A National MP has been slammed on social media after suggesting $4.15 would buy people "a couple of protein bars" and "a lot of rice".
Tama Potaka, National's candidate for Kirikiriroa/Hamilton West, was taking part in the TVNZ Kaupapa Māori Debate on Tuesday night, where he made the comments.
During the debate, Potaka was questioned about National's tax cut policy - when he said Māori on the median income would see "some benefit".
"It would be $20 a fortnight," he said.
However, that's incorrect. TVNZ used National's tax calculator to see how much a Māori median wage earner would get in tax cuts if the party were elected in October. It would save an individual without children $4.15 per week.
That compares to a person without children on the nationwide median income ($60,000 a year), who would get more than six times that in weekly tax cuts.
But Potaka insisted $4.15 was "more than carrots and beans, broccoli and brussel sprouts" and Newshub checked out the prices of some popular protein bar brands from a few different retailers - the cheapest costs $2.49.
- $2.49 - 40g Nothing Naughty protein bar - Bargain Chemist
- $2.99 - 45g Chantal Organics protein bar - New World
- $3.00 - 40g Nothing Naughty protein bar - Xplosiv
- $3.00 - 40g Nothing Naughty protein bar - Sportsfuel
- $3.09 - 35g Atkins protein bar - Countdown
- $3.49 - 40g Musashi protein bar - Pak'nSave
- $3.80 - 40g Bar Counter protein bar - Countdown
- $4.00 - 40g Musashi protein bar - SprintFit
- $4.29 - 40g Musashi protein bar - Countdown
- $4.49 - 90g Musashi high-protein bar - New World
- $4.49 - 50g Horleys carb-less protein bar - Countdown
- $4.79 - 60g Grenade protein bar - Countdown
- $5.29 - 60g Horleys protein bar - Pak'nSave
- $5.49 - 60g Quest protein bar - New World
- $5.79 - 60g Blue Dinosaur protein bar - Bargain Chemist
Reddit users didn't hold back in their criticism of Potaka's comments.
"Protein bars is [sic] a wacky example," one person wrote.
"1kg of Pams rice [costs] $3.49 to $3.79. [And the] cheapest protein bars I could find [were] $2.49 each," another added.
"You can tell some of these guys never even notice grocery prices like the average Kiwi does," said another.
Food prices rose 8.9 percent in the year to August, according to the latest data from Tatauranga Aotearoa/Statistics NZ. However, the rate of increases has slowed in recent months.
"Prices for fruit and vegetables such as tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers and nectarines contributed the most to the overall monthly rise," consumer prices manager James Mitchell said in the latest food price index. Those are all summer crops - which are more expensive in winter.
But Aotearoa isn't alone when it comes to skyrocketing food prices. Food prices have also shot up in Australia - rising 7.5 percent in the year to August.
And last month, food producers in France agreed to slash prices on 5000 products after significant pressure from Emmanuel Macron's government - with food inflation there hitting 12.7 percent year on year.
