The head of South Auckland social services organisation The Cause Collective says the Budget is a distraction from the long term game.
Peter Cordtz says while individuals may be trying to figure out whether their tax cut will be $2 or $82 a week, the Budget failed to address Aotearoa’s long term economic, social and demographic reality.
In an aging population, Māori and Pasifika will become an increasingly higher proportion of a smaller workforce and smaller tax base, so it’s in everyone’s interest improve their long-term outcomes.
“The priority needs to be how we shift the bar on those key statistics around health, housing, education, employment to improve the long term trajectory of our communities and tax breaks for landlords clearly isn’t going to make a material difference to the vast majority of our community at the front line,” Mr Cordtz says.
Any tax cuts for most Māori and Pasifika whānau will quickly be soaked up in higher rents and other charges.
