The Taxpayers’ Union eight recommendations for the economic package

The Taxpayers’ Union has released a paper with recommendations for the Government’s economic response to Coronavirus. The summary is:

  1. Provide all New Zealand employees with one month of sick leave in addition to existing rights for the rest of 2020, paid for by the taxpayer;
     
  2. Use buyouts rather than bailouts. Taxpayer funds paid must be in return for the Crown taking a significant/majority or total shareholding;
     
  3. Scrap the 2020 increase to the minimum wage — but if the Government insists on going ahead, have it meet the costs to employers for the next 18 months;
     
  4. Fund unlimited childcare for health workers, aged care workers, and Police staff for the next 18 months;
     
  5. Partner with Progressives, Foodstuffs and Uber to make grocery delivery free;
     
  6. Give lump-sum payments to taxpayers by retrospectively cutting the bottom tax rate from 10.5% to 5% for the 2019/2020 tax year;
     
  7. Expand ‘Winter Energy Payments’ to begin immediately and continue through winter 2020; and
     
  8. Suspend interest and penalties for late tax payments from employers.”

This may be the only time you see the Taxpayers’ Union calling for a massive boost in spending.

The key is that it should be smart spending, which will directly help affected families and businesses.

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