25 September 2013

Northland council candidate calls for GST off rates

Northland Regional Council candidate Vaughan Gunson believes GST should be removed from all local body rates.

Gunson is calling for local body councillors throughout the country to start promoting GST off rates, so that nationwide pressure can be applied to the government.

“GST on rates is a tax on a tax, and it unfairly hurts people on low incomes,” says Gunson.

“Removing GST would either allow for a rates decrease, or if the rates amount was kept at the current GST inclusive levels, more money would be available to local bodies to spend on socially beneficial projects,” says Gunson.

“One of the current political issues is regional development,” says Gunson, “more money staying local in the first place, rather than going to Wellington, would be an easy step to make.”

“Personally I think the GST amount no longer going to Wellington should be invested in fare-free public transport, which would have substantial social and environmental benefits, but that’s a debate for people to have in their regions,” says Gunson.

Vaughan Gunson was the national coordinator of the Tax Justice campaign (2010-11) which called for GST to be removed from all food. A petition signed by 40,000 people was presented to parliament in 2011. The campaign was successful in putting pressure on the Labour Party to adopt a policy of GST off healthy food.

Vaughan Gunson is standing for the Coastal North constituency of the Northland Regional Council. For more detail on the issues he is standing for go to http://www.vote.co.nz/2013/candidates/vaughan-gunson-11153
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