Ryan Bridge: Labour takes a huge election gamble

So let's talk about that weird interview yesterday. 

No not the one with Winston Peters, the one with Chris Hipkins. 

He has planted Labour in an almost impossible-to-justify position on NZ Super. 

On Ryan Bridge Today yesterday he said Labour will not change the age of entitlement. Will not means-test. Will not cut it. Will keep it in full indefinitely. 

We currently have around four people working to support every pensioner. That will be two workers for every pensioner within the next 10-20 years. 

Anyone with half a brain can see it's not sustainable, in full, forever.

I recall following Phil Goff on the campaign trail in 2011 (hospital pass). He was all about 'making the hard decisions for tomorrow, today'.

Well Chippy is running from that motto quicker than Usain Bolt in a pair of Nikes. 

What he's doing here is making a pretty blunt political assessment: this will win us some working class votes and keep us competitive with Winston and National. 

He's going after labourers who can't wait till 65 to retire, let alone 67. He's going after low-wage workers who can barely afford groceries, let alone an extra 3.5% on compulsory KiwiSaver. 

You could argue that's smart politics. Pick a point of difference. Hammer it home. 

The risk is massive though. Labour's biggest Achilles' heel is taxes. 

Telling people you'll keep an unaffordable, expensive, universal programme forever will leave them wondering who's going to pay for it. Who'll be taxed next. 

Once you add in the pay equity claims at up to $13 billion, the gaps start to look more like big black holes.

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