Bennett David: Taxation (Urgent Measures and Annual Rates) Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
Bennett David: Taxation (Urgent Measures and Annual Rates) Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
[Volume:651;Page:144] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 I am following on from the man who lost about $5 billion or $6 billion in the last couple of months from the New Zealand economy so those words were rich coming from Michael Cullen. The so-called promised tax cuts for New Zealand workers were in legislation that was never going to be delivered because Michael Cullen would have delivered a post-election Budget that took away those tax cuts. That was Labour’s real plan. Michael Cullen should be honest and tell the Committee what he really wanted to do. 
Today National is delivering on its promises. We are giving tax cuts to those hard-working New Zealanders who have been out there slaving away for 9 years working hard making all the right choices and taking the right directions in their lives. They needed some support from the Government. They needed a Government that would stand up and deliver for them and give them the right signals and incentives to keep on that track—the signals and incentives that build a strong country—and that is what National is doing here today. National will give people tax cuts. We will make sure they have that reward for their hard work. We are giving them that reward for making the right decisions and we are making them successful in the world economy. We will give them the money to help them actually go out there and survive in an economy that is difficult an economy that is in recession as a result of the failed policies of the previous Labour Government and we will actually give them an economy that will deliver a future for New Zealand. 
This bill is the first part of delivering a growth economy. Through the personal tax cuts this bill will give the impetus needed for the New Zealand economy to grow and be successful. With a growing economy we can deliver in all the other areas of social spending of research and development and also of growth in our infrastructural investment which New Zealand desperately needs and has not had in the last 9 years. The National Government with its coalition partners will deliver a tax cut programme. We will not just talk about it; we will not just put legislation out that is about some time in the future. We will actually deliver that tax cut programme and that is what we as a Government are about. 
We will deliver for the people of New Zealand. That is what the people on the street have been saying. They like what they see. They see a Government that says what it will do and then actually delivers it. That is what members are seeing here today. We will not muck around trying to tell people there is a better future sometime around the corner; we will deliver that better future now. We will give it to people in the first 100 days in Government; we will give them some constructive changes that deliver to hard-working New Zealanders. We will not lead them on a path and say we know best and they do not have choices in their lives; we will give them those choices. We will give them money in their hands so that they can make those choices; we will give them the personal tax cuts that are in this legislation. The tax cuts enable people as individuals and as families to make the right decisions about what they want to spend their money on so that they can actually deliver for their families in these hard economic times. 
These personal tax cuts are the first stage of delivering a brighter future for New Zealand. They are the first stage of delivering a situation where people can go out there and actually live the lifestyle that they expect to live in the First World. We need to give that impetus to the New Zealand economy and we need to give that strength to our people who are experiencing hard-working days and reward them for their work. That is what National is about. We are here to deliver for New Zealanders—to deliver for the working people of this country. That is what this legislation is here for and we will deliver to New Zealanders through personal tax cuts as part of that process. 
If we look at the personal tax cut regime we see that a big part of it is the independent earner tax credit which is a great initiative. It is good for those young people who are making a start out there. They want to actually get some reward for their hard work. They do not want to be just looked down on; they want to be told they are doing the right things for themselves and for their country. Through the independent earner tax credit we are giving them that support. We are going out there and saying they are doing the right thing and we are going to help them and make them more successful and give them the opportunities that they desire in their lives. 
That is what this legislation is about. It is about giving the right start for New Zealanders in a tough time because it is tough out there and the world economy will get tougher. We need to give New Zealanders the ability to get through this tough time and in order to get through it we have to give them some money in their hand which is what this tax cut programme is about. It is about giving some stimulation to the economy.