8. Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) Link to this
to the Minister of Finance
Does he stand by all his recent statements?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) Link to this
That was such a good question that it should have been higher up the list. The answer is yes. In particular I stand by my statements about the mismanagement of the previous Government, which saw our tradable industries stagnate for a decade, Government spending soar, per capita GDP decline, and New Zealand go into recession a year before the rest of the world.
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
Among his recent statements, is his claim to Grey Power that he will consider restoring New Zealand Superannuation Fund contributions sooner than had been expected an acknowledgment that the Dominion Post’s Vernon Small was right when he called the Minister’s policy “dumb” and “short-sighted”?
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
Amongst his recent statements, when he said yesterday that inflation was low, can he confirm that on top of another 10c-a-litre increase in the price of petrol, an increase in GST will unnecessarily push up the cost of living and make it more difficult for those who are struggling to make ends meet to get ahead?
The member needs to wait and see the details of the tax package before he jumps to the conclusion that people will be worse off. In fact, as the Prime Minister has said a number of times, the vast majority of New Zealanders are likely to be better off.
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
Among his recent statements, when he says the tax system is unfair, does he then agree with TradeMe founder Sam Morgan that the system is unfair because “The people that pay the most tax are working people”; if so, what measures will he take to correct that injustice?
One of the reasons that people like Sam Morgan can essentially pick their tax rate is the ridiculous tax structure that the previous Government put in place, which gives many opportunities to people to structure their affairs so that they can virtually pick their tax rate. I have invited Mr Morgan, if he feels uneasy in his conscience, to write out a cheque to the Inland Revenue Department and pay what he believes to be his fair share of tax.