Tax increases into law

• Steve Pierson
• 15 years ago
• Categories: maori party, national/act government, tax

The tax bill has just been passed into law. The Maori Party voted for it. They also voted against the Cullen amendment that would have created a tax credit to cancel ou the tax increase on low income workers.

Te Ururoa didn’t show up to Backbenches. I haven’t heard a single Maori Party MP defend their support for putting up taxes on the poorest New Zealanders. The once proud Maori Party has clearly learned National’s trick of hiding from the media when things are going bad.

The House is now debating an order of motion setting up the climate change select committee. At the last moment, National has flip-flopped and inserted at the last minute an additional clause to the committee’s terms of reference that questions the science of climate change. Hone Harawira wants an additonal term of reference referring to the Treaty but hasn’t tabled a motion to add it because National won’t support it. Wodney wins.

[correction: the Maori Party did speak once on the tax increases. Flavell spends most of his speech attacking Labour for not solving poverty. He says “It is difficult to accept that those earning under $40,000 will receive no tax cut in the first year. No Member of Parliament should be comfortable that low income families continue to struggle.” and then “We will support this Bill Mr Speaker, in honouring our confidence and supply arrangement with the National Party.” Coward]