The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is backing the direction of the Green Party’s tax policy, saying it would shift more of the burden away from workers and onto wealth, capital and large corporates.
NZCTU President Sandra Grey says New Zealand’s tax system has long been stacked against working people because wages and salaries are taxed at source while wealth accumulation is often treated far more lightly.
She says every dollar earned by workers is taxed, while some of the wealthiest New Zealanders are able to pay little or nothing by comparison.
The Green Party’s proposal would increase taxation on capital and wealth while reducing tax pressure on earned income.
Grey says the plan opens an important election-year debate about fairness, inequality and who should carry the cost of funding public services.
The CTU says the latest NBR rich list shows the combined wealth of New Zealand’s richest 150 individuals and families has continued to grow significantly, while many working households remain under pressure from high living costs.
Grey says the Green proposal would help confront that inequality by targeting landlords, property speculators and inherited wealth.
She says inheritance taxes should be part of a broader conversation about the widening wealth gap between generations and the advantages passed on through property and accumulated assets.
The union also supports measures aimed at improving tax enforcement, including stronger action to stop multinationals using complex structures to minimise tax obligations.
Grey says reforming the use of trusts to reduce tax liability is also overdue.
The CTU says voters deserve fully costed tax and fiscal plans from every political party before the election so they can clearly assess who benefits and how public services will be funded.
Grey says the union will support policies that put working people, strong public services and communities first.
The debate over tax is expected to become one of the defining issues of the 2026 election, with parties offering sharply different visions for how New Zealand should respond to inequality, low wages and pressure on public services.
For Māori workers and whānau, the issue is especially important, with Māori still disproportionately affected by lower incomes, unemployment, housing insecurity and wealth inequality.
Supporters of progressive tax reform argue that shifting more responsibility onto wealth and capital could help fund housing, health, education and social services while easing pressure on low and middle-income earners.
The CTU says the Greens’ policy is a step toward a fairer system and a long-overdue discussion about who pays, who benefits and what kind of economy New Zealand wants to build.
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