August 31, 2023
Low income losers, property speculators winners in National tax policy says Greens
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson says National’s tax policy is a gift for property speculators and a blow for the climate.
National leader Chris Luxon and finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says their policy is aimed at what they call the squeezed-middle – people with take home pay of $120,000.
The cost of $14.6 billion over four years will be paid by opening the top end of the housing market to foreign buyers and then taxing them, slashing spending on consultants and back end office functions in government departments, and redirecting climate levies away from mitigation efforts.
Ms Davidson says the biggest losers are low income whānau and students.
“They have completed ignored those on the lowest income and students. They have raided the Climate Action Fund, while also ramping up property speculation, halving the transport support for people getting to school and work It’s a backward step for people’s pockets,” she says.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says there’s nothing in the policy for the 20 percent of the population who are Māori.