tax cuts Archive

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  Podcast: Green Budget 2011 - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Tomorrow is Budget day…and it’s looking rather bleak. John Key has signalled that this Budget is, and can only be about reining in spending through budget cuts. Lots of them. Some of them severe. But is this the only way forward from here? The Green Party have put together a package of alternative Budget initiatives [...] read more
  May 18, 2011 7:13 pm - 1 Comment
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: updated statistics - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  A major report was released today. Household Incomes in New Zealand: Trends in Indicators of Inequality and Hardship 1982-2009 uses data from the Household Economic Survey to update a wide range of poverty and inequality measures and analyses the findings thoroughly in a 150 page report. Missed it? You could be forgiven for doing so [...] read more
  August 16, 2010 7:25 pm - 22 Comments
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: Mind the Gap! - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  As you know, I’ve been writing a series of blog posts about Inequality in Aotearoa during April and May. I’ve also been working on ideas for solutions to the growing gap between rich and poor in New Zealand, and this morning I’ve launched a major package of eight practical ideas to reduce inequality. Here I [...] read more
  May 17, 2010 3:43 pm - 139 Comments
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: an idea whose time has come - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  A major feature of the UK election campaign whose results we’ve all been hanging off (and by the way why would we even contemplate a return to FPP given the grossly disproportionate result it’s produced over there?) was the importance of inequality. One of the Liberal Democrats’ key campaign planks was a tax-free threshold of [...] read more
  May 12, 2010 4:24 pm - 48 Comments
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  Key charity advice adds insult to injury - by Sue Bradford

  
  
  
  John Key’s advice to those lucky enough to benefit from the April tax cuts to donate them to charity simply adds insult to injury for all those people currrently struggling just to get by. Most people earning less that $40,000 won’t get anything in April; high earners will get more back the more they earn, [...] read more
  March 19, 2009 1:41 pm - 128 Comments
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  You can’t always get what you want - by frog

  
  
  
  One of the funnier moments in the Hollow Men was the bit where Don Brash decides to go all populist, Maori bashing and tough on crime etc, and then all his big business supporters start to get antsy, because although they want him elected they don’t want some middle-of-the-road National Party; they want Roger Douglas [...] read more
  October 8, 2008 9:22 am - 52 Comments
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  From boom to bust - by frog

  
  
  
  Gordon Campbell over at Scoop takes a look at tax cuts: No wonder that Mark Weldon down at the New Zealand stock exchange is feeling stressed. With stock markets plunging and the financial system in meltdown mode, the major parties seem eerily oblivious to the chaos raining down upon them. The zombie march of ideological [...] read more
  October 7, 2008 4:00 pm - 47 Comments
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  Our economic future - by frog

  
  
  
  A decade of deficits, 5 percent unemployment, falling house prices and nothing left in the government piggybank. Our economy can sometimes be like American television shows.  We don’t get what they’re seeing until six months later, but when it does arrive it’s bad because we get both their version and our own local rip-off. For [...] read more
  October 7, 2008 8:39 am - 48 Comments
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  Opening the books - by frog

  
  
  
  Today is opening the books day when all the parties get to see how much is in the piggy bank to spend on election promise.  The general consensus is that the latest round of tax cuts and a recession means that Dr Cullen might have left the piggy bank empty for the next government.  That [...] read more
  October 6, 2008 9:45 am - 6 Comments
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  Fiscal irresponsibility - by frog

  
  
  
  I asked at the beginning of the year how each party might respond to a recession.  The Herald gives National’s answer today on it’s front page – pretend it’s not happening: Despite global financial turmoil, National’s finance spokesman, Bill English, has indicated the party is still considering tax cuts of $50 a week. Asked on [...] read more
  September 16, 2008 9:38 am - 24 Comments
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  Tax cuts for leaving us - by frog

  
  
  
  Last night the Taxation International Taxation, Life Insurance and Remedial Matters Bill came before the house for its first reading. This is a 445 page tome of mind numbing discussion about various matters tax related including rights of non disclosure, joint ventures, and portfolio investment entity rules. But, what it also contains is an exemption [...] read more
  July 24, 2008 9:26 am - 7 Comments
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  Dunne’s step to the right should be worrying centrist voters. - by frog

  
  
  
  Gordon Campbell’s continuing series of interviews with party leaders continued yesterday with a fascinating analysis of “the Ken Barlow of New Zealand politics� Peter Dunne. The bit I found most interesting was his discussion on taxes. Note that Dunne is offering himself forward as “reality check� on an incoming National government to prevent it “har[ing] [...] read more
  June 17, 2008 8:36 am - 10 Comments
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  Jeanette’s budget speech - by frog

  
  
  
  Jeanette followed on from a number of convoluted speeches full of numbers, figures and backslapping about tax cuts. We are living in a moment in history, in a generation where the people who have the power have a clear choice. Either they face inconvenient truths that are so obvious around us, or they leave it [...] read more
  May 22, 2008 5:13 pm - 28 Comments
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  Greenpeace, climate change and agriculture - by frog

  
  
  
  One of things that most strongly differentiates the Green Party’s holistic approach to dealing with climate change from other parties is that it does not have a blind spot on the issue of agriculture [pdf].Greenpeace, in it’s survey of political parties policies on climate change, asked all parties whether the farming sector or taxpayers should [...] read more
  March 31, 2008 12:02 pm - 13 Comments
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  How big a slice of tax cut would you like? - by frog

  
  
  
  Tax cuts. Cullen says his will be smaller but won’t negatively affect the economy or public services. English says his will be bigger but doesn’t want to play that up too much in case he gets caught in the chewing gum trap Cullen found him self in last election. Or worse, he could end up [...] read more
  March 27, 2008 1:55 pm - 7 Comments
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  Tax cuts for tycoons - by frog

  
  
  
  In breaking news the Business Roundtable, Federated Farmers, New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants would like tax cuts targeted towards the wealthy.  Well, they get full marks for honesty. But I think they had better resign themselves the fact that both National and Labour, as well as all [...] read more
  February 11, 2008 11:44 am - 29 Comments
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  Taxing ‘bads’ not ‘goods’ - by frog

  
  
  
  Bob Edlin has an interesting article in today’s Independent Financial Review (off-line) where he examines each party’s tax positions in the lead up to the 2008 election.  All the other parties mentioned in the article take the opportunity to chant ‘tax cuts, tax cuts’ while the Jeanette reiterates the Greens’ position that the debate needs [...] read more
  January 23, 2008 11:03 am - 10 Comments
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  Health, education, sustainability before tax cuts - by frog

  
  
  
  National and Labour have already signalled that they want to make tax cuts a big part of this year’s elections. And, as we know, more tax cuts mean less money to spend (or save), so let’s have one more quote from the Picnic over the weekend: Let me make it quite clear: if the point [...] read more
  January 22, 2008 4:38 pm - 32 Comments