COALITION FOR FAIR INTERNET PRICING

MEDIA RELEASE

8.00 PM THURSDAY 12 SEPT 2013

Prime Minister Needs Better Advice On Copper Tax

Prime Minister John Key would benefit from better advice on his government’s proposed new $600 million tax on internet users, the Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing said tonight.

On One News tonight, Mr Key said the coalition’s analysis of the economic impact of the new tax was wrong.

“It is a shame that the Prime Minister has received inaccurate advice from his ministers and officials,” said the coalition’s spokeswoman Sue Chetwin, also chief executive of Consumer New Zealand.

“Our independent economists have told us the tax is probably much more than $600 million, but we preferred to use the lowest and most conservative estimate.

“When the Prime Minister considers this matter more thoroughly, we are sure he will see it would be wrong to tax kiwis $600 million to add to the profits of an already profitable monopoly.”

The Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing was founded by Consumer NZ, InternetNZ, and the Telecommunication Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) and is supported by CallPlus and Slingshot, the Federation of Maori Authorities, Greypower, Hautaki Trust, KiwiBlog, KLR Holdings, National Urban Maori Authorities, New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, Orcon, Rural Women, Te Huarahi Tika Trust and the Unite Union. 

ENDS

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