The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions welcomed the opportunity to engage with Government on the Tax Working Group announced today by Minister of Finance Grant Robertson. “Like many countries around the world, the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the super-rich has seen a groundswell of public support to re-examine whether the rules in New Zealand are fair,” CTU President Richard Wagstaff said.
“The announcement of the Tax Working Group today is the first step towards opening the conversation around whether those who have benefited from the hard work of New Zealanders are doing their fair share. When there are headlines in the international news that Apple, for example, has legally paid no tax in New Zealand in the last ten years, it’s no surprise that working people support tax changes.”
“Working people in New Zealand are the biggest contributors to our valued public services like schools, hospitals and public transport. It’s vital that the Government actively seeks their views on whether New Zealand’s current taxation arrangements are fit for the purpose of providing quality, sustainable public services. We expect specific representation of the interests of working people on the Government’s Tax Group. I’m looking forward to conversations with the Minister on how to achieve the widest public engagement on a fair and durable tax system that supports a better quality of life for New Zealanders.”