Peter Dunne: Tax policies

Tax has often been an issue in New Zealand elections, but seldom the dominating one. Political parties tend to keep their plans quiet at election time and only announce them once they are in office. Neither Labour’s introduction of GST and halving of the top tax rate in 1986 were contained in the party’s 1984 election policy, nor was National’s 2010 tax switch and GST increase foreshadowed in its 2008 manifesto.