Hon Jim Anderton

Member of Parliament for Wigram
Progressive Leader

15 February 2008 Media Statement

National has no answers to affordable homes

National’s complaints about average wage earners not being able to afford houses ring hollow when it refuses to say it would give average wage earners as much in tax cuts as it would give to National MPs, Progressive leader Jim Anderton says.

In a report yesterday National MP Phil Heatley complained that new homes will be affordable only by “those above the average household income.”

But Jim Anderton says National is speaking with a forked tongue. “National is not planning to do anything about home affordability for a household on an average income. It won’t do anything at all for that household.

“We know that because National won’t promise that an average household would get the same tax cuts as National MPs would get. “If National was truly worried about home affordability for an average household, then it would promise average households the same tax cut as a National MP would get.”

Jim Anderton has been challenging National to clarify its tax promise and state whether average households would get the same tax cut as high income homes.

“National has two simple points it refuses to answer on tax cuts − does it support the Business Roundtable flat tax policy, and does it want a household on the average wage with two kids to get the same tax cut as a National MP?

“National is the only party in parliament that can’t answer these questions. It has no credibility talking about tax cuts or housing affordability when it can’t answer straightforward questions.”

ENDS

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