Ticking the box
How to stop the Government borrowing over $300 million a week. Every dollar borrowed will need to be paid back with interest. Every dollar borrowed is holding back our economic recovery.
| Grant Robertson, Labour |
Paul Foster-Bell, National |
James Shaw, Green |
Stephen Whittington, Act |
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| What really grinds your gears? | Selfishness. | The way previous centre-left governments have failed to make the most of our potential. Their plan to sabotage the Wellington film industry, jeopardise The Hobbit and bend over backwards to Australian unions was a classic example. | I’m excited about the possibilities the future holds and I believe that New Zealand can show the world what it takes to have a strong, smart, sustainable economy. | People supporting policies that sound nice, but have harmful effects. The minimum wage prices some people out of a job. Working for Families creates effective marginal tax rates which disincentivise people from working hard. |
| What’s the most pressing issue for government? | The economy. It needs to work for all New Zealanders. That’s why we need to keep our assets, create a fairer tax system, and have long term policies to drive savings and make superannuation sustainable. | Getting the economy back on track by getting the government accounts back in the black. Only greater economic growth will provide the revenue to deliver the first class public services we want. | We should wean ourselves off imported oil, move to renewable energy production, securing local food production and shifting from a debt-and-consumption to a savings-and-production economy. | How to stop the Government borrowing over $300 million a week. Every dollar borrowed will need to be paid back with interest. Every dollar borrowed is holding back our economic recovery. |
| What’s the best thing government can do to create jobs? | Two things- More apprenticeships, through Labour’s policy of converting dole for 18 and 19 year olds to subsidy for apprenticeship, and to support more research and development. | Foster an environment for economic development and prosperity. Sensible employment laws, a focus on innovation, less red tape and fewer costs on business are key. |
The global renewable energy technology market is forecast to grow to $590-800 billion a year. With our publicly-owned energy companies partnering with our innovators and entrepreneurs we can build a new $6-8 billion export industry. | Reduce taxes. The vast majority of people are employed in the private sector. To get people to expand their business we need to increase their return. For youth, we need to reintroduce a youth minimum wage. |
| What’s the best thing that can be done to help low income families? | Focus on supporting job creation, and an immediate lift to the minimum wage to $15 per hour and making first $5000 tax free. | Economic growth will help low income families get a hand up in life, with more jobs and higher incomes. Our active investment approach in welfare will also help break the cycle of dependency. | In Australia the first $19,000 income is tax-free, paid for by putting a real price on carbon and taxing the big polluters. Here taxpayers subsidise polluting industries. Let’s give everyone a tax-break and make the first $10,000 tax-free. | Make the taxes that parents pay to fund public education follow the child to a school of their choice. That would make schooling in all integrated schools free, and lower private school fees. Education is a ticket out of poverty. |
| What’s the most important issue facing Wellington Central? | Jobs and economic development opportunities. We need to see a whole of region approach to lifting the economic performance. | Environmental issues. I’m proud National has consented only renewable new power generation – and worked with the Greens to insulate 15,000 Wellington houses. Efficient travel around - and into - our city will be important. That’s why I back greater airport internationalisation. | Wellington has needed to diversify its economy for a couple of decades, but along with the current economic malaise public service cuts disproportionately affect Wellington. | How to keep young people in this city. Part of that issue is housing affordability – house prices have doubled in the last seven years, The other part is central government policy – including National’s failure to increase the age of eligibility for superannuation. |










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