Welcome home, National: No new taxes pledge a win for taxpayers

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming National’s U-turn and unequivocal commitment to “no new taxes”, calling it a victory for taxpayers and common sense. Taxpayers’ Union Spokesperson Tory Relf said:

“Welcome home, National. This is exactly where the party of lower taxes should be.

“Just a few weeks ago, Nicola Willis was talking about ‘no new taxes on working people’ – a fudge that left the door wide open to new taxes on businesses, motorists, property owners and investors.

“Taxpayers didn’t buy it, and neither did we. We’ve been campaigning hard for National to drop the weasel words and restore the unequivocal commitment to no new taxes.

“Thousands of our supporters have been emailing National Party MPs and candidates this week to tell them to ditch the fudge and recommit to ‘no new taxes’.

“Today, Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis have done exactly that. Credit where it’s due: they listened, changed course, and taxpayers are the winners.

“This also restores a clear dividing line this election. National and ACT have now both ruled out new taxes, while Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and The Opportunity Party are lining up new ways to tax New Zealanders.

“The challenge for National now is making the numbers work - but that will be easy so long as they focus on cutting back Covid-era spending.

“Today is a policy victory worth celebrating. No asterisks. No clever qualifications. No new taxes.

“Welcome home.”