FILE
Fletcher Tabuteau
New Zealand First Rotorua candidate
Those who earn little should pay less, whilst those who earn the most should pay more. Unfortunately, government tax cuts for top earners in 2010 cost New Zealand over $4billion in lost revenue. Those who made savings did not "trickle it down", as we are told they will and so the Government cut public services. The Government have not yet fulfilled their promise to balance the books, cutting taxes now as a sweet treat to voters is surely an insult to honest and practical New Zealanders. New Zealand First will ensure the elite pay their fair share.
Annette Sykes
Mana Movement Waiariki candidate
Mana's priorities are to eliminate child poverty, provide free public healthcare and tertiary education, and invest in job creation and housing for low-income whanau. We're bold enough to front these policies because we're bold enough to call for a major overhaul of the tax system to make it fair. Mana will abolish GST which hits low-income earners hardest, raise the top tax rate, and introduce new taxes to significantly raise the tax take - including a capital gains tax on all but the family home and Maori land, a financial transactions tax on financial speculation and reintroduce inheritance tax.
Pat Spellman
New Zealand Independent Coalition Waiariki candidate
We need taxes - they're essential to our progression forward. What we need is a fairer system that better reflects the situation of many in the Waiariki. We advocate for a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) on banks and foreign exchange of 0.1 per cent. Becoming commonplace in European countries, this tax take will be greater than the income received from GST and will remediate significant societal inequities we as a nation face.
Todd McClay
Rotorua MP
National has made significant changes to New Zealand's tax system to put more money in people's pockets, reward hard work and encourage savings. These reforms made the tax system fairer, more sustainable and better able to support economic growth. Over 70 per cent of people now pay income tax of 17.5 per cent or less. Households earning over $150,000 a year are responsible for 49 per cent of all income tax collected. Any future changes are likely to be modest and targeted at low-to-middle income earners. What's most concerning are the new taxes proposed by Labour and the Greens, whose irresponsible election spending promises already top $30billion.
Lyall Russell
Act Party Rotorua candidate
Act recognises tax rates are too high and is the only party promoting the policy of reducing taxes with less Government spending. Lower taxes encourage people to work more, save more and invest more in education and training. Act will bring down our top income tax rate to 24 per cent with a low flat tax being our preferred result. Our company tax rate will drop to 20 per cent, then over a series of stages to 12.5 per cent by 2020. The loss of tax revenue will be offset by cutting corporate welfare.
Tamati Coffey
Labour Party Rotorua candidate
I don't think it's about whether or not we pay too much or too little tax. The question for New Zealanders is do we feel we are deriving value from our taxes and where government is allocating those tax funds? Our primary focus is to make housing affordable, raise wages, stimulate the regions and make a concerted effort to lift near 260,000 Kiwi kids out of poverty. Our tax policies don't take any more off the average middle Kiwi, but they will make a difference to those kids in need, which I think all Kiwis will feel a sense of value from.
Te Ururoa Flavell
Waiariki MP
The Maori Party believes that current personal tax rates are too high, especially compared with company tax. Currently company tax is less than personal tax for those earning over $48,001, and is therefore far too low, so the Maori Party would like to consider changing this. Individuals are treated the same as trusts or corporations, yet the benefits disproportionately favour the trusts and corporations, so the Maori Party believes they should be paying more. We also would like to see GST taken off healthy foods to ensure that low-income whanau have the ability to live healthy lifestyles.
Michael Davidson
Conservative Party Rotorua candidate
Did not respond.
Rawiri Waititi
Labour Party Waiariki candidate
Did not respond.