Cuts will hurt Kiwis but won’t fix broken economy
Low and middle-income Kiwis are about to take yet another financial hit from John Key and his National Government. He’s revealed plans to cut KiwiSaver and Working for Families in the Budget next week.
These cuts will hurt Kiwi families and do nothing to address the huge economic problems this country is facing. We are now borrowing $380 million a week and are facing our largest ever deficit – a situation that John Key refuses to take responsibility for. He claims National’s approach is a responsible and balanced one.
There’s nothing responsible or balanced about cutting our national savings scheme and financial help for families while refusing to touch the $2.5 billion dollars a year John Key spends on tax cuts for the country’s top earners. It would be fair and responsible to take back some of the windfall gains made by the most wealthy and distribute that to middle and low-income New Zealanders who are being financially squeezed.
Why is National prepared to cut home help for frail older New Zealanders, to cut funding for early childhood education, to cut back on savings and financial help for working families when it refuses to touch the $44 million dollars a week it gives in tax cuts to the top 10% of earners. The Government’s priorities are all wrong. They are tinkering with the economy and making cuts that won’t turn the dire economic situation around.
National will go to the polls in November claiming the only way to improve the situation is to cut programmes that support savings and families and to sell off valuable community-owned assets. Labour will present voters with a credible plan for turning this country around and getting it moving again through creating jobs with higher incomes, a fairer tax system and actively managing the economy.
Kelvin Davis selected for Te Tai Tokerau by-election
Email Kelvin
Labour has selected MP Kelvin Davis as our candidate for the Te Tai Tokerau by-election.
The by-election will cost taxpayers up to $600,000 and we believe that is a reckless waste of taxpayers’ money but that decision rests with Hone Harawira. Labour is serious about contesting the seat and the party is fully behind Kelvin.
Kelvin was born and bred in Te Tai Tokerau. He’s lived there most of his adult life and is raising his family there. It is his home turf. Kelvin will fight for the issues that matter to the people of Te Tai Tokerau – like creating jobs, addressing the rising cost of living, investing in skills training and apprenticeships, putting children first and stopping asset sales.
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Stop Asset Sales Campaign
Barry Monks & I at the Benmore Dam.
Our stop asset sales campaign is really firing up at the moment.
We’ve unveiled a billboard in central Auckland to get the message out there and Campbell Live ran a really good story about the campaign relating to National’s plan to sell off our power companies. You can watch it here
Voters will have a clear choice this election because under Labour there will be no asset sales. It is economic madness. The power companies return $700 million in dividends every year – that will be lost forever. This pays for 10,300 teachers, 12,600 new police officers or 33,000 hip replacements.
National claims selling off our assets will be good for mums and dads in New Zealand. But we all already own these assets, so why would we want to sell them off. Many mums and dads can barely afford their power bills let alone buy shares in a power company.
Let’s work together to keep our community-owned assets in Kiwi hands. Support Labour’s campaign to stop asset sales.
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