National candidate in battleground electorate praises 'some' Labour policies

National’s Tāmaki candidate Mahesh Muralidhar has praised “some” of Labour’s small business policies, remarks Labour are welcoming. 

While Muralidhar didn’t express support for replacing the Government’s Investment Boost scheme, Labour’s main small business action plan is funded by reworking that programme. 

Muralidhar’s opponent Act’s James Christmas has taken fire at the National candidate, saying it’s becoming clear “I’m the only centre-right candidate” in the Tāmaki race. 

Meanwhile, Labour’s finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds is clocking Muralidhar’s comments up as a win, telling the Herald she was grateful for his support of the policy. 

A video obtained by the Herald shows Muralidhar at a candidate event answering a question about what he thought was something good from the other side of the political aisle. 

“I think some of the small, medium-sized business policies that Labour’s put forward is interesting; it’s good because it releases capital much faster to businesses,” he said, comments previously reported by Newsroom. 

Muralidhar told the Herald today: “The important word in my comments is ‘some’”. 

“Unfortunately for Kiwi businesses, Labour’s full small business policy amounts to a $6 billion tax grab through the removal of Investment Boost,” he said. 

“I’ve seen first-hand how Investment Boost is helping Kiwi businesses invest, expand, hire more people and lift wages. Scrapping it, as a Labour Government would, would hit those businesses hard.” 

The National Party has targeted Labour’s small business plan during this election campaign, primarily because it is funded by reworking the Investment Boost scheme the Government introduced last year. 

“This is a huge blow for small business owners,” National’s finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis said after Labour unveiled the policy, revealing it was replacing Investment Boost. 

Labour’s small business policy has several strands, including lifting the asset write-off threshold from $1000 to $10,000 for businesses with annual revenue below $10 million from July next year, and requiring big businesses to pay small suppliers within 15 days for invoices of $25,000 or less. 

This is paid for by “refocusing” Investment Boost. The Labour policy costs $1.56 billion over four years – much less than Investment Boost – with the asset write-off being the main cost. 

Labour’s Edmonds told the Herald it was a “fantastic thing that a National Party candidate for Tamaki is supporting our small business policy”. 

“I believe it’s a fantastic policy. It does help small businesses access their own cash flow and their capital. So thank you to him for supporting our small business,” she said. 

“If it’s good policy, he should support it, and I’m grateful for it.” 

Labour's Barbara Edmonds welcomed the comments. Photo /Cameron Pitney 

At the meeting, Muralidhar also said that those on the right of politics often sometimes “don’t show the heart”. 

“The other thing that I think the left do better sometimes than the right does is show up and perhaps express the right economic thinking but in more compassionate ways,” the National candidate said. 

“Sometimes the right, we get lost in, hey, this is the right problem, we’re thinking about it right, and we don’t show the heart and that’s something that I definitely think I would like to bring with the National Party.” 

He said he applauded when Labour showed up and marketed itself well. 

“Good on them. We need to do a better job of showing up, listening and making sure that people we help look and feel that we are helping them. That is important.” 

Regarding these comments, Muralidhar told the Herald “Labour often acts as though it has a monopoly on empathy. It doesn’t.” 

“Empathy is no replacement for good ideas, which is something Labour is sorely lacking.” 

James Christmas (right) has laid into the National candidate. 

Act’s Christmas told the Herald: “I can honestly say I’ve never been endorsed by a gang member, I’ve never floated a future capital gains tax and I definitely would never suggest the right lacks heart”. 

“As this campaign progresses it’s becoming clear that I’m the only centre-right candidate running to serve the people of Tāmaki as their Member of Parliament.” 

Christmas is referencing previous remarks of Muralidhar’s. 

The Herald reported in September on criticism of Muralidhar for saying he was comfortable with New Zealand’s approach to a capital gains tax “for now”. He later clarified he supported “no new taxes and absolutely no capital gains tax”. 

The Post this week reported the National candidate as saying he had received support from a gang member. He denied this was a gang endorsement of his campaign. 

Labour’s Tāmaki candidate, Max Harris, said in a statement he believed support for National and Act had softened. 

“The Tāmaki race is tight, and I have spoken to multiple people who are turning away from National and Act in their local vote because they believe that this National-Act-NZ First Government has been cruel and lacks heart, and they want a candidate that will bring hope and heart back to Tāmaki.” 

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.