January 24, 2014
Message taxing Labour strategists
Labour MP Shane Jones says dropping a plan to remove GST from fresh fruit and vegetables will free up more than $1 billion for more targeted assistance.
The party has signalled it is dropping two of the major tax planks it took into the last election, the GST exemption and making the first $5000 of earnings tax free.
Mr Jones says while the policies were welcomed by some groups who already supported the party, they failed to resonate with a wider number of New Zealanders.
He says Leader David Cunliffe will unveil new economic policies at his state of the nation speech at Kelston Girls High School on Monday.
"We’re always going to be concerned about the ability of families to pay their way, not only through education which is a passport to the future, but ensuring that we’ve got the right mix of government assistance and family self-help in our homes and in our households," Mr Jones says.
Maori tell him they want any assistance to be delivered in ways that don’t leave a stigma.
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