Local Focus: East Coast election candidates on taxing the rich to help poor people escape poverty

"There is nothing wrong in taxing the very wealthy so that the poor can have a chance, a step-up on the rungs of the ladder of life."

Green Party candidate for East Coast Meredith Akuhata-Brown is a passionate advocate for putting greater responsibility to pay tax on New Zealand's wealthy.

While Tania Tapsell, National Party candidate for East Coast and Rotorua councillor sees it differently.

"Why would we adversely tax people that have worked really hard all of their lives?"

In this Local Focus video she advocates for a "fair tax system" to allow investors to buy properties.

Labour Party candidate Kiri Allan sees tax as "the price of citizenship".

"We all pay it, it varies according to our means, and we're pretty comfortable with how our tax system is working at the moment."

Labour has since unveiled a new tax policy that would apply a new top rate of 39 per cent to earnings over $180,000 a year.

Also standing in the East Coast electorate:
• Jennie Brown for Advance NZ
• Veronica King for ONE
• Helena Nickerson for New Conservative
• Blake Webb for ACT

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