Category: imported_weekly
Right now the Government will be assessing the damage caused by the Tax Working Group’s proposed capital gains tax. By all accounts, the Prime Minister has been well and truly spooked by the vehemence of the public outcry against the proposal.
Jacinda Ardern’s Tax Working Group released its final report last week. It recommends a highly punitive capital gains tax, which it claims would make New Zealand’s tax system ‘fairer’ by forcing the ‘rich’ to pay more tax.
There is no evidence the that “the rich are getting richer”, that the highest income earners are increasing their income share. Similarly, there is no evidence that “the poor are getting poorer”. The extremes are not diverging.
Politics has been described as the contest of ideas. It is also the art of manipulation. This was evident during the 13 hour debate on the Prime Minister’s Statement that began on Parliament’s first sitting day for the new year.
The response to the Prime Minister's message that the Government was setting up a $20,000 Mayoral Relief Fund to help the community get back on its feet, would have been incredulity - $20,000 to support a community devastated by fire in contrast to the announcements made in the lead up to Waitangi Day of over $220 million to appease Maori.
Waitangi Day is an appropriate occasion to reflect on the Treaty of Waitangi. “The treaty cannot be any kind of founding document. The court of appeal once, absurdly, described it as a partnership between races, but it obviously is not."
Last week Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with her British counterpart Teresa May at 10 Downing Street to discuss a trade deal with New Zealand once the UK leaves the European Union.
On the face of it, the Labour-led Government would have finished last year well pleased with their progress. Their coalition was holding together strongly and the minor parties had each achieved some big policy wins.
On behalf of the New Zealand Centre for Political Research, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! Thank you so much for your encouragement and help over the last 12 months - the NZCPR simply couldn’t achieve what we do without your wonderful support.
It remains to be seen whether New Zealanders will decide the price of the Government’s climate extremism is too high and say enough is enough. The French President has just backed down from raising fuel taxes as a key part of his decarbonisation plan, following extreme protests that had the potential to destabilise the country.
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