Wang Kenneth: Taxation (Base Maintenance  and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Wang Kenneth: Taxation (Base Maintenance  and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21462] 
KENNETH WANG (ACT) 
: 
 It is very very frustrating for us constantly debating this taxation bill. To me it is all about money-grubbing and money spending. 
I would like to draw attention to the fact that this House has been sitting under urgency since yesterday and before that we debated the Appropriation (2004/05 Supplementary Estimates) Bill. That bill has been debated and is in the past. But what was it about? It was all about giving legitimacy to this Government grabbing more and extravagantly spending more. This bill is another example of this Government grabbing even more. We say that if we had adopted a lower flat tax rate in the first place as the ACT party has suggested—25c in the dollar—there would be no need to sit here until midnight debating this bill and wasting taxpayers’ money. 
I would like to draw attention to the fact that before Michael Cullen’s 2005 Budget speech the public had already spoken. The  
National Business Review  
survey at the end of April this year showed that 63 percent of New Zealanders were looking for lower tax rates. They expected our Government to deliver. They expected our Government to listen. Unfortunately we have a very arrogant Labour Government that did not listen. 
I would like to comment on the Minister’s statement that if we had a lower tax rate it would benefit only those who are rich the corporates and foreign owners who would grab our money and directly transfer it overseas overnight. But I would like to draw attention to the basic knowledge that in this country over 90 percent of businesses are small businesses. Those small-business owners have spoken. One needs only to look at the opinion polls. Business confidence has plunged to a 70-year low. Why? Do members think they are foolish or dumb? Of course one cannot say that; one would not dare to say that. But why does the Government still insist on a high tax rate? Is the Government going to label them all as rich or foreign-owned corporates or crooks? Of course the Minister is shaking his head. 
I know that the reason for this Government taxing all and taxing more is only that it wants to spend more. Of course there are 38000 more civil servants. Under this Government that is not a big figure. It expects to spend more. It wants to spend more on things like the hip-hop tour and the wananga institutions. 
Every New Zealand family has also spoken out. Even Michael Cullen admitted earlier this year that the average New Zealand family’s income in real terms is no better off than it was 6 years’ ago. Those Labour members should not shake their heads; they should just look at the real figures. Those members can say: “We have a great plan—the Working for Families package.” but the Government is not a machine to produce wealth. Where does the money come from? Tax and more tax. This Government knows how to do that very very well. It should just remember where that revenue came from. It came from hard-working New Zealanders. It came from the 90 percent of business owners such as dairy owners electricians and plumbers.