07 December 2004

National will do better on tax

"Labour needs to re-think its ideological opposition to tax cuts if the main argument is that it's better for the Government to spend our taxes than hard-working New Zealanders," says National Party Leader Don Brash.

"The Labour Government has had five long years to offer some kind of relief to working New Zealanders and it has failed to deliver. National will do much better over the next five years."

Dr Brash will deliver a speech in Auckland on Friday in which he will outline National's priorities for taxation.

"Labour said there would be no tax increases for 95% of New Zealanders, but 20% of full-time workers have now been caught by Helen Clark's higher rate.

"Labour has increased or created more than 30 taxes and levies since 1999, and Dr Cullen has collected an extra $34 billion in revenue.

"Labour's tax take has increased by a mammoth 40% and, despite Helen Clark's promise to run a surplus of only 1% of GDP, the surplus is now running at close to 5%.

"Working New Zealanders do not have to accept Michael Cullen's penny-pinching argument that only the Government can spend our money without causing inflation.

"It's arrogant for Labour to assume that taxpayer dollars are there to spend as they see fit on a politically correct vote-buying agenda," says Dr Brash.

ENDS

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