National has launched a campaign to stop Labour’s planned Jobs Tax, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“New Zealanders struggling with the cost of living crisis need to speak up now to stop Labour’s tax grab on their hard-earned wages.

“Many people will be surprised to learn of Labour’s quiet plan to impose a new 1.39 per cent Jobs Tax on every working Kiwi and every employer. National will be campaigning to make sure New Zealanders know about it before it’s too late to stop it.

“The new Jobs Tax would make a typical worker (earning $60,000) $834 worse off every year. That’s $834 less for groceries, bills, and people’s own savings. It’s a cost Kiwis can’t afford.

“This latest tax grab by Labour is being proposed to pay for an ‘income insurance’ scheme. This gold-plated welfare scheme would allow people made redundant from their jobs to stay out of work for up to six months on 80 per cent pay. It would come with a multi-billion price tag.

“Despite major financial challenges facing New Zealanders, Finance Minister Grant Robertson expects you to give away more of your already-stretched pay packets to pay for his pet project.

“Employers will also be hit with a new 1.39 per cent tax, meaning they’ll have less cash available for pay rises and may be forced to hike prices to pay for it.

“This is yet another case of skewed priorities from a Government that is increasingly out of touch with the needs of New Zealand families.

“National is determined to speak up for hardworking New Zealanders who are already being hit by rising prices and higher interest rates and who can’t afford to pay yet another new tax.

“We are campaigning to stop this tax and have pledged that if Labour do introduce it, National will repeal it.

“People power stopped Labour’s KiwiSaver Tax, now it’s time to stop the Jobs Tax too.”

People can sign National’s petition to stop the Jobs Tax at: national.org.nz/stopthejobstax