Carter David: Taxation (Base Maintenance  and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Carter David: Taxation (Base Maintenance  and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21461] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 Mr Chairperson I am pleased you have allowed me to take a call because I want to focus on the seriousness of this bill. I want to focus on the tax bill before the Committee tonight. 
Today I have had the privilege of actually being amongst real people at the Fieldays at Hamilton. Thousands of people were there and I was very interested to see that Dr Cullen and Helen Clark had made another significantly tactical error by having Helen Clark there to open the Fieldays. She was in the main arena at around 12 noon today and she had assembled about 20 loyal Labour Party supporters and perhaps 100 passers-by. Helen Clark had the audacity to say at the opening that agriculture was the backbone of the economy—and everybody laughed! Everybody laughed because the people who were there had been talking to me about tax. The issue on everybody’s lips at the Fieldays was tax. New Zealanders know they are grossly overtaxed. 
We have had Dr Cullen trying to control the argument for many months now by saying that New Zealanders are not grossly overtaxed yet he had the audacity and arrogance to come into the House and actually recognise that New Zealanders are overtaxed and to say that they needed a tax break. “Yep they need a tax break.” said Dr Cullen. The Labour caucus had been briefed at 1 o’clock that day. Labour members had nodded their heads and said: “Dr Cullen you are on the right track. Go in there and offer them a tax cut. Go in there and offer them 67c a week.” But there was a proviso. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: What was that? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: People have to hang around for 3 years before they get their 67c. Phil Heatley’s contribution when he wisely advised New Zealanders listening tonight not to spend their 67c all in one go was important. Tax is an issue at this election and tax is an issue because Labour has created it as an issue. It has grossly overtaxed New Zealanders. Phil Heatley mentioned 24 new taxes— 
Shane Ardern 
: It’s 33! 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: My point exactly—it was an old newsletter. Phil Heatley has been busy producing newsletters for a long period of time busy trying to keep up with the rate at which the Government keeps imposing new taxes. The figure now is over 30 new taxes and everybody down at the Westpac Stadium tonight watching that game had one thing on his or her lips. 
Lindsay Tisch 
: What was that? 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: It was not the British and Irish Lions and it was not Wellington; it was tax. People know they have been overtaxed and ripped off by this Labour Government for 6 long years and even Dr Cullen notices it—even Dr Cullen acknowledges it. He comes in here and audaciously stupidly and arrogantly says: “You guys have been pretty good. You’ve paid your taxes. You deserve a tax break so if you hang around for 3 years we’ll give you 67c a week.” That is the issue at this election. We are debating this tax legislation today but that is what people will focus on at the next election. They know that the Government has created a huge surplus of $7 billion. It is not a Government surplus; it is surplus taxpayer funds that have been collected over the last few years. It is money that the Government has collected and now is wastefully spending. That is what New Zealanders are focusing on. So I tell Dr Cullen as we debate yet another tax bill that he has created the environment for this election. 
Mr Cunliffe is sitting in the chair and has not taken a call while I have been in the Chamber. 
Hon Member 
: Yes he has. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Not while I have been in the Chamber. He knows that he is beaten. He hangs his head dejectedly knowing that he listened patiently to Dr Cullen who normally delivers but after that Budget he is trying to justify the generosity of giving people 67c—provided people wait 3 years; we have to add that proviso. It is no wonder that 700 New Zealanders who went out of Auckland International Airport last week ticked Australia as their permanent place of residence now. The Australian Government managed to deliver substantial tax cuts. The Australians do not have to wait 3 years for 67c. That Government knows the importance of delivering tax cuts to an overtaxed country.