Party leaders hit the campaign trail

16 Sep 2008 12:04p.m.

Laura wrote:

Living My Dream
In the nine years since labour has been in office, I now: own my own cleaning business, own my beat-up old Toyota Hiace van, paying off a 120,000.00 3 Bedroom home in Taita.

14 years ago I was: A solo mum, living in a tenement building in a two bedroom box, visiting foodbanks and soup kitchens to feed my kids. National told me to give up my dream and "GET a LIFE".

Like you Peter, my tax rate is 39c in the dollar and am the sole income earner in my family. And that's where the similarities end. I also have to pay: SALARIES, GST, WITH-HOLDING TAX and PAYE. Not to mention everything else that goes with running a business.
My kids and I live on, Cheap Meat and Budget Brand groceries. the business van also doubles as the family vehicle. On a good week, my kids and could come of it with about $30.00 dollars to spare My neighbours think we're rich. "What a hoot"
At the end of the day, I may have serious concerns about where things are going with Labour today. but what I do know, is that I will never vote for a Party that would seek to destroy the hopes and dreams of an individual for no other reason other than the fact that they are solo parents.

15 Sep 2008 08:59p.m.

Peter, Upper Hutt wrote:

Alex, as far as Labour are concerned I am one of those wealthy being taxed at the top rate of 39c in the dollar.
I am the sole income in my family, with my wife and 2 kids (14 and 3). I earn $70k including overtime and emergency call outs at the local hospital. Now because Labour says I am wealthy I lose almost 40% of my income to the government in income tax alone. Add into that GST, petrol tax, etc they probably take near 50% of my income. We barely make ends meet each fortnight and now Labour want to increase my costs with their damn ETS scheme! Working for families? Oh I qualify, in fact I qualified so much I got a $3,000 tax bill at the end of my first year because IRD overpaid me! Labour has done nothing for me in the last 9 years except take half of what I earned, so why should I vote for them.

So why don't you go all the way with your idea, pay everyone the same regardless of their job, give everyone the same car regardless of their job, the same home, the same clothes...

It doesn't work. The more you take what people earn, the more likely they will take their skills and money elsewhere. We want to enourage the wealthy to come and stay here and invest in NZ, not drive them offshore.

15 Sep 2008 03:54p.m.

Alex wrote:

"What we need, is a more "Competitive Market" that gives us more choices. Witness Telecom, Telstra/Clear and now Vodafone."

Yeah, for how much the National Party says it loves a competitive market, it was really funny that they were against breaking Telecom's monopoly.