Tax-And-Spend Big Government Helped Tobacco Industry

Libertarianz Deputy Leader and Health Spokesman Dr. Richard McGrath announced today “The government had no business helping Rothman's gain a foothold in the Pacific Islands by subsidising construction of a cigarette factory in Samoa.” He was responding to comments by Wellington School of Medicine researcher George Thomson who linked the factory's existence to an increase in tobacco related illness in the islands.

"The Muldoon government forced taxpayers, including anti-smoking activists, to help pay for this factory," he explained. "These activists were entitled to decide for themselves how their own money was spent, in accordance with every person's natural right to full ownership of the wealth they create or acquire through voluntary trade. Instead, the Muldoon government nationalised and spent other people's money helping their friends in the tobacco industry."

"Labour and the other mainstream parties are no better," added Dr McGrath. "Today's politicians still think it is acceptable to confiscate an arbitrary proportion of everyone's earnings and spend it appeasing the people who voted for them.”

“Libertarianz would dramatically cut this blatant extortion racket, and work towards its end" he continued, "by abolishing all taxation, except income and company tax in the short term, dramatically cutting those taxes and privatising all the activities currently undertaken by Government with the exception of law enforcement, justice and national defence. We will then work to eliminate all state extortion."

"People need less government from above in their lives," he concluded. "Self employed people in the top marginal tax bracket must hand over half their earnings, in GST and income tax alone, to the Labour-Anderton administration for redistribution. A significant proportion of these tax-victims do not support Labour or Anderton, but in effect they are slaves to the Labour- Anderton voters. Libertarianz thinks this situation is outrageous, and would support all moves to reduce and abolish tax slavery."

ENDS Dr Richard McGrath Libertarianz Deputy Leader and Health Spokesman * Phone 025 2300 868 * Fax 06 377 3070 * mcgrath@no-income-tax.com www.libertarianz.org.nz

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