The National Party’s tax package may be a middle-income vote winner, but it avoids the core problem of tax-free wealth. And how much the new system would cost to operate is far from clear.

Here are some random quotes from the article that basically sum it up, IMO.

Relief measures aimed at superannuitants include promising to increase NZ Super annually – although that already happens under the current scheme

As the tax policy makes clear, short-term concerns about the cost of living trump longer-term considerations about climate change.

Generally, two of the new proposals appear to gloss over the massive IT costs that tend to accompany new taxes.

What the package does not do is engage with the problem of tax-free wealth.

there isn’t a lot here for the least well off. But these are probably not the voters National is after.

  • @Rangelus
    6•10 months ago

    Just like last time, they will campaign on tax cuts then increase taxes elsewhere to compensate. Like reduced income tax at the expensive of upping GST to 15%.

    Perhaps it won’t be a tax, but the chickens always come home to roost. This has to be paid for somehow, and a nebulous “we’ll cut some stuff, and tax foreign buyers!” screams handwaved bullshit.

    • Kiwiguy
      5•10 months ago

      @Rangelus @Dave exactly my thoughts. Announce something nice that doesn’t happen with so something unpopular that will.

      Privatising electricity was unpopular until Key said all the money will be spent on public infrastructure and water projects. The dams never happened at scale and were never going to.

    • @liv
      4•10 months ago

      It’s a strategy that relies on poor understanding of cause and effect and/or poor impulse control.

      Reminds me of that experiment where they put a lolly in front of a kid and tell them that if they can resist eating it for 5 minutes they will get two lollies.

      Unfortunately the NZ public demands to eat the lolly immediately at election time, so we’re worse off.

  • @TagMeInSkipIGotThis
    5•10 months ago

    Scrapping the clean car discount, 20 hours free ECE and public transport subsidies are all in my opinion deeply stupid ways to pay for tax cuts that benefit people already doing ok far more than the people who are actually struggling.

    Then you look at the other things they’ve announced as part of it - landlords get to claim 100% of interest deductions again, brightline test etc - and its even more clearly a policy that robs a struggling Peter to give more money to a wealthy Paul .

    Then this idea that the way to address climate damage is to take a pollution tax and fire it over to individuals is just cooked. The baffling thing is Willis can claim to be in politics to help people and drop these turds.

  • @2tapry
    4•10 months ago

    Yep. Just a vote grab. Absolutely nothing to see here.

    The only party that is taking Climate Change seriously is the Greens. Unfortunately, both the major parties are seriously overlooking what will happen to NZ’s trade if they continue down this path - National are worse than Labour. The effects on trade, hence NZ income, will, l believe, happen over a much shorter period than most think, leaving no time to catch up.

    Perhaps Labour will still come home strong before the election, but I’m not holding my breath on that one. Labour+Green I can stomach. National+/-anyone I cannot.

    What is needed is a full on CGT and a shift in tax thresholds that reduces tax on the poor and increases tax on the rich, along with some serious Climate Change action. Healthcare needs to be number two behind Climate Change.

    • @Ilovethebomb
      3•10 months ago

      Healthcare needs to be number two behind Climate Change.

      That’s a vote winning policy for sure.