It’s the kiwi way
National is engaging in hysterical levels of hyperbole in its response to the Tax Working Group’s reform package.
Economy
tax
In defense of taxing the family home
Let’s talk about why houses, art, and basically everything should be in the new Capital Gains Tax that Labour and New Zealand First should get onboard with, contrary to their reservations.
The Tax Working Group proposals
The Tax Party working group’s recommendations have been released.
Digital Corporations: Pay Us What You Owe Us
The Government has indicated that it will seek to tax digital companies from overseas.
Ardern’s state of the nation speech
The text of Jacinda Ardern’s speech delivered this morning.
Show us the money Simon
Hopefully the media will ask of National the tough questions, like how it is going to increase spending in critical areas, pay down debt and give us a tax cut at the same time.
The world cannot afford to have billionaires
American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that it is immoral to have a world that allows for billionaires. She may well be right.
Mood of the workforce shows urgent need for change
The CTU has released the results of its recent cost of living and income survey. The results suggest that urgent change is needed.
National and its no tax promises
National have got out the old “no new taxes” songbook and are singing it as loudly as they can.
Another day and more Simon Bridges f*&k ups
Simon Bridges has in the last 24 hours blamed Labour law changes for increasing rentals but has forgotten which ones, and has disagreed that an apology is owed to the families of the Pike River miners on the 8th anniversary of the disaster.
For a Better New Zealand?
A new political party has emerged with what could be loosely described as a stunning website.
Grant Robertson is a financial genius
Remember the $11.5 billion hole that Stephen Joyce and National said Labour was going to leave the country with? Well the 2017/18 financial books have been completed and released and the Government’s surplus was $2.4 billion greater than forecast.
Tax Working Group report depressing reading
The Tax Working Group says the gaping holes in our tax system make it unfair and undermine its integrity, but the prospect of the electorate embracing even its limited recommendations on taxing capital gains make for depressing contemplation.
Is Matthew Hooton becoming a socialist?
Occasional Standard reader Matthew Hooton has written a cogent column on industrial relations in which he realises and accepts that wages for ordinary workers are too low.
Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in
Labour’s Family Package and the Auckland Regional Fuel tax have both kicked in.
Most kiwis support more tax
The CTU have commissioned UMR to poll kiwis on their attitude to tax. The vast majority believe that more money is needed to fix infrastructure. And a remarkable number support the imposition of a Tobin Tax.
Tax is violence
Can we please now save David Seymour from his violent oppression and relieve him of his tax-funded salary?
The Largesse
April the first and second mark the days when those receiving entitlements receive a yearly increase in line with the CPI and the governments increase to Accommodation Supplement also comes into effect. So what does it all mean for those receiving entitlements?
Productivity
A more productive economy – and society – has been an elusive goal for many of New Zealand’s previous governments. The last National Government failed. What will Labour do to succeed?
Tripling down on financial illiteracy with Amy Adams (and MMT)
Amy Adams won’t commit to $11.7b, but she too has now become the third person to fall down the imaginary fiscal hole. How can National claim to have any soundness on finance if they won’t admit their criticisms on the economy are unreasonable and unfounded? And besides, aren’t National actually worse fiscal managers if ordinary people tend to get paid less under their regimes? We dive into some theory to thoroughly dispute even Steven Joyce’s/Amy Adam’s secondary criticism of “fiscal tightness,” although concede that two of the Budget Responsibility rules are probably stupid in order to do it.
Cullen says 2020 election effectively a referendum on tax
Don’t hold your breath for recommendations of radical tax reform from the Tax Working Group. Chair Sir Michael Cullen says the 2020 election will be a referendum on tax and he is already kicking for touch
Tax Haven Man in Town
The Lord Mayor of the City of London is visiting New Zealand. Its not Sadiq Khan, Charles Bowman is a PwC partner leading London’s financial centre lobby. He’s here to talk to business and regulators. He’ll no doubt be talking up more deregulation.
Is it time to Nationalise Auckland?
It has been a decade now since Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide proposed amalgamating all of Auckland’s city councils into one enormous entity by dumping much of the Royal Commission’s proposals. Well it’s time to hold its results to account.
Bitcoin 2018
Is Bitcoin something to worry about or something to embrace?
The Failed Estate: Us and Them
In Australia the Murdoch press has chosen the Christmas down period to try and whip up some anti beneficiary hysteria. Jim Parker from the blog Failed Estate calmly dissects the figures and concludes there is no reason for concern.
Tumbleweeds from National on the Tax Working Group
A month ago Labour announced that Sir Michael Cullen would chair the tax working group and the National Party was cock-a-hoop! Steven Joyce […]
Can a Labour led Government win the tax debate?
Why National is currently winning the debate about tax and what Labour needs to do to change this.
Paradise lost
The Paradise Papers have provided further evidence of a small group of very wealthy people are using complex trust arrangements based in tax havens to avoid paying tax.
IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality and won’t hurt growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect […]
Nats’ secret tax plan
Newsroom (Shane Cowlishaw) reports that the Nats were considering significant hikes to fuel taxes, described in a document that was supposed to be released before the election – but somehow wasn’t.
Why are we angry about tax and apathetic about low pay?
National’s one and only strategy this election was lying about Labour, specifically Labour’s budget and their tax policy. The $11.7bn hole lie just made the Nats look stupid, but the evidence suggests that the tax lie did real damage. Why are we so angry about tax and so apathetic about the much more important issue of low pay?
Labour won’t regain power until it wins the tax debate
Labour didn’t deserve to win on Saturday because, firstly, because it failed to bring a fully-fleshed tax policy to voters, and, secondly, it never attempted to win the ideological battle over tax. To succeed at the next election, Labour must begin work today to frame this debate.
Lets talk about tax policy
Tax is emerging as the big issue of this campaign. How valid are National’s claims that Labour will introduce a variety of new taxes and what has National’s record been like? Update: in a smart tactical move Labour has promised no new taxes will be introduced until after the next election.
The actual implications of a Capital Gains Tax
Matthew Whitehead looks at what the Greens, Labour and National really mean when they talk about a CGT.
National’s 18 new taxes
A dose of reality on National and taxes, and wise words on the media circus surrounding tax.
Ardern cautious on capital gains tax
Jacinda Ardern will not campaign on a capital gains tax, but will seek advice and will not rule it out in a first term. The Nats have introduced a week form of CGT already. A more robust version needs serious consideration.