Simon Bridges is a Winston Peters in his prime while Todd Muller can be compared to a 'skinny Dotcom”, according to a cheeky Deputy Prime Minster Bill English today.

Speaking to about 100 people at Club Mount Maunganui, the Minister of Finance opened his address with the tongue n' cheek comments about his National colleagues before delving into the state of New Zealand's finances and future prospects.

Bill English mingles with people at a public meeting this morning.

In his final push before Saturday's election, Bill was joined by Tauranga MP Simon and Bay of Plenty National candidate Todd for the public meeting where he spoke on economic stability, and how managing the country's younger generation is key.

'It is a pleasure to be here with these two candidates who have been described in various ways. Simon as what Winston Peters used to look like when he was young; but I can assure you doesn't behave like him.

'Todd as a new candidate told us this morning, at one of the many doors he knocked on, someone said ‘Oh you look like a fat Tony Ryall'. I think he looks like a skinny Dotcom, and a bit short too.”

Humour aside, Bill believes a National-led government is what people want, and he's confident the party has policies in place to move forward in the next term.

Using the global financial crisis of 2007 as an example, he says this was a chance to make 'big drastic changes” to the country.

Instead, National made sensible decisions which have eased the nation out of the economic period in strong shape.

'The change that makes a difference is the change that people support.”

It is National's pledge in the next four years to increase the average wage from $55,000 to $62,000 based on consistent small changes as opposed to drastic ones.

'It's not wining Lotto but as I have found out, and I think others have, you don't win Lotto that often.

'The way you get ahead with a country is the same as with your household. You can't wait around for something spectacular to drop into your lap, you keep doing sensible things well.”

Bill – a self-professed 'sceptical finance guy” – says one of the main areas of New Zealand's economy consuming billions of dollars is sickness beneficiaries.

He says statistics show there are currently 300,000 people on the benefit, costing the taxpayer $76 billion over a lifetime.

About $50b of this is driven by those going on the benefit under the age of 20, he says.

But when 'digging deeper” many beneficiaries have solvable problems – such as depression or a physical injury – that once tended to will help them into paid work.

'We are working hard at how a young person gets started. Because if they get started, it's really hard to get them off.”

Keeping on the youthful track, National also wants to tackle the 2000 'toughest kids” in New Zealand who are effectively taking up millions of dollars using dozens of Government services.

'We are talking about million dollar kids here who will use dozens of services over their lifetime.

'So when you know that number there is a moral as well as fiscal imperative to do something about it.”