Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi is ecstatic his members bill to remove GST from kai has been drawn from the ballot.

“For the last three-years Te Pāti Māori have been calling on the previous and current governments to implement real change and address the cost-of-living crisis,” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

“I am excited that my bill to remove GST from kai has been drawn from the ballot. It is the start of the radical shake-up our taxation system in this country needs.

“I am calling on all parties in the house to support my bill.

“We have had overwhelming support on the Te Pāti Māori petition to remove GST off kai. In a Newshub poll, over 70% of people supported the move prior to the election.

“It is clear the people want GST to be removed from their grocery bills.

“We have a coalition government who have repealed the rights of workers in their first week of power, to just this week, aligning benefits to a system designed to keep them poor.

“Nothing in this governments agenda is addressing poverty. In fact, they are only designing policy that contributes to it.

“Through their agenda of repeal and stop, the gap between the richest two-percent and the other ninety-eight percent continues to widen.

“Food is a right and a necessity that should never be taxed, especially during a cost a living crisis that a government is failing to address.

“The regressive nature of GST is one that will always hurt low income families the hardest,” concluded Waititi.

This legislation would amend the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985 to remove GST from all food products and non-alcoholic beverages.

© Scoop Media