Hon Bill English

Minister of Finance

25 May 2014

Media Statement
Same old tax and spend from Labour

Labour’s tax and spend ‘plan’ released today is the Opposition’s usual approach to public finances, Finance Minister Bill English says.

“After nearly six years in Opposition, all Labour can come up with is a re-hash of its failed old recipe of taxing more and spending more,” Mr English says.

“No one will be surprised – or impressed – by that.

“Labour want to increase taxes so they can spend more without any focus on better results. They are out of touch with New Zealanders’ expectations that the measure of good government is better results, not more spending.

“Labour’s complex capital gains tax would be full of holes, slap a new tax on 2.3 million KiwiSavers and on every New Zealand farm and business without addressing the real issues around housing affordability.

“As for the proposed new top tax rate, it’s just the politics of envy. It wouldn’t actually raise much money, it would encourage those who could do so to shelter money in companies and it would ignore the fact that these taxpayers already pay 22 per cent of income tax - even though they are just 2 per cent of taxpayers.”

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