Media release 17 March 2004

Use Tax Policy To Get Growth

National Leader Don Brash's commitment to reduce taxes as part of a strategy for growth is understood, but the tax cuts that do most to create growth should come first, says Business NZ.

"Fundamentally, this means a corporate tax rate pitched below that of Australia," Business NZ Chief Executive Simon Carlaw said.

"Without this, businesses that can choose between operating in Australia or operating in New Zealand will choose Australia every time. New Zealand cannot hope to sustain a comparable standard of living with Australia if Kiwi businesses continue to drift across the Tasman.

"Given that National's plan is to take a significant period of time to reduce tax rates overall - thereby delaying the growth potential from such reductions - the need to get corporate tax below 30% is all the more important," Mr Carlaw said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>