25 March 2002

"It looks like the Labour/Alliance is planning to gouge more tax out of hard working New Zealanders," says National's Finance spokesman David Carter.

Mr Carter says it appears that junior Minister Matt Robson has been asked to float the idea about increasing income tax.

"He is taking a poll on his website asking if people on the highest salaries should pay more tax. The question is even intentionally skewered to gain a favourable response."

David Carter says it is typical, envious, left wing politics to tax other people's success to fund bigger and less efficient government.

"We all know this Government's penchant for floating ideas with the public before announcing them. They don't do anything before polling the idea first.

"However, in this instance Helen Clark, Jim Anderton and Michael Cullen know this is a very sensitive area so they have chosen the junior - and highly expendable - Matt Robson to float the idea of a planned increase in income tax."

Mr Carter says Clark, Anderton and Cullen will find out - in no uncertain terms - that New Zealanders do not want to pay more tax.

"We are already over-taxed. Government should be looking at ways of reducing the tax burden not surreptitiously finding ways to sneakily increase it.

"This is another clear difference between National and the current Government," Mr Carter concluded.

"We believe in reducing taxes and they want to increase them."

Ends

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