Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Talking about tax minus the spin this Budget week

Talking about tax minus the spin this Budget week


The Public Service Association is proud to present Progressive Thinking: ten perspectives on tax, an edited booklet featuring ten leading authors, academics and campaigners writing on a broad range of topics on tax policy in theory and practice.

"We’re thrilled to bring together these ten progressive writers in one place to offer a counterpoint to the Budget week talk of tax cuts, which always seems to treat tax as inherently punitive rather than the foundation underlying New Zealand’s public and social services," says Glenn Barclay, PSA national secretary.

Progressive Thinking’s contributors consider everything from tax myths and political promises to specific measures for taxation on wealth and carbon emissions; from family assistance and inequality to social contract theory and tax avoidance. It also include primers on New Zealand’s history of tax policy and our relative taxation in an international context.

"There are a few recurrent themes across the ten authors - New Zealand’s lack of a comprehensive Capital Gains Tax to combat property speculation in the housing market, or the overall coherence of our broad-base, low tax model, for example. There’s also plenty of discussion around GST, foreign trust regulation, tax avoidance, inequality and the political rhetoric of tax cuts," says Mr Barclay.

"It’s clear to us that many core public social services are currently struggling to provide reliable, timely and high-quality services due to a low tax take, questionable Government priorities and the slow decay of underfunding."

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"It’s even more unfortunate that all major political parties now seem to have bought in to the spin of having to signal their 'fiscal responsibility' by promising to cap spending on critically underfunded public services," says Erin Polaczuk, PSA national secretary.

"This assumes that current tax settings and levels are optimal, and reinforces the idea that tax itself is a bad thing - a burden to bear - and nothing more than that."

"We represent everyone from the Department of Conservation rangers who protect New Zealand’s endangered species to the underpaid home support workers and library staff at the centre of their communities. Everyone from mental health nurses to senior staff at Government Ministries are telling us about how funding shortages are making their work more difficult," says Ms Polaczuk.

The PSA’s Progressive Thinking: ten perspectives on tax booklet is launched at 12:30pm, PSA House (Aurora Terrace, Wellington) on May 22nd 2017.

It is available to read online at www.psa.org.nz/taxbooklet.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.