NEWS: After nine years waiting – just $16 a week

12 Comments
22 May 2008
NEWS: After nine years waiting – just $16 a week

New Zealanders have waited nine long years for Michael Cullen to admit he's wrong and deliver tax cuts giving the average wage earner just $16 a week, says National Party Leader John Key.

"Michael Cullen says he will give the average wage earner $16 a week – the equivalent of a family size block of cheese – a couple of weeks out from the election.

"Then, once the election is gone, the average wage earner will get just $6 more a couple of years later. It will be a very long time between toasted sandwiches.

"No finance minister in New Zealand history has had the opportunity to cut taxes like Michael Cullen. Yet he has squandered the golden economic weather and failed to future-proof the economy. He doesn't believe in tax cuts, and still doesn't.

"Yet after more than 3,000 days in office, he says he will finally deliver – just days from an election. New Zealanders will just see this as the desperate and cynical move it is.

"Labour's move is all about survival, not a sense of real priorities about New Zealand's future direction.

"And who can trust Labour and Michael Cullen on tax? He cancelled the 2005 'chewing gum' tax cuts, and still doesn't believe in them. What odds on 2010 and 2011?

"Tax cuts are a top priority for National.

"We will have an ongoing plan of meaningful tax cuts as an essential part of our five-point economic plan that will make New Zealand a wealthier, more successful country.

"Our plan is focused on getting New Zealand through this downturn and onto a much stronger path of economic growth and opportunity."

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#1 - Chris Braid 2008-05-22 16:52 - (Reply)

Interesting about the Block of Cheese comment, Back when he should have given us Cuts I could have bought Three blocks, maybe four... Cullen is a wide open target... He has had countless opportunity to put the things in place that he is offering IF he gets back in. God forbid that he may yet... There are a lot of ` If we vote them back we will Get' Crowd out there still. He needs his track record for Non-Delivery or Bad delivery of Promises poked back in his face. What Good is it to have many more Hospital Staff when one needs an Interpreter to communicate english to and from them??? and Just because Labour are good at hiding them doesn't mean the Unemployed don't exist. One only has to pick up a casual Job in the provinces to know that No employer offers much over the Minimum Wage. Some Less if they can do it undetected... More money for the Police? Will that ensure a higher standard of Enforcement? Why has it taken this long then??? They are Waaaay too Late.. I'm a Casual Shift supervisor and I don't think I'll see anywhere near $16 a week. My wife is a Teacher and currently Unemployed as the institutions no longer take any responsibility for placements and the Ads keep crying out for more teachers. The tragedy is that to get a Job you have to leave the nice City you live in and move to an overcrowded and difficult area to get a teaching position... I'm almost convinced, all my other Skills and Hers would be giving us a better return in Perth. If your Party doesn't take over in the next Election We're off It's not worth living in this current Regime for much longer. Helen Shoud be hammered on what she did by signing us up to Kyoto... It was totally STUPID to take the lead When there was no participation by China or the USA. To punish those that Farm Exotic trees for overseas funds is rediculous especially if the Government has had the benefit of their Carbon credits while they were growing. How would it look if the commercial forests of NZ went up in smoke in PROTEST? Not that Likely but this Incumbent Govt only seems to care about the tax Take...

#2 - Will 2008-05-23 21:36 - (Reply)

Go hard national!!!! everyones waiting to see what you have to offer!!! how about income splitting that will win alot of familys over :)

#2.1 - Scott Pedersen 2008-05-26 20:21 - (Reply)

Income splitting is a great idea. I am supporting my wife and child at the moment, and to be able to split my income to get the lower tax rate, would definately make life easier for us. I'm sure a lot of other NZ'ers feel the same way.

#2.1.1 - Will 2008-06-09 20:12 - (Reply)

Will they listen?

#3 - Ramas 2008-05-23 21:39 - (Reply)

John - I really enjoyed your reply to the budget. It was really a top class performance. However, I am not impressed with the way you handled TV interviews with Mark in TV1 and John in TV3. I know you are not keen to give out the amount of tax cuts. But *at least you should be able to outline the structure* - i.e. tax free thresholds or rate cuts or threshold movements or combinations of all of them. This will then keep the press and the media quiet. Otherwise you will be asked the same question and Helen Clark will start to take advantage of this

#4 - Andrew Duncan 2008-05-26 22:25 - (Reply)

John I'd just like too say that I enjoyed your reply too the budget as well. The thing that most disappointed me about this budget as one of those on an invalids benefit (since my permanent disability prevents me from working) and who's rent and other costs are going up faster than ever is that we didn't even get a block of cheese. Apparently michael cullen wants too fund these often long term increases in living costs with short term special needs grants (half a block of fast melting cheese)

#5 - Samantha Entwisle 2008-05-27 10:18 - (Reply)

It is quite fine and dandy for National to bad mouth Labours tax cuts, but when they are asked to show how National can top the cuts, they can't show us the proof? Where is a copy of Nationals budget, shouldn't they be doing one at the same time? I use to be a National supporter, but Labour have done some good things in the past 9 years. I don't pay $59 a doctors visit now, its $29.50. Family tax credits have done wonderful things for my life as a single working mother. I've figured im going to be $25 a week better off, at least thats something while living costs continue rising. The tax cuts are conservative, but in this time of economic unsettle isn't it better to be careful and not go like a bull in a china shop.

#6 - Grant Pedersen 2008-05-29 21:15 - (Reply)

Yes I am also appalled at Labours mini tax cuts, and its marriage to the top rates of 33% and 39%. Surely an objective National could use to set itself apart is to progressively reduce top tax rates, say by 1% or 2% a year, and address getting bussiness tax rates more in line with Aussie. I admit this would have to be done very slowly. Another thing that would be good is to encourage innovation by making genuine R&D fully tax deductible. I'd like to hear more of your five-point economic plan that will make New Zealand a wealthier, more successful country.

#7 - Thomas 2008-06-01 23:13 - (Reply)

John, i myself am on the verge of voting blue however i find the fact that you are not releasing any information as to what form these cuts will take under national is completely unacceptable. This whole situation is turning into something like what appears on facelift. I am fearful that you will end up losing this election because (of what is quite justifiably) a lack of real policy. Look forward to seeing a blue future for nz!

#8 - Christine Jones 2008-06-06 13:18 - (Reply)

I am till very much torn between a Labour vote and a National vote. yes the tax cuts outlined by Cullen were average if best, but I have yet to hear any real outlines for the future of NZ from National. This election many people are the same, if proper information is not released from National soon most people will just do the same here as what was done int he US when Bush was reelected...."better the devil you know than the devil you don't"

#9 - Shonal 2008-06-09 12:32 - (Reply)

What the above person has said is correct. There used to be a much larger and much stronger National supporters base. I mean hey even we voted for Labour in the last election but will not do that now BUT we need to see some figures from National soon. Although releasing it close to the election will mean that you could possibly suddenly swing a large number of voters in your way, you will also lose a decent amount of voters aswell because they will be fooled into believing labour's pack of lies. National should really start releasing some good policies because if they do not then even people like me will probably end up voting for labour again. The cost of living is going through the roof. Not only is the price of food, petrol and everything else going up. I dont see our wages going up though. What will National do about the 38% fuel tax? And what will National do about the 39% tax for high income earners? What will national do about the people who work 2 jobs/work 50-60 hours a week/go to university get a degree and get a good paying job only to pay a MASSIVE chunk of their income back as tax. What will your party do about hard workers getting penalised? I still remember when you could go into Pak n Save and buy 1kg Anchor cheese for $5 but look at the price now. Even bread, flour, rice, milk everything is going through the roof and the $16 Labour is offering us will not do anything at all to help us because due to inflation and rising costs of everything we will not even see where the money came and went to. What will national do to help people who are already suffering? What good can I expect by giving my vote to the National party? If we dont get answers soon then there could POSSIBLY be a swing in voters party preference. What will National do about the crime rate in NZ? Criminals live a life of luxury in jail that many NZers simply cannot afford. They get treated royally all while the victims suffer. It costs about $50k to keep a prisoner in prison every year. Why is that? Many people in NZ dont even earn that much before tax. What do the victims and their families get? Their tax goes towards making sure the criminal who harmed them and their family and left a scar on them for life gets treated royally and lives in luxury in jail and if they get a 7 year sentence they can get out in 3 years easily. What will National do about this? Will National improve NZ greatly or is it still a good idea to pack up our bags and move overseas?

#10 - Tom Greer 2008-07-21 12:17 - (Reply)

Hi, I found your article a little vague. Where are the numbers and graphs and mention of services which will be cut or downsized to compensate for the tax cuts; followed, of course with the detailed explanation of how the tax cuts national envision are beneficial to the majority of NZ's taking into account the services which tax cuts generally require doing away with. I'm so sick of reading hyped/sensationalised letters from politicians that totally lack any substantial reasoning, and will soon simply base my vote on the merit each Party's respective logo. Personally I quite like the bold red pohutukawa flower and rolling green hills that feature on the Labour homepage. Tom

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