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Greens call for 'poor list'

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Fri, 29 Jul 2011 4:30p.m.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei wants a 'poor list' created (file pic)

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei wants a 'poor list' created (file pic)

The Green Party wants a “poor list” to be produced to outline the difficulties and challenges of “living on less than poverty wages”.

The call comes after the National Business Review released their rich list, a document that reveals New Zealand’s 150 richest people or families.

The Green Party says the list “serves as a wakeup call on inequality in New Zealand”.

“What we need is a poor list - an annual document that sets out the challenges of living on less than poverty wages in New Zealand and highlights the growing gap in income inequality,” Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says.

She says the rich list shows a 20 percent increase in the combined wealth of the richest 150 New Zealanders.

She also says that a 20 percent increase to the $13 minimum wage would see it jump to $15.60 and nearly 275,000 people earn less than $15 an hour in New Zealand.

“We need fair policies, like immediately raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, to reduce income inequality in New Zealand.

“While the National Business Review celebrates the richest New Zealanders getting richer it is important to remember that one quarter of all New Zealand children are growing up in poverty, that’s about 270,000 kids,” Ms Turei says.

The Labour Party says the list highlights a “terrible tragedy” for equality in New Zealand.

Leader Phil Goff says he congratulates those who feature on the rich list for their good fortune but says “it’s not right that while some are doing so well so many other New Zealanders are struggling to survive”.

“Our society is becoming more unequal. While the rich are getting richer, middle and low-income families are struggling to put food on the table, petrol in the car and to heat their homes,” he says.

Mr Goff says the reason for some of the wealth generated by the people on the list is a lack of a capital gains tax.

“Many of those on the Rich List will have made their fortunes from capital gains that have gone untaxed while the average working Kiwi got a below inflation pay rise of 1.9% and they pay tax on every dollar they earn.” 

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Comments

01 Aug 2011 08:51p.m.

Clarke wrote:

With workers on minimum wage complaining about not being able to survive I do wonder how people on benefits survive when their base benefit is the equivilent of half of that. A person with cancer who lost one arm to a tumor, gets paid $230.00 per week after tax. A minimum wage earner earns $410 per week after tax. How is it that the overpriveledged are picking on these people, how is it that John Key can admitt that minimum wage earners are doing it tough, but he beleives that sick people and dieing people are simply wasting their money (even though they get half of minimum wage). There is real poverty here, most of it caused by National, according to Key he feels sorry for those on minimum wage... according too key those getting half of minimum wage on a benefit have nothing to complain about. Key has to be the biggest idiot in New Zealand, and that fact is supported by the fact that he gave tax breaks to the incredibly wealthy and business during a time of recession when the country was bleeding money... I mean why the hell would you do that?. And please dont lie to me and say its because the wealthy and business would have left.. thats simply crap.

31 Jul 2011 11:16a.m.

Mike wrote:

Wages need to rise with productivity. If someone isn't more prodctive then all raising wages does is give inflation so they demand more wages which gives more inflation. Ie the problems of inflation is wages rising without productivity.

NZ farmers on a world market do okay currently, but they have done it with lower wages not higher and increasing their productivity so they can compete internationally. Compare the incomes of say dairy farmers on a per cow basis vs Europe? NZ dairy farmers are much lower paid, and we have the EU complaining about the low paid NZ farmers undercutting them, hence an excuse for the EU to block NZ dairy from the EU. We get into the UK with quotas that date back to the end of WWII, but the rest of the EU is locked tight against NZ dairy products, and all other NZ produce. Even with the biggest Dairy market blocked to NZ, NZ dairy farmers still perform well internationally through being more efficient.

How many jobs are directly created from the rich list businesses? How many jobs are directly created by the welfare state with all the beneficiaries? Well how many of the beneficiaries are working and paying taxes more than their benefits? If take the number of NZ'rs that collect more in welfare than they contribute, we are over 1.5 mil of them in a country of just over 4 mil, ie too many bludgers and not enough workers.

Everyone wants someone else to pay for everything for them. already the top few % of the rich pay more in tax than over 2 million NZ'rs, ie tax them into oblivion and you would find what poverty really is, as without the tax from the rich, NZ govt can't pay for all the welfare.

What is the Labour solution? Tax the farmers out of existence as NZ is a farming nation where most of the economy depends on farming. Bit like if you had a goose that laid golden eggs, Labour would cook the goose just to see what it tasted like.

30 Jul 2011 11:51p.m.

clinton wrote:

Chris!where do the politicians get their wages from?hundreds of thousands of dollars,and where do those on a benefit,and pensioners get their $9,000 per year from?You are such a wise prick you should be able to answer this,but you and your tory mates have very lapsed brains so I will tell you.THE TAX PAYERS,so any one who is much more greedy than anyone else are your mates, Key Cluck Clan.There are more better educated people on the unemployment that were made redundant by those Nat swines like you,who have all types of trades behind them,yet those who are running the country are flower growers farmers money spinners x beneficiaries all without qualifications in anything.But just loaded with wealth that has been left to them.And still want more and more,that Nats are so willing to give into them.

30 Jul 2011 02:50p.m.

Stephen Berry wrote:

The Green party is a celebration of control and mediocity.

30 Jul 2011 01:23p.m.

George of Whakatane wrote:

I think Metiria is making the point that because there are 150 NZers getting heaps of money - while most don't - there is a massive inequality of wealth.
I'm sure the Green co-leader isn't suggesting anyone embarrasses the very poor by naming them.
Looks to me like TV3 can't afford to travel to Metiria's meetings to get more up-to-date photos of her.

30 Jul 2011 01:11p.m.

cyril wrote:

If you dont like the unemploynent benefit get a job. there are plenty around if you arnt fussy. Phil is dead right about the rich getting richer but labour had 10 years to sort it out and it only got worse under them so hes only talking to make a noise. as for raising the minimum wage all thaty does is fuel inflation so any benifits are more than lost.

30 Jul 2011 01:10p.m.

cyril wrote:

If you dont like the unemploynent benefit get a job. there are plenty around if you arnt fussy. Phil is dead right about the rich getting richer but labour had 10 years to sort it out and it only got worse under them so hes only talking to make a noise. as for raising the minimum wage all thaty does is fuel inflation so any benifits are more than lost.

30 Jul 2011 12:33p.m.

Carlos wrote:

Africa, parts of Asia, parts of South America and Wales. List completed !

30 Jul 2011 12:17p.m.

Chris wrote:

Clarke you show your toTal ignorance yet again.

The 1984-1990 Labour Government’s introduction of a Goods and Services Tax (GST) initially at 10 per cent, then later raised to 12.5 per cent, was a major set back to the workers. It enabled the rich to transfer part of their “tax burden” to the poor and lower the tax rate on high incomes. Working class people already on tight budgets were hard hit by the extra 12.5 per cent cost on everything. The 'poor' suffered more under Labour.

By contrast, during the period that Labour has been in power since 1999, wage rises have averaged between 2 and 3 percent per annum, barely keeping up with inflation. Some years, real wages – what you can buy with your pay – have actually fallen. Median household income grew by a mere 13 percent between 2001 and 2004, while the super-rich saw their wealth increase by 75 percent in those same years. Meanwhile poverty remains endemic, especially child poverty. The number of people living in “extreme hardship” has risen from 5 percent of the population to 8 percent under the last Labour administration.
Also under Helen Clarkes 5th. labour Gov.T NZ fell from 17th on the OECD ladder to 27 th. which again brought more hardship to the working classes of NZ.

FACTS NOT FALLACIES.STOP GUESSING TO REINFORCE YOUR LEFT LEANING BIAS.
Your beloved Labour party has done more to Ruin the NZ economy and NZ families then any other Gov.T. in the history of NZ.

30 Jul 2011 11:32a.m.

Furboy wrote:

Metiria Turei and all her Green MP's are such bunch of hypocrites, supposedly "fighting " for the poor while drawing their $135 k salary plus perks.
At the end of the day their financial situation doesn't even compare to beneficiaries or even middle New Zealand for that matter.