Heather du Plessis-Allan: Labour haven't denied plans to drop GST on fruit and vegetables

It’s hard to believe it’s possible, but Labour’s week just got even worse- because their tax policy just got leaked.

National's Nicola Willis says she’s got a source who told her Labour is planning to announce it’ll take the GST off fresh fruit and veges, which immediately got headlines because her sources have proved pretty solid.

Remember, she got the tip-off that Labour was working on a wealth tax-tax switch, and it turned out they were.

The Prime Minister was asked about the GST plan today and didn’t deny it. So I'd say there’s a pretty good chance it’s on.

This is actually a rubbish policy. I mean, if you’re having a hard time paying the bills, this is a massive step down from the tax switch Labour was working on, because that would've given you $1050 extra a year.

You're not gonna get that much back from the GST scrap unless you’re spending $7000 a year on fresh fruit and veges, which most of us would not. 

This is hardy going to convince punters that Labour really is dealing with the bread and butter issues of the cost of living crisis.

And it’s old. This is a reheated policy from 2011. We debated it then, we shot it down then. 12 years between then and now hasn’t made it a better idea. 

Labour will be gutted that National leaked the news, because they’ve lost the chance to announce it on their terms and try to sell this idea to us as something better than it is. That opportunity’s gone.

And I don’t think they had all their ducks in a row to be ready to announce this. We were told they would have announced their tax policy by now- so the fact they haven’t suggests there was more work to do.

Or they were hoping to announce at a time when they weren’t bogged down with a man who shot and killed his workers in Auckland Central and a minster who got behind the wheel after drinking, crashed the car and then left the scene.

Remember, just a couple of months ago, we were talking about Labour’s tax policy as being one of the last things they had up their sleeve to try to win the election.

But now we probably know what it is, and it’s a bit of a damp squib. 

So, they’ll be gutted. Just like a whole bunch of Labour voters will be gutted that that’s the best the bread and butter party can do. 

Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show.