Tangi Utikere

We can talk about the merits of public transport.

No, I don't accept what you've said around our background.

What I do accept is that this is a real policy that will make a huge difference to households, commuters, shift workers, students, people who get from A to B every single day, every week.

They're sitting around the kitchen table realising that their household bills are getting higher.

This will provide absolute certainty for them when it comes to sorting their public transport costs.

Oh, there are fare box recovery aspects across the board.

Well, it is very clear that the government have increased the expectations around what councils are to claw back through fare recovery.

That's making it even harder for people.

Fares have gone up across the board at a time when it's tough.

Well, there is a subsidy that is put in place by the government, but there's also an expectation that councils put together their plans around public transport.

No, no.

We stand by our $65 million cost.

That's what the cost is of this policy.

What we really need to do is we need to provide cost-to-living support to people when it comes to public transport.

This is a policy that will make an absolute difference, and we stand by it.

That's Tangi Utekere, who's the transport spokesperson for Labour.