Shaneel Lal: Luxon’s publicity stunt cunning but misleading

National leader Christopher Luxon - a wolf in sheep's clothing, says Shaneel Lal. Photo / Pierre Nixon

OPINION

I want to congratulate Christopher Luxon on winning Halloween this year. His cosplay as a McDonald’s low-income earner tops the charts for the most frightening thing to be under a National Party Government. I imagine being a low-income earner under a National Government that cuts taxes for the rich in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis will be hellish. Luxon’s tax policies are so skewed to enrich the wealthiest that they don’t even leave the scraps for the poor.

The National Party has long masqueraded as the advocate for the “squeezed middle” of New Zealand but, according to New Zealand Council of Trade Unions’ (NZCTU) Economist Craig Renney, the National Party’s tax package gives 10 times as much money to the wealthiest New Zealanders as it does to middle- and low-income earners. The richest 5 per cent will receive nearly $6 billion, more than half the value of the National Party’s tax cuts over three years, while the lowest half of income earners will receive merely 6% of the income tax cuts.

A McDonald’s low-income earner will receive a dollar for every high-income earner who receives $10 in the National Party’s tax package. If he does not increase his pay if he becomes Prime Minister, Luxon would receive about $54,000 over three years in tax cuts. That excludes the tax cuts he would receive from other sources. On the other hand, McDonald’s workers who on average earn a few cents more than the minimum wage, will receive approximately $350 in the same time.

National’s finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis rejects the figures. NZCTU has calculated the tax cuts as though the National Party will implement their entire tax policy in the first year of Government. National says they will stagger the implementation of their tax policies. However, they are unclear what they will implement first. Luxon says he will axe property taxes immediately. Again, the wealthy landlords are set to benefit before the poor.

“You need to be out connecting with people, understanding what is going on for them and how a government could help them,” Luxon explained his decision to return to McDonald’s for a day. I worked in hospitality as a student and I don’t believe Luxon understands anything about low-income earners and people who are struggling financially. The cost-of-living crisis is hitting low-income earners aggressively. I cannot fathom why, amid such a crisis, the National Party thinks giving wealthy New Zealanders more money will help the poor in any way.

The National Party saying giving the wealthy tax cuts during a cost-of-living crisis will help the poor is like throwing bread in a pool and expecting toast. It is an awful plan. The National Party’s tax package is a recipe for failure. Luxon should not offer the wealthy massive tax cuts to help the poor. Trickle-down economics has never worked for New Zealand. Take the last 180 years, for example. He should support a tax-free income threshold to allow poor people to keep more of their money while comprehensively taxing the rich to make up for the lost revenue.

Luxon’s publicity stunt is manipulative and cunning. He’s pretending to be a cool, relatable Kiwi guy, but his act insults McDonald’s workers across the country whose pay comes nothing close to a living wage. I find Luxon’s actions especially insidious, knowing that education levels and political awareness among low-income earners is low. Luxon is attempting to be relatable to vulnerable people for their votes. New Zealanders should be wary of politicians who pretend to be in solidarity with the poor but legislate for the rich.

Luxon in McDonald’s uniform is the equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The National Party can pretend to care about the poor, but I see right through the act. Luxon can keep flipping the burgers, but he only serves the rich.

Shaneel Shavneel Lal (they/them) was instrumental in the bill to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand. They are a law and psychology student, model and influencer.