Monday, 14 February 2005

Baldock: Don't tax tourists, Bob - lobby your Labour mates

Waitakere City mayor Bob Harvey and the country's other mayors suggested taxing of tourists to fill local government coffers ignores the fact that they're already taxed - it's called GST, United Future's Larry Baldock said today.

"Visitors to New Zealand pay tax on the petrol they purchase, the food they eat, the hotels they stay in and everything they buy," Mr Baldock, United Future's local government spokesman, said..

"Rather than looking at another bureaucratic way of raising an additional tax, central government simply needs to allow a percentage of GST collected nationwide to be re-distributed back to local authorities to enable them to meet the growing needs of services they provide for the community.

"For years now, more and more costs and responsibilities have been devolved to local government without central government sharing any revenue and mayors everywhere have come to the same conclusion that United Future has - it's simply not sustainable to sustain local government by rates alone," Mr Baldock said.

ENDS

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