If you haven’t got the message, the Nats are counting on remaining in government by pledging not to introduce new taxes while portraying left-leaning parties as ravenous revenue grabbers.
The Nats might have other policies. But in the past week their campaign pitch has emphasised what they oppose – more taxes – rather than what they support.
The PM has parroted the “no new taxes” slogan at every opportunity, particularly (at the risk of becoming tedious) at Question Time in Parliament.
Trouble is, while demonstrating his prowess as a Parliamentary smart-arse, he is prone to missing opportunities to score vital political points.
This week, he did not rebut the claim that a slew of taxes, levies and what-have-you have been introduced on his watch.
More critically, he missed an opportunity to spell out National’s position on the Treaty of Waitangi and Treaty-related issues, as ACT has done.
This failure reinforced the impression he is closer to Labour (promoting Treaty partnerships and co-governance) than he is to ACT (which has set out measures including introducing new Constitution Act “principles”, restricting when courts can draw on tikanga, and requiring Cabinet to specify what Treaty interests a bill engages before drafting).
Luxon glibly brought tax into the picture in response to the first two questions on Tuesday:
Question No. 1
Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) (14:02) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s statements and actions?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:03): Yes, and let me reassure the member: better starts now with no new taxes.
And after supplementary questions were dealt with –
Question No. 2
RAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori) (14:09) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s statements and actions?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:09): Yes, and particularly our desire not to introduce an asset tax.
That has served as a template for the PM’s answers each time he is asked if he stands by his Government’s statements and actions.
Question No. 5 on Tuesday was asked by Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
The PM behaved in much the same way as Pavlov’s dog.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:20): Yes, and I can assure the member that we won’t be implementing a death tax or a gift tax.
The Green Party’s Chloe Swarbrick was responsible for Question No. 10.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:41): Yes, and I just do want to reassure the member that we will not be implementing a 45 percent top tax rate, a death and inheritance tax, a gift tax, a rentals tax, or a wealth asset tax.
Variations of that theme were rolled out yesterday.
Question No. 2 was asked by the Greens’ Marama Davidson.
She was given the same reassurance as Swarbrick had been given.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:06): Yes, and I can reassure the member that there will not be an increase to 45 percent for the top tax rate; we won’t be implementing an inheritance tax, a death tax, or a rentals tax, or a wealth or asset tax.
Fair to say, the tax drum was not beaten when Chris Hipkins (Question No 3) asked about whether he was sticking to Government statements and actions.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:09): Yes, I do, and particularly our desire to implement and vote for a rates cap at first reading, at second reading, and at third reading to make it law to lower the cost of living for Kiwis.
But Luxon reverted to taxes in response to Question No. 9 from Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:39): Yes, in particular this Government’s response not to implement a capital gains tax or a wealth tax.
By then – it would seem – Luxon had become complacent or tired or just wasn’t paying attention, because he dropped the ball in response to the follow-up question.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he accept that his Government has increased taxes, levies, fees, and charges on 32 occasions despite repeatedly telling New Zealanders there would be no new taxes?
Wow! Has it done that?
Astonishingly, Luxon did not say is hadn’t.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I’m very proud of the fact that this is the Government that introduced tax relief for the first time in 14 years that helps lower and middle income working New Zealanders.
This damningly suggests the PM does accept that his Government has increased taxes, levies, fees, and charges on 32 occasions.
Much more egregious was Luxon’s handling – no, mishandling – of Rawiri Waititi’s follow-up questions on Tuesday.
Rawiri Waititi: Does he agree that tikanga is the first law of Aotearoa, as recognised by the courts, and, if so, will he ensure our people that so long as he’s Prime Minister he will not legislate over the application of tikanga in our judicial system?
Significant numbers of National supporters – and other voters – would have hoped Luxon said no, he disagreed that tikanga is the first law of this country.
He didn’t say that.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, what Māori can be assured of across New Zealand is this is a Government that is interested in improving Māori outcomes, and when we see Māori youth offending down 28 percent, we see 4,000 fewer Māori victims of violent crime, when we see immunisation rates for under-24 young Māori up from 60 to 71.5 percent, this is a Government that’s delivering for Māori and it’s improving outcomes for Māori.
Waititi gave him another opportunity to distinguish the Nats from Labour and other left-wing parties on Treaty-related issues.
Because of his obsession with taxes, again he fluffed it.
Rawiri Waititi: Can he rule out revisiting the Treaty principles bill or any legislation that aims to achieve the same goals as the Treaty principles bill, under any Government he leads?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, what I can rule out is a capital gains tax, a rentals tax, and a wealth and asset tax.
This suggests Luxon is lamentably indifferent to pressure to stem the spread of co-governance and Treaty partnership policies and programmes.
If his government is dumped at the election, he will be remembered as the PM who –
Trouble is, while demonstrating his prowess as a Parliamentary smart-arse, he is prone to missing opportunities to score vital political points.
This week, he did not rebut the claim that a slew of taxes, levies and what-have-you have been introduced on his watch.
More critically, he missed an opportunity to spell out National’s position on the Treaty of Waitangi and Treaty-related issues, as ACT has done.
This failure reinforced the impression he is closer to Labour (promoting Treaty partnerships and co-governance) than he is to ACT (which has set out measures including introducing new Constitution Act “principles”, restricting when courts can draw on tikanga, and requiring Cabinet to specify what Treaty interests a bill engages before drafting).
Luxon glibly brought tax into the picture in response to the first two questions on Tuesday:
Question No. 1
Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) (14:02) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s statements and actions?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:03): Yes, and let me reassure the member: better starts now with no new taxes.
And after supplementary questions were dealt with –
Question No. 2
RAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori) (14:09) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s statements and actions?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:09): Yes, and particularly our desire not to introduce an asset tax.
That has served as a template for the PM’s answers each time he is asked if he stands by his Government’s statements and actions.
Question No. 5 on Tuesday was asked by Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.
The PM behaved in much the same way as Pavlov’s dog.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:20): Yes, and I can assure the member that we won’t be implementing a death tax or a gift tax.
The Green Party’s Chloe Swarbrick was responsible for Question No. 10.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:41): Yes, and I just do want to reassure the member that we will not be implementing a 45 percent top tax rate, a death and inheritance tax, a gift tax, a rentals tax, or a wealth asset tax.
Variations of that theme were rolled out yesterday.
Question No. 2 was asked by the Greens’ Marama Davidson.
She was given the same reassurance as Swarbrick had been given.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:06): Yes, and I can reassure the member that there will not be an increase to 45 percent for the top tax rate; we won’t be implementing an inheritance tax, a death tax, or a rentals tax, or a wealth or asset tax.
Fair to say, the tax drum was not beaten when Chris Hipkins (Question No 3) asked about whether he was sticking to Government statements and actions.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:09): Yes, I do, and particularly our desire to implement and vote for a rates cap at first reading, at second reading, and at third reading to make it law to lower the cost of living for Kiwis.
But Luxon reverted to taxes in response to Question No. 9 from Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister) (14:39): Yes, in particular this Government’s response not to implement a capital gains tax or a wealth tax.
By then – it would seem – Luxon had become complacent or tired or just wasn’t paying attention, because he dropped the ball in response to the follow-up question.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does he accept that his Government has increased taxes, levies, fees, and charges on 32 occasions despite repeatedly telling New Zealanders there would be no new taxes?
Wow! Has it done that?
Astonishingly, Luxon did not say is hadn’t.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I’m very proud of the fact that this is the Government that introduced tax relief for the first time in 14 years that helps lower and middle income working New Zealanders.
This damningly suggests the PM does accept that his Government has increased taxes, levies, fees, and charges on 32 occasions.
Much more egregious was Luxon’s handling – no, mishandling – of Rawiri Waititi’s follow-up questions on Tuesday.
Rawiri Waititi: Does he agree that tikanga is the first law of Aotearoa, as recognised by the courts, and, if so, will he ensure our people that so long as he’s Prime Minister he will not legislate over the application of tikanga in our judicial system?
Significant numbers of National supporters – and other voters – would have hoped Luxon said no, he disagreed that tikanga is the first law of this country.
He didn’t say that.
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, what Māori can be assured of across New Zealand is this is a Government that is interested in improving Māori outcomes, and when we see Māori youth offending down 28 percent, we see 4,000 fewer Māori victims of violent crime, when we see immunisation rates for under-24 young Māori up from 60 to 71.5 percent, this is a Government that’s delivering for Māori and it’s improving outcomes for Māori.
Waititi gave him another opportunity to distinguish the Nats from Labour and other left-wing parties on Treaty-related issues.
Because of his obsession with taxes, again he fluffed it.
Rawiri Waititi: Can he rule out revisiting the Treaty principles bill or any legislation that aims to achieve the same goals as the Treaty principles bill, under any Government he leads?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, what I can rule out is a capital gains tax, a rentals tax, and a wealth and asset tax.
This suggests Luxon is lamentably indifferent to pressure to stem the spread of co-governance and Treaty partnership policies and programmes.
If his government is dumped at the election, he will be remembered as the PM who –
- Riled opponents of the Treaty Principles Bill by allowing it to go through a first reading in Parliament and the rigmarole of a select committee hearing, and
- Riled supporters of the Bill by disallowing it from going any further.
He shouldn’t have to think too hard about why he can’t muster the popular support for which – presumably – he hankers.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
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