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The Government’s state of emergency has created a dangerous political vacuum. Decisions that profoundly affect everyone’s lives are being undertaken in an autocratic fashion without any attempt at democratic involvement.

Even the typically reserved Law Society has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and consultation associated with the lockdown: “As far as possible, there should be an ongoing attempt to replicate the normal policy and law-making process… People affected should be consulted where feasible. Decisions that affect peoples’ rights should be reviewable in some way.”

As a consequence of the democratic vacuum created by the suspension of our civil liberties and Parliament, New Zealanders have little awareness of the profound implications of the political decision made by our Prime Minister to eliminate COVID-19 from New Zealand.

By attempting to eliminate the virus, New Zealanders will never gain natural immunity to the disease. That means until a vaccine is available, it will not be safe for New Zealanders to travel overseas. And while everyone is very bullish about the prospect of a vaccine being produced before the end of 2021, COVID-19 appears to be a fast mutating virus, with many strains now emerging, which make vaccine development more difficult.

Nor will it be possible to re-open our borders without some form of heavily-regulated quarantine process, since any viral outbreaks could force the country back into a lockdown.

As a result, the international tourism sector, which employed more than 300,000 people, catered for around 4 million overseas visitors, and accounted for 10 percent of our economy, will be decimated.

Instead of trying to eliminate the virus, other countries are managing the outbreak. They are using strategies similar to that outlined in the Ministry of Health’s Influenza Pandemic Plan, which involves protecting those who are vulnerable, and progressively imposing restrictions to ensure the disease does not overwhelm the health system. The aim is to enable the economy to continue operating, allowing natural immunity to be built up in the population as a whole, so that restrictions – including those at the border – can safely be lifted.

New Zealand enacted a similar strategy in January, in response to warnings from the World Health Organisation about the rapid spread of the virus. But the Prime Minister made a unilateral decision to change from managing the virus to eliminating it in mid-March. Exaggerated computer models predicting tens of thousands of deaths, were used to spread the fear and alarm needed to justify a total lockdown of the country – even though such extreme restrictions were not necessary.

Former Reserve Bank economist Ian Harrison found the models used by the Prime Minister “grossly overstated the number of deaths… The decision to lockdown all ‘non-essential’ workplaces was an overaction that was not supported by evidence.”

Pharmaceutical scientist and former New Zealander of the Year Sir Ray Avery also warned of the danger of basing major policy decisions on inaccurate statistical models – and of the folly of trying to eliminate a flu-type virus: “In the history of all humankind, we have only ever eliminated one major infectious disease; smallpox”.

He believes that attempting to eliminate COVID-19 is impossible and, as a result of the Government’s flawed approach, “this virus will have caused more economic damage, loss of livelihoods, increased suicides, disruption to our education system, inhuman treatment of our elderly and irreversible social changes than actual deaths…”

With major questions arising over Jacinda Ardern’s judgement in adopting the elimination strategy and imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, the lack of scrutiny of her decision-making is disturbing.

Treasury has quantified the devastating cost to the economy of the PM’s extremist approach. As a result of four weeks of lockdown, unemployment is expected to rise from 4 percent to 13.5 percent – increasing the number of unemployed from 111,000 to 371,000. It’s anticipated that a further $20 billion in Government support will be needed to cushion the blow – in addition to the $25 billion already spent fighting the virus.

According to the OECD, the Prime Minister’s lockdown will result in New Zealand suffering one of the biggest declines in economic activity in the world – almost 30 percent.

In comparison, Australia’s decline will be lower at around 22 percent, as a result of Prime Minister Scott Morrison adopting the best practice approach of managing the outbreak while preserving the fundamental integrity of their economic system.

Unlike here, Australian families have been able to visit each other, schools have remained open, people have been able to buy food from butchers and greengrocers as well as supermarkets, they’ve been able to have haircuts, public transport has continued to operate, and weddings and funerals have still gone ahead albeit with reduced numbers. Throughout the period, while working from home has been encouraged, businesses have remained open.

The only industry sector that has really been restricted is hospitality, where pubs, casinos and clubs have been closed, with restaurants and cafes only able to operate takeaways.

Despite their more liberal approach, the results in terms of COVID-19 case numbers per head of population and the number of deaths, is about the same in New Zealand and Australia.

While New Zealand faces a greater financial burden as a result of the PM’s lockdown, the cost is far more than economic.

A new report released by Auckland University’s Centre for Informed Futures and co-authored by former Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman outlines the social impact of the lockdown: “Family violence, depression, anxiety and other issues can be expected to rise as people face loss of income, unemployment and simply being in close proximity with others.”

They predict the country’s already high rates of depression and anxiety among young people will increase, along with the suicide rate, and they believe that up to 10 per cent of people affected by income loss, unemployment or ill health during the outbreak are likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

But there’s another consequence of the lockdown that’s worrying health professionals – and that’s the fallout from the disruption of medical services and the cancellation of elective surgery.

Under Government orders, hospital wards were cleared, surgeries left idle, and Emergency Departments emptied ready for the influx of patients predicted by the Prime Minister’s exaggerated computer models – which proved to be as inaccurate as they were terrifying.

While an estimated 30,000 New Zealanders who need surgery have been suffering at home, hospitals have been running at around 50 percent capacity for over a month.

Medical specialist are increasingly concerned the lockdown is costing lives through people failing to seek the treatment they need. A massive drop in pathology testing means serious diseases are going undetected. Patients whose operations were cancelled, risk more serious complications.

And as a result of the Prime Minister’s relentless message that the only way to keep safe is to stay at home, many people who are feeling ill now think they’re not allowed to go to ED because hospitals are only for COVID-19 patients. They also worry that if they did go to hospital, they might catch the virus and die.

International research shows that in Italy, non-coronavirus deaths have been rising at an alarming rate – the total death count was up six-fold from previous years, with coronavirus accounting for barely a quarter of the increase. An analysis from Spain showed that while mortality rates in some regions had almost doubled, only a fraction of the increase was officially attributed to COVID-19.

In 2016 a study reported in The Lancet connected at least 250,000 cancer deaths to the 2009 recession. An investigation of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa found that more people died from the indirect effects of the disease, than from the virus itself.

Without a doubt, the fallout from our Government’s response to the epidemic will be considerably worse than the disease itself. Especially if there are new virus outbreaks, since Jacinda Ardern’s elimination strategy is based on the Government’s on-going ability to order more lockdowns.

The Prime Minister has taken New Zealand down the path to State control so far and so quickly, that there’s now a very real risk that the architecture of a socialist state will underpin the rebuild. As a result, freedoms that have previously been taken for granted are now under serious threat.

The signs are already there. Finance Minister Grant Robertson is on record saying: “We must not allow inequality to take hold in our recovery… We need to take this opportunity to tackle those long standing divisions…”

He sees the state providing strong leadership going forward: “The importance of the role of the state has been underlined by this crisis. It is through a well-funded, highly functional public service, that we have had the ability to coordinate and provide leadership for New Zealanders.”

And while there appeared to be a slight glimmer of hope of much-needed reform, when he indicated that the Government intends changing the Resource Management Act to stimulate economic activity, according to this week’s NZCPR Guest Contributor economic commentator and former local body councillor Frank Newman, sensible reform is unlikely to materialise.

Frank explains (see HERE) that while getting rid of the RMA is the only real way to stimulate economic activity and get New Zealand working, the Government will probably exempt itself and leave everyone else to struggle:

“Although liberating businesses from the RMA is the obvious answer, political self-interest is likely to head the government down a different path. Rather than reform the RMA in a way that benefits business, they are more likely to exempt themselves from its restrictions. This is totally consistent with their view that what they do is for public benefit and what the private sector does is for personal gain.”

Going forward, it’s now clear that just as Jacinda Ardern used the Christchurch tragedy to impose her gun control agenda onto New Zealand, so too she will use this virus crisis to impose her socialist world-view onto our nation.

There are already calls for tax rates to be hiked up to 70 cents in the dollar, to force those who are “better-off” to pay for Jacinda Ardern’s lockdown. And it won’t be long before a capital gains tax, estate duties and other tax instruments everyone thought were long dead and buried are resurrected as well.

This is a very dangerous time for New Zealand.

Parliament should never have been closed down during this period of emergency rule. At times like this, when a democratic government starts acting like a dictatorship, the voice of the opposition becomes more important than ever.

National’s leader, Simon Bridges, fell into a political trap when he agreed to chair the Epidemic Response Committee. While there’s no doubt it’s engaging in important work, that role has left the Leader of the Opposition less effective in holding the Government to account.

He should never have agreed to the suspension of Parliament. He should have recognised the inherent dangers of autocratic rule and demanded that the House reconvene at 2pm each sitting day for a virtual Question Time. That would have allowed for the proper scrutiny of the decisions being taken by the Prime Minister – especially her plan to eliminate the virus.

Dr Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician who advises the Australian government, questions whether eliminating the virus is even possible: “The reality is this virus is everywhere, it’s all around the world. So even if you’re successful for a short period of time, how long do you do this for? Six months? Two years? Invariably, you’re going to get the virus re-introduced.”

He points out that Australia is doing better than New Zealand without extremist measures.

There are two clear dangers for New Zealand.

The first is the virus – or more specifically, the Prime Minister’s strategy of eliminating the virus; how many lockdowns can we endure?

And the second is our Prime Minister, who fundamentally believes in state control, and is being given a free rein to embed her agenda deep into the heart of our democracy.

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THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:

*Should taxes be increased to pay for the cost of Jacinda Ardern’s lockdown?



*Poll comments are posted below.

*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.

THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS

What a disaster Labour has created. They have made the situation so much worse. It will be years before the country recovers – if ever. Gordon Political and commercial suicide. IAN The Gov based their hand out on what they already had! Brian Agree with all the thoughts presented. New Zealand is in grave danger. The Covid-19 pandemic has been used to push the Socialism agenda. Lois Her over reaction has caused severe damage to the economy and New Zealand Kevin Silly girl with the big teeth so she can tell plenty of lies we have been hood winked I worry for the future of my grandchildren Arnaud Definitely not. She and her govt forced us into this illegal lockdown. She and her govt can pay for it.They could tax the huge USA corporations here who evade tax and the super rich who hide their money in illegal trusts. Sudhir It’s not right that they put up taxes, They Government choose to put as in the worlds most extreme lock down, Instead of even looking at Australia our closest neighbour, and how they have handle. This Government is for Socialism, and if allowed to continue, will be the down of a great nation. Dale Tax is high enough. This government has wasted too much prior to COVID-19 arriving and during the lockdown. It will continue no matter how much they tax the NZ people. Pip We have no immunity to the disease and when it flares up again, then what. Shut down again.?? Anita You never make the poor rich by making the rich poor. Jackie Ardern has dug us a huge hole without giving any thought to the outcome. I agree this is a socialist attempt to gain control of our country and we should not be taxed more to support it. Only private enterprise can dig us out of this mess, if allowed. Colin I fear the immediate future for my kid’s and grand-kid’s. NZ cannot persist a moment longer with this clueless govt. The position they have flung our country into, requires a task force of real leaders with real business acumen and international experience to turn our position around. Pete Unavoidable tho don’t like it. Jennie Interest rates are low, so there is little cost to the debt. Increasing taxes will simply increase the depth and duration of the recession. jd The most important thing is to get people working in safe environments and encouraging exporters to harvest /produce their products. This earns money for our country. Paying people to do nothing is unproductive, and we must get our priorities right. not just doing jobs ie planting native trees. Judith No, we are already taxed too high. Jenene kindness has not eliminated the virus. Maybe jac will show kindness and not raise taxes. Ron Small -recent age of population ends up supporting everyone Phil I agree with this ! Joan i believe if the borders were just closed in February ,, Quarantined all returning NZrs stopped all tourists .no exceptions ..NZ couldve looked after the tourists who were financially stranded the country could continued to operate .. al An inheritance tax is nothing but theft David We didn’t ask for the lockdown. Why should hardworking kiwis be punished again. Lou

Checkout Infowars.com see whats really going on around the world. If you give up your Liberty’s for safety you deserve neither. Quote by Benjamin Franklin Wake up people Griff The lockdown has created serious financial issues for so many in NZ. The poster child for the Herald is the PM. She is front and center and under the guise of big V the publicity she has been given is off the charts. The Herald is an operating arm of the Labour Party? Alan Run things more lean. Collected tax is misspent a lot. Time to run the country like a business, not like a spoilt child of a rich person Kash People can’t spend it to help themselves and others if it is not in their pockets Sharon Dump the prime minister before the taxes start rolling in Gordon The Coronavirus was the pin that pricked the bubble.The world is already in depression.Large scale bankruptcies will prevent tax increases. simon Ridiculous Koau They should not, though they will probably have to be. If the government persists in following this path, maybe we should just ignore it. After all, there are plenty of people around who should be at home and who are not, malleable little Cindy bint Ross is praising them. Anthony Why should people not involved in the decision now have to pay the price? She is not the government the majority of NZers voted for and this is why. She thinks she can steal from those who have earned it and give it to those who haven’t! Petrina No! Jock Taxes should be reformed to eliminate inflationary taxes such as income, wage, and energy taxes; to be replaced with GST on currency exports, to grow the economy. Carl Why increase taxes, seems the communists can just print money anytime anyway, so what’s the issue? Neil It is clear the government is imposing its socialist agenda on the NZ population. We need to wake up, fast. Grahame With so many affected by the lock down, who would pay them? Perhaps all those rich people supposedly bunkered down down south somewhere. Larry Jacinda should pay for it herself. There was no consideration for economic activity. Businesses that could operate safely should have been allowed too. So many people and businesses have unnecessarily suffered. All decisions were rushed and the rules were made up on the go.NZ’s democratic system has been completely undermined. Claire The measures taken by the Labour government will result in a significant decrease in the tax take for many years to come and additionally petrol tax revenues will drop as well. What to do? They will justify and put up taxes. They should never have shut NZ down domestically and should have followed to some degree the measures implemented in Sweden. Alan We need to support the Government like they supported all of us with the wage subsidy. Anon Taxes should not be carried through to the citizen. The decision for lockdown was pushed through autocratically, and was, in my estimates, unethical. Camlo The drug companies are the ones along with banks who will come out of this smiling all the way to their shareholders. To think elimination is possible is a blind dream once again the expression I hear time and again with this gov’t “Unintended Consequences:” will be the legacy we are left with to deal with for decades. Malcolm People will be struggling enough with job losses etc. They just need to prioritise their spending as do councils. Leanne Jacinda is just a puppet in the hands of Helen Clark and her personal agenda of socialism which is communism with a different name. Terry Cut down on government spending on bureaucracy first. Put people to work instead of just passing out the benefit, better to subsidise public works than just hand out the benefit. David What about a transaction tax? All other taxes including get could be wiped. 1% transaction tax would catch all of the so called charitable trusts, corporate fraud and everyone else. Ian Get us back working again as soon as possible, one week in 3, one week in 2 then out, and I am 80 years old & this is what I think. Eric The lockdown has been over the top Linda Revisit the likes of google facebook etc who do not pay tax in the countries where it is a commodity being utilised, big corporations, big business – if we overtax small business who are the major providers of tax revenue incentives will be lost, and those less able will have even less assistance. Leeanne We had no say in how she managed the situation so why should we fund it now – many taxpayers have vastly diminished incomes because of her decision and can’t carry the extra financial burden Janet We must not legislate the wealth out of the hands of some to put in the hands of others – we are not a socialist republic. Tom No mandate without debate! Robert Shouldn’t be necessary with prudent fiscal policy. Alan We should trim 30% off the money allocated to councils and govt. departments excluding health, police and education. Let the overpaid unproductive sector pay. Stu Money is better left in the hands of those who earned it, they will know its value and whether to spend or save .According to the pamphlet that we all received a few weeks ago, we can justify only level two and could never have justified level 4. If a more pragmatic approach had been taken most businesses would have remained open and revenues would have been maintained. Tourism would have been closed down and pubs, cafes and the like closed too. New Zealand”s economy could have withstood this albeit with some pain for those specific sectors. Instead we have mass unemployment and there will be a huge surge in business failures. It seems that the present cabinet has no members with small business experience. Out of work New Zealanders should remember this when casting their votes in September. Peter Paying too much as it is. It’s us, middle working class that suffers Premi Reducing taxes and job killing regulations will actually produce more income for government than taxes that impoverish businesses and wage earners. Set the economy free! Reg Reduce taxes! Get people out spending again. Jane Because those that actually do have jobs will not be able to afford the extra tax. Totally unfair for those that will already be trying to support those they love, by keeping their job. Cecily Sensible economists say in fact to stimulate the economy taxes should not be increased but also ridiculous Legislation like the RMA should be greatly modified.The present situation is a perfect one for Jacinda Ardern to introduce a vast range of Socialist policies that take us back to our previous Neo Marxist state Hylton This is about helping each other. Saving your neighbours over stuffing your colonial faces. I’m all for a socialist society, bring on the UBI in NZ. UBI guy I hope the masses wake up to what’s happening a vote with their feet, if not sooner and revolt to any further lockdowns!!! Anita Change the government Anon An emphatic NO. So at last someone has voiced my concerns I have been voicing this whole time. Thankyou Dr Muriel Newman Barbara The sooner everyone realises Helen Clark is still running this country the better. As per her reign Jacinda is setting herself up for greater heights-UN??? Sound familiar. Sam Stop reshaping the economy towards socialism at all costs. Michael Only for those who voted for her…they should pay double the amount…. Belinda Socialism is a pretty word for communism ! It doesn’t work! Bryan Dreadfully sorry Miss Ardern got us into this mess, by accepting poor advice, so she can get us out (fat chance). Perhaps the up-coming election – if it’s not postponed? – will give us hope ….? David No other option. The government has no money. They only have the people’s money. The people always pay in the end. Increase taxes to 70% to teach people not to vote for socialists! Richard My favourite bit of this is where you say NZ should let the virus run as our hospitals are half empty, while Italy and Spain have seen a 6-fold spike in non-covid deaths as well. Have you pondered why ? Honestly…. Greg Not our fault she got our nation into debts not a very wise pm Mata Tutai Definitely not, were overtaxed now!!! Denis She is out of control and power mad. This country needs a 2 step (i.e. houses) law making governmental system like US, UK and Australia. Our system of a single political party (albeit 3 sets of clowns) being able to make the law and execute via a single house majority is flawed, undemocratic and downright dangerous. Michael As a labor member has said “Never miss an opportunity to take advantage of a national emergency”. What else can you expect of a Marxist PM and her Marxist mentor Helen Clark? Rex Eliminating the virus is crazy and impossible John basically I agree with the article Joseph She a female hitler more people have died waiting for surgery while hospitals run @ 50% watch the suicide escalation Lorraine No, no, and more no. It’s time for a truly ethical leader with integrity and actual deep care for the people and the country of New Zealand to step up and lead with heavenly insight Joan She can piss right off with that idea, kiwis are suffering enough as it is. Victoria Nope Luke Had the government enforced quarantine instead of self-isolation, that proved to be a total failure, the number of cases and the overall cost of the pandemic would be far less, Graeme We need some solid understanding of business from the government, in order to trade our way out of this self inflicted economic Armageddon that is coming. We need to elect a party which understands this, and actually has a realistic plan based on business and economic reality. Jacinda really needs the skids put underneath her quickly now, so that we can fix up the failure of her naivety and lack of solid fiscal leadership ability. Luke Maybe it’s finally time to cut costs by reducing bureaucratic government bloat and regulatory organisations instead? Something that has been promised by various political parties without provision for the past three decades. Pavel How about all those in the leadership of this national shutdown response forfeit their total salary and live on the benefit for however long it takes to resurrect our country Anon Can’t help but be. No other way to pay back the, ones borrowed Bev No, but probably they will have to be. Graeme Higher taxes will cause more economic harm and prolong the recovery. Frank Measures should be taken to reduce spending by Govt. The ridiculous waste with the Regional development funding, the $56 million Maori COVID fund, that threw money without any reporting on its use. Start by decreasing our MP’s back to 100. Put the spend thrift funding and vanity projects on hold. A business, run by people, only run on available income yet the Govt. wants to reduce that income to prop up its dubious, no consequences, COVID response. The Govt. is the first to tighten its belt. Bruce C Another Clark political ploy for the dead UN. even the USA can see that so withdraw any financial support IAN Make Arden and her communist buddies pay. She lost the plot with this crisis, completely overreacted, showed a lack of understanding of statistics and statistical modelling, and has no idea about running a business. Unfortunately most NZers are blind to what is really happening and don’t understand there is far more to being a true leader than sharing hugs and donning a headscarf. Gary Unless you believe in the socialist mantra: Tax your way to prosperity! Mark If you want to tax more Tax government employees more because that is not a sector that need help to grow Reduce tax to the productive sector to encourage people into it Michael Spot on Muriel. Vote this COL out. Remove Simon Bridges and its board. Leader required for New Zealand who is not beholding to Maori, Greens and Alarm-isms. Half govt and council bureaucrats, get rid of RMA and all un-elected paid hanger on. we cannot afford it. Unless a leader can do this we may as well save ourselves further pain and just let JA destroy NZ. No trust in Govt or our political police. be afraid, be very afraid. Sam George Orwell penned this agenda for Comrade Ardern to implement. Unfortunately we are dealing in the real world and Squealer was elected by democratic vote. Or was she? If not for Winnie the Pooh Squealer would have languished in opposition. More to the question, please don’t return us to the dark days of oppressive taxation, particularly that insidious tax called death duty. Chris She was to slow closing the border Gary Shred the RMA. Rob Increase taxes will reduce job opportunities and the unemployed numbers will sky=rocket….Death …destitution and divorce will be rampant. New Zealand has run out of “aces” and will be lost in ‘cloud and rain’ for decades…. ChrisH Unemployment will be very high. Lyn Kiwis need to stop being sheepeople. And stand up for themselves and hold the government accountable for all the waste of taxes. Maybe they should donate their fat salaries to the relief fund. We need to drain the swamp of all the corruption. Soon we will be a communist fascist country which our forefathers for so hard to avoid. People like this should not be above the law and should be imprisoned. Power obviously corrupts in the current NZ government Bill Great article dealing with the real issues. We are definitely in a social and political crisis and the lack of debate/dissent is positively terrifying. Keep up the good work! Tani Of course NOT. Sweden was not as stupid as NZ and many other countries. She can hand in her income for being to listen to the WHO scare mongers and of course the world bank and IMF are getting away with bucket loads of Interest money again. Stupid government and National is not much better and very corrupt. See the hand shake Bridges gave a Chinese billionaire to make sure HIS future is going to be secured with some kind of “director ship or CEO function” of a chinese outfit, like Shipley and many others did. Peter Using scare tactic’s the Govt has sucked us all in Geoff No and yes. No to increasing taxes. But I would like to see all parts of our society paying their fair share of taxes. Not to be hidden away in trusts. I am actually talking about Ngai Tahu, Tainui and other tribes. They need to pay taxes like everyone else.As well we should stop all Treaty of Waitangi claims until we have sorted out the debt that has been run up in recent weeks. Robert You cannot tax the country back to prosperity. This is typical Left wing dumb economics It’s up to Business, not government, to reignite the economy through less government restrictive red tape and more incentives and tax concessions for small business (T.O less than $5m) so that they can flourish and stimulate the economy Mark The ridiculous shut down of the country is costing a torrent of job losses. Comrade Ardern wants a socialist country and she MUST be stopped before she does more damage. We have now had gun confiscation, welfare dependency, brainwashed school children, divide between Maori and the rest of us, long hospital waiting lists while our hospitals are functioning at 50%, rising costs, huge taxation by stealth etc. this is following the socialist workbook. Please please National, get off your bums, get electioneering and let%u2019s get rid of this dangerous, damaging Princess. Carolyn if there had not been for so-called treaty settlements(not over yet) there would have been plenty of money in the coffers to cover this epidemic. Will we never learn?? Benjamin Ardern is scarily transparent. Her intention is to seek international glory at our expense. Already we are seeing glowing stories from overseas of her heroic leadership. But once again the news omits to report the groundswell of anger and discontent at her short-sighted policies and political deafness as she pursues her socialist ideology. Robert They should remove the $25/wk bribe. Politicians should pay it back out of future wages. We never voted for this mess so we shouldn’t have to clean it up. Craig Agree with your article – she is a shameless socialist along the lines of Cullen’s ‘rich pricks’. Louise Borrowing billions of dollars to help propup our ruined economy will cancel out all tax increases and ultimately put kiwis into more debt interest debt which in reality is more massive transfer of wealth into the hands of the 00.1%’s who pull puppet Ardern’s strings. Our future looks extremely bleak right now. Ben we are already the most heavily taxed country why hit us with more, pensioners are struggling now Francis The negative economic and social impacts as a result of this governments insane response to something no more deadly than the run of the mill annual flu is criminal. The government (and the opposition is culpable in this too) have failed (again) to meet its mandate of acting in the best interests of the citizens. In the apocalyptic aftermath of our Marxist masters power grab the peasants will be depressed and requiring some entertainment to lift morale. Perhaps some public floggings would be a good start… ROBERT It has to be paid for. Not left for the young people to pay for later. The NZ govt did the right action on this. Anon Politicians are corrupt Dave definitely not, the country is already ruined, and the Government is brain dead alan So government closes down the economy by fiat and the only people suffering a loss of income are the private sector and then the same surviving private sector victims must be punished by paying more tax???? That is just as bad as the Chinese executioner demanding the family pay for the bullet – except that the Chinese system at least had a show trial. Mike there needs to be a tax cut not additional taxes mike Not the way to stimulate the economy. Ian Tax cuts will stimulate recovery. Greg Taxes are high enough now! Jim The more sensible road to recovery, mirroring Adenauer’s postwar Wirtschaftswunder, would be massive deregulation, which in its wake would slash the costs of government and the need for tax revenues. Richard I agree entirely with Dr. Newman. Robert For a country who did not vote in this govt they have no electoral mandate from the people to implement this agenda let alone asking us to pay for it Anne Of course. How else ?? David No, we are already paying too much tax! Cyril There is plenty of room to gain more taxes by making everybody pay Add the massive Maori income stream, qualify proper charities only , dispose of 40 useless list M.P.s plus say a 100 Parliamentary minions- reduce the excessive Public service salaries – the list is endless. Martin Tax cuts for the employed of this nation and less free money for the idle. Supermarket gift cards with no limits on purchases eg alcohol, tobacco must stop. Homeless in Motels and Hotels…build transition camps with finite residency and welfare entitlement periods. No incentives to get off your ass and take responsibility for the situation you find yourself in. Pay attention to low and middle income NZ…we are stuffed without them…the hard working folk that don’t always have their hand out. No race based provision of government funding..good health and services are the entitlement of every NZ citizen without favour. This country is drowning in welfare dependancy. Carol How else are you going to pay for the loss of income from the tourist industry? Hotels , motels & other activities will need to be supported Bill NZ didn’t need to have its economy destroyed but due to Ardern’s decision to eliminate the virus rather than manage it, we are facing an explosion in the unemployed queues. The economic recovery must include scrapping the RMA, cancelling any Treaty settlements, abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal and getting rid of the taxpayer funded claims by Iwi activists. Kerry It will very likely to target the people who are vital for the recovery effort – the business owners Janet The total tax take, Personal, Fuel, GST, etc are high enough! Peter No, I think a softer approach is the answer, yes she did everything to protect us, but in the future, what will happen then? I do agree on Australia’s model. This situation has and will open the eyes for alot of fellow kiwis. Rick stop dipping into our pockets to rectify your cock ups Jacinda !…look at the big picture first -..just one example , out of the many , is stop breeding more children than you can afford to feed / house educate /do not burden the tax payer in general ; make it mandatory for every one to have their own health insurance ; wow what a difference just these two issues , rectified ;.would have . Roy They should do what Donald Trump did and reduce taxes to get the economy moving But that would be unheard if for the Labour Govt as their policies are always Raise Taxes David A BUSINESS WOULD LOOK AT CUTTING COST BEFORE IT FOUND A WAY TO INCREASE REVENUE. Maurice Have public inquiry into the lock down and the government response, not by butt covering politicians either Hugh The Australian treasurer was only yesterday talking about reducing taxes and regulation being the only way out. New Zealand MUST do the same. Gary Get rid of Ardern but don’t replace her with that pillock Simon and his lot. They’re lackeys to the UN as well.. bryan The world was exposed to the virus for 2 month pre lockdown. We away have some herd immunity. End domestic and international isolation. Cut govt sending. Sallydo

Democracy is dead in NZ. It has been replaced by the dictates of an authoritarian government out of control on major issues, aided and abetted by spineless politicians and a fawning media who lack the objectivity to hold the Government to account. Tom No way! Bob The gallop towards NZ as a Marxist state has to stop! Jim There are more generous means of repatriating our economy Levonne What NZrs mentally struggle to understand, is Jacinda & her ‘Party’ including the GREENS, are dedicated Marxist Socialists. So of course she is going to take advantage of EVERY opportunity that comes her way, to impose TOTAL State Control. So get used to it. National are now no more than UN Globalist Agenda Puppets, so why would you be surprised when they have no objection to parliament being closed.. We have TWO options here; either {1} All register on the Maori electoral roll, so then we can ALL put our hands out for a share of the $$billions handed out to one ethnic group. Or {2} vote New Conservative, & break the cycle of rapidly losing our freedoms & democracy.. A.G.R. No as she takes more money from us we become more dependent on the state . Once that happens NZ is on a slippery slope to our worst fears John Socialism on the march …. stand to! Tom NZ lock-down should be lifted, & economy revived even if it’s ‘painful’. The government’s lock-down is ridiculous & a in-between step to force everybody into socialist government– where all freedom of society are frozen as SHE chose. Hopefully we will see another proper election & have a chance to vote this Marxist government out!! Anna Use the old social credit policy, and do not need to pay it back. George Important to remove all vestiges of communism & islamism from NZ.. ASAP. Coral Thwart “Jacinister’s” totalitarian advance! Freedom and capitalism creates – Unfreedom and socialism plunders. When capitalism is stifled, the socialists will fight amongst themselves……over the spoils. Thieves always fall out. Don if all the money that has and will be given to the lay abouts like women with kids and no known father, people who don’t or wont work, and not forgetting the treaty parasites NZ should not have to increase taxes but with a communist dictator in charge and having lost all forms of democracy we will be fleeced for years to come even if we have a change of government in the near future which is unlikely with the present leader of the opposition. Richard Unfortunately Jacinda will ram this through under the emergency lockdown rules. Yes why was parliament shutdown, she can now do as she likes, every week we see that the emergency powers are renewed. She and the Labour party have to go. I am sick of seeing her smiling horse face on TV. Fraser The lockdown is `State control at its worst’ – Jacinda is Queen of a Totalitarian State that she has created and she will keep on the same path – just watch her lead the way sheryl The whole thing has been mismanaged from the start I believe there was panic in the government also why did national let them get away with it Australia has done a far better job and how many people have died because there operation we delayed and where is the safety equipment that the health sector needed Labour needs to go they have ruined the country Peter Predictable destructive Marxist idiocy. Richard The well off and the hard working New Zealanders should not be burdened with extra taxes being applied. What should happen is that the Government rein in some of the hand outs given to special people ie Maori and overseas groups that get aid at our expense and the likes of the U N WHO and the Clinton foundation to name a few. Hard working and saving Kiwis should not carry the burden for crazy Jarcinda Arderns total shut down and the mental state of those effected. New Zealanders should be wary of this Government and the powers they have at their disposal. ken Let’s see how it pans out before we go there. Chris The New Zealand press needs to be hauled over the coals over its total left wing coverage and embarrassing fawning over Jacinda Stan Taxes restrict the opportunity to invest in productive activities. Joseph Definitely not, The people of NZ need to wake up and see what is going on here. All of our freedoms and civil liberties are being taken away from us and most don’t even realise it. John And why should they? william Doing so will only hamper the speed of our recovery! J J There will be huge unemployment without any increase in taxes. However with controlled spending on essential services and business incite to generate income more borrowing can be undertaken. But lest see a well structured plan first not talk about what we would like the well being to look like. More business acumen is needed and less interference from Politician from all sides. This Country is at economic war with the rest of the world. But alas all that can be counted on is for the Country’s Human Capital to be wasted by the Politicians. Time for the real Kiwi to stand up and be listened too and counted on. frank Definitely not Denise we pay tax on every single thing now, taxes on taxes to be precise, the country will be ruined. I do not agree with this lockdown at all. Erin I hope Ardern’s super confidence and arrogance she now has control of the country soon (very soon) becomes her downfall Nyle This girl is a menace, and a puppet, for those in the last labour govt who felt that they had unfinished business, she is the opportunity that they have been waiting for to bring communism to NZ, hopefully they will fail this last attempt. And never forget just who is responsible for this mess, one Winston Peters. Merryl what would we actually live on ? Beth I could live with a top rate increase and adjustment to the income levels for each tax rate to avoid the inflation creep Barry not that it’s going to matter, nobody will have a job anyway. Chris I’m sure they will be but I say NO. However where is the money coming from for the “handouts’ . Mike The question is rhetorical , nothing is surer and the CGT so beloved of the Socialist and left is almost a certainty. We heading toward banana republic stage with every utterance these clowns make. Max Rightly or wrongly, the government has put New Zealand in a position where it will take many years to recover from. The signs have been apparent for some time and the pandemic has given them an opening to further their socialist agendas. If things go too far, we may see major civil unrest the likes we have never seen here. Ray The Labour Party did not do their homework. Looked at overseas to see what they did and did the same she did not listen to NZers at all Cherryl Whilst the tax payers of NZ already carry to high a tax burden, this current Socialist government will exploit their fatally flawed management of the pandemic to implement their wish list of taxes on us the “Rich Pricks” ! John We are over taxed now, had the borders closed earlier like when we had 5 not when the horse had bolted from the stable with Corona Virus. Ross We’re already a heavily taxed nation. We need to find another option and begin to hold politicians and their parties accountable for the paths they lead us down without our permission Darag No of course not but it is inevitable now that the Government has borrowed too much that it has to be repaid somehow. Ardern has been looking for an excuse to increase tax on those who earn more than the average wage and here is the answer to her wish. Control of people, money and tax is what every good Socialist dreams of and here is the golden opportunity. Coping with disastrous medical backlogs, huge unemployment and failed businesses, she can step in and justify and blame the virus for everything. She’s home free. Chris her lock down is excessive, and not totally necessary. Norman The lazy individuals who stay on a benefit even when work is available should be held to account and women who have babies out of wedlock, should be restricted to only receiving Govt funding for one child. This would save millions of dollars and also save many children having miserable lives. Janet But we’ll need to pay for it somehow!! Philip Such a measure is “biting off the hand that feeds”. It is the so-called “rich” who provide employment, and taxing them and their businesses more heavily will result in further unemployment. “So-called rich” because many small and medium-size businesses are running hand-to-mouth, with their owners’ often paying themselves less than their employees to keep the business running. The question is, where is the government realistically going to find these vast and increasing billions of dollars to restart and grow the economy? Laurence Both political parties have sucked up to China over the years and who are at fault here, so they should pay back the loans on very long term loan deals thru not increasing taxes. Graeme Taxes kill economic activity. They remove incentive for people to make any extra effort or pursue any initiative. Increased taxes will painfully prolong the coming depression. Frank Well we are all well and truly stuck up crap creek without a paddle ….. and all thanks to our socialist/closet-commie PM …. ably assisted by an opposition leader who, if he grew a pair of testicles, would probably request sex-change surgery. It would appear that the ‘middle earth’ we’ve been fantasising over for years has finally become a reality. Steve Certainly not! Col3 bases its handouts according to funds available in kitty. You do not pay Paul’s debts from Peter’s annual pay… and when the account goes into debt, you raise Peter’s salary to cover same!! If the funds are not there then you trim your sails and front your overpayment yourself. It was your decision that caused the shortfall so do not penalise Peter. Robyn Unfortunately the knee-jerk reaction is likely to be that we need higher taxes to help pay for all the mostly necessary handouts from government to keep some sectors from failure. But just think for a moment. Thanks to at least five weeks of imposed stoppage, which has sadly injured and in many cases killed New Zealand businesses, we need quite desperately to get our economy going again, as quickly and sustainably as possible. Those pay-it-back taxes are going to stultify our desperately needed efforts to rebuild. The faster we rebuild our economy the faster our taxes will be able to contribute to repayment without crippling the country. While rebuilding the government doffers higher taxation would painfully slow our recovery. Rob Increase GST Jamie How else will it be paid for it not by increased taxes? By savings in the central government bureaucracy . The country is a big business and should be run as such. No time for endless enquiries and committees which can figure out that the answer an unpalatable action so either watered down to a point of being ineffective or used as a door stop. Most politicians and their ilk wouldn’t get a job in real and productive world yet we continue to elect them. We must be dumb. Mike Absolutely not the only way to pay off the debt is increase productivity and increase the incentives to work hard. Increased taxes do not work because Companies and wealthy people work out many ways around them and those on the lower end of the scale don’t bother to try and improve their lot because of the punitive effect of taxes. The only real way that we can get out of the carnage that will be caused by the actions of Ardern and her cohorts is to get rid of them in September and replace them with a forward looking Conservative Government rather than the bunch of Socialists/Communists who are currently in power. Only then will there be any hope for the future of NZ. As your post states this is a very dangerous time for NZ. Allan By way of GST and cancelation of useless spending on worthless projects like widening foot paths and more cycleways we need to get productivity focused ramp up’s Richard I am saying no, but I don’t see any other way out of recouping the funds which have been spent on the PMs knee-jerk reaction (again). Chris Open business back up and allow something like “herd immunity” to be the natural vaccine! Joe No WAY Maurice Eliminate government waste and inefficiency. Geoff The money has to come from some where but why should we all suffer because of the hysterical incompetence of children trying to run a country or are we being subject to the socialists playbook, wreck the economy and have all the populace dependant on the government. Remember, Arden is a creature of the UN and and that organisation is a den of Marxist ideology. Next we will have her attempting to make a vaccine for this bug compulsory thus playing into the hands of Farci and Bill Gates ad big pharma. Ronmac I have said no but that is not what I expect. The totally socialist government that we have at present will use any and all events to further their aims to have a socialist society established in New Zealand. Just remember the gun buy back as socialists must disarm the population before they enforce their utopian paradise. Yes all the old favorites will be brought back for consideration and probable implementation These will include the Capital Gains tax, Death duties, and similar that will sold as necessary but only effect the rich pricks. Look also for an increase in basic tax rates It will all be on the way. What needs to be done though is to get Government out of the economy and let capitalists create and service the needs of the people and so raise the GDP and therefore the eventual tax take. Reduction of tax rates has proven to increase the overall tax take elsewhere but that won’t be listened to here by our Communist Leader Robin because we’ve borrowed more to save future generations they can pay it back.taxes,fees,levies and charges account for too much of wage earners income now Bill Comrade Jacinda is exploiting this pandemic to shape her socialistic agenda & Re election. Derek The wealthy did not create the pandemic so they should not be tasked with the economic recovery. Dennis. The more sensible road to recovery, mirroring Adenauer’s postwar Wirtschaftswunder, would be massive deregulation, which in its wake would slash the costs of government and the need for tax revenues. Richard

Absolutely NO! This government will do everything, no matter how underhand to bring about their socialist ‘paradise’- I just wish we had an effective opposition. Roger Relative to most other countries NZ has quite a low level of government debt/GDP. We can therefore afford significant borrowing to dig ourselves out of the Covid-19 hole. Perhaps the economic hit will reveal the businesses lacking long-term viability leading to a healthier, more productive economy. We would then be in a position to reduce debt once more. (I hope.) Colin They elected on no more taxes Diane Let them try!! Norm Once again we see exaggerated Computer Model being used as a’Stick’ to get People to conform. This harks back to ‘Gun Reform’ and ‘ Climate Alarmism’. There is a definite Pattern here and all heading toward a State Controlled Environment. This is how Hitler got total Control during an economic Recession. Look at History, there’s our wisdom. Geoff No. If the funds have been spent wisely the economy will revive and taxes will flow in. Maurice We unfortunately have a PM with little experience of living and essentially no experience of real work. Lacking this experience and evidently being incapable of any real thinking and her acolytes are absolutely dependent on the advice given by bureaucrats and academics who themselves are often lacking in those experiences. They are the people who should pay for the largely unnecessary economic damage they have caused. BRING ON THE REVOLUTION!!! Alan Not the general rate at least. Yes, the top end rate could be raised, but it will not generate a huge increase. Those at the top have good lawyers and accountants! Hugh New Zealanders are going to get a taste of what real Socialism is like. Whether they like it or not. Jacinda whats to lead the new world order. As you say a very dangerous time for New Zealand. Graeme This story is very disturbing Deanne NO! Here’s my suggestion…just cease the outrageous, unjustified treaty settlements to part Maori and eliminate all other squandering on welfare payments to those who are career bludgers and have never contributed to the benefits of society. Tony Under NO circumstances Bruce A tax reduction would lift the level of tax received to the benefit of the economy. pdm Absolutely not, that would completely restrict any hope of small business rising from the ashes Tom The cost to all the population is bad enough without increased taxes to pay for the services we lost during this lockdown. The older section of the population who looked after the children of those who worked were told to go home and stay there. Someone would make contact with them and see they were fed, taken to the doctor if necessary and generally cared for. It has not happened. Many vulnerable older people are left alone and passive enough to remain inside their houses. Survival of the fittest, I guess. Paloma This is a typical left-wing government to take from those who earn it to give to those who don’t! Ray There is a huge black hole in our tax system that allows the wealthy / greedy to manipulate the system. Colin What we need is smaller government also there is too many local bodies we are well over represent by politicians Les They should be reduced as should Govt. profligate and wasteful spending. Roger Not under any circumstances and especially under the current conditions where whole sections of the productive sector of our economy have been decimated. This is now a straight battle between those who believe in the doctrine of Marxist socialism and those who believe in free enterprise as the pathway to a balanced healthy and prosperous society. On the 25th we New Zealanders celebrate and honour our parents, grand parents and great grandparents who fought and gave their lives for a democratic and free society. Now everyone who wants to truly honour that legacy has no choice but to stand up and fight this Marxist socialist regime at every level and destroy its influence over our lives. The choice is yours New Zealand. James however I see no other option. w will all pay for he stupidity Mary I voted No— but we can be sure that an increase of taxes across the board will happen. With an expected 10 plus % of people on the dole for an extended period of time and massive tax losses caused by this unholy Govt’s ruthless shutting down of our economy the only way to mitigate these nasty side effects will be—– higher taxation. But the conundrum lies in that there is only so much what the Govt can do to tax everything and everybody in a severely damaged economy until nothing goes anymore. And what then ???? A country with a ruined economy has only limited possibilities to borrow more money from the World Bank or the IMF . Politically I see that we have lost a functioning democracy by now . There is almost no difference anymore between Nats and Labour and hence no real opposition. This could be called a grand coalition or better— a one party state. The upcoming elections are in my view mere window dressing to keep up appearances. Michael If this is not stopped, New Zealand could become the most expensive and taxed Nation in the World. David Raise a levy agreed by all parties for a period of time on petrol now that the global price has dropped. colin I’m in my 80’s with emphysema, she has already cut my pension and it will get worse, and she tells us to spend so she can get more GST. Its disappointing Bridges has not been screaming loud enough and taking some initiatives to stop the indoctrination we are being subject to. Philip Definitely not let Jacinda forego all her salary along with he colleagues John When will national get rid of Bridges so they at least have a chance of winning the next election? Jacinda has to go or we all will be slaves to the State Michael Say no to overt socialism Peter Absolutely not! And shame on our pathetic unquestioning grovelling media! Ron The thought of “straw that breaks the camel’s back”come to mind. Tourism is shot, small businesses, those that survive, will struggle to get up and running again, and farmers have been whacked enough with drought and governmental disapproval and interfering rules. An increase in tax would put nails in a lot of coffins. Dick All taxes, and interest rates, on all borrowed money, should at least be halved to assist those who are going to be jobless. I believe Jacinda has made the wrong decisions in having this complete lockdown. The country will be ruined now for many years and many will suffer the consequences. Reg YES. But this is an unfair, simplistic question with a potentially many faceted answer. This is a golden opportunity to revisit the capital gains tax issue that PETERS scuppered. Property investors have driven a wedge between themselves and the average New Zealanders ability to attain affordable home ownership by being slippery with taxation laws. A flat tax based on a low rate of say 18% applicable to everyone including businesses over and above a living income based on the rate determined by National Superannuation. No exceptions or fiddling with GST which should be reduced but in turn get rid of another rort and that is the ability for a privileged few to claim it back. No down side to that. Just a lot of accountants out of a job. Tighten up the taxation law in relation to religious institutions. A lot of potential tax take has been hiding behind these cassocks for too long. It is timely to reexamine our entire taxation system to make it more equitable. Gary Definitely not. Ardern’s response of total lockdown has been wrong. We definitely need a change of govt. Trevor Socialist Jacinda MUST claw back the $50 million see gave to the maori elite. That money was to help struggling maori, and that is NOT happening. TV has shown that maori are still without homes, food etc, Where is NZ taxpayers money going, as the elitist maori don’t pay taxes on their business…they are classed as a charity…bullshit, they are parasites feasting off the NZ government and taxpayer. Clawing back the $50 million will go some way to help NZ recover financially. DO THE RIGHT THING JACINDA !!!!! ROD Not in the short term. We need taxpayers to spend money to get the economy growing Terry No. Rather than increase taxes how about the Govt start making the multi million dollar so called Maori business’s PAY TAX. Allen They should focus on reducing costs and paying out on the gravy treaty train, and the feel good stuff chasing votes. Kevin ANy increase in the tax base will be self defeating in that productivity and initiative will be further depressed under the socialist yoke. Mark No way!! Those that have worked their buts off will end up paying more than ever!! Sandra Absolute rubbish Gareth

Absolutely not, giving these dangerous clowns more money out of the pockets of us that actually work and contribute to the economy is not on. A transmogrification of the civil service beginning with a serious cull of the incompetents hiding there is a good starting point Phil I say NO but in reality there will have to be an increase in taxes to help pay for the huge borrowings Princes Jacinda has hoisted on us. Australia’s approach to the covid19 virus challenge has been far superior to that of NZ. Keith We need more money in our pockets to be able to spend it freely, this is the way free markets work. We are in this bad state of affairs because of the government meddling where they shouldn’t. Craig This article hits the nail on the head like no other has done. Jacinderella – in her bid for world recognition, a sainthood, Nobel prize or an Oscar – is locking this country into her view of a socialist paradise for the foreseeable future. Her ‘elimination’ policy is totally unrealistic in light of human achievements so far, in defeating viruses. Is is possible to oblige her to explain how she thinks we may be able to re-engage with the rest of the world, who will still have the virus, once we have become ‘free’ of Covid-19? She will not have an explanation, of course, but she will have a long term plan to control all industries, commerce and social activities to an extent we would not believe possible now. Just look at how she is presenting herself and her government as benefactors, by paying wages (with our tax money, then with borrowed money, and with newly printed money) to people that her policies have thrown out of work. Classic misdirection activity. Many other countries have realised too late that they have elected a dangerous, single-issue fanatic to lead them. We are not alone in doing this, but the realisation has not yet dawned on us. Wake up New Zealand! TOBY She will have to front up Before elections on her tax proposals. National Should hammer this. The nation will not revert to this level of tax rate. Change of government is certain. Kissey kissey huggy huggy and smiley smiley will NOT win her the election. We will trade our way forward not tax those who have worked hard. Greg We are already heavily taxed, we don’t need any more taxes or Jacinda’s “levies” Kaye Counter productive. Norm Certainly NOT.People who jacinda made unemployed, business, ETC should SUE jacinda for their losses & National NEEDS a STRONG PM to show every-one that jacindas scare mongerings was WRONG & they NEED to kick her out as she,s got more out of control in her mind. Cindy They should be reduced to allow money to flow. Wayne But they probably will Wally No! To get this country going again we need a reduction in taxes. Smaller bureaucratic burden. Complete remodeling of the RMA. Throw out those stupid carbon taxes and involve Steven Joyce in key decision making. Lee The lock down suites her strategy, more people unemployed and reliant on the state for income (buy votes). And she will take the money from middle and upper NZ again. Peter Once again LABOUR has set out to destroy this country just as it did in 1987. Jon The best way to recover tax is the same way the Australians do with Stamp Duty for all foreigners. ! recently settled on a property purchase in Brisbane and the stamp duty was $332,500 = 12.5%. There are plenty of foreigners including Australians in NZ who are laughing all the way to the bank. Ronald We must stimulate economic recovery to get more taxes not kill the golden goose!! Already less than 50% of tax payers pay effective tax. Merv That would be a double whammy. but that’s what it would amount to would it not? I thought it would be impossible to sink a sinking ship twice. The solution, cut some of the bureau-ocracy created in government, especially this government which will help enormously. Chris The Socialistic State she has set out to produce will be even more enhanced. She is a danger to the future of NZ Chris We need a slow and steady recovery to let people get back on their feet. If you start taxing everyone to pay debt, there will be no people left to pay tax. Cut government and local government staff numbers, they can go fruit picking for all I care. Stop needless spending and let the government tighten their belts and don’t leave it all to the taxpayer. Chris Successful people should not have to pay for the mistakes of incompetent politicians Charlie Taxing people is probably the worst way to kick-start the economy. More money in people’s pockets means they can go out and buy things. I’m in no way an economist but surely taxing people is only putting money in the hands of the incompetent’s in government. Jenny They would destroy any chance of a true economic recovery John The massive Covid-19 costs have to be recovered, over a period of time Kevin You cant tax your way out of a situation. Clark Labour will just have to be more frugal and budget carefully. THEY made the bed to lie on RICHard Didn’t shut the border soon enough. She had to over react on the rubbish modelling, And now the same modellers are suggesting she got it right comrade. Craig Absolutely not. This stupid govt should stop giving free lunch to so call starving kids, who are the responsibility of those who produce them. Those who prefer to spend their overpaid benefits on drugs, alcohol and gambling, rather than feed their children, should be stopped from having them. The govt should reduce benefits to those who will never work while they keep getting money thrown at them … the same people, generation after generation. They winge.. we pay! Des No. Jacinda should! She made all these crippling decisions. Stuart I have no ideas as to how this will be paid for but most New Zealanders will struggle after this debacle so how would the workers actually pay more? Liz It is socialism by stealth and should be rejected Donald Higher rates of taxation are not the answer Terry No no no ! Open all business and just restrict those over 65 to stay home. Encourage far more overseas high worth investors to come to NZ. to invest in the local economy ! Andrew Taxes should be reduced to help the economy recover. Don We never wanted this ridicules over-cooked response and lies of the media. Both them and the PM should be sacked!! Josh If the economy was allowed to get back to normal the tax would be available as normal. Murray Robin Hood syndrome. The very wealthy including Banks should pay more tax. There are no jobs for the uneducated and poor. Let’s not end up like Nigeria. But bring in work for the dole and only give DPP for up to two children. Hone Taxes should be dropped and the tax take would actually go up because more people would be employed and the business owners could pay their staff more . Simple unless u are an evil envious tall poppy socialist Greg If they cut wasted govt. spending like god knows how many unnecessary departments and reduced parliament to 80-90 members they would.’t need to raise tax. Ian