Brown Peter: Goods and Services Tax (Exclusion of Rates) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Brown Peter: Goods and Services Tax (Exclusion of Rates) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:619;Page:14640] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 The Hon David Cunliffe is an up-and-coming politician—he has a good career in front of him—but he has clearly proved tonight that he does not understand what people in this country want. As for ACT I listened to the speeches that have gone before and I think the letter that Ken Shirley read out was disgraceful. I hope he never sees fit to send another letter like that. It was absolutely disgraceful. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: The member didn’t understand it. 
PETER BROWN 
: Let me just say to Mr Shirley that there are thousands of people out there who want to talk and have this issue looked at and examined. For that reason alone New Zealand First will support sending the bill to a select committee. I heard Dr Cullen earlier on. He said that because the GST has a single rate it is simple it is easily administered it is very straightforward and it is easily understood or some such words as that. But that does not make it fair. Those words do not make it fair. If people think something is unfair they are entitled to have it aired viewed and looked at and it is our responsibility to do that. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Born-again populist! 
PETER BROWN 
: If a significant number of New Zealanders think something is unfair it is our responsibility to examine it and Mr Cunliffe should take note of those words. 
However it must be acknowledged that New Zealand First had an attempt to deal with this issue in 1996 when we were in coalition with National. We could not get it very far but there is reference to it in the coalition document. I looked it up just before I came to the House. We could not get it very far because it is not a simple issue to solve. It is fairly complex. I am led to believe that United Future knows that. I have read the  
Hansard 
 of Mr Dunne when the bill was passed. I am being selective here but it is a crucial part: “Members opposite”—he was talking about the National Party in those days—“talked a lot of nonsense about the impact on some people. When they were given the opportunity to present examples in the committee they were not able to.” I am told that this issue was raised at the select committee at that time so what was Mr Dunne talking about? Why is he on posters all over the country? One has to conclude that he is trying to play political politics—for want of abetter term. It is a political ploy. I hope not. 
But I would like to see some conviction from United Future. If this bill fails will United Future support a similar New Zealand First policy? Some of us in New Zealand First at this point in time are looking at—I have to say I have not got the support of caucus—GST being removed from the petrol tax. That is a tax on a tax. It is the same principle. [ 
Interruption 
] The member says “No.” yet earlier on this afternoon Mr Baldock was saying in the House—I think it was Mr Baldock; it might have been Mr Adams—that United Future will support another 5c tax on petrol in April or whenever it is next year. [ 
Interruption 
] Well whatever his name is. The GST component of the tax on petrol would be 5c or thereabouts—between 4c and 5c. It would not be a saving for the same people; the ratepayers would not be saving but the motorists would. I say to those members over there that if they want to stand firm on a point of principle they should be consistent and not play politics with New Zealanders. That is what they are doing if they will not go the way of removing all taxes on taxes. 
New Zealand First will support this bill’s referral to the select committee. We know that it will not be easily addressed. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Oh! Where’s your principle? 
PETER BROWN 
: I said that at the onset. We never voted for a tax on rates. We never ever voted for GST on rates. The member will find no record of it. If the member reads the coalition document—he was a new member in this House at the time as I was—he will see that there is reference to that in there. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: We are looking at GST on rates. 
PETER BROWN 
: Yes we are looking at removing the GST on rates. The member should look it up. There is reference to that concern. We want the bill to go to the select committee because we want the public to voice their concerns on this issue. We will not deny the public an opportunity to make their views known. We know that this issue will not be easily addressed but we should not be putting things in the too-hard basket. We should not say it is too hard so we will not hear about it and will not look at it. GST has been in this country since 1985 and it is about time this issue was examined.