Green Party plan to end poverty and create a fairer tax system.
A Green Party media release.
The Green Party has proposed a plan to end poverty in New Zealand called The Income Guarantee, a plan that means we can all have peace of mind that we will be able to put food on the table, have a safe place to call home, and live a good life - and we’ll pay for it with a fair tax system.
Green Party candidate for Coromandel, Pamela Grealey says “This is especially important for people in Coromandel with so many people struggling to get by.”
“We will do this by giving everyone a minimum income of $385 per week, plus extra help for families with children, students, and people who can't work because of health reasons. This is called the Income Guarantee, and it will make sure no one has to worry about paying for the basics”.
“We will also make the tax system fairer in order to pay for the Income Guarantee and other public services. It is at odds with our shared values of caring for each other that children are going to bed hungry; families are struggling to pay the rent or mortgage and keep their homes warm; and students are forced to skip meals to make ends meet. The money we need to support each other is already there, but successive governments have decided not to use it. This is a political choice.”
The Green Party would also introduce a Wealth Tax of 2.5% on the net assets - things like properties or shares - worth more than $2 million (minus mortgages and other debt) for each individual. “This means that only the wealthiest 0.07% of people will pay this tax, and they will pay it on the value of their assets above $2 million.
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“We will also introduce a new tax-free threshold, so no one earning less than $125,000 has to pay tax on the first $10,000 of their income. This means that everyone will keep more of their income and have more money to spend or save,” says Pamela.
Only the Green Party will show the political leadership necessary to make sure those most able to pay, contribute more tax resources, which we will allocate to making sure everyone has enough to put food on the table, a safe place to call home and live a good life.
These changes can only happen if we get more Green MPs into parliament this election. The time is now to Party Vote Green and make a change for all New Zealanders to be able to live dignified lives.
Media enquiries: Pamela Grealey ph: 021 913 661 or Anna Horne ph 021 0222 1389 Reference: https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together.
Caption: Pamela Grealey.