The Greens's multi-billion dollar fiscal hole.

I did know that the Greens are economically illiterate. I hadn't realised just how innumerate until I saw the so-called Taxpayers' Union's Bribe-O-Meter -- prepared for the election so you can see how much each party promises to bribe you with your own money.

As irresponsible as the ACT Party is, their bribes only amount to three-quarters of a billion. More than they should be, but less than they might be.

As profligate as Team National is, they're still just promising bribes amounting to two billion dollars.

And then there's a big jump. Barbara Edmonds is still barely to quote a number of her own this year, but the Taxpayers Union reckon her Labour Party will be bribing you with over fifty billion -- about the same as Winston First.

If you think that was a big jump, then settle back: Chloe Swarbrick's Greens -- the party who reckon she should be the Finance Minister in the next government -- are bribing you with a total of $236.72 billion over the next parliamentary term. Almost a quarter of a trillion dollars! That equates to $114, 245 per household!

You can read the detailed breakdown here. Here's a summary:

• Social spending is costed at $178.7 billion over four years, or $86,234 per household, by far the largest single category. 
• Extending ACC to cover all injuries, disability and illness regardless of origin accounts for $96 billion of that alone
• Lifting benefits to "liveable rates" adds a further $27.6 billion
• On education, a universal student allowance to cover basic needs is costed at $14.4 billion, and free tertiary education up to a first degree at $8 billion
• The party's proposed student loan write-off carries a $16.2 billion balance sheet impact
• Free early childhood education for all is costed at $5.4 billion
• Free school lunches for all kids in all schools at $2.2 billion
• Expanding free apprenticeship programmes at $200 million

That's an awful lot of "free" stuff to be paid by someone else: That's you, the voter.

But we haven't even finished the promised bribes.  Their next biggest bribe is on something they call "economic development" ....

• Economic development spending is costed at $40.8 billion over four years
• The largest confirmed commitment is a nationwide rapid rail network, costed at $17.2 billion
• Comprehensive bus lanes in all cities are costed at $1.2 billion
• EV subsidies at $337 million, based on reintroducing the Clean Car Discount scheme.
• A further $9.4 billion is costed for tens of thousands of new public homes, based on forecast 2026/27 house-building spend and the maximum build rate achieved in 2023/24, 
• This is alongside $21 million for a Certified Rental Warrant of Fitness.
• Regional support commitments add $2.4 billion for the Te Rangatiratanga Trust, $2 billion for a new intergenerational fund, and $400 million for a Te Rākau restoration fund.
• Energy policies add a further $3.05 billion, made up of Kiwipower ($980.6 million), expanding Warmer Homes ($969.8 million), solar on all public housing stock ($460 million), zero-interest solar loans ($428.7 million), community-owned energy ($200 million), and increased EECA funding ($12.4 million).
• The Greens' plans to purchase 120 supermarkets to form a state-run supermarket chain is costed at $4.7 billion, or $2,259 per household. 
• Creating a tribunal for dealing with disputes arising from auctioning off commercial leases on unoccupied lots has been costed at $7.2 million.

I don't know about you, but I don't see a lot of economic development coming therefrom.

Next biggest item is on developing bigger government. This doesn't come cheap.

• The Greens' policy to lift core public service pay by 10 percent is costed at $15.5 billion over four years

Over fifteen billion to employ more bureaucrats.

And finally, on to their bribes in Environment and Arts -- only a comparatively minor item, considering they were once an environmental party ...

• Environment and conservation commitments total $1.5 billion over four years
• This includes $1.2 billion to expand Jobs for Nature, $200 million to introduce a price on agricultural emissions, $90 million to restore the Ministry for the Environment, and $13.5 million to increase funding for the EPA and community environment groups.
• $200 million has also been promised for the promotion of te reo Māori.

=> And that's how we get the figure, for all of the promised bribes, of $236.72 billion over the next parliamentary term (equating to $114, 245 per household).

And just how does this all get paid for?

I'm glad you asked, because it hasn't apparently occurred to the innumerate Auckland Central MP to reconcile bribes with revenue. As of today's date ...

• The Greens' tax plan, released in June, promises more than $32 billion of new revenue over four years. It relies on a "super-rich tax" (their renamed wealth tax) and an inheritance and gifts tax. (The current Wealth Tax has already been revised down by fifty percent since last year's "alternative budget." Expect any return, if implemented to continue that trend.) 
• They would also lifts the corporate tax rate for some firms and reverses the coalition's changes to interest deductibility.

Consistent with their something for nothing promises, that's all the revenue they promise to extract from you. So how would the rest of those bribes be paid? Answer: borrowing.

• The Taxpayers' Union describes a $60 billion infrastructure borrowing programme as part of the Greens' pledges, with interest of about $12 billion.

But even with that aspirational fantasy of a $32 billion Wealth Tax and saddling the few remaining taxpayers with $60 billion of borrowing (and another $12 billion interest bill), that still leaves a massive hole. 

A hole of nearly one-hundred and fifty billion  dollars!

How would that be paid? Somehow. That's how.