Key was always pushing tax cuts, English was always cautious. Was it incoherence or was it a deliberate cop bad cop routine? Either way we seem set to continue with this sort of nonsense. English remains realistic – Bill English gives financial update, says reducing debt and earthquake recovery more important than tax cuts
English himself remained cagey about the chances of any tax changes, saying they would only take place if “economic and fiscal conditions allow”, while there were higher priorities.
“We need to absorb the impact of the Kaikoura earthquake…and we’ve got to focus on paying down debt, so that sets constraints on other choices.”
There was no “explicit provision” for tax cuts, but the Government would consider its options for Budget 2017 or later as the financial situation continued to improve.
The impact of the the Kaikoura earthquake is not yet known, and paying down debt is going to take years, by his own logic English cannot be offering tax cuts in 2017. His position last year was unequivocal – English rules out tax cuts this year and next.
But Joyce has taken over the role pusher – ‘The money we get comes from hardworking Kiwis’ – Steven Joyce says tax cuts remain in ‘the mix’ under Bill English Govt.
The presumptive Finance Minister is not ruling out tax cuts going into election year.
Incoherence? Flip-flops? Left hand doesn’t know the right hand? Deliberate strategy? Imagine the media field-day if there was this kind of confusion at the heart of Labour’s economic policy.
Key got away with this kind of bullshit for 8 long years – are we going to let it continue?
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