Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party cannot be trusted on tax, and today they’ve again proven why, National’s Campaign Chair Simeon Brown says.
“After National alerted New Zealanders to the 11 new taxes on the table between Labour and its coalition partners, Chris Hipkins claimed that two of the taxes are not Labour Party policy.”
“Hipkins told media yesterday and again this morning that the Streaming Tax was never Labour policy.
“If that is the case, then why did senior MP Willie Jackson have a Members’ Bill to introduce a streaming tax in the biscuit tin as of this morning?
“Hipkins has tried to mislead the public and the media on the Streaming Tax. And it’s the same with the Ute Tax and the Capital Gains Tax.
“In September 2020, Labour said the Ute Tax was not their policy. Labour won the election in October 2020 and by June 2021 it introduced the Ute Tax. So that promise lasted eight months.
“Chris Hipkins ruled out a Capital Gains Tax under a government he led. Labour is campaigning on one now.
“He then spent months saying it was the only tax Labour would run on. Two weeks ago, he announced a $5 billion business tax that will mean fewer jobs and lower wages.
“Meanwhile Michael Wood is out in Mount Roskill selling the Ute Tax. Reuben Davidson has publicly committed to a Streaming Tax more than once. Willie Jackson has gone one better and written the bill.
“Either Chris Hipkins knows what his own MPs are doing and is misleading New Zealanders, or he does not know and is not in control of his own party. There is no third option.
“If he has genuinely ruled out a Streaming Tax, he can prove it today. Tell Willie Jackson to withdraw the bill.
“Nobody can tell New Zealanders what Labour’s tax plan actually is. Not tradies, not farmers, not the people who will have to pay for it. On current form, not even Chris Hipkins.”
