Letter to the Editor: Thursday 22 September, 2016

National are making the tax system more "progressive".

Is that fair?

Some would say if you earn and spend twice as much, you should pay twice as much tax.

A flat income tax of about 20 per cent, plus the current 15 per cent GST, would balance the books.

The very high earners would pay by far the most tax.

What we have now goes way beyond that.

More than two out of five households pay less in tax than they receive in welfare.

And yet we still have child poverty.

Meanwhile the other three out of five have to cover all the Government's other costs, plus top up the welfare budget.

No wonder hard-working Kiwis have a tough time getting ahead.

The whole system needs a re-think, but only one party with one MP is speaking out.

Let's listen to David Seymour for the next 12 months, and then vote Act to get National back on track.

Stuart Pedersen, Mount Maunganui