Greens’ $400 million mistake is just the tip of the iceberg

“The Greens’ $400 million costing error is bad enough, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The bigger problem is what they haven’t costed at all.

“The Greens have tried to cost the tax grab, but they haven’t costed the damage. They haven’t costed the businesses that won’t expand, the investments that won’t happen, the skilled people who leave, or the New Zealanders who decide it’s no longer worth taking on extra responsibility.

“Their spreadsheet assumes people will sit still while they are taxed harder. In the real world, people respond. Businesses close, investment goes elsewhere, people take fewer risks, and the tax base shrinks. That means fewer jobs, lower wages, and less revenue to pay for the services New Zealanders rely on.

“You cannot tax your way to prosperity, and you cannot redistribute wealth that hasn’t been created.

“ACT’s answer is to unlock New Zealand’s potential. With more affordable government, less red tape, and a growing economy, more people are in work, wages rise, businesses invest, and tax revenues grow naturally.

“That is how New Zealand funds the infrastructure, healthcare, education, and public services expected of a first-world nation.”