5. Question No. 5—FinanceNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 5—Finance5. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he think that New Zealanders are being fairly taxed; if not what consideration if any is the Government giving to reducing the tax paid by average-wage earners?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): There is always room for improvement in the fairness of New Zealand's tax system. As the Prime Minister has said this Government has made a series of commitments on what we would do and what we would not do on tax this term and those are being upheld.Nicola Willis: Have Government officials been asked to provide advice on possible new taxes such as for example a wealth tax on unrealised capital gains?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As the Prime Minister indicated yesterday and in his speech last week we consider a range of issues around tax on an ongoing basis. Information about those will be released at an appropriate time.Nicola Willis: How can that information be Budget-sensitive when the Prime Minister has explicitly ruled out introducing these taxes in the Budget?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I didn't say it was Budget-sensitive.Nicola Willis: Why won't he just come clean with New Zealanders about the consideration Cabinet has given to a new capital gains tax?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Governments of all shapes sizes and colours over the years give consideration to a range of policy issues and decide to announce those not announce those go ahead with them not go ahead with them as conditions dictate. The member knows; she was an adviser to a Government who said that they would rule out increasing GST and then promptly came in and increased GST.Nicola Willis: Why if the Minister is sincere in his commitment that the Government won't introduce new taxes did the Cabinet as recently as three months ago—Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Point of order Mr Speaker. I know the approach that you take around questions but calling into question a member of the House's sincerity is something that has been ruled out on many occasions.Chris Penk: Speaking to the point of order Sir. It was a conditional statement for rhetorical effect. It wasn't saying that the Minister wasn't sincere it just said that if he is then how can X Y Z.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Speaking to that point of order conditional statements for rhetorical effect are also out of order. [Interruption]SPEAKER: When you're ready. Very good. That question is ruled out of order.Nicola Willis: Why if the Government is committed to not introducing new taxes was Cabinet considering a new tax as recently as three months ago?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We do not disclose discussions that take place at the Cabinet table. The member should be very careful with the kind of accusations she chooses to make.Nicola Willis: Can the Minister rule out the possibility that Government officials have been working on tax policy that will inform Labour Party manifesto?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I can rule out the fact that Government officials would work on anything that was for a particular party's manifesto. Government officials work on a range of issues at different times across the parliamentary term. Any information that they do work on is obviously the subject of Official Information Act requests and in the case of things that relate to the Budget the subject of the Budget proactive release.Nicola Willis: Why does the Minister continue to dance on the head of this particular pin and not just come clean with New Zealanders about exactly what his Government is cooking up on tax?SPEAKER: I'm going to leave it to the Minister whether he wants to respond or not but that last bit was definitely out of order.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The Prime Minister has been crystal clear: there will be no wealth tax and no capital gains tax or no major tax changes in the Budget. That is what I am responsible for as the Minister of Finance. The member might want to consider the impact of her proposed tax policy which would see close to $11 billion needing to be found and every single time when something's put to her about what will be cut she says No it won't be cut." It doesn't add up; the member is right in the middle of Paul Goldsmith's Bermuda Triangle."