National nabs ACT’s dairy security proposal

act-new-zealand

Wed May 31 2017 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

National nabs ACT’s dairy security proposal

Wednesday, 31 May 2017, 9:27 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

National nabs ACT’s dairy security proposal (after watering it down)

National’s adoption of ACT’s proposal to allocate tobacco tax revenue toward shop security is welcome but goes nowhere near far enough, says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“I suggested this after meeting with the Crime Prevention Group two weekends ago, and seeing the impact of the violent tobacco robbery on honest businesspeople selling a legal product.

“ACT says that when the Government causes pain to businesses, it should compensate them, and this is a perfect example, considering how the Government profits from the excise tax fueling these robberies.

“Today’s announcement is an admission of a problem they’ve denied for some time, and shows that they’ve been listening to the steady protests of groups like ACT and the Crime Prevention Group.

“The problem with this announcement is the extent. It’s tokenism that will help very few retailers. $1.5 million is less than a thousandth of the total tobacco tax revenue the Government collects each year, and adds up to just $300 per tobacco retailer. Even worse, with funding targeted toward ‘at risk’ shops, robbers will simply start targeting the other dairies.

“Meanwhile, tobacco tax revenue is set to increase by $171 million as a result of next year’s tax hike. ACT would offer this entire boost to all tobacco retailers – over $20,000 per retailer, enough to purchase the safe dispensers that will make tobacco theft impossible.

“This won’t cost the Government anything, it’s just about being less greedy about sucking up ever-increasing amounts of revenue from tobacco.

“In the long run, an even better move would be to reverse the disastrous tobacco tax hikes that have led to this mess. Until this happens, robbers will continue to threaten innocent shopkeepers.”
ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from ACT New Zealand on InfoPages.