Media Release

10 September 2014

Stephen Berry

ACT List Candidate No. 6

Conservatives Secret Tax Agenda Revealed

"Conservatives Epsom candidate Christine Rankin today revealed a secret tax plan to radically increase excise tax on alcohol in order to fund their $20,000 income tax-free threshold while at the Epsom Candidates debate held Wednesday night at Kings School in Remuera."

Act candidate Stephen Berry challenged Ms. Rankin during the audience Q&A session asking, “Can you please reveal what level of income tax the Conservative party intends to charge above the $20,000 threshold and if not, why not?”

Ms. Rankin was unable to give specifics on the policy stating that the rate charged would be between 20 and 25%. She then revealed out of frustration the Conservative party intends to raise an additional $4 billion in tax revenue by increasing taxes levelled on alcohol.

Mr. Berry says, “I was quite frankly flabbergasted by this response as I had not seen this policy in any Conservative party literature, nor have they previously mentioned it publically. Has Ms. Rankin inadvertedly revealed a secret tax agenda?”

An analysis of current income received by the Government shows less than $1 billion of tax revenue is currently raised from alcohol excise tax. In order to raise an extra $4 billion would require the Government to increase taxes on alcohol by 400%.

“Colin Craig has tried to differentiate himself from National by not being involved in the dirty politics saga,” Mr Berry says. “Trying to conceal a plan for a massive tax increase from the New Zealand public is perhaps the dirtiest political trick of them all.”

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