Finance Minister Nicola Willis (left) has challenged her predecessor Ruth Richardson. Photo: RNZ/Reece Baker/Supplied
Nicola Willis has challenged former National Party Finance Minister Ruth Richardson to debate the country's books at Parliament.
The Taxpayers' Union is poised to launch a "pressure campaign" targeting Willis in an effort to convince her to cut spending and reduce debt.
Heading into National's caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, Willis said it was clear the campaign was being driven by Richardson, who is chair of the Taxpayers' Union.
"My message for Ruth Richardson is a very clear one, come and debate me face to face. Come out of the shadows. I will argue toe for toe on the prescription that our government is following.
We’ve had a lot of good publicity for our campaign launching very soon, and now it is our turn to say what it is all about. The campaign is about @NicolaWillisMP becoming our best ever finance minister. No one wants her to succeed more than than Taxpayers’ Union to cut wasteful…
— New Zealand Taxpayers' Union (@TaxpayersUnion) December 7, 2025
"I reject your approach and instead of lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper, come and debate me right here in Parliament.
"I challenge any of these media outlets here to host that debate. I'm ready anytime, anywhere. I will debate her. She needs to come front up face to face."
Willis said she stood by her decisions in government and wanted Richardson to "defend her legacy", having introduced the infamous 'Mother of all Budgets' in 1991.
"What I want is a straight up honest debate to really analyse some of the claims that she and her associates are making, to argue about actually what the impact of some of the things that she is calling for would be on everyday New Zealanders and their families, to test what her tolerance for human misery is and to understand why it is that she is prepared to reject our government's economic approach in ads, but won't front up."
Richardson laughed when RNZ asked her if she would debate Willis.
"I came to Parliament as a Minister of Finance. She is the Minister of Finance. She has to make the calls."
She made no apologies for the pressure campaign.
"The issue of very vulnerable fiscal position and the structural fiscal deficit is bread and butter for the Taxpayers' Union and we are seeking to hold the feet of the Minister of Finance to this fiscal fire. Her Treasury are shouting, 'fire, fire'. We have a structural deficit. This cannot go on. It needs to be addressed.
"This is not an issue about personalities. This is an issue about policy."
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