Green Party co-leader James Shaw’s suggestion that the Government won’t deserve to be elected if it doesn’t introduce a capital gains tax has dangerous implications, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “The Green Party’s apparent ‘capital-gains-tax-at-any-cost’ position is appalling, because it suggests they will support the tax even if the actual detail of the policy fails the test of fairness.”

“James Shaw must clarify if it is now his Party’s official policy to support a capital gains tax even if it applies to the family home, is levied at death, applies to inflationary gains, and has one of the highest rates in the world.”

“Our recent report, Five Rules for a Fair Capital Gains Tax, outlines criteria that a capital gains tax must meet in order to be considered ‘fair’. Mr Shaw would do well to read it and understand that Kiwis will only support a capital gains tax if it's a fair one.”

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