LOCAL NEWS
JOHN ELLIOTT:
HOW DO TAX CUTS RATE AS ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT? I have been waiting for new National party leader Chris Luxon to tell us something of his political philosophy, his values, and what he thinks the National party stands for. I have waited in vain. What Luxon has said is, “We’re back!” Who is back? A new National leadership team, but with what policy and principles? So now his speech to the nation has been given, and guess what he promised? Tax cuts! Brian Fallow, no raving leftie, said in his Herald article: “against a background of stubborn wealth inequality, changing the tax scales will benefit those on higher incomes most”, and said it looked 'politically tribal'. Fallow pointed out that someone on $45,000 would save $112 a year, while someone on $85,000 would be little more than $1000 a year better off. I remember when John Key did the same trick in 2008. He reduced tax for the rich and added GST for the poor. He called it fiscally neutral. It may have been for the government’s revenue, but it simply added to the inequality gap between rich and poor in New Zealand. Luxon’s plan would further exacerbate that inequality which is now nearly the worst in the OECD. Fallow also talked about Labour’s income insurance scheme, rejected out of hand by National. “It would force everyone to pay for a scheme that will incentivise those who lose their job not to re-enter the workforce for more than half a year,“ cried Luxon. Fallow’s comment, “to describe the plight of those who lose their jobs through redundancy or illness with such facile condescension is telling.” There has been raw sewage floating off our beaches, oozing down the wall of Whangarei Hospital. There is mould in
hospital wards, there is desperate deferred maintenance in our schools, there are roads and hopefully more rail to build. Just what would Luxon cut to achieve those desperately needed investments in our health, education and wellbeing, and infra-structure. The New Zealand welfare state was set up by the first Labour Government to provide for the old, the young, the sick and the underprivileged. Unfortunately we are still dogged by the Roger Douglas free market crap that so privileges the one percent and widens the inequality gap further and further. Half a dozen richlisters have just given Act nearly one billion dollars in donations. They want their interests looked after, and to hell with the rest of us. John Key tried hard to pose as the leader of the best managers of the economy, but also caring stewards of support for the poor. He tried to straddle the middle ground. Luxon seems to be eyeing up the true blue right wingers, although Act still has a bunch of those in its pragmatic grasp. The best news this week was that with climate change so rampant, with wild fires, floods and droughts throughout Australia, there is absolutely no time left for what Greta Thunberg called 'blah blah blah', and New Zealanders have responded in the latest poll with over 12% for the Greens. Most New Zealanders are social democrats and believe in private enterprise with state back up where needed, but Luxon is already sounding like a neo-liberal of the Thatcher, Reagan or Douglas mould. Not for me thank you. (JOHN ELLIOTT) PN
GOD WILLING, CLAY WORKS POTTERS' MARKET 2022 WILL GO AHEAD St Columba's much-anticipated annual pottery market fundraiser is timed for Friday 6 and Saturday 7 May, 10am - 4pm. Everything is in place for an amazing two days of new and previous potters providing stunning work of the quality the public has come to expect. Watch this space for updates and photos! www.facebook.com/events/849722386425488 /849722396425487/?ref=newsfeed
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PONSONBY NEWS+ April 2022
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