Tax The Real Problems, Bill

green-party

Sun Apr 14 2002 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Tax The Real Problems, Bill

Sunday, 14 April 2002, 9:22 pm
Press Release: Green Party

The Green Party utterly rejects Bill English's plans to pinch a billion dollars from the superannuation fund in order to give tax cuts to the wealthy, Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.

"An increasingly desperate National Party will tomorrow (Monday) trot out yet again its dogma of stimulating the economy through tax incentives for top-earners," said Jeanette Fitzsimons.

She expects National would raise the billion dollars needed for the tax cuts by ditching the superannuation fund and cutting spending on social services.

"The Green Party is also opposed to this Government's superannuation fund, but our solution would be invest it in the future in better tertiary education and preventative health care.

"Out tax policies would see income tax reduce for everyone, not just the wealthy. We would shift the tax burden off work, income and enterprise and onto those who are compromising our future through waste and pollution.

A fair and even tax cut for all could be achieved by a carbon tax on greenhouse gases from fossil fuels; a "toxicity" levy - on pesticides, for example - that would encourage the use of less toxic material and a levy on tonnes of rubbish disposed of in landfills, which would encourage reuse and recycling and discourage the worst aspects of the "throwaway society."

"Having better educated, healthier citizens will greatly reduce the projected cost of an ageing population" said Ms Fitzsimons, "while our 'pollution' taxes will create an economy no longer at the mercy of oil crises, climate change and environmental contamination.

"The way to achieve a happier, wealthier future for us all lies in looking after our people and our environment now, rather than gambling on the politics of greed in the international stockmarket, hoping to return a dividend in the future."

Ends

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