Across Auckland Central, I hear the same concern every day. People are working hard, paying higher rates on their house and asking whether their hard-earned savings or home will become the next target for tax. Is this still a place where people can build a good life and feel confident about the future? I believe it is, but this election could take New Zealand in a very different direction.
That is why National’s commitments to introduce no new taxes and to cap annual council rates increases at 4 per cent if re-elected on 7 November are significant. Government should not answer every fiscal challenge by reaching further into household budgets and take more of your money or assets to fund poor planning.
Government should increase funds used by removing barriers, cutting waste, inviting smart investment and helping New Zealand grow, not to increase taxes. When employment, wages and businesses grow, government collects more money and this means we can invest in the public services that New Zealanders rely on, without adding new taxes.
National has also recently ruled out a bank tax and accommodation levy. We should encourage visitors to spend money here to add value to the economy, but not tax Aucklanders wanting a weekend away in Queenstown. Nor should we pretend a bank tax would necessarily remain with the banks rather than being passed on to customers.
No new taxes is possible because National is sensible and disciplined with your money and we’re getting better value from existing funds. Frontline services must come before back-office growth, and National is working to ensure every government agency delivers better, more efficient services for the New Zealanders who rely on them.
I want Ponsonby’s independent businesses to believe their best years are ahead. I want Karangahape Road and Queen Street alive after dark, with people, performances and businesses worth coming into town for. That requires good transport choices, sensible parking, well-lit streets and visible policing.
I want Wynyard Quarter, our universities and the city centre to form a corridor of science, technology, design and creative enterprise. Graduates should see an exciting future here, whether joining growing businesses or building companies of their own. Auckland ideas should become exports to the world.
That ambition requires sound foundations. Intensification must be supported by reliable water infrastructure, cleaner streets, affordable ferries and practical access for customers, workers and deliveries. Growth should follow intelligent infrastructure investment, not outrun it.
I understand why aspiration and economic policy are inseparable. My career has given me lasting respect for people who take a risk, employ someone, study at night, save for a home or build a future for their children. A confident country rewards that effort rather than treating success as another opportunity to take more.
Not everyone agrees, and the alternative is taking shape. Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and The Opportunity Party have proposed the biggest tax grab in New Zealand’s history. These include capital gains and wealth taxes, an inheritance and large-gift tax, higher personal and company tax rates, a bank levy, taxes on foreign investment and large technology companies, land and land-banking taxes, and a vacant-house tax.
Labour has $18 billion in unfunded policies. They will need these taxes in order to afford the promises they are making to Kiwis at this election.
Auckland Central is New Zealand’s front door. When its streets are safe, its businesses flourish and its people feel ambitious again, the benefits reach far beyond the electorate.
That is what no new taxes should represent. It is not a government standing still, but a country advancing through growth, discipline and confidence. National will keep taxes low, rebuild confidence and create the conditions for New Zealanders to get ahead.
The choice is clear, No new taxes under National or the biggest tax grab in New Zealand’s history under a Labour, Greens, Te Pāti Māori, TOP Government.
Authorised by C Kinser, 188 Ponsonby Road, Auckland. Follow on Facebook or Instagram @candacekinserace
