Annabel Young National Revenue Spokesperson

10 October 2001

Dr Cullen should give some tax money back

The Finance Minister should hand back some of the money the Government's reaped in an excessive tax grab, says National's Revenue spokesperson Annabel Young.

"Adding six cents to the top personal tax rate has given the Government $100 million more than it expected. Dr Cullen should front up and give taxpayers back some of their money.

"Labour says it is business-friendly but stripping $100 million out of the economy is hardly friendly. Labour is admitting to a $2.7 billion growth in tax revenue, with Treasury estimating that 18.5 percent of this has come from higher tax rates, 42.6 percent from inflation and 38.9 percent from real growth.

"This is a massive tax grab, yet the Government is still greedily chasing charities and sports clubs. It should instead be giving some of the money back to taxpayers," said Annabel Young.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

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