Campaign to remove GST from food continues

“By voting down Maori Party MP Rahui Katene’s bill to remove GST from healthy food, National, ACT and United Future have shown themselves to be offside with grassroots sentiment,” says Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice campaign coordinator. “Most New Zealanders think it’s criminal that food, a necessity of life, is made more expensive by this hated tax.”

“The issue is not going away, especially with food prices continuing to rise and many people facing tough times in the wake of the global financial crisis,” says Gunson. “I’m confident that the call for tax justice will continue to grow stronger.”

Since late May this year, Tax Justice campaigners have been collecting signatures for a petition calling on parliament to: 1) Remove GST from food; and 2) Tax financial speculation.

“We’ve got 12,000 signatures so far, and we’re just getting warmed up,” says Gunson. “We’re planning to collect many more signatures so that out-of-touch politicians in parliament are forced to listen to the will of the people. That’s what democracy should be about.”

On 1-2 October the Tax Justice campaign is organising a nationwide Double Day of signature collecting for the petition.

“With GST going up to 15% on 1 October we expect a tremendous response from people angry about the escalating cost of living,” says Gunson.

“The National government says they can’t give New Zealanders relief at the supermarket because if foods are exempted from GST then taxes will have to go up elsewhere. Well, we’ve got the answers to that,” says Gunson. “We say tax the financial speculators.”

“Overseas and local financial speculators currently pay zero tax,” says Gunson. “Tax them and the government could easily remove GST from food.”

“Taxing financial speculation would help discourage an activity which is incredibly damaging to the economy and the lives of grassroots people,” says Gunson. “The $1.7 billion bailout of South Canterbury Finance, which is going to cost us all, is the latest injustice, and proof again that the government’s priorities don’t lie with ordinary New Zealanders,” says Gunson.

See also Tax Justice media release (23 July), "Key government spins untruth about GST" http://www.nogstonfood.org/2010/07/23/john-key-government-spins-untruth-about-gst/

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