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That surplus is workers' money, Dr Cullen!

That surplus is workers' money, Dr Cullen!

Friday 28 Jan 2005

Rodney Hide - Press Releases - Other

ACT Leader Rodney Hide today accused Dr Cullen of squeezing workers while sitting atop of record surpluses.

Mr Hide's comments follow the Government announcing it has recorded an operating surplus of nearly $4 billion in the first five months of the financial year - nearly $400 million above what was forecast in November.

"Never before in our country's history has a government so unnecessarily taken so much money off working New Zealanders - never. Dr Cullen's behaviour would make the Sheriff of Nottingham blush.

"Last year Dr Cullen skited about an operating surplus of 4.7% of GDP. For the next three years we can expect average surpluses of well over 4% of GDP. That's obscene. That surplus comes at the expense of hard-working Kiwis who are left with no surplus after paying the tax that Dr Cullen demands.

"It's time to reward the workers who built these surpluses with the across the board tax cuts. It is after all their money not Dr Cullen's," said Mr Hide.

ENDS

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