The Green Party utterly rejects Bill English's plans to pinch a billion dollars from the superannuation fund in order to
give tax cuts to the wealthy, Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.
"An increasingly desperate National Party will tomorrow (Monday) trot out yet again its dogma of stimulating the economy
through tax incentives for top-earners," said Jeanette Fitzsimons.
She expects National would raise the billion dollars needed for the tax cuts by ditching the superannuation fund and
cutting spending on social services.
"The Green Party is also opposed to this Government's superannuation fund, but our solution would be invest it in the
future in better tertiary education and preventative health care.
"Out tax policies would see income tax reduce for everyone, not just the wealthy. We would shift the tax burden off
work, income and enterprise and onto those who are compromising our future through waste and pollution.
A fair and even tax cut for all could be achieved by a carbon tax on greenhouse gases from fossil fuels; a "toxicity"
levy - on pesticides, for example - that would encourage the use of less toxic material and a levy on tonnes of rubbish
disposed of in landfills, which would encourage reuse and recycling and discourage the worst aspects of the "throwaway
society."
"Having better educated, healthier citizens will greatly reduce the projected cost of an ageing population" said Ms
Fitzsimons, "while our 'pollution' taxes will create an economy no longer at the mercy of oil crises, climate change and
environmental contamination.
"The way to achieve a happier, wealthier future for us all lies in looking after our people and our environment now,
rather than gambling on the politics of greed in the international stockmarket, hoping to return a dividend in the
future."
Ends