Jim Anderton MP Wed Sep 1 1999

The failure of proposed tax legislation means the Government should call an election immediately, Alliance leader Jim Anderton says.

'A Government which cannot pass its main tax Bill cannot claim any mandate to remain in office,' he said today following the announcement that the National Party would not try to pass a law before the election to amend tax scales from 1 April next year.

'Tax legislation is always confidence legislation, and the main tax Bill which sets income tax rates is more of a confidence measure than any other single piece of legislation.

'The withdrawal of the proposed tax Bill in the face of inevitable defeat amounts to much the same thing as actual defeat of it.

'I have never heard of a government which couldn't pass its tax legislation through Parliament, because you can't be the Government unless you can get tax legislation passed.

'The Government is now lingering in office without even a parliamentary mandate. It should announce the election date and go to the country now,' Jim Anderton said.

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