National can reveal that tax expert Associate Revenue Minister Dr Deborah Russell is at odds with her own government’s tenant tax policy – yet another Minister who has publicly disagreed with Labour’s tax policies, National’s Campaign Chair Chris Bishop says.

“Prior to becoming an MP, Dr Deborah Russell made it clear in a now-deleted post on her blog that removing the ability for landlords to deduct interest costs is ‘…a bad idea’, would be ‘…an arbitrary rule, designed to achieve a non-tax purpose’, and simply ‘won’t work’.

“Dr Russell also warned that ‘…residential property investors would simply increase rents instead’. She was right, with median rents increasing $75 since Labour announced this policy.

“This comes after Dr Russell’s previous comments speaking out against the removal of GST on fruit and vegetables resurfaced yesterday.

“Just weeks ago internal ructions over Labour’s failed wealth and capital gains tax policies and their ill-advised plan to tinker with GST spilled out into public view, resulting in David Parker’s resignation as Revenue Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson going to ground.

“Is there anyone left in Labour’s caucus who actually agrees with Chris Hipkins on tax? Or are they all so desperate to stay in power that they’re willing to toss their principles aside and swallow whatever dead rats Hipkins hands to them?

“How can New Zealanders trust Labour to manage the economy, when Labour’s most senior ministers can’t even agree on something as fundamental as tax policy?

“For two years now National has been calling on the government to deliver a plan to address the underlying drivers of rampant price inflation. But Labour Ministers are too busy fighting amongst themselves on tax.

“Labour has mismanaged the economy, driven up the cost of living and left more and more Kiwis struggling to get by, with weekly rents up $170, the social housing waitlist increasing by 20,000 families and 6,000 families living in motels.

“National will rebuild the economy to reduce the cost of living, lift incomes for all and improve our schools. Our tax policy will deliver income tax reductions to hardworking Kiwis, making an average full-time worker around $1000 a year better off.

“Meanwhile the Coalition of Chaos will continue to focus on themselves and their own infighting, ignoring the needs of Kiwis.”

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