Bennett Paula: Taxation (Annual Rates and Urgent Measures) Bill — In Committee 
Bennett Paula: Taxation (Annual Rates and Urgent Measures) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:628;Page:758] 
PAULA BENNETT (National) 
: 
 As someone who is a new member of Parliament I was initially astounded then quite simply appalled at the inside information on how democracy works for this Government. Forgive me my naivety but the way I understand it the House is in urgency this week so that the Government can quickly push through legislation that affects all New Zealanders’ lives. It is pushing it through so quickly that there is no time for public submissions so the public does not get to have a say in the direction that the country is heading. But I gather that that is the way that New Zealand works under a Labour - New Zealand First Government. It seems appalling that the Government works in that way. It is a busy time for everyone with Christmas looming and the Government chooses to try to push through a very flawed piece of legislation that turns earners of the average wage into beneficiaries and discriminates against all New Zealanders. 
It is about equality for all New Zealanders. It is about putting more money into the pockets of more New Zealanders. What the Government does not seem to understand is that it is the people’s money. These people are working hard in their jobs and deserve to have across-the-board tax cuts not this sort of flawed bill that gives something to minorities and individuals whom the Government deems to be worthy of its tax relief. 
Moana Mackey 
: For families. 
PAULA BENNETT 
: Well let us define families a little bit. Under a Labour Government families seem to be defined as those with dependent children and the Working for Families bill most certainly does that. What New Zealanders deserve though is across-the-board tax cuts. Under a National Government those earning between $38000 and $50000 would have got tax relief—down to 19 percent. Being taxed at 19 percent would have put more money back into the hands of everyone. 
It is about self-determination. Let New Zealanders decide how they want to spend their money. The arrogance and the hypocrisy of the Government in taking that money from them to spend it in the way that it deems best is purely that—arrogance. What do people expect from a Government? They expect an education system that supports them a health system that is available to them in their times of need and retirement income that sees them living the sort of life that people in New Zealand so deserve. Instead though the Government takes that money off them and does not utilise it properly. It does not identify that it is all New Zealanders who deserve to have a tax cut—not just some individuals. It seems to me that people deserve some understanding. It is about them and their working lives—working hard to have the means to get on and do what they determine to be best. Instead we have a Labour Government that decides that it knows what is best for everyone and just picks out individual people within the community whether they be students or those with dependent children whom it deems to be worthy of a tax cut. 
I oppose obviously this piece of legislation. I find it absolutely astonishing that we are here under urgency pushing through something that does not allow all New Zealanders to have a say in what exactly is happening. All New Zealanders deserve the right to say what happens to their money but it seems that instead we have a Government that puts things through under the reign of urgency and does not support everyone as it should.