The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming the release of today's report from the Tax Working Group. The CTUs Economist Bill Rosenberg was a member of this group.

"It is good to see that the Working Group has come up with some tangible things that the government can do to create a fairer system for all Kiwis," CTU President, Richard Wagstaff said.

"There is no question that we, as a society, have some serious challenges to face especially when it comes to the imbalance in wealth. Taxing the income from capital gains is an important piece in the puzzle making New Zealand a fairer place. Those who complain about taxing this income like all other income, are those who are currently able to play the property market as if it were a game of monopoly. So many working Kiwis are struggling to buy a single home because of the way that the wealthy few can use this subsidy to speculate. With wages receiving a falling share of the nation’s income it is increasingly important that taxation of income from capital is made fairer,"

"Working Kiwis deserve a better deal and now the government needs to show what they are made of and show that they truly do care about making ours a fairer system,"

He also welcomed the proposal by the Tax Working Group that member tax credits for Kiwisaver members should continue when they take parental leave from work to have children. "We have long advocated this and would like to see the proposal taken up and expanded. It helps working parents to continue saving while they are caring for children," Wagstaff said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media