Labour's leader has stopped short of joining calls for the Finance Minister's resignation, but says "the whole government needs to resign".
It comes after calls from a former finance minister for Nicola Willis to resign her portfolio, after data showed the economy to be shrinking again.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Friday mounted a fierce defence of Willis saying "I don't think there's a single New Zealander that could do a better job". He and Willis have both pointed to global chaos caused by US tariffs and the previous Labour government as to blame for the economic situation.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Opposition leader Chris Hipkins said the government's economic plan was not working.
Things are getting worse. They're just trying to find other people to blame," he said.
"Nicola Willis has actually made it worse."
But asked repeatedly if Willis needed to quit, Hipkins would only say the entire government needed to go at next year's election.
"Things are getting worse. They're just trying to find other people to blame," Hipkins said.
Former finance minster Ruth Richardson told RNZ the country needed a "bold reset" to turn it's fortunes around.
"Borrowing is too high, the public expenditure is too high, the deficit is not being cured, and all of those things weigh on the economy." she said.
"Public spending has gone up, not down, and it's been the ruination of our economy."
Her comments follow calls from another former finance minister, Roger Douglas, for Willis to resign and government spending to be cut.
Hipkins said the pair sounded like a broken record.
"That economic prescription has failed over the last 40 years... we've been left behind by others around the world because of following that kind of economic lunacy."
Asked what Labour would do different if in power, Hipkins said ihs party would not make any policy promises until it was sure it could keep them.
"Right now, as things continue to get worse on a day-by-day basis, it isn't the right time for the Opposition to be releasing policy, because who knows how much worse this is going to get before things can start to get better."
Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon should be held to their own standard, he said.
"They were very clear with New Zealanders before the last election that they didn't think New Zealand should be blaming international factors for the state of the economy."
"Other countries around the world have also faced tariffs, some have faced bigger tariffs than New Zealand, and they are growing and New Zealand is shrinking." he said.
The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll showed Labour ahead of National.
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