ACT Says Tariffs Must Go!
ACT New Zealand Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today welcomed the Government's decision to continue to reduce tariffs
after a six-year freeze.
"The Labour-led Government's freeze was always a bad idea. The tariff regime socks kiwi families hard and benefits
uncompetitive businesses at the expense of competitive ones," Mr Hide said.
"The tariff regime forced New Zealanders to pay an extra $283 million last year for clothes, footwear, plastics and
rubber goods.
"It's true some businesses benefited. But they did so only at the expense of more competitive and successful
businesses.
"The only disappointing thing is that the Government won't eliminate tariffs completely. New Zealand can't succeed by
building tariff walls around our country. We are silly even to try," Mr Hide said.