Winston Peters promises to bring tourists' GST to NZ regions

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters on Sunday promised to track GST to the regions through "computerisation".

In an address to a the New Zealand First campaign launch in Palmerston North on Sunday afternoon, Mr Peters promised the party was planning to deliver GST paid by tourists back to the regions.

Mr Peters used the "Barclay debacle" as an example of how the "National Party takes the regions for granted", promising launch-goers New Zealand First was planning to prioritise the regions.

"We are going to return the full GST from tourists back to the regions in which they spent the money. The data is easily accessible, which measures this spend already. You make the money here and you're going to get your fair share back," Mr Peters promised.

He said New Zealand First was planning to reform the Reserve Bank Act as a way of "safeguarding the economic future" of regional New Zealand, where he claimed small businesses were on critical jeopardy.

Mr Peters said the National Party saw regional infrastructure as "the poor cousin" of the major cities, saying it "was often overlooked".

"And this is despite the massive growth of tourism - the costs of which fall primarily on regional New Zealand.

"The Government boasts of a tourism bonanza, which is based in the regions, and yet gives almost nothing back to the regions to fund the cost of it."

He said the money made from distributing the GST would go towards fixing the "30,000 kilometres of unsealed roads, single-laned bridges and a serious lack of toilets, parking and basic infrastructure".

Newshub.