Treasurer Bill English said today it was clear Labour was starting to feel the heat from Alliance pressure to increase taxes.

"It is clear from weekend media reports that Labour is under pressure from the Alliance over the promised tax inquiry and Dr Cullen has now confirmed that he would move rapidly after the election to set it up. However, he is still trying to hold off giving any detail until after the election.

"But you don't have a tax inquiry unless you're looking for more ways to tax people. There's only one way that taxes are going to go after this inquiry and that's up.

"The Alliance is quite up front about wanting to see more taxes. A financial transactions tax, capital gains tax, death duties, a land tax, higher income taxes, and more taxes on Family Trusts are all on the Alliance list.

"Dr Cullen is already under enormous pressure from his own caucus to spend more. He has had to allow Labour MPs to announce policy without providing costings, such as the broadcasting policy and an estimated $70 million give-away to the West Coast. Once you add the big-spending Alliance to the equation the pressure for more tax is intense.

"Labour should be honest with voters and admit before the election that there will be new taxes as well as higher taxes under a Labour-Alliance coalition government," said Mr English.

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.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>