Maori are worse off after Budget swindle

Maori are worse of as a result of Budget 2010, Labour’s spokesperson for Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia said today.

“John Key’s Government today delivered a tax swindle Budget and a Budget of broken promises,” Parekura Horomia said.

“The real winners in John Key’s Budget are the very highest earners. And only a hand full of those are Maori.

“The average wage for Maori over the age of 15 years is less than $29,000 – when you take into account their tax cut and 6% inflation – they still come out worse off.

“Maori Party MP Hone Harawira supposedly broke rank to speak out against the increase in GST - it’s a real shame he failed to walk the talk and follow through by voting against it.

“National has no idea how to create jobs and the future we need. They have increased tax on everything whanau buy and have added a raft of other taxes.

“The unemployment rate for Maori is forecast to increase and there are still 20,000 Maori still out of work. This Budget does nothing to help them.

“A huge cut to early childhood education funding means parents with young children will have to find extra each week, and the $1.2 billion hole in health spending over four years will hit the elderly and sick hard.

“At the moment over 35,000 Maori tamariki are enrolled in early childhood education – their whänau face major increases in fees because of National’s Budget,” Parekura Horomia said.

ENDS

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