’’.

Ahead of his first caucus meeting as leader yesterday, Luxon – a former airline and fast-moving consumer goods executive – fronted media in Parliament, warning about Labour’s macroeconomic view of the economy and declaring that he wouldn’t be lectured to by Minister of Finance Grant Robertson.

He was responding to Robertson, who described National’s approach to managing the nation’s books as resembling a ‘‘Bermuda triangle.’’

‘‘I’ve heard often from National Party members that they want to spend more money. I’ve also heard that they want to cut taxes, and I’ve also heard that they want to cut debt. Mr Luxon’s policy continues to be stuck in that fiscal Bermuda Triangle, and he will have to find his way out of that,’’ Robertson said on his way into the Labour Party caucus.

Luxon dismissed Robertson’s criticism. ‘‘Grant Robertson trying to lecture Simon Bridges or myself for that matter on the economy is something I won’t listen to.’’ he said. Luxon indicated that he and National’s new finance spokesman Bridges would be taking a microeconomic approach to the economy, rather than talking in macroeconomic terms.

‘‘The finance minister, my observation, tends to float up into the macroeconomics,’’ Luxon said.

Macroeconomics looks at the overall economy as a whole in aggregate terms through measures such as gross domestic product and overall growth and unemployment figures.

Microeconomics looks at how economic settings interact with

they can enjoy hospitality services again.’’

She said the country was still cautiously moving into the new framework – unlike the Opposition, who had urged the opening of borders and the removal of the traffic-light system.

Luxon has been in Parliament little longer than a year. Ardern is in her fourth year of government – and 13th in Parliament.

Yesterday’s Question Time also saw National’s new finance spokesman, Simon Bridges – himself a parliamentary veteran – go up against Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Both were first elected in 2008.