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Press Release
The Green Party have their uses
They will promote the dark underbelly of our culture, tall poppy syndrome, to official Government policy.
Free Press
The Haps
Let’s make it a record. Ticket sales for Rally ‘26 Unlock New Zealand’s Potential (in Auckland this Sunday, June 28th) are on track for a record attendance. If you haven’t got your ticket and you’d like to help set a record please click here.
The House is back from a three week recess. ACT’s MPs have been busy releasing policy and listening to rural New Zealand at Fieldays, holding packed public meetings, and dominating the so-called ‘Scrutiny Week’ in front of Select Committees last week.
The election campaign feels more urgent with political attacks and threats of new taxes. ACT will be campaigning to lock Labour out and unlock New Zealand’s potential, the only true path to prosperity runs through the personal Freedom ACT passionately promotes.
The Green Party have their uses
Yesterday, even though it was an accident, the Greens reminded us why New Zealand needs an ACT party (and the National Party helped a little, too).
Yesterday morning the Greens accidentally put their new tax policy on their website, and the Herald found it.
If you believe the Herald, it’s a doozy. The whole policy is based on a dismal idea: ‘your problems were caused by someone else’s success, if you vote for us we’ll take their money and give it to you.’
They want a 45 per cent top tax rate on incomes, a death tax on inheritances, and an annual ‘wealth tax’ on your home. It’s as if they wanted to highlight what ACT stands for in reverse.
There are few problems in New Zealand that wouldn’t be easier faced if we were a wealthier country. Affording healthcare. Building infrastructure. Paying pensions to retirees. Defending the fourth largest maritime territory in the world (yes, that’s a fact). It’s all easier if we are wealthier.
Some might say we are wealthy, but need to tax more. The truth is that, among the 40 developed nations in the OECD, we are at the average for taxing, but in the bottom quarter for incomes. Squeezing the pips harder won’t work, we need to grow.
We need ACT to represent all those New Zealanders with a different vision, where we are a nation or winners who celebrate success.
We actually need more wealth in New Zealand. More investment and more success. Every billionaire from Rocket Lab to Xero to Zuru has made us a better country. Every success story built from blood, sweat, tears and imagination means more jobs and higher incomes that we wouldn’t otherwise have.
It does something else. It inspires some Kiwi, somewhere to be the next success story. That is the cream of a New Zealand with its potential unlocked. But, if tall poppy syndrome becomes official policy and Government goes on a witch hunt for ‘undeserved’ success, the golden goose either flies or dies.
Nobody has to build up a small business by risking equity from the home their children sleep in. They take the risk because they’ll be rewarded if it works out. The Greens’ approach says you’ll be taxed harder if your risks work out, and given more if you don’t try at all.
Make no mistake, though, the Green Party have shown the alternative vision. If they succeed, they are coming for our money in pursuit of that vision. Even dying won’t be an escape. They will promote the dark underbelly of our culture, tall poppy syndrome, to official Government policy.
That’s why the number one job this election is to lock Labour and their outriders out of power. But that won’t be enough.
The National Party has decided, after 50 years, that it supports Compulsory Super after all. In National’s famous ‘Dancing Cossacks’ ad (mandatory watching for political nerds, here) Muldoon declares Labour’s eight per cent compulsory super contribution will be nixed because it ‘won’t pay out its full benefit until 2028.’ Now they want to campaign on 12 per cent.
Everyone loves compulsory super until they’re asked where the money comes from. For many people, it will be the money they were using to pay down their mortgage or invest in their small business.
There may be some appeal, but at the very least there needs to be carve-outs for investing in business and paying off mortgages, otherwise the only winners will be banks who get more fees for managing Kiwisaver and more interest by lending money longer. Ordinary people will be no better off, just have fewer choices.
The campaign has barely started, and New Zealand needs an ACT Party more than ever.