23 May 2002
Christian Heritage Labels Budget A Deceptive Yawn Lacking Growth Stimulus – The Road To ‘Welfare Serfdom’
Christian Heritage says today’s ‘Cullen Budget’ is boring and inadequate, doing nothing to encourage sufficient economic
growth, or to discourage the ‘drag’ of an increasingly meddling central government on the economy.
Dr Cullen looking for 3% growth is not enough to move New Zealanders off the floor of the OECD income rankings. In
truth, Labour’s refusal to take the tax-foot off the neck of the productive sector means 3% is wildly optimistic. Labour
is incapable of moving the economy forward.
Business leaders need to be allowed to get on with running businesses and not lobbying for political handouts – needing
policies that stimulate economic growth of at least 4% if we are to move off the bottom of the OECD prosperity ladder.
Business does not need ‘woolly partnerships’ with a Labour government; they need a real and effective growth
environment.
Working New Zealanders are poorer, thanks to this government’s irresponsible redistribution of taxpayer’s money, and
budget surplus proves over-taxation. Taxpayers could just as well demand a refund as Secondary Teachers are demanding
reasonable terms and income.
While gloating about keeping ‘new’ spending within the revised $6.125 billion the government is still spending at a
level close to 40% of GDP. Christian Heritage insists that it is imperative for central government spending to be
brought down if we are to turn the growth and prosperity tide for income earners.
Christian Heritage would give individual and business taxpayers immediate relief by dropping the tax cap to 25%. Unlike
the Labour led government’s tax and spend policy, Christian Heritage tax policies will make significant progress towards
stimulating economic growth – lifting New Zealand well into the top half of OECD income rankings. These policies will
make an obvious and significant change for good for New Zealanders.
END