Rich Get Much Richer, Driving Inequality And Poverty
The 2025 NBR Rich List makes immediately obvious the need for a fair tax system, says the Green Party.
'The rich list is now worth more than one hundred billion dollars, while the Government has chosen to cut support to tens of thousands of the lowest income New Zealanders. It's time to tax wealth, and build a country where all of us can thrive,' says the Green Party's spokesperson for Finance and co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.
'Poverty and homelessness doesn't come from nowhere. They are created by inequality. Christopher Luxon has put his foot down on the accelerator. By design, the rich are getting much, much richer while the poor are getting much, much poorer.
'We already know that the wealthiest households are able to arrange their finances to pay half the effective tax rate of regular New Zealanders. That means, proportionally, teachers, nurses, builders and firefighters pay more of their income to support our country's infrastructure than the billionaires the Prime Minister has chosen to celebrate today.
'The Greens are ambitious for an Aotearoa New Zealand where everyone has what they need to thrive. We can have free GPs, free early childhood education, free dental care and rapidly reduce climate changing emissions – if the rich pay their fair share.
'A wealth tax on just the ten wealthiest rich listers alone would pay for free GP care for all New Zealanders.
'Don't let the people laughing their way to the bank while everyone else suffers tell you what is possible. We all deserve so much better, and our Green Budget shows how,' says Chlöe Swarbrick.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kiwiblog
22 minutes ago
- Kiwiblog
Guest Post: PM must reverse the ‘Power of General Competence' to stop activism in local government
A guest post by a reader: As powerless ratepayers face the ongoing tyranny of marxist councils over rates bills and the local government minister's repeated demands for sensible spending fall on deaf ears, the Prime Minister continues to ignore the obvious solution. Requests by Simon Watts imploring Tauranga and other councils to rein in the wasteful spending are ignored as renegade mayors like Mahe Drysdale go crazy (like kids in a sweet shop) giving away taxpayer owned land to Maori and other corrupt, wasteful spending. Reversing 'the power of general competence' legislated by socialist Helen in the early 2000s, would force attention back on delivery of essential services, rein in rates rises and improve the standard of living of long suffering rate payers. Unlike Trump who goes in like a bull-at-a-gate and changes things, our PM and ministers stand by wringing their hands timidly asking marxist councillors and staff to do the right thing. This is like so much virtue signalling on an issue Simeon Brown was threatening to address before he was promptly moved to the health ministry early this year…. curiouser and curiouser. Instead a deflecting Willis now turns our attention to a task akin to pushing back the tide: lowering supermarket prices; admirable, but probably impossible. Luxon showed that he is quite capable of some slick sleight of hand when it suits his purposes. (to get a budget over the line) Consider the pay parity bill. Now you see Labour's old version, then, faster than Dynamo, the new improved bill produced out of Brook van Veldon's hat, was passed into law under urgency. If the government genuinely wanted to help struggling New Zealanders they would have begun enacting the bill reversal in 2023. However it suits them to virtue signal and let councils carry out race based policies they profess to be against and can blame them for. They lie. The force working in government, so Luxon doesn't have to, is opportunist Tama Potaka, winning Hamilton West in the 2022 by-election, knowing Labour were heading for the wilderness. Luxon, forgetting his election promises and intent on taking his own path (like Ardern) once in power, has given full rein to Potaka, his Maori spokesperson, a new star. Speaking out on issues, referring to New Zealand as Aoteroa New Zealand in the House and else where without a murmur of dissent from so called tough commentators like Mike Hosking, who has coined the late Bob Jones' 'Maorification of NZ' as his own. When questioned Luxon defers from knowning or owning that nasty term. He mostly leaves that unpalatable stuff to his activist Maori spokesperson. Tut tutting on Twitter (X) when Seymour spoke of 'racist' media questions and of Maori targetted spending as 'racist'. (Seen as the ultimate taboo by the radical media ideologues.) Potaka is all business Tony Vaughn on Breaking Views opines: 'Tama Potaka is not a moderate. He is the acceptable face of racial separatism. A handsome cipher in a navy-blue suit, offering respectable cover for policies that are, in effect, apartheid with PR spin.' I couldn't have put it better. No doubt Potaka had a say in forcing the vote forward on Maori wards to this year's election so even those councils who voted against; their Maori wards have another term before they cease. Seymour folded like a wet umbrella on that one (not being the master of the behind -the-scenes tantrum like Winston) I know our city voted against Maori wards back in 2019 during the year, so come the election that year, there were none. Easy peasy. Luxon fires on all cylinders, speaking with authority, when he is one step removed from the decision. Consider the punishment doled out to to the Maori MPs for their 'Haka of Victimhood' (to quote Shane Jones) with 3 weeks ban and removal of pay. I wouldn't like his chances arguing the point against fiery Collins and Peters. However he can quite rightly say that the powerful privileges committee decision is final. And never waver. In the end they are carrying the can, not him and that is just the way he likes it. He lacks the courage of his convictions, necssary for real leadership. This decision will count in the government's favour, with a public sick of the Maori Party's antics. And it is a just decision considering the baptism of fire Seymour had gone through, from the shonky running of the Treaty Principles Bill's select committee; the ungracious behaviour of 'activists' Luxon and Potaka; with official records which will conceal corrupt counting methods and processes; culminating in a dramatic intimidating adult tantrum gaining global attention for all the wrong reasons. Also given the Maori Party leaders' sketchy attendance record in the House where they get paid whether there or not, losing three weeks pay might just about even it up! The Maori Party, unused to accountability, are finally finding their actions have consequences. Hard of hearing Speaker, Mr Brownlee who could have stopped the clown show before it got underway (by cutting the live feed for a start) will be most unpopular if he, in his quest to incorporate all things Maori into parliament, thinks rude imbecilic behaviour like this counts as 'Te Kanga' (behavioural guidelines for living with others) And here was I under the impression that mythical 'obligations to the treaty' were to be REMOVED not added, as part of the Coalition Agreement. If you are to get your point across you will have to brush up on your tantrum technique, David!
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Rich Get Much Richer, Driving Inequality And Poverty
Press Release – Green Party Poverty and homelessness doesnt come from nowhere. They are created by inequality. Christopher Luxon has put his foot down on the accelerator. By design, the rich are getting much, much richer while the poor are getting much, much poorer,' says Chle … The 2025 NBR Rich List makes immediately obvious the need for a fair tax system, says the Green Party. 'The rich list is now worth more than one hundred billion dollars, while the Government has chosen to cut support to tens of thousands of the lowest income New Zealanders. It's time to tax wealth, and build a country where all of us can thrive,' says the Green Party's spokesperson for Finance and co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. 'Poverty and homelessness doesn't come from nowhere. They are created by inequality. Christopher Luxon has put his foot down on the accelerator. By design, the rich are getting much, much richer while the poor are getting much, much poorer. 'We already know that the wealthiest households are able to arrange their finances to pay half the effective tax rate of regular New Zealanders. That means, proportionally, teachers, nurses, builders and firefighters pay more of their income to support our country's infrastructure than the billionaires the Prime Minister has chosen to celebrate today. 'The Greens are ambitious for an Aotearoa New Zealand where everyone has what they need to thrive. We can have free GPs, free early childhood education, free dental care and rapidly reduce climate changing emissions – if the rich pay their fair share. 'A wealth tax on just the ten wealthiest rich listers alone would pay for free GP care for all New Zealanders. 'Don't let the people laughing their way to the bank while everyone else suffers tell you what is possible. We all deserve so much better, and our Green Budget shows how,' says Chlöe Swarbrick.
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Greens Call For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Government To Sanction Israel
Press Release – Green Party Weaponising critical humanitarian aid must stop. Shooting at innocent people lining up for kai must stop. Aotearoa New Zealand cannot remain a bystander to the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza. The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel on course to Gaza, following the Freedom Flotilla being seized by the Israeli Military and urging the New Zealand Government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine. 'The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen and for the New Zealand Government to step up and sanction Israel for its violent occupation of Palestine and continued disregard for international law,' says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. 'The Madleen was trying to get much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, and has been intercepted by the Israeli Military in international waters. This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. 'Weaponising critical humanitarian aid must stop. Shooting at innocent people lining up for kai must stop. Aotearoa New Zealand cannot remain a bystander to the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza. 'I was on a peace flotilla for Gaza almost ten years ago and it pains me to still see the need for one all these years later. 'If we stand for human rights and peace and justice, our Parliament must act. The New Zealand Government must sanction Israel and can do so by supporting Chlöe Swarbrick's Member's Bill. All we need is the support of six Government MPs to make this happen. 'In September, Aotearoa joined 123 UN Member States to support a resolution calling for sanctions against those responsible for Israel's 'unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence.' 'Our Government has since done nothing to fulfil that commitment. Our Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill starts that very basic process. 'The Green Party stands with the Madleen and will continue to fight for the people of Palestine,' says Marama Davidson. Notes: In 2016, Marama Davidson was a part of the Women's Boat to Gaza which brought awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and highlighted the crucial role of women in keeping their communities afloat, particularly in post-conflict situations. Standing Order 288 outlines the process for Member's Bills to bypass the member's bill ballot (colloquially known as the 'biscuit tin'), with the support of 61 non-executive members. With 55 Opposition members now officially in support of Swarbrick's Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, the support of just 6 Government MPs are necessary to get the Bill onto the floor of Parliament. On 10th December 2024, Swarbrick wrote to all Members of Parliament asking their support for the Bill to bypass the ballot, and later asked the Prime Minister in the House if there would be any Government policy or position preventing MPs from exercising their democratic right to support the Bill bypassing the ballot. He said that he would have a 'good look at the Bill'. In the tenth emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on 18 September 2024, NZ joined 123 other member states in supporting United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24 'Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and from the illegality of Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory'. This resolution affirmed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel's actions and presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called upon all states to comply with their obligations under international law, and, amongst other actions, called upon all States to implement sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against natural and legal persons engaged in the maintenance of Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence. This Bill implements a sanctions framework, duplicating the Russia Sanctions Act, to allow sanctions to be imposed by the Government against Israel in response to Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Bill implements some initial sanctions against Israeli Ministers, Israeli MPs who have supported the occupation, and military leadership, as well as sanctions on assets and services relating to arms and assets and services that are of economic or strategic importance to Israel.
