Today Maryan Street, Damien O’Connor, Darien Fenton and our team took the big red Axe the Tax bus through Nelson, Motueka and Westport.
In Nelson we held two open air public meetings, both well attended, and canvassed retail businesses around the town center. Good moments included large numbers of shoppers stopping to listen to us by the Cathedral steps, and the very positive reaction we received from many small businesses- who HATE the idea that it will be up to them to make the higher GST work, and that they carry the risk and hassle.
Off to “Mot” via Mapua and strong positive reactions at both. Shopkeepers coming out of their shops to call us in and tell us why they opposed the tax. We doorknocked the entire main street at Motueka and it would have been impossible to miss us. Lunch meeting with community groups at the community center. Grey Power got it that the amount being speant on high income tax cuts is roughly the same as what National has gutted out of NZ Super prefunding.
Longish drive to Westport with lots of road works made us a bit late. Funniest moment was National MP Chris Auchinvole flagging us down on the road near a country pub where he announced he had just held a “hotel meeting”. OK fair enough, Chris.
Westport Working Men’s Club turned on a good crowd and some fine speeches from colleagues, with plenty of questions following. A local beer went down well after.
Tomorrow we blitz Westport mainstreet and cover Reeefton, Greymouth and Hoki before the trans-alpine trip adn Christchurch via Rangiora. Wednesday the bus tours Christchurch, but I fly to Invercargill to speak on the tax issues to public meetings and local businesses in Southland.
Great to be meeting a wide range of Kiwis in their own home towns and hearing directly from them of their concerns. And in case any trolls are going to run the “taxpayer funded” line – this is absolutley a proper thing for MPs to be doing.
Meeting…. great Tui ad lol!!!!
Sounds like its going really well David! Keep it up!
So why is the bus not coming to Blenheim, poulation 26,000, surrounding area another 24000, home to the wine industry, one of our biggest export dollar earners and one of the largest timber growing and aquaculture regions in the country?
Was it not the labour govt that lifted GST from 10% to 12.5% with no additional one off increase to superannuates ???
Arnold you are wrong, there was a tax cut package for low income earners announced at the same time as GST to 12.5%.
Key is only offering less than 2.5% for super annuitants ( and cutting back on their inflation increase)
What tax is Labour wanting axed? What it should say on the tax payer funded bus is no increase of GST from its current level but I guess that’s not as catchy.
As for GST in general, thanks Labour.
So what is Labour going to do?
Are you going to lower the GST rate if National raise it?
Are you going to lower the GST to its original rate since you raised it?
Are you going to axe GST altogether since you introduced it?
I mean its nice you say you oppose it but what do you intend to do about it if given the opportunity?
No Labour MP has addressed the concern that I and others have raised, namely:
Is Phil Goff misleading the public, or do Labour actually have plans to axe GST?
I’m still waiting for one single solitary Labour MP to front up… on their own blog.
If Labour are NOT going to axe GST, when is the sign on Phil’s bus getting its makeover?
Phil Goff can’t be misleading if he’s not saying anything.
They are lobbying to stop the GST rise eventuating. I hope that clarifies things for Richard and Mark.
let’s all wait for it to be presented in May’s Budget and for it to pass into legislation… THEN hold Labour’s feet to the fire over reducing it. You guys with your carts ahead of your horses.