Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Newman Muriel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:617;Page:12548] 
9.  
Dr MURIEL NEWMAN (ACT) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Will she accept mother of four Marilynn McLachlan’s request for a meeting after Mrs McLachlan wrote to her appealing for help in finding a way to survive on an annual family income of $55000; and does she believe there are many other New Zealand families facing the same difficulties? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 No. However Marilynn McLachlan has been provided with the name of an Inland Revenue Department staff member with whom her family circumstances can be discussed to ensure they are receiving the assistance to which they are entitled. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Does the Prime Minister think it is fair that welfare beneficiaries can be receiving an income similar to the income of that struggling Waihi couple and can she explain to the House what incentives there are for such welfare families to move from welfare into work? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The advice I saw from the Inland Revenue Department suggested that this family would be $270.85 a week better off than a family on welfare. I can also say that unlike Muriel Newman I will not be advising members of the public to take up nude modelling or sell erotic underwear to earn more money. 
Katherine Rich 
: Why was the Prime Minister happy to meet with a sheep and not with the McLachlan family? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I respect what the owner of Bendigo Station is doing in raising money for children with cancer. That is an important charity. I receive many many letters from members of the public and it is not my policy—nor indeed are there enough hours in the day—to accede to every request. 
Sue Bradford 
: Will the Government reconsider its opposition to a universal child benefit in light of the very apparent fact raised by Mrs McLachlan that it is not only parents on the lowest wages or benefits who are facing real financial difficulties right now? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No that is not the Government’s policy but I can say to hard-working families like the McLachlan family—and in this case the parents have chosen that the mum should be at home—that I believe the Budget will be a good Budget for working families such as theirs. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: If Mrs McLachlan were prepared to come to Wellington with two television channel cameras six news media photographers and the parliamentary press gallery would the Prime Minister then be prepared to meet with her? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I can tell the member that I had no idea Shrek would excite so much attention. 
Judy Turner 
: Does she consider a combined family income of $55000 to be wealthy even if it comes from one income source; if not why does her Government not value the contribution of those who choose to stay at home to raise children by splitting this income between both parents for tax purposes? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No I do not consider that combined family income to be wealthy. It is as the facts would show above the average household income but it is not a wealthy income. I repeat again that the needs of families like this one will be addressed in the Budget. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Is the Prime Minister concerned that the tax burden on working families like the Waihi couple is too high; if so in light of recent Treasury work which calculates that moving New Zealand to an 18c in the dollar flat tax rate would cost less than the surplus that this Government has run up will she consider giving back the taxation surplus and introducing an 18c flat rate of tax in the Budget? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I would have thought that the kind of flat across-the-board low tax rate that the member advocates would advantage most the wealthiest in the community. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm that if an 18c in the dollar flat tax rate were adopted apart from increasing tax on those on the lowest income it would offer Mrs McLachlan a good deal less than is going to occur in this year’s Budget? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am confident that the needs of families like these are to the forefront in the Government’s consideration in this Budget. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister appears to be quoting from a document. Can I ask her to table it? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. That is a good point of order but as usual the point has been made. 
Rodney Hide 
: Does the Prime Minister believe that the hard-working McLachlans along with every hard-working New Zealander would be better off if we did go for a flat tax of 20c in the dollar; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am now confused as to whether ACT’s policy is for an 18c flat tax rate or a 20c flat tax rate. 
Government Member 
: It depends who is leading at the time. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It depends who is leading at the time and we have heard from two of the aspirants so maybe these are the issues that are being debated in the primaries which I have to say are not preoccupying New Zealand at this time. 
The Government is approaching this year’s Budget with the needs of families like this family very much in mind not the needs of the richest families which ACT represents. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was very interesting to hear about ACT’s primaries from the Prime Minister but the question was whether she believes that this hard-working family would be better off with a flat tax of 20c in the dollar. She did not once address that question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Prime Minister did address it in the last part of her answer. If she wants to add to it she can. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: My eminent colleague advises me that were we to go to a flat tax of 20c in the dollar families on $39000 and under would be worse off than they are at present.