r/nzpolitics

I don't think it's coincidence that National have turned it up to 11 on the 'nasty party scale' in the last couple of weeks.

In fact it EXACTLY lines up with 6 months out from the election.

Clearly this is a strategy timed for the election to paint the opposition as soft and wet AF... and to out manouver NZ First in the nasty stakes.

I wonder what the Nats called this pre-meditated project? My suggestion is 'Operation Cunt'.

Edit: Intonation, typo

Someone posted their wishlist for tax changes. Here’s mine. Just for shits n giggles.

Tax Corporations as People. Both are just legal entities. Tax income - revenue - at, say, 1.5%. If you’re making 5% gross now, at 28% corp tax (I think?) that’d be only a fraction higher than the current $ value in tax take. Only much simpler to implement and much harder to dodge. We don’t care if you’re profitable or not - that’s a business problem not an IRD problem. Wanna take boozy lunches and a flash company car as expenses? Feel free. It won’t reduce your tax, just your profit.

Deemed income. Everyone declares their (significant) assets and beneficial interests (trusts!) on the annual tax return. You are deemed to have earned income of 5% of your assets. Your tax is calculated on either (1) your regular income or (2) your deemed income - whichever is higher. Yes, family home included. If your home is worth $2m and you’re earning >$100k this won’t make a difference. If you’re sitting on a dozen rentals worth $10m and paying yourself a nominal $50k to dodge tax, yeah that one’s gonna hurt.

And just to keep it all tidy, deemed income also applies to corporates. Corporate tax based on 1.5% of gross revenue or 0.075% of asset book value - whichever is higher. Better make those assets pay for themselves.

Thoughts?

Just when you think the country has already slapped you in the face with the cost of living, the government comes back and kicks you in the sternum and elbows you in the jaw.

How am I only now finding out politicians receive taxpayer funded housing allowances and accommodation perks while ordinary New Zealanders are told to tighten their belts and accept cuts everywhere else?

Meanwhile the same politicians lecture the public about spending, benefits, sacrifice, and “living within our means” while claiming thousands for housing, travel, meals, and other entitlements funded by the very taxpayers struggling to survive.

Reading the RNZ breakdown honestly feels insane.

The Prime Minister can claim up to $52,000 a year in accommodation payments.

MPs based outside Wellington can claim up to $36,400 a year for accommodation.

They receive meal allowances, travel perks, partner travel entitlements, superannuation subsidies, and even salary support after leaving office.

Yet ordinary people are constantly made to feel like asking for help is some kind of moral failure.

I think it’s time we remember what the government’s job is actually supposed to be.

Their role is not to act adversarial toward the public.

Their role is not to constantly punish, lecture, and divide ordinary people while protecting themselves from the reality everyone else faces.

We all pay taxes so all of us can live better.

This is our country.

Not mine.

Not yours.

Ours.

And we should not have to fight and belittle each other just to survive in it.

Enrol to vote.

Pay attention.

Hold them accountable.

I'm assuming we would need Huntly, Tongariro Scheme, Waikato river, and Marsden Point for energy security. Plus food growing areas.

So it would probably be Auckland + Northland, Waikato and part of the Bay of Plenty.

We would probably want Waiouru too?

Interesting to see Liam Hehir, fresh from cheering on Trump's vision to attack Cuba, support Nicola Willis's lottery comment

He deceptively compares the social housing supplement to a life time value and mocks those critical of Willis.

These guys are Christians right?