Barbara Edmonds did a press stand up today, outlining the first week of being Minister of Finance should Labour win the election. From Stuff,
Forget 100 day plans, Labour’s Barbara Edmonds just released a ‘first week’ plan
- Start work on public transport fare caps, free GP visits and a law to ban price gouging and break up the supermarkets
- Start work on capital gains tax
- Direct the Public Service Commissioner to stop further public service cuts
- Meet the Treasury on day one, get the full picture and set out expectations to get to surplus and bring debt down
- Write to the Reserve Bank to make sure they support maximum sustainable employment as well as focusing on low inflation when setting monetary policy
- Direct Treasury to start work on the NZ Future Fund
- Instruct officials to deliver a $4 an hour pay rise for care and support workers from 1 January 2027.
- Start work on wiping 10% off student loan balances on 1 April 2027.
- Instruct officials to draft a law so big businesses pay small suppliers within 15 days, and start work on a $10,000 asset write-off from 1 July 2027.
- Increase taxes on tobacco companies from 1 January 2027.
Asked if the list was achievable in the first week in government, Edmonds conceded that a lot of the list was simply directing officials to start work on Labour’s priorities.
“The key thing for us is to be really crystal clear with officials. This work needs to get done, and the legislation that supports it also needs to be started on as well.”
…
Edmonds said if Labour won, she was confident Hipkins could form a government by Christmas.
What would really be good is if the memo to the state services commission to halt public service cuts is already drafted, ready to send on Day 1.
Then, tell that to the media.
Pledges like that carry more weight than "We're going to…" statements and every public servant has a vote and whanau with votes.
One of the best ways to persuade people to vote for you when in Opposition is to sound convincingly that you’re ready to take over, almost as if you already have, and get people used to the new wind blowing Nicola Willis’ austerity dust away and the new face letting some much-needed fresh air in the room.
And there it is. Increase taxes…
Talk about giving National and co ammo. Tax increases, ram-raids and black markets.
If only they were so keen to tax the rich
lol, they're going to tax tobacco companies and investment properties.
That’s the Stuff narrative, so stuff Stuff.
Labour’s wording is a more accurate reflection or reality:
https://www.labour.org.nz/news/release-labours-next-finance-minister-ready-to-deliver-for-kiwis/
Ramraids.
The reality: watch Hipkins blow the nats' lies about ramraids out of the water. In polls apart from 34 minutes, Damien Grant discusses law and order and ram raids with Hipkins, ~5 min.
Smokers tend to come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Tobacco companies tend to pass taxes on to them.
And higher prices in this product tends to further incentivise crime
You should vote for one of the Tobacco Parties then, which also happen to be Law & Order fanatics, so that’s two for the price of one for you – an offer you can’t resist, surely. This Post is not about that, anyways.