Labour’s campaign rampant with inconsistencies
Labour can barely hold the same position on tax and borrowing for 24 hours, National’s Campaign Chair Simeon Brown says.
“One minute Chris Hipkins says Labour won’t borrow more. The next, Barbara Edmonds can’t make the same commitment.
“One minute Chris Hipkins says worker accommodation on farms will be hit by Labour’s Capital Gains Tax. Three hours later, he says it won’t.
“It is deeply concerning that Labour cannot give New Zealanders straight, consistent answers to basic questions about how much they plan to tax, borrow and spend.
“On Newstalk ZB on Wednesday, Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking that Labour wouldn’t borrow more. Yet in a debate this morning, Labour’s Finance spokesperson refused to make the same commitment.
“The same contradictions are on display regarding Labour’s Capital Gains Tax.
“Asked on HeraldNow whether accommodation blocks for workers on farms would be caught by the tax, Mr Hipkins said the family farm would be exempt, with the exception of any rental accommodation.
“Just three hours later, at a press conference, Mr Hipkins changed his answer, saying family farms are exempt and that this includes worker accommodation.
“Labour’s inability to give consistent answers on its own policies is astounding. Either Chris Hipkins isn’t across the detail, or he doesn’t think New Zealanders deserve a straight answer.
“Labour has made $18 billion of unfunded spending promises. In order to pay for them, Chris Hipkins will need to ramp up borrowing, adopt new taxes, and expand Labour’s Capital Gains Tax so that it hits the family home, the family farm and anything else he can think of to fuel his spending addiction.
“Kiwis are on the hook for $2,263 in additional tax every year under Labour, and Chris Hipkins doesn’t even respect New Zealanders enough to front up with honest answers about his tax agenda.
“The choice at this election is clear, between National with a plan to keep growing the economy, spending sensibly and paying down debt, with no new taxes. Or a Labour coalition that would squander surpluses, leave New Zealand exposed with more debt, and Kiwis paying nine new taxes.”
EDITOR’s NOTES
Labour’s inconsistency on borrowing
Chris Hipkins when asked by Mike Hosking if he will borrow more Newstalk ZB, 30 Sept: “No, we've been really clear about the fact that we're going to get back into, we want to get back into surplus, same level as the government.”
Barbara Edmonds in Beyond the Ballot debate when asked by Nicola Willis if she will commit to no further borrowing than PREFU: “We have set out our fiscal strategy. Our fiscal plan will be released-”
Nicola Willis: “And will you return books to surplus in the 28-29 year by your preferred OBEGAL measure as the pre-election update currently shows can be achieved?”
Barbara Edmonds: We will look at it as part of our fiscal plan-
Nicola Willis: “What you just said you’re going to borrow, spend more and tax more.”
Labour’s inconsistency on Capital Gains Tax
Chris Hipkins on HeraldNow, 1 Oct: “The one exception will be where there is rental properties on a family farm. Then that proportion of the farm could end up being subjected to a capital gains tax.”
Chris Hipkins media standup, 1 Oct: “It’s a targeted capital gains tax that applies to residential rental properties and commercial properties. It does not apply to farms. There is a definition in the tax legislation already of what’s covered by a farm and that does include the worker accommodation on a farm. That’s already included in the current definition in tax law of what a farm is.”
