LB: Bill’s Busted Budget and Tim’s Exploding Emissions

Written By: - Date published: 4:28 pm, April 9th, 2014 - 13 comments
Categories: bill english, Economy, farming, jobs, Minister for International Embarrassment, tax - Tags: , ,

Local bodies points out a couple more of the National government’s sad-sacks. For some strange (but obvious) reason a warmish market for milk powder doesn’t do much for NZ apart from destroying our enviroment. Nationals’s taxcuts for the wealthy have destroyed the fiscal base of the government and done nothing to cause investment in the productive parts of our economy.

The Government’s ‘Rock Star’ economy hit a bum note (or rather a number of them) when Bill English had to admit that, yet again, his targeted surplus in 2015 is under threat. Despite the often trumpeted improving economy, the tax take was well under what was projected. The core tax revenue was $1.14 billion below expectations because assumptions around personal tax and custom duty did not eventuate and lower than predicted corporate tax and source deductions were received.

The Government has stubbornly stuck with their tax cuts to upper income earners, a loss of around $1.2 billion a year. This is despite the revelation that 107 out of our 161 wealthiest (who have assets of over $50 million) claimed to have taxable incomes of less than $70,000 a year. 2012 research discovered that up to $6 billion in unpaid tax was being cheated by tax evaders.

The dairy industry is largely leading New Zealand’s supposed economic recovery and now generates about 1/5 of our export income (around $15 billion), however very little tax comes from the sector relative to others. We also have a very buoyant property marketwith many regions seeing house prices rising over 10% last year. Property investments are now the preferred method in New Zealand for building wealth because most profits are nontaxable.

Property investments and dairy conversions are largely financed by loans from our big four Australian banks and we all know how little tax they pay.

There is obviously a lot of extra untaxed wealth around because New Zealand’s luxury car market sales have never been better.

The Government’s sale of state assets has not proved to be successful either. While the assets were valued at around $5.2 billion only $4 billion was raised and the sales cost significantly more to promote and manage than budgeted (costing tax payers over $250 million).

Rather than attempting to increase revenue by addressing the huge issue of tax avoidance and evasion Bill English is looking at further restraints in Government spending. There will obviously be more cuts to public services and more state employees will lose their jobs. Further attacks on beneficiaries can be expected too.

Tim Groser came under stiff attack from Russel Norman because of the Ministry of the Environment’s latest projections of our green house gas emissions. Our modeled net emissions under the Kyoto protocol will see an increase of around 50% by 2024. Per capita we are now one of the worst polluters in the developed world. It seems that my satirical description of the Government’s approach to our obligations to reduce emissions was probably closer to reality than I thought.

Bill English and Tim Groser have such a hands off approach to their Ministerial responsibilities that we’d probably be in a better position if they didn’t bother to turn up for work at all.

13 comments on “LB: Bill’s Busted Budget and Tim’s Exploding Emissions ”

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  1. tc 1
    9 April 2014 at 5:21 pm

    They have to show up for work and execute the backers script, it’s what will feather their nests after they exit the beehive.

    When Bill said in 2008 that he’d inherited a good set of books from the Clark years what he left out was the follow on statement that this means he can plunder and leave someone else to clean up after him.

    The national party is owned by big business and it does what its funders tell it to do, the exiting MP’s probably know this all too well now.

  2. karol 2
    9 April 2014 at 6:33 pm

    From the post:

    The dairy industry is largely leading New Zealand’s supposed economic recovery and now generates about 1/5 of our export income (around $15 billion), however very little tax comes from the sector relative to others. We also have a very buoyant property marketwith many regions seeing house prices rising over 10% last year. Property investments are now the preferred method in New Zealand for building wealth because most profits are nontaxable.

    Questoon One today in Question Time: David Cunliffe to the PM on housing affordability & home ownership:

    Hon David Cunliffe: Will the Prime Minister now commit to supporting Labour’s capital gains tax; if not, why is he standing by while young Kiwi first-home buyers are outbid by foreign telephone bidders using cheap foreign money to buy up New Zealand houses—for example, like the more than a dozen overseas phone sales witnessed by Auckland real estate agent Adam Wang?

    Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member is asking me whether I am going to support a capital gains tax on every small business in New Zealand and every hard-working farmer in New Zealand, and whether we are going to support a capital gains tax in an area that is already in existence. It is already on speculators. If the member does not know that, he does not know anything.

    • Tracey 2.1
      9 April 2014 at 6:39 pm

      capital gains tax on small business… that may be his most laughable lie yet…. mind you… if thats wbat he heard cunliffe asking bim … it could explain alot

    • Naki Man 2.2
      9 April 2014 at 9:26 pm

      “Hon David Cunliffe: Will the Prime Minister now commit to supporting Labour’s capital gains tax; if not, why is he standing by while young Kiwi first-home buyers are outbid by foreign telephone bidders using cheap foreign money to buy up New Zealand houses—for example, like the more than a dozen overseas phone sales witnessed by Auckland real estate agent Adam Wang?’

      Typical bullshit from Cunliffe, 6.5% of homes are bought by foreigners in New Zealand.
      Most of these houses are in suburbs like Remuera, Only someone like Cunliffe would think first home buyers can afford these types of properties

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1
        9 April 2014 at 9:36 pm

        /facepalm

        We already have a housing shortage so 6.5% going to foreigners, even if they are only in the more expensive suburbs (which they probably aren’t), will still push up prices everywhere else.

        • RedLogix 2.2.1.1
          9 April 2014 at 10:48 pm

          And next year another 6.5% and the year after …

          Making the very conservative assumption that this rate continues for just another 10 years then 1.065 ^ 10 = 1.87 or about a 90% change.

          In other words 90% of NZ houses would be owned by overseas people. Still keen?

      • Dave kennedy 2.2.2
        10 April 2014 at 11:21 am

        That 6.5% figure is not certain, no research has been done to judge the real extent of foreign buyers. Given the huge returns on investment properties here, minimal tax and few restrictions on foreign investment(see the ‘most profits are non taxable’ link on my post) I would be surprised if it wasn’t double that.

  3. srylands 3
    9 April 2014 at 10:54 pm

    There are no “rich mates”. (There are hardly any “rich” people in New Zealand – probably less than 100.)

    The tax “cuts” were fiscally neutral. Tax revenue is up, not down. It has simply varied down against forecasts. Variance from tax forecasts is nothing new.

    Emissions growth is not news. The last Labour Government faced the same challenges. The answer is to use the flexibility mechanisms allowed by the UNFCCC to help reduce global emissions.

    A capital gains tax with owner occupied homes exempt will increase house prices and drive up rents – viz Australia. Solution = build more houses and release more urban land.

    A capital gains tax is not a bad idea but it should apply to all assets. Labour does not have the courage to do this (neither does National of course.)

    So I found your post a bit hysterical, and not helpful.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      9 April 2014 at 11:47 pm

      Wow, you really do come out with some BS:

      The tax “cuts” were fiscally neutral.

      No they weren’t – they left government with a billion dollar hole.

      Tax revenue is up, not down. It has simply varied down against forecasts.

      Yeah, you should probably try reading what was said rather than what’s in your head.

      Emissions growth is not news. The last Labour Government faced the same challenges. The answer is to use the flexibility mechanisms allowed by the UNFCCC to help reduce global emissions.

      So, SorryLands advice about not meeting emissions targets is to be “flexible” about it. This sounds remarkably like someone saying we shouldn’t try because we could always get someone else to do it for us.

      I found your comment false, flaky and hysterical.

    • framu 3.2
      10 April 2014 at 7:40 am

      “Tax revenue is up, not down. It has simply varied down against forecasts.”

      wouldnt the fiscal neutrality of the tax cuts be based on forecasts as well?

      if so – arent you just trying to have your cake and eat it? I do hope your not using two different systems of measurement to try and make a comparison

      also – you forgot gst increase – go on – how much is gst now? i know you can do it.

  4. Not a PS Staffer 4
    9 April 2014 at 11:19 pm

    “Tim Groser has also made an artform of making NZ worse off.” So you say. I disagree!

    The little fella has made an artform of being a small big swinging dick wherever international trade negotiation are happening: he loves first class seats on planes, the five star hotels, switching seamlessly from English to French at well-catererd someothertaxpayer funded receptions or dinners.

    Is a more prosperous New Zealand his raison d’être? Non.
    Is the prosperity and happiness of the people of New Lynn (where he is repeatedly thrashed by Cunliffe) the reason he gets out of a satin sheeted bed? Mon Dieu, Non!

    The agoraphobic boy is selling you and me down the river so that he can be acclaimed by his peers in Wasingtton, London and Geneva as a truly great Trade “hand”. Groser is devoid of vision and self confidence. He is a great reason to drop the List System and insist that all MPs get some type of direct mandate from the people. Groser hates having to answer to the piulic: any public.

    • Rodel 4.1
      10 April 2014 at 8:34 pm

      Not a PS Staffer- ..
      .” He is a great reason to drop the List System and insist that all MPs get some type of direct mandate from the people.”-a sentiment with which I tend to agree even though I like MMP

  5. philj 5
    10 April 2014 at 6:40 am

    xox.
    just a thought. Maybe it’s a rock star economy (for the rich) because the tax take is down. it’s not rock star for you and me.