Hone Heke Tax Has Big Backers - Sarkozy and Merkel Pinch Mana Policy
John Minto
Key spokesperson for MANA.
The Mana Movement's proposals for a Hone Heke Tax on financial transactions has big backers in Europe.
Last week the French leader Nicholas Sarkozy and German leader Angela Merkel pledged their support for such a tax and
said it was a priority for Europe.
After the two met in Paris on 17 August Sarkozy said:
"The French and German finance ministers will table a joint proposal at the EU level next September for a tax on
financial transactions. This is a priority for us."
This tax is also a priority for MANA and we are in company with others who have recognised the destructive effects of a
volatile European currency, the Euro, and unbridled currency speculation.
"This tax would be of huge benefit to New Zealand", says Mana tax spokesperson John Minto. "It would benefit exporters
by decreasing speculation on the New Zealand dollar, reduce its volatility and also reduce its value compared to other
currencies. Our export income would increase significantly."
Most importantly however it would allow New Zealand to begin scrapping GST and put a lot more money in the pockets of
wage and salary earners.
This tax is a win for everyone except currency speculators (such as Prime Minister John Key who was a currency
speculator before he entered parliament) who won't like it but low and middle income New Zealanders would feel immediate
benefits.
It could be that Merkel and Sarkozy have begun pinching our policies. We will keep an eye on them.