The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners.
It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, whose scuttling of an offshore mining venture was aided and abetted by mythical whales.
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour early this week announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties.
“Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says Associate Finance Minister David Seymour.
“We are phasing back in the ability to deduct interest expenses from 1 April 2024 when all affected taxpayers will be able to claim 80 percent of their interest expenses and 100 percent from 1 April 2025 onwards.”
But landlords be warned: if you prosper from this policy change, the Māori Party will take back the money.
And when will they do that?
When they become the government in 2026, which reflects a view that the Luxon coalition government will serve a full three-year term and (by the sounds of it) that Labour and the Greens won’t form the next government.
The party’s finance spokesperson and co-leader, Rawiri Waititi, sounded the warning:
Te Pāti Māori has a message for landlords who take advantage of interest deductibility handouts – be prepared to pay it back in 2026.
He said:
“We’re issuing a stern warning to landlords – if you take from the taxpayer, expect to pay it back as soon as we take office.”
And:
“Along with our plan to reform our broken tax system through wealth and capital gains taxes, we will also come after those who deduct interest from their tax liability.
“We are putting landlords on notice. Te Pāti Māori will invest in our tamariki and redistribute wealth. Those who are taking advantage of policy to accumulate wealth will pay for it,” concluded Waititi.
In an earlier media statement, Waititi’s fellow co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, did the huffing and puffing.
She was riled by “the Environmental Protection Agency”* sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki.
An RNZ report last week said the company has been bidding to mine for ironsands off the Taranaki coast for years but has been stopped by courts ruling in favour of environmental protection.
It now hopes its project will be fast-tracked under the coalition’s new consent regime.
The bill is being pushed through parliament and would give three Ministers power to greenlight certain projects.
Some projects will be put on a list to be approved immediately.
In her press statement, Ngarewa-Packer said:
“It’s clear these corporations are feeling emboldened by this government and their fast-tracking legislation” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“TTR have already invested $50 million into their bid to pillage our seabed of minerals, and now they have the government backing them. We are gravely concerned for what this means for our rural communities who cannot afford endless court cases.
“Iwi have won every court case against TTR, and have proven beyond doubt that this company cannot meet the environmental threshold. But here we are, back at this point.”
If TTR fails to meet the EPA’s environmental threshold again, Ngarewa-Packer foresees the Luxon government fast-tracking the consent regardless.
“Te Pāti Māori will not rest until seabed mining is banned in Aotearoa once and for all. We will fight this company, and the government backing them, every step of the way” Ngarewa-Packer said.
Across the Tasman, an offshore gas project has been scuttled by the imaginary whales which were brought into proceedings by indigenous litigants.
The story is reported today on Kiwiblog:
“Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says Associate Finance Minister David Seymour.
“We are phasing back in the ability to deduct interest expenses from 1 April 2024 when all affected taxpayers will be able to claim 80 percent of their interest expenses and 100 percent from 1 April 2025 onwards.”
But landlords be warned: if you prosper from this policy change, the Māori Party will take back the money.
And when will they do that?
When they become the government in 2026, which reflects a view that the Luxon coalition government will serve a full three-year term and (by the sounds of it) that Labour and the Greens won’t form the next government.
The party’s finance spokesperson and co-leader, Rawiri Waititi, sounded the warning:
Te Pāti Māori has a message for landlords who take advantage of interest deductibility handouts – be prepared to pay it back in 2026.
He said:
“We’re issuing a stern warning to landlords – if you take from the taxpayer, expect to pay it back as soon as we take office.”
And:
“Along with our plan to reform our broken tax system through wealth and capital gains taxes, we will also come after those who deduct interest from their tax liability.
“We are putting landlords on notice. Te Pāti Māori will invest in our tamariki and redistribute wealth. Those who are taking advantage of policy to accumulate wealth will pay for it,” concluded Waititi.
In an earlier media statement, Waititi’s fellow co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, did the huffing and puffing.
She was riled by “the Environmental Protection Agency”* sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki.
An RNZ report last week said the company has been bidding to mine for ironsands off the Taranaki coast for years but has been stopped by courts ruling in favour of environmental protection.
It now hopes its project will be fast-tracked under the coalition’s new consent regime.
The bill is being pushed through parliament and would give three Ministers power to greenlight certain projects.
Some projects will be put on a list to be approved immediately.
In her press statement, Ngarewa-Packer said:
“It’s clear these corporations are feeling emboldened by this government and their fast-tracking legislation” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“TTR have already invested $50 million into their bid to pillage our seabed of minerals, and now they have the government backing them. We are gravely concerned for what this means for our rural communities who cannot afford endless court cases.
“Iwi have won every court case against TTR, and have proven beyond doubt that this company cannot meet the environmental threshold. But here we are, back at this point.”
If TTR fails to meet the EPA’s environmental threshold again, Ngarewa-Packer foresees the Luxon government fast-tracking the consent regardless.
“Te Pāti Māori will not rest until seabed mining is banned in Aotearoa once and for all. We will fight this company, and the government backing them, every step of the way” Ngarewa-Packer said.
Across the Tasman, an offshore gas project has been scuttled by the imaginary whales which were brought into proceedings by indigenous litigants.
The story is reported today on Kiwiblog:
Now it’s Spirit Whales!
Work on Australia’s most expensive resources project has been halted because of the danger it poses to Spirit Whales.
Woodside Energy Group has been ordered to halt work on a $16b gas project off the coast of Western Australia that, if completed, will power 8.5 million homes for the next 30 years.
But the Federal Court ordered work to stop after hearing evidence the area was home to mythical whales.
The Spirit Whales, according to Indigenous fables, tell the fish of the sea what to eat, when to mate and where to migrate.
If the gas project was to go ahead, the Spirit Whales would be endangered. And if the Spirit Whales were killed, none of the creatures of the sea would know what do to.
How do the fish survive in countries without spirit whales?
And Judge Craig Colvin, whilst not confirming or denying that Spirit Whales existed, ruled that Woodside had a duty to consider “cultural harm” caused by their project.
Now what I think that means is that whilst absolutely no-one believes that Spirit Whales exist, it would be against the law to upset the wild fantasies of a woman who imagines she talks to whales.
Because the woman is Indigenous.
And evidently Indigenous fantasies must be indulged, as a mark of respect.
So myths and fantasies must be considered in projects.
* The Ministry for the Environment website includes a page headed…
Who does what on the environment
A number of government agencies have responsibilities for the environment. Find out who does what.
The list includes…
Environmental Protection Authority
The Environmental Protection Authority is the government agency responsible for regulating activities that affect New Zealand’s environment.
This includes:
- the administration of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme including compliance, reporting and market information and operation of the New Zealand Emission Unit Register
- consenting, monitoring and enforcement under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf Act
- regulating the introduction and use of hazardous substances and new organisms in New Zealand.
Environmental Protection Authority website
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
9 comments:
The Tea Party Maoris will become the Government when hell freezes over!
Kevan
It is my understanding that the mythological Spirit Whales have now been found to be just that, mythological and Woodside can now proceed.
In respect to Waititi's comment “We are putting landlords on notice. Te Pāti Māori will invest in our tamariki and redistribute wealth. Those who are taking advantage of policy to accumulate wealth will pay for it" I would suggest that the people he should be talking to are the Iwi Corporations and NGOs who accumulate wealth simply through non-payment of taxes.
How soon will seabed mining be back on the table once the courts hand them over to Iwi. Suddenly there will be a twist in reasoning and it will be game on. As a tax-free business of course.
Having gained approx. 2% of the electorate vote last year, you would have thought that The Party Maori might just be getting the idea that virtually no one cares what they think, want or say. In this democratically elected Government, they are effectively irrelevant.
Bob Edlin . What was the point in writing about the Maori party ?. Surely you do not think their ranting is newsworthy when their threats are at best an illusion and at worst a scam .
What New Zealander's need to do is -
1.- go back and review what happened in South Africa, with the establishment of the African National Congress (ANC) - who had no electoral voice in the then Govt, but had 'an electoral voice with the tyranny they engaged in' - also think Nelson Mandela, ended up in prison, till after the end of the then elected White Govt.
2. - speak to any South African that left (possibly in a hurry) and why did they come to NZ?
3.- Ask those same South African's what were they seeing occurring in NZ, from 2017 - that may have caused concern?
4. - the final question to ask them - "If a Maori Govt was democratically elected, here in NZ - would they stay, if not why not"?
What answers you get, ask yourself - would you be concerned.
I am now aware of New Zealand Citizens, currently residing overseas, who will not return to reside in their twilight years, may come back to visit but that will be it - a visit.
It is also interesting that many New Zealander's are not aware of the background of the Senior Brothers & Sister [s] - of Willie Jackson's Family, and their association with Socialist endeavors.
We have problems, a lone Maori Wahine "has risen, is giving voice to matters Maori, and is accumulating - support & power" - there will be others join her - make not mistake. A recent demo of a Haka should have you also concerned - guess who supported it? - has the Rugby Union done anything - no - that would be insensitive possibly racist.
Many years ago Tommy Robinson, UK 'stood before the People of the UK and plainly stated what was happening (immigration), and that it would get worse' - did they listen - NO - you only have to look at what is happening now - are they concerned now - YES!
When issues arise, that can & will have an impact on our work, lives, income, we ignore them at our peril.
Can we assume that Waititi's redistribution of wealth will start with his father in law's far from modest home?
Allan regrettably th PM seems to believe the 2% is essential to the future of NZ, genitalia notwithstanding, indeed perhaps the new cultural logo of NZ. Farewell black fern hello goolies.
Hopefully when the "Monty Python" crew die away the Maori party will fade away too as they script material dries up. Clowns all!
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