Kiwi families keep going backwards with food prices continuing to rise rapidly, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“Latest numbers from Stats NZ show food prices climbed 6.8 per cent higher over the past year, accelerating beyond the 6.4 per cent rate seen the month prior, with grocery prices now rising at their highest level in a decade.

“These rapidly rising prices are part of the wider inflation tsunami hitting our economy, with hard-working Kiwis left swamped in its wake, as their wages rise slower than prices.

“While Labour likes to put this all down to pricing decisions made by supermarkets, the truth is New Zealand’s inflation problem is far more widespread.

“Restaurant prices are rising at their highest rate since 2009, with ready-to eat food prices rising 6 percent in the year to date, as inflation gets a grip beyond supermarket shelves.

“Grant Robertson has no plan to tackle inflation. The Government has instead poured more fuel on the fire with more government spending, pushing up interest rates and worsening the cost of living crisis.

“The Government should adopt National’s five point plan to fight inflation - refocus the Reserve Bank on price stability, stop adding unnecessary costs to businesses and employers, reduce the bottlenecks that are holding back growth, including addressing labour shortages, restore discipline to Government spending and inflation-adjust tax brackets to increase Kiwis’ disposable incomes.

“This week many families will bypass the yoghurt in their weekly shop, put off by the sky-high cost. It’s time the Government stopped blaming the war in Ukraine, stepped up and delivered a plan to fight inflation.”