Number of Labour figures supporting higher taxes grow
Labour candidate Max Harris is just the latest example of the party recruiting people who actively support higher taxes on Kiwis and who would clearly push that case in a Labour Government, says Simeon Brown.
“Prominent Labour candidate Max Harris famously said, ‘if tax is love then New Zealand needs to show a lot more affection,’ as he proposed higher income tax rates and complained that ‘New Zealand largely under-taxes people.”
“Harris’ proposal included making you pay 39 per cent tax on every dollar you earn between $70,000 and $150,000, 45 per cent on every dollar above that and introducing a net wealth tax.
“Harris joins Labour’s Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell who repeatedly refused to answer whether the Capital Gains Tax went far enough and influential Labour candidate Craig Renney who published a book after his selection in which he proposed wide-ranging new taxes on businesses.
“Alongside his candidacy and his role on Labour’s all-powerful Policy Council, Renney also works as the Council of Trade Unions’ Policy Director who just four weeks ago released its policy agenda for the next government, which said a ‘comprehensive’ capital gains tax was just ‘the starting point.’
“Last election, when Ingrid Leary was asked about her support for implementing a wealth tax, she said it could be Labour policy in the future.
“Labour remains unable to explain how it will pay for $18.9 billion in new spending, while Chris Hipkins has promised no additional borrowing and claims his Capital Gains Tax raises just $2.8 billion. It simply does not add up.
“With an $18.9 billion in unfunded policies, a caucus full of tax-obsessed Labour MPs and coalition partners in Te Pati Māori, the Greens and TOP, it is no longer credible for Chris Hipkins to claim his numbers add up without significant additional taxes that will cost Kiwi households $2,263 each year.
“Labour have form in adding new taxes after an election, even after 2020 where they held an historic majority, they increased or introduced three taxes they had either entirely ruled out during the campaign or not campaigned on at all.
“If Labour still believes tax is love, it’s starting to feel like the heavy lifting is being left to one side of the relationship – Kiwi taxpayers.”
Note to the editors:
In 2020, Labour campaigned on a singular tax change to increase the top income tax rate to 39%.
During that term, Labour introduced a Ute tax and extended the brightline test which they had previously ruled out [1][2], and phased out interest deductibility on rental properties.
