Chris Penk
National Party candidate for Helensville
14 August 2017

Unwanted, Unknown, Unnecessary - Labour's New Water Tax on Auckland's Rural Northwest

The water tax recently proposed by Labour would deliver a sharp blow to the economy of Auckland's rural northwest, says National's candidate for Helensville, Chris Penk.

"It's unwanted because farmers, horticulturalists and viticulturists provide a significant number of jobs in the region ... and slapping them with a water tax would completely undermine this growth. And the inevitable price rises for consumers would hardly be welcome either.”

“It's unknown because Labour aren't saying what they'd actually charge. There's almost no detail associated with the threatened tax, even on such key aspects as how much it'd be and where the money would go.”

“And it's unnecessary because income generated by Kiwi businesses in the rural sector already gets taxed. Margins can be tight, so let's not push them over the edge as Labour are suggesting."

“By contrast, National has been able to create the necessary conditions for our strong national economy – including the rural sector – without introducing punitive tax measures.”

“The only way that the northwest can ensure our rural sector doesn't get hit by Labour's new water tax is to Party Vote National in the next month's election.”

ENDS

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