It’s not worth putting much credence in Simon Bridges’s complaints about the current Government’s piling on hikes in petrol taxes until he commits to reversing them, says the Taxpayers’ Union.

Spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said, “It’s not enough to say he’ll reverse Auckland’s regional fuel tax, while the bulk of the petrol tax hammers families across the country.”

“Bridges commits to cutting taxes for those on the average wage. A centre-right government should be willing to slash wasteful spending and cut taxes for everyone. And that includes businesses – New Zealand’s company tax rate is one of the highest in the developed world. Why did Bridges ignore this in today’s speech?”

“Even the aspirational targets are pretty weak. It's easy to pump up total economic growth by three percent using immigration, but specific growth targets should be set on a per-capita level. This would ensure growth actually lifts living standards and builds an economy that can afford world class health, education, and public services.”

“A one-in, two-out system for new regulations sounds great in principle, but it does nothing to ensure National will target the most costly regulatory taxes that drive up the cost of housing and doing business. We're waiting on specifics.”

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